Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rehabilitation helps dog recover after TPLO knee surgery
By Shin-Ho Lee et al.·Published in Animals·2023·Department of Companion Animal Care, Kyungnam College of Information & Technology, Busan 47011, Republic of Korea, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Effect of Rehabilitation in a Dog with Delayed Recovery following TPLO: A Case Report
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old neutered Maltese was brought in for limping and weakness in the right hind leg, which had surgery (TPLO) 42 days earlier. The dog showed signs of pain and had not received any rehabilitation since the surgery. After starting physical therapy, including cold packs and treadmill exercises, the dog's pain decreased, and its muscle strength improved significantly. This case highlights the importance of rehabilitation after TPLO surgery to help dogs recover more effectively.
People also search for: Maltese limping after TPLO surgery · dog rehabilitation after surgery · how to help dog recover from TPLO
Abstract
A 7-year-old neutered Maltese dog weighing 5.1 kg was presented, with a tibial plateau-leveling osteotomy (TPLO) on the right hindlimb 42 days prior. The patient’s right hind limb showed lameness, intermittent limping, and atrophy, and the patient had not experienced rehabilitation since TPLO surgery. The patient showed a pain reaction at the end of the stifle extension, and an increased body temperature was identified on the medial side of the right hindlimb when compared with the left hindlimb using a digital thermal imaging device. In addition, a type of lameness, only partial weight bearing in the right hindlimb, was also identified during the gait analysis. The pain was relieved by applying a cold pack and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and the patient’s weak muscles were strengthened through treadmill exercises. In this study, physical therapy and rehabilitation exercises controlled pain and induced rapid recovery, indicating that rehabilitative intervention is required after TPLO surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13172778