Rehabilitation Therapy for GOLPP Patients
Back Steps
With a treat, walk toward your dog and push into him/her causing him/her to take steps backwards. If you have the treat too high, s/he will sit; if you have the treat too low, s/he will lay down. During each session, try to achieve at least 5 good steps in both directions. This exercise is meant to be slow and controlled. This exercise makes them think about where they are placing their limbs.
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Side Steps
Front & Rear Leg Strengthening and Body Awareness
With a treat held out in front of your dog’s face, lure him/her to take steps to the side by having him/her standing with his/her side directly in front of you and his/her head to your right or left. Take a slow step toward his/her side to encourage him/her to side step away from you. You may need to gently bump his/her side with your leg as you walk into him/her, this should encourage him/her to side step away from you while nibbling on the treat in your hand. This exercise needs to be done both to the left and to the right, 5 steps each way in each session. This exercise is also meant to be done slowly and controlled. You can use a leash around belly, or your hand gently on his/her side if needed for guidance. This exercise makes them think about where they are placing their limbs.
Sit/Down/Stand Transitions
With this exercise, it is very important to do precise positions. We recommend a sphinx-type down. The sits should be very square and on the haunches, not lazy to one side. From the down and sit positions, try to obtain a clean push-up straight into a stand, not stepping forward from these positions. Treats help.
Cavelettis With Poles
Step Up and Over
Five horizontal poles, each positioned at the same height (either 4", 8", or 12" from the ground using cones with holes in them), can be used to step over. Place the five poles, approximately 2' apart, parallel from one another. With your dog on a short lead, and guided with treats, slowly walk him/her over the poles. Down and back will count as one repeat. This exercise forces your dog to lift and extend each limb over the obstacle, minimizing the tendency to shuffle or scuff the feet. It makes your dog think about where he/she is placing the limbs. If your dog knocks over the poles just set them back straight before the next set. To slow things down, you can put treats down between poles for sniffing focus. The goal of this exercise is stepping over, not hopping or jumping.
Weight Shifting
Start with a non-slip surface and your dog in a standing position. While supporting him/her, gently push him/her off balance side-to-side and from back to front. To maintain the standing position s/he is required to use strength, coordination and balance.
Walking (slow, controlled, & leashed)
Long, slow walks encourages more weight bearing and balance. The goal is to have your dog engaged and tired at the end of the day, but not exhausted the next morning. Begin with doing multiple, 5 minute, walks per day for a week and monitor for exhaustion. If this is doing well, the following week you can either lengthen the walks by 1-2 minutes each or increase the number of walks s/he takes in a day. This will be a slow progression, and if you notice that s/he is having a difficult time, feel free to decrease his/her time or frequency in the same way that you would have increased it.
Walking (uneven surfaces)
In this exercise the dog is slowly walked over an unstable surface such as a mattress, an inflatable mattress, cushions or any surface that is unstable but safe and challenges balance. Walking on uneven surfaces is great for coordination and balance.
Static Stretching
Yoga stretches. Start to straighten the affected limb until a slight resistance is felt, hold in that position for a count of 5. Now bend the limb, and again count to 5. Repeat 10 times. Gradually you’ll be able to get more extension on that limb.
Cookie Stretches
In standing position and luring with treats, encourage motion from nose to one shoulder, and then the other. Then motion nose to sky, nose to chest, and nose to floor. Finally motion nose to one hip, and then the other.
Circles (Spins)
This is a small circle lured with a treat both clockwise and counterclockwise. You should not need to move during this exercise, only hand and treat should be traveling in a circle. This also should be a slow and controlled exercise.
Incline Walking
Encourage your canine companion to ascend a gentle slope or any inclined surface, such as a small hill or even a set of stairs. You can use a treat or toy to motivate them to climb up. Once they reach the top, guide them to descend the steps or incline slowly and in a controlled manner. Keep a close eye on each of their limbs to ensure they make contact with the ground safely throughout the descent.
Incline Stand
The incline stand involves training your dog to stand on an inclined surface, such as a ramp or gentle slope. This exercise is designed to improve your dog's balance, strength, and proprioception (awareness of body position). By standing on an incline, dogs engage different muscle groups, particularly in their hindquarters and core. It also aids in preventing muscular atrophy and promoting overall mobility and stability.
Underwater Treadmill
The UWT is a low risk modality that improves range of motion, strengthens muscles, and boosts endurance. The buoyancy of water minimizes impact on joints while increasing resistance on muscles. The water is maintained at a warm temperature, which helps to increase flexibility allowing for better range of motion and deeper stretching. The water level and treadmill speed are customized for the individual patient and altered as they progress through their sessions. Some pets may be initially frightened when introduced to hydrotherapy, but over a few visits, they generally become more comfortable with the water and equipment. A relaxed, quiet environment helps. If your GOLPP dog likes swimming or wading, these are also excellent activities – but make sure that there is no diving for objects as we do not want the head to go underwater.