MEET INDY!

Indy is a beautiful, rescued Podenco Maneto. We do not know her full history however, she is estimated to be around 3 years of age.

Indy is a beautiful character who is sometimes unsure of physical contact however ADORES trick work and training. Her dedicated owners introduced some agility training which was lots of fun and she took to beautifully. Unfortunately, after a few sessions her owners noticed a limp and she began to frequently skip with her left hindlimb.

Upon veterinary assessment, she was diagnosed with grade 1 luxating patella's (where their knee cap is not secure in their joint and can slip out of place). Further testing also revealed that she a grade 1 injury of the tendon of the Iliopsoas muscle (one of her groin muscles) at the point of insertion (where is attaches to the bone), this muscle is made up of the Iliacus and Psoas major muscle, and due to the location of this injury, the Vastus medialis muscle (which is a part of the quadriceps group) was also damaged. When a soft tissue injury occurs, we find scar tissue, which is the bodies attempt to support an area of instability, the problem we see is that this scar tissue restricts the mobility of the muscle it is located on, in addition to the surrounding structures.

After a long rehabilitative journey, I had the pleasure of meeting Indy in January 2024. My assessment findings were in line with the diagnosed injury including reduced range of motion of the left hip joint, compensatory changes (abnormal muscle development, posture and movements in response to the injury) and discomfort throughout her back and shoulders where they were working overtime!

In our first couple of sessions Indy did not know what to make of it all, however her confidence and ability to relax has flourished throughout each treatment and she now always greets me at the door with full body wiggles! During our treatments I am focusing on reducing the level of scar tissue which has developed (this cannot be completely removed however can be reduced to a point), in addition to improving her overall comfort and mobility. My aim is to create a relaxing environment where she feels comfortable and safe to let me work through and help those areas which may be a little sore.

What Do Our Sessions Often Include?

• LASER/ Photobiomodulation therapy to help support her joint health particularly through her carpal (wrists) and stifle (knee) joints. This therapy also helps to reduce the level of discomfort we find throughout her back and shoulder musculature.

• Heat therapy to help improve mobility of the soft tissue, this allows deeper manual work to be performed. Applying the heat also helps to further reduce discomfort for her.

• Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is applied to further target her discomfort, as this is now an old injury, the pain is recognised as chronic (stubborn) so we are working hard to keep her comfortable

• Lots of massage and myofascial release to help support and boost her muscular and fascial health and mobility, providing the necessary foundations for strengthening and supporting the target areas.

• Joint mobilisation and stretching to help further improve the health of the joint and surrounding tissues, this improved her flexibility, supports improving the functionality of the scar tissue and helps increase her comfort further.

• Introduction of exercises! These exercises are bespoke to Indy and her current level, these progress throughout the weeks as we are seeing her strength and development increase! These aften target areas such as her core and hindlimb strength.

What Improvement Have We Seen So Far?

• Improved mobility of her hips, Indy is now able to bring the hip into full retraction both whilst assisted and during movement.

• Improved comfort throughout her back and shoulder musculature

• Improved symmetry and condition of her musculature- Indy is beautifully muscled and a very strong little lady, when we first met, her left hindlimb was noticeably smaller than her right, these are now equally developed which is fantastic to see

• Improved confidence, reduced levels of stress and overall better mental wellbeing

• Improved fluidity of movement

• Huge decrease in frequency of skipping (we may expect to see little skips out of habit or in certain situations, however this only occurs now and then as opposed to every single walk)

• Ability to return to what she loves best... running and jumping through the long grass, exploring all the fantastic smells!

What Are Our Current Goals?

• Continue to maintain and improve her current level of fitness

• Continue to manage and support her diagnosed conditions

• Continue to support her joints through strengthening the surrounding muscles

• Reduce the risk of re-injury

What Is A Must Have For Our Sessions?

• Squeezy cheese! Quite possibly the most beautiful invention ever, or so Indy thinks!

Don't Just Take Our Word For It! Here is what Indy's Owner Have to Say:

What Encouraged You To Begin Physiotherapy With Indy?

We decided to start physiotherapy as Indy was diagnosed with an iliopsoas tendon injury after she started skipping after doing agility. Alongside this, she also had grade 1 luxating patella's which both have similar symptoms. Our specialist was very far away and the rehab process very long and disheartening so we wanted someone who could help more regularly. This would support a quicker progression as we would be able to have treatment more often, helping us to track any improvements.

Have You Seen An Improvement In Her Since Starting Physiotherapy?

Yes we have seen an improvement in her posture and gait, her symptoms have reduced, she is moving her body better and has gained muscle, her overall condition has improved.

Why Did You Choose Every Step Veterinary Physiotherapy?

I had seen that Every Step was recommended by a few people I know and on checking the Instagram and website, I liked that they offered thorough assessments and plans, was highly qualified and knowledgeable. We could also see other peoples improvement and progress from their sessions. It's also handy being able to do either home visits or go to the premises as we have other dogs who would get in the way.

Would You Recommend Physiotherapy For Another Animal In A Similar Position?

Yes because not only has it improved her primary condition but has also helped any other little issues that were caused by compensation or just bad posture/ conformation in general. Now she is fitter and using her body better, not only has she got better but it will also help to prevent any potential injuries in the future.