I spent today observing the physical therapy unit of the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center and Dr. Hady. During the sessions, the treadmill and underwater treadmill were utilized. An on land treadmill us used to work on leg extension working mostly on the muscles and/or scar tissue. The underwater treadmill is used to support animals that cannot put as much weight on one or more legs. The water holds the dog up while also providing a constant resistance that helps with the therapy. The certain dog that I saw which used the underwater treadmill had lost feeling in his back right leg due to a ruptured spinal disk. This causes an inflammation which presses on the spinal cord and reduces feeling in the back legs. There are different stages and if not cared for, the legs will completely lose their use. Through the use of the treadmill, Dr. Hady worked on strengthening this weak leg so that it would be of more use to the dog.
