Thankful Thursday--Coco Edition

This IS a Thankful Thursday, fur sure. As you can see in the photo above, Coco dressed up for her one month post surgery progress exam at VOSM.

It's good we arrived 45 minutes early, cuz the pawpawrazzi were out in full force...with cameras and iPhones and Blackberries whirring and flashing.

Coco has been a very good patient, and the strict confinement helped insure a successful first month recovery and she got an A+ evaluation today.

The xrays showed everything in place, kneecap right where it should be and excellent healing of the bone.

Coco's Rehab purrson today was Heather Amos, and she worked on Coco and was very pleased with her ROM (range of movement) and overall use of her leg. Teri watched her do some Laser Therapy on her leg,  but she forgot to take photos.

Then, a Rehab Therapy Assistant went over the exercises that Teri needs to do on Coco every day, twice a day... Teri said she WILL exercise Coco, unlike her poor performance as Disco's personal trainer.

Day 30-60 Post Op Medial/Lateral Patella Luxation Rehabilitation Home Program

1) PROM: Take each rear limb through passage range of motion. Visualize and perform a gentle walking pattern with hind limb, holding for 4-10 seconds in the flexion and extension position of the limb. 

2) Leash walks, 2-3 times a day.

3) Walking up ramp: Slow and controlled to allow for extension of the spine and engagement of the rear. Start at 3 minutes and increase time and incline as tolerance increases.

4) High Stepping Exercise: Create an obstacle course of things Coco will not step on but step over, like broom handles or wooden dowels (for dogs, they say shallow water or high grass). Perform this exercise for 5 minutes.

5) Cookies at contra-lateral hip: Have Coco take a treat or reach for a cat toy from near the hip on the good side. Hold this bend for 5-30 seconds, rest and repeat 5-10 times. She can also do this while laying on her side and bending towards a toy or feather near her hip.

6) Three leg standing: Lift good hind limb off the ground and extend it backwards. Hold for 5-30 seconds. Rest and repeat 5-10 times.

7) Para Standing: Lift both front and rear limb on the uninjured side, hold for 5-30 seconds. Rest and repeat 5-10 times.

8) Paws Up: Place front paws on step or stool and offer a treat from above their head. This causes weight bearing in rear limbs as well as stretching of the back muscles and hip flexors. Hold position for 30 seconds, repeat 3-5 times.

9) Dancing: Coco won't start this for 2-3 weeks. Lift torso off the ground, hold front legs on the forearm above the wrist. Have her take 2-3 steps back and forth. Rest, and repeat 5-10 times.

10) Hair scrunchy on good leg/paw: Use a hair scrunchy on the good leg. This mildly irritates pet thus shifting weight to the injured limb in order to build up muscle mass.

So...Teri AND Coco have their work out cut out for them. Teri wants a successful outcome for Coco complete recovery, so when she takes Coco back in 1 month for a recheck and xrays again, that everyone will say YAY.

If Coco's muscles haven't gotten stronger (and larger, hahameow!) then they will see if Coco will accept