Why Cookie Cutter Exercises You Find on The Internet Won’t Cut It for Your Dog

If you’ve ever been referred for physical therapy it’s likely you’ve been given some exercises to do at home.

On your future visit your Physical Therapist will reassess your progress and probably progress you to some more challenging exercises to build strength, improve balance or whatever it is they are hoping to achieve.

This is YOUR program tailored specifically to your body’s needs, specific conditions and response to the prescribed exercises.

So if somebody else diagnosed with your condition went to that Therapist do you think their exercise program over time would be the same as yours?

Of course not.

This other person could be elderly or have some other underlying condition that affects how they respond to the therapy or how their body heals.

Their ongoing plan will be different to yours – as it should be.

In the animal world this works in the same way.

Every program begins with a thorough musculoskeletal assessment of your dog. This is the first step in working out a suitable treatment plan taking into account any other existing issues that may be present at the same time.

The plan will include regular follow up visits to assess progress as well as some exercises you can do at home between visits.

At each follow up visit the therapist will reassess your dog and make adjustments to the plan as determined by your dog’s progress and response to the current therapy.

If there has been no improvement then the therapist will investigate why this isn’t working and change the plan.

This is why you can’t possibly simulate this treatment just by following an online rehab program even if it’s specifically for your dog’s diagnosed condition.

Every dog responds differently and that’s to be expected.

Other important reasons for customised programs include:

Exercises are designed to target specific areas of the body. These may differ between different patients with similar conditions

How long the injury or issue has been present. Is it in its early stage or has it been there for some time therefore causing further compensatory issues.

All these mean no two dogs can be treated the same way,

When are online Therapeutic exercises for my dog OK?

When they are specifically prescribed by your rehab professional for your dog. Sometimes your therapist will provide you with their own online exercise programs and other times they might refer you to someone else’s resource.

Both are O.K as long as they have been specifically prescribed by a qualified rehab professional who has physically assessed your dog.

A Rehabilitation Plan is more than just “At Home Exercises”

Most of the time a professional rehabilitation plan will consist of more than one type of therapy.

This means the prescribed exercise program will often be supported by other treatments such as Acupuncture, Laser Therapy or Hydrotherapy just to name a few.

From our experience, it is rare that exercises alone are used in a full rehab program. They most often form just part of an overall plan.

How long will my dog need to do these exercises at home?

Again that will depend on your therapist’s assessment. Most programs are designed to achieve an objective such as complete healing from an injury or surgical procedure.

A program like this would have a defined end point after which no further rehabilitation is required.

Another objective would be to reach or maintain a specific level of fitness for a canine athlete. This program is likely to be ongoing for as long as the dog is actively involved in sporting events.

Preventative Care programs

A typical example of this would be for dogs prone to specific musculoskeletal issues such as IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease)

This is where healthy dogs enter a program that is specifically designed to build strength in certain areas to prevent a condition from occurring.

This program potentially continues at some level for the lifetime of the dog.

Senior Dog Programs

Senior exercise programs generally extend for the lifetime of the dog. These are intended to maintain or enhance your dog’s quality of life as they age. Again these are very tailored to your dog’s current state of health and wellbeing.

Can a Veterinary Orthopaedic Surgeon Prescribe Exercise Programs for my dog?

Just like in the human world, Orthopaedic surgeons are experts in Orthopaedic surgery. They are not trained in Physical Therapy and that’s why humans are referred to Physical therapists for those important recovery programs.

So NO they can’t. Unless of Course they are Certified in Canine Rehabilitation as well.

This works the same in veterinary Medicine.

Your dog will be referred by your veterinary surgeon to a Canine Rehab Professional for post operative recovery and return to former mobility.

Summary

There’s nothing wrong with accessing online exercise programs for your dog provided your dog has been assessed and given the all clear by a certified professional to do them at home, you have been instructed by them how to deliver them safely and there is a follow up structure in place.