ADDITIONAL POST-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CARE OF YOUR PET

FOLLOWING SPINAL SURGERY

Created by
The Canine Fitness Centre Ltd
403-204-0823 / www.caninefitness.com
Note: The following exercises and/or recommendations are intended to help owners with the normal
recuperations following a spinal surgery. If you have any questions regarding the following, please contact The Canine Fitness Centre. If your animal experiences any discomfort, stop the exercise and/or activity and consult the Canine Fitness Centre. If your pet appears to regress at any time or seems to have
uncontrolled pain, contact your primary care veterinarian or after hours emergency clinic immediately.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Rest: Rest is important for healing of damaged tissue and for pain control as well.
If your animal seems unsettled and at night, you may want to adjust when you give
your pets prescribed pain medication. Additionally, some structured rest during
the day which includes darkness, quietness, and comfort should be incorporated in
your dog / cats daily routine early on in the rehabilitation.
Incision Care: Monitor the incision on your pet closely (at least twice daily). Ensure that the incision is kept clean and monitor for signs of oozing, swelling, a foul
odour, or increased discomfort of your dog. If any of these signs arise, your pet
should be checked by your veterinarian promptly.
Pain Management: In addition to any prescribed medications for pain control,
you can also gently massage, purposely stroke, or groom your animal. Socialization may also be helpful, and if your animal has friends (humans or calm animals) that she might like to visit with, short periods of socializing can be encouraged, however absolutely no play is allowed during the early recovery period.
Lifestyle Management:

Try to encourage normal movement when possible. Curtailing your pet from
dragging himself is advised.

Block off the stairs so that your pet will not try to go up or down the steps
and risk injury.

If your pet is able to stand, raise his food and water bowls (thus using feeding
time as an exercise, but also reducing the strain on her neck or back).

In order for your animal to feel safe with learning to walk again, and to avoid
slips and falls, place inexpensive rubber-backed mats or runners in a pathway around the house for the animal to use when walking.

PASSIVE RANGE OF MOTION (PROM):

Mimic the functional movement of a walk-run pattern will help not only with joint range of motion
and muscle flexibility, but it will also to stimulate neurologic pathways in your dogs brain and spinal
cord and facilitate motor relearning.
CANINE WALK-RUN PATTERNING:

NOTES: The goal of this technique is to simulate as many components of real walking or
running as possible. Putting your hand on your
dogs bottom of the foot to mimic the ground
during the stance phase and removing his foot
during the swing phase are key elements of
this exercises. Try to get full range of motion.
Go slowly and smoothly. You can use a pull on
the toes to get flexion of the leg if your dog
wont or cant flex her leg. In order to get the
dog to extend the whole leg, you can push on
the front of the stifle (with the other hand under
the paw pad or at the back of the leg below the
hock). Do 1020 repetitions on each affected
leg per session. 23 x / day.
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ACTIVE RANGE OF MOTION (AROM) / VOLUNTARY MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS:

Encouraging or stimulating the animal to use any voluntary muscle contractions is good for building muscle strength, increasing circulation, and motor re-learning. Some ways to encourage
AROM and volitional motor activity are as follows:

TOE PINCHES: Trying to stimulate a flexor

withdrawal reflex by pinching your dogs toes.
Do 1020 repetitions on each affected limb.
23 x / day.

ROCKING ON THE BALL: Carefully place the

small dog over the ball. Allow her legs to stretch
out in front and behind. Stay close to the animal
and hold her front legs so that she is unable to
wiggle off. Now slowly rock from side to side
holding the position at each side to facilitate contraction of postural muscles in the trunk and
spine. Perform this exercise for 5 minutes per
session, 23 x / day. Mid-back disc surgery dogs only

JOINT COMPRESSIONS: Apply pressure through

the target joints and bones to mimic weight bearing and stimulate extensor muscle contractions.
Alternately, the distal hand can be on the bottom
of the paw pad to impact more joints and muscles.
Do 1020 compressions per session on each affected limb. 23 x / day.

COOKIE EXERCISES: With the dog in a variety of

stable and supported positions (upright lying, sitting, or standing), entice him to turn from side to
side to take a treat. Additionally move the cookie
up and down to work on flexion and extension of
the neck and spine.
5 reps in each direction /
session, 23 x / day.
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CORE STABILIZATION EXERCISE

RHYTHMIC STABILIZATIONS: With the animal in lying upright, sitting ,or standing position resist the animal by pushing on her rump or trunk from one direction, then slowly reduce pressure
and begin to apply pressure from the other direction. This helps the patient recruit weak postural
muscles. Try this exercise 5 minutes per session, 23 x / day.

