Therapy after surgery

chynashepard's picture

My 6 pound Min Pin under went a Left Femoral Head Osteotomy on 9/26. He now has muscle atrophy in the Left hip. The vet is wanting to place him on a Fentanyl patch, I work in a pain clinc and am not comfortable with this patch, not only for humans but also in dogs. Is there something else that can be done? Every time I try to due passive ROM he is bitting at me. Any help or tricks would be great. Thank you.

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Aidan's picture

re: Therapy after surgery

Biting usually tells you one of two things - either he is uncomfortable with what you are doing, or he is afraid that what you are doing will make him uncomfortable.

The immediate risk is that you will be bitten. The longer-term risk is that he will learn that biting works to stop people doing uncomfortable things to him.

You can actually condition a dog to accept a certain amount of discomfort willingly. It takes a lot of clicks and treats! You start off clicking and treating if he lets you touch the area very lightly. Once that is conditioned, then touch a little harder. Then move to very small ROM, increasing at the rate that he lets you.

If passive ROM manipulation is not necessary then it is probably easier to not do it, or find a different way to do it that is less uncomfortable if possible. My experience is that dogs lose and gain muscle very easily, and usually push themselves to use weakened muscles fairly early, but if your vet considers passive ROM manipulation to be necessary then try the conditioning protocol outlined above.

Regards,
Aidan
http://www.positivepetzine.com

Therapy after surgery

As a vet, I can offer that small breed dogs are infamous for just choosing not to use a sore leg and allowing muscle atrophy to worsen--because they are light enough they can get away with it. I've seen small dogs teach themselves to walk on front legs only--like circus dogs--after hip and knee surgeries. Some kind of physical therapy is usually necessary for real healing. I'm not sure why there is hesitation about a fentanyl patch--not sure of what the human issue is, but most vet schools and our own practice use them with great success when needed. Sounds like some pain relief is necessary, both to do the rehab/PT and simply to relieve the dog if there is still pain 12 days later. Do you have an actual animal rehab person in your area? They are still few and far between, unfortunately, but they are often way more advanced than "regular" vets, in the US at least. Good luck (and I hope it was OK to offer a reply this way!)--Lauren

Aidan's picture

re: Therapy after surgery

>>(and I hope it was OK to offer a reply this way!)--Lauren<<

Hi Lauren, I encourage it :-)

Regards,
Aidan
http://www.positivepetzine.com