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Osteoarthritis in dogs: the most appropriate treatments to relieve it

Dogs can also suffer from osteoarthritis as they get older. Just like humans. This disease, caused by wear and tear on the cartilage of the limbs of animals, causes them a lot of suffering. Luckily, osteoarthritis in dogs can be treated.

Thus, among its symptoms are pains, lameness of the affected limb or stiffness. Also difficulty moving and climbing stairs. And even experience a loss of mass in the muscles, and an abnormal decrease in your appetite.

Obviously, the sooner the symptoms of osteoarthritis are detected in a dog, the sooner the most appropriate treatment can be applied. As we will see below, it will be different depending on its severity.

Treatment for osteoarthritis in dogs

The first thing to do before a dog affected by osteoarthritis is several changes in its routine. All with the aim of getting the animal to have the least problems and the greatest possible autonomy. For example, if you regularly rest in a house with several floors, change your sleeping cushion to a plant where you do not have to climb stairs.

It will also be necessary to inevitably follow the instructions of the veterinarian. He will probably suggest giving the dog a treatment based on anti-inflammatories. In addition, it is likely to suggest that the animal take a compound with vitamins and minerals, in addition to collagen. With this type of compounds, what the veterinarian intends is that the cartilage stops its wear. Also prevent it from deforming.

However, we must not ignore the fact that osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease. It is necessary to avoid as much as possible that the animal has pains, for which other measures can be taken. Among them, monitor your weight and prevent you from gaining excess weight. You also have to make sure that there are many fatty acids in your diet. This favors the elasticity of the joints.

You also have to make sure that the dog does light exercise. Of course, adapted to your possibilities. For example, try to take walks, but prevent it from running. On the other hand, since extreme temperatures are not suitable for osteoarthritis, you have to protect yourself from them. Thus, it is necessary to avoid exposing it to both extreme cold and excessive heat.

In very severe cases of osteoarthritis, dogs may need to replace their affected joints with prostheses. Exactly the same as what happens in older people with age-related degenerative diseases. But that is only appropriate if the situation is already very serious. Or if the veterinarian so advises. Meanwhile, they can be helped with palliative treatments. Or with protectors that provide stability.

Protectors for limbs affected by osteoarthritis

In case osteoarthritis causes enough discomfort to the dog, it is advisable to protect the limbs that are affected. For this, protectors suitable for both the animal and the disease can be used.

For example, knee protectors for dogs. Or, if the animal is already very old and suffers from advanced hip osteoarthritis, a wheelchair can help it maintain mobility. Even a suitable harness, with which dogs with mobility problems in the hind legs can achieve more stability.

16/05/2018/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

Neuroscientists get a paralyzed animal back to walk with a bypass in the spinal cord

Animal welfare, Curiosities, Treatments

A device picks up signals from the brain and forwards them to a sensor that activates the endings responsible for controlling the muscles.

A macaque that could not move one of its hind legs because of a spinal cord injury, has managed to walk almost normally thanks to a “bypass” that wirelessly communicates the brain and the endings responsible for activating the muscles. This cerebrospinal neuroprosthesis, as defined by those responsible, has been developed at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, in Switzerland, in collaboration with other research centres and the company Medtronic.

The animal has a small sensor built into the brain that captures the emitted signals – from the macaque’s desire to move – and sends them to a processor. The data is treated and decoded and then forwarded to another device with electrodes that are placed in the lumbar area of the spinal cord, on the other side of the injury, and activate the neurons that direct the muscles of the affected leg. -“What we do is restore in real time and wirelessly the communication between the celebrity and the locomotor system“, says one of the authors in the project, Eduardo Martín Moraud, a Spanish engineer who works at the University of Oxford (Nuffiel College) and who had already been 5 years in the team of the Swiss School.

The details of the research, whose first satisfactory results were obtained in June 2015, have been published in the scientific journal ‘Nature’. One of the two monkeys in the experiment recovered the use of his paralyzed limb in the first week after the injury, without training, both on the treadmill and on the ground, while the second took about two weeks.

As reported by the EPFL, a clinical study has been launched at the University Hospital of Lausanne to validate the therapeutic effects of the technology in people with spinal cord injury, but only partially. For now, what is done is to check if the placement in the marrow of a device with electrodes, previously programmed, manages to restore the movement of the legs. It does not communicate with the brain.

THE PROCESS

As the researchers explain, when the brain decides to perform a movement or any other activity, there is “a transmission of electricity peaks between neurons” that can be measured and interpreted by a mathematical algorithm. In an intact nervous system, the signals that denote walking come from a small region of the brain called the motor cortex (or motor cortex).

Subsequently, the signals travel through the spinal cord, reach the neural networks located in the lumbar region and these activate the muscles of the legs to produce the movements.

Spinal cord injuries, partial or complete, prevent these signals from reaching neurons and cause paralysis. However, the motor cortex still maintains the brain activity that generated walking instructions. And the neural networks that activate the muscles in the paralyzed leg are also intact and can still generate leg movements.

On this occasion, “96 neural channels of the cortex that offer a lot of information” were measured, says Martín Moraud, who recalls that in previous experiments, for example, it had already been possible for human patients to activate a computer at a distance just by thinking about doing so. “We were interested in controlling only two events: when the leg is raised and when it is perched,” he continues.

Then, the electrical stimulation of a few volts, in a specific area of the spinal cord, modulates different networks of neurons that can activate specific muscles in the legs. “I have dealt specifically with the system that allows you to stimulate the marrow in real time,” continues Martín Moraud.

NO TRAINING REQUIRED

For the monkeys to regain mobility, “no physiotherapy or training was necessary,” says neuroscientist Erwan Bezard of the University of Bordeaux, who oversaw the experiments. All treatments have been carried out after control by the bioethics committees of the participating centers.

“For the first time I can imagine a completely paralyzed patient being able to move his legs through this brain-spinal interface,” neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch of the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), who is responsible for placing the implants in the brain and spinal cord, said in a statement.

Source: The journal, Scientific Journal Nature.

12/11/2016/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

The new life of Derby, a dog with prostheses made with a 3D printer

Curiosities, stories, Treatments, vet

The development of 3D printers is allowing very important advances in the field of medicine. Initially, this technology was used to create parts perfectly adapted to the body of each individual, using plastic materials. Medicine is already going further and organs are beginning to be created with biological materials in order to temporarily or permanently replace parts of the body.

Custom prostheses created with 3D printers have been used in humans, but this time the beneficiary has been Derby, a dog. It is an adopted dog, with a birth deformity on its front legs.

The adaptation of the prostheses are perfect, since the “mold” is obtained from Computerized Tomography of the dog’s limbs. The first prostheses used have been of low height so that it can be adapted to them to, in the future, make the definitive ones.

19/12/2014/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

How to use thermotherapy in dogs?

Treatments

Thermotherapy is, broadly speaking, the treatment by means of temperature. It is the most initial and intuitive phase of a rehabilitation; to such an extent, that all of us throughout our lives have applied it on occasion. Who has not hurt their ankle and when they got home they put on ice? Or heat when our back hurts?

The use of heat or cold in these cases is based on the characteristics of inflammation. In the initial phases (24-72h from the trauma) it is indicated to put cold. Thus, by decreasing the supply of blood to the area, we limit the exudate and, therefore, the inflammation. After the first few hours, it can be started with the application of heat, to increase blood flow and reorganization of the scar.

As for the analgesia produced by both heat and cold, there are several
theories, although the most accepted is the gate control theory. According to this theory, the fibers that transmit heat and cold are much faster than those that transmit pain, in such a way that the pain signal is inhibited in favor of those of temperature, pressure … That is, we “overload” the nervous system with information (in this case temperature) so that the body does not perceive the pain, even if the cause continues. It is also believed that the application of heat increases the secretion of endorphins.

Here you have an article where we delve into something more about thermotherapy, contraindications or precautions that we must have.

Guzman Herrera

Source: Veterinary Rehabilitation

12/12/2014/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

The importance of rehabilitation in dogs

injuries, Pathologies, Treatments, vet

Increasingly, physiotherapy and rehabilitation are being established as one of the basic pillars in veterinary traumatology and neurology.

While good diagnosis and surgical or pharmacological treatment are critical, rehabilitation can really make all the difference.

The structures of the musculoskeletal system are closely related to each other. The inactivity or poor function of one severely affects the others.

Let’s take a frequent example: hip dysplasia. This is an incongruity of the hip joint, in which bone, cartilage, joint capsule, synovial fluid and ligaments are affected.

The moment the dog feels pain, it lowers its activity drastically. This causes a loss of muscle mass around the joint. As a result, the joint will be less “embraced” by the muscles, increasingly weak and with less force. Then the joint will be more unstable, causing more osteoarthritis (which in turn will increase the pain, which will further lower the activity of the animal). As you can see, it is a vicious circle from which it seems very difficult to escape. The key is to re-exercise those muscles. A possible solution is the use of a wheelchair: these support most of the weight of the animal, but allowing it to exercise the hind limbs. For very advanced cases in which the animal can no longer move the limbs, there is the option of electrotherapy, which will allow us to make passive movements of the muscles. There are even electrotherapy terminals for home use.

When our dog has a musculoskeletal or nervous problem, it is very important that we ask the veterinarian what is the appropriate activity at each stage of the disease.

Here we leave you with a video where the importance (and the wonderful consequences) of a gentle and constant rehabilitation is demonstrated:

05/09/2014/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

Learn how to help your dog regain lost mobility

Curiosities, Treatments

Do you want to make a summer getaway and relax in a privileged environment while you learn to help your pet recover lost mobility? Do you want to spend a few days interacting with animal lovers like you?

For the first time in Spain, Nancy Aidelman presents a course based on Feldenkrais, a technique that over the years has proven to be very useful in people with chronic pain and mobility problems. Now it is also applied in dogs, cats and horses with very good results. It is applicable to all types of dogs, of all ages and conditions. Do you want to know more about Feldenkrais?

If your dog feels tired after walking a few minutes, had an accident and is no longer the usual one or is simply older and can no longer move as before, with us you can learn to help him.

NANCY AIDELMAN

She is a teacher of the Feldenkrais method and Trainer of the Bones for Life Program. For more than a decade he has been dedicated to both techniques and helps people with motor deficiencies, pelvic floor problems and decalcification and dogs with mobility and pain problems. It also trains professionals.

HOW WILL WE DO IT?

Through our hands:

We will understand the reason for your dysfunction and weakness.
We will manipulate your joints, gently and with great patience.
We will organize your members in the most effective way.
We remind your brain of various movement patterns.

WHAT WILL WE ACHIEVE?

Improve your mobility by recovering your nature pattern
Regain its stability by improving its activity.
Increase if vitality and joy.
Give back to our animal the quality of life it deserves with its typical cheerful and natural movement.

WHERE AND WHEN WILL WE DO IT?

In Omshanti. It is a farm dedicated to yoga, in the middle of nature with a large garden, fruit trees and swimming pool. Come with us to relax!

OmShanti Granollers. Camí de l’Estenoc s/n 08402. Les Franqueses del Vallès

How to get there?

11,12, 13 and 14 August 2014

From 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

PRICE

Course: 250euros

Vegan lunch 4 days (optional): 50 euros

Accommodation of 3 nights (optional): 50 euros

INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS

Maria Teresa Llobet. Call 687 26 26 24 or write an email to [email protected]

REGISTRATION CLOSED (03/08/14)

24/07/2014/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

The Feldenkrais method in dogs

Curiosities, Treatments

Feldenkrais® is a method that is based on the learning capacity of the Nervous System using movement and attention directed to the body as a vehicle to access the brain and its ability to create new neural connections and new movement patterns.

In this way, the brain is educated through the messages of the Nervous System. Postural habits are highlighted, new neuro-muscular schemes are investigated for a better availability of movement and the interconnections between the different parts of the body are discovered.

This method was developed over 40 years of study and research by PhD in Physics Moshe Feldenkrais (image). It is a revolutionary approach to understanding the functioning of the human being and to improving physical and mental performance. It uses movement to enhance our natural ability to discover, learn, change, and continue to develop throughout our lives.

In no case does it replace a medical treatment, it is an educational method. Their goal is to overcome pain and limitations and achieve a state of physical, mental and emotional well-being and vitality.

The sessions can be individual in which the teacher mobilizes the student’s body with his hands or group sessions in which the teacher verbally leads the students to perform simple but unusual sequences that involve thinking, feeling and acting imaginatively.

The Feldenkrais method can also be applied to animals, helping in cases of chronic pain and support alterations, such as cases of hip dysplasia or osteoarthritis among many others.

In the Feldenkrais method in dogs, a teacher directs the owner, who is the one who applies the movements to the dog to the animal.

With the application of this method to the dog we will get:

Improve your mobility by recovering your natural pattern.
Regain its stability by improving its activity.
Increase your vitality and joy.

We hope you find it helpful.

Ortocanis.com Team

23/07/2014/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

How to act in the face of fear of your dog’s firecrackers?

Curiosities, Treatments

Above all: keep a calm and normal attitude . Act as you would on a normal day. Neither do you quarrel with him, nor do you pamper him too much, but the dog will further accentuate his feeling that it is a “rare” day.

Find a safe place for him. Almost all dogs have a place in the house where they feel safe. On the day of the firecrackers, invite him to go, accompany him and stay with him without saying anything for a while.

If your dog still does not have a safe place, a few days before you should create it. Choose a dark place, away from doors and windows and with little traffic of people. It can be under a piece of furniture, inside a carrier,… To make him “fond” of him, make him play there, give him prizes and caress him in the same place: he will end up relating him to something pleasant and will go to that place every time he feels fear, stress or anxiety.

To further accentuate the feeling of normality and camouflage the noises of the outside you can turn on a television or radio, it is not necessary that the volume is very high.

Be careful about leaving doors or windows open. Not only because the sound insulation would go to waste but because fear could make him escape. To some bad, updated chip and insert with the address or contact telephone.

There are medicines and natural products to help your dog be calmer. Remember that each dog reacts differently, both to stress and to anxiolytic medications, which is why you should always consult with your veterinarian. Surely he will know how to choose which is the best help for your friend.

Laura Pérez – Orthocanis Veterinarian

23/06/2014/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

What is the best bed for your dog?

Pathologies, Treatments, vet

Like humans, dogs need a comfortable place to rest and relax. Choosing the most suitable type of bed for your dog can be a heavy job due to the variety of models, but if in addition to a comfortable bed you want to consider the right one for his personality and health, either by age or disease, how does one to select the perfect bed?

Choosing the dog’s bed is much easier if you have the following points in mind:

1 – Keep in mind your dog’s tastes.

Notice how your dog likes to sleep. If it is covered under a pile of blankets and pillows, a sack bed style would be very suitable, allowing you to get inside and be between two layers. A dog that enjoys sleeping in the corner of a sofa, or a chair will appreciate a three-sided bed, allows it to lean on the corner, keeping its back and butt warm in contact with the surface. If your dog stretches out and stretches while sleeping, a fluffy, flat bed like a mattress is perfect for him to enjoy space and comfort.

2 – Choose a bed with a removable and washable cover.

Keep in mind that the cover is made of a resistant material, some dogs are prone to scratch the cover so we will choose a material that does not tear easily and that protects the inner filling. It is essential that this cover is easy to remove and you can put it in the washing machine for greater comfort and hygiene.

3 – Consider your dog’s age, health and behavior.

For puppies and dogs with a tendency to bite everything, beds or blankets should never be used with easy access to any type of filling. It is common for them to bite the inside and this can cause intestinal obstruction if ingested. Older, sick dogs, and giant breed dogs require extra support, and can benefit greatly from orthopedic beds, anti-bedsore mattresses , and thermal mattresses . If you have a disease such as arthritis or osteoarthritis and therefore spend much of the time lying down, it is very important a strong and resistant filler adaptable to your body, which protects the skin and prevents the appearance of bedsores. In this sense, the best is an antibacterial and water repellent cover in convination with a chopped viscoelastic filling, which allows the passage of air and is thermo-adjustable, allowing a perfect adaptation and avoiding pressure points. Giant breeds often have a hard time staying cool during the hot months, thermoregulable mattresses on the market can provide you with refreshing relief during the summer months.

4 – How you need the bed to be.

Are you going to place the bed in a box? a rectangular bed that fits the box is necessary, some dogs prefer beds reinforced with boxes, others are uncomfortable or difficult to access. Are you going to use the bed for camping or in the yard? If so, you are interested in the bed being waterproof and suitable for outdoors. Permeability is a very important feature to consider. If, for example, your dog drools a lot or is prone to urinating while sleeping, you’ll need to choose a bed with a washable, liquid-repellent cover. There are also new orthopedic beds made with antibacterial fabric that prevent bad odors.

5 – Ecological materials.

There is a wide variety of eco-friendly dog beds on the market, created with fabrics made from organic and recycled materials. The dog and the planet will thank you.

6 – Last but not least, the budget.

Bed prices can range from less than 20 € to hundreds of euros. Depending on the needs, the qualities of the covers and fillers and the possibilities of each owner. Beds with covers of intelligent fabrics (water repellent, antibacterial, antiallergic) and memory foam or chopped viscoelastic fillers are a good option for dogs with joint problems but have a somewhat higher price.

12/05/2014/0 Comments/by Ortocanis

Orthopedic aids for dogs

injuries, most commented, Pathologies, Treatments, vet

New technical and orthopedic aids for dogs are used in a wide variety of cases. These increase the mobility of dogs by providing the necessary support to maintain daily activity. Dogs need to exercise to maintain their physical and emotional well-being. If a dog is unable to exercise, it can develop problems such as heart disease, obesity, bone alterations, muscle atrophy, and emotional problems such as aggression or anxiety.

Applicable cases

Technical aids can be used for sprains, muscle weakness, arthritis, hip dysplasia, post-operative rehabilitation, lameness, weakness or pain in the joints that end up generating a mobility problem. The technical aids should allow the dog to perform its daily activities, but they should also be comfortable and offer protection against irritations and ulcers on the dog’s skin so it is important that they are performed by specialists. We list the most frequent:

Knee

Knee protectors are typically used after surgery for rehabilitation of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), patella dislocation, medial collateral ligament (MCL), lateral collateral ligament (LCL), or posterior cruciate ligaments (PCL). Knee pads provide support and stability, prevent muscle loss during the recovery period, and reduce the risk of further injury. Knee protectors are also often used in cases where surgery is not performed.

Tarsus and Carpus

Tarsal protectors are indicated in cases of osteoarthritis but also for post-surgical rehabilitation or injury to the Achilles tendon, nerve damage to the hind limb or foot and rehabilitation of the hock joint. They can also be used as long-term support in non-surgical conditions. A tarsus or hock protector stabilizes the bone of the back leg, as well as the muscles and tendons of the limb and knee. It works similarly to a knee brace in humans, allowing the dog to move without straining the joint. It also prevents the dog from re-injuring the affected joint or ligaments.

Elbows

An elbow protector is used to support the elbow joint after surgery or to reduce pain from arthritis, degenerative joint diseases, or other similar conditions. It provides control in lateral movement while allowing for normal extension and flexion while treating and protecting hygromas and calluses.

Hip

A hip support holds and increases the temperature of the dog’s lower back and hip. Made of special neoprene, it surrounds the lower back, hip and upper leg and is fastened thanks to a Roman-type harness. Hip supports are commonly used for dogs with mild to moderate hip dysplasia and localized osteoarthritis.

Shoulders

Medial shoulder instability (MSI) is one of the causes of lameness in the front legs. A special support would allow the shoulder to be supported, which would limit the extension, flexion and abduction, allowing the dog to support its weight. These aids can be used after surgery or as a non-surgical treatment but also preventively.

06/03/2014/0 Comments/by Ortocanis