STIMULATION OF SKIN, MUSCLES, AND SENSORY SYSTEMS:

MASSAGE STROKING: Use your open palm and fingers to stroke the muscles slowly and at varying depths and pressure along the animals body. This technique is useful to relax the animal,
warm the tissues, assist circulation, stretch muscle and fascia and soothe sore or swollen areas.
Additionally, stroking and massaging provides a sensory stimuli to all of the underlying tissues,
which will facilitate awareness and responsiveness within the nervous system. Pressure should be
less than approximately 1 pound in weight. If able, try to do this once a day before a rest period or
in the evening before bed.
Relaxation massage routine: all light touch, utilizing stroking,
light wringing or circular massage techniques.
Begin by stroking of petting the animal quietly and gently to
gain his trust and willingness to participate.
Start massaging at the poll of the head: with small diameter circles in the palm of your hand
Ear strokes: gently pull your dogs ears outwards from base to
tip, rubbing and stroking
Gum massage (ONLY if safe to do so): using fingertips rub in a
circular fashion along the gums
Back work: perform light long strokes along the spine and gentle X pattern wringing across the back.
Sacrum work: massage with slow circular pressures
Tail work: gently pull on the tail, move it in a circular motion at
the base, and slowly stroke down the tail one vertebra at a time.
Shoulders and front legs: slowly stroke and wring the limbs
Hips and hind legs: slowly stroke and wring the rear limbs
End the massage session with light strokes, barely touching your
dog going from head to tail, shoulder to front paw and hips to
back paw.

NOTE: For the purpose of

massaging the neurologic dog,
pain is never acceptable. The
massage should always be within the animals comfort level.

MENTAL STIMULATION
UPRIGHT POSITIONING: When the animal is awake, it is
very important to position him in an upright position . Try
cutting a wedge out of foam to support and hold the animals chest sot that she does not slide away (as do pillows
and blankets). This is more important if your dog has had a
neck surgery. Animals with back surgeries, usually position
themselves this way quite effortlessly.

OUTSIDE TIME: If at all possible, take your

dog outside to do his toileting or to just sit on
the ground to enjoy the sights and smells of
the outdoors for a few minutes per session.
STREET TOUR: Dogs often enjoy getting out
to see and smell familiar surroundings. If
your dog cannot walk, you may want to create
a platform on wheels to roll your dog down
the sidewalk.
A cat is less likely to enjoy this activity.

NOTE: If at all possible if its safe to do

so, it is advisable to stand the animal
(with as much support as necessary) to
provide loading stimuli through the limbs
and cognitive awareness of a normal upright posture.
The Canine Fitness Centre has a variety or types and sizes of harnesses to aid in support your dog, while
standing or getting up, in stock for immediate purchase. Please call us at (403) 204-0823 to inquire.
Resources we recommend for information: www.handicappedpets.com
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BOWEL & BLADDER FUNCTION

To re-establish your dogs normal bowel and bladder function begin to create a routine for both processes as early as possible in the rehabilitation period if your dogs abilities permit. If the animal is
mobile, take her outside to toilet, and help her to posture if possible.
EXPRESSING THE BLADDER:
A paralyzed dog often loses its ability to urinate on its own. It's critical to aid this process by manually
expressing the bladder. Failure to do so regularly, can lead to bladder or kidney issues, such as urinary
tract infections and/or cystitis. If your animal has strong or foul smelling urine, contact your vet for
assessment and treatment of a possible bladder / urinary tract infection.
Place the FEMALE dog in an upright position facing
you. Face MALE dogs away from you.

For a SMALL dog, hold the dog's buttocks with one

hand and curl your other arm around him, resting that
hand on his abdomen. For a MEDIUM sized dog, place
your hands on the sides of your dog with your fingertips
reaching under the abdomen, and your thumbs resting on
the spine.

Feel where the rib cage and the abdomen meet. Small
Dog: Put your thumb on one side of the abdomen and the
rest of your fingers on the other side.

Locate the full bladder which should feel like an inflated balloon, perhaps the size of a lemon. Small Dog:
Press your thumb and fingers together gently and slide
your hand away from you and towards the rear end of the
dog. Medium Dog: As described above, apply pressure,
by squeezing upwards and inwards.
Squeeze the bladder gently. The stream of urine being
voided should be steady. As the bladder is being expressed it should shrink, and you may need to stop and
move your hands to a better position.

Stop squeezing when the urine stream begins to trickle. At such point the bladder should have been fully expressed.

Repeat the process at least every 8 hours or three

times each day to provide optimal bladder function for
your paralyzed dog.
STIMULATING DEFECATION: Use a Q-tip and insert it to just
inside the anus and circle it once or twice. This will start the
defecation process. (Make sure you are where you want your
dog to defecate before you initiate the process).

A large dog expressing station

More info at:
www.handicappedpets.com

For further support or suggestions, do not hesitate to contact us:

The Canine Fitness Centre Ltd
50942nd Ave SE
Calgary, AB
www.caninefitness.com
(403) 204-0823

ADDITIONAL THERAPIES
If you are interested in providing your pet with more therapy, or would like assistance in
the rehabilitation of your animal, The Canine Fitness Centre can also offer:

Early weight bearing practice using an underwater treadmill or standing frame

Gait retraining using a land treadmill or the underwater treadmill

Modalities that are beneficial for pain relief and/or stimulation of healing

Acupuncture

Exercise advancements as your pet progresses

Wheelchair fitting if necessary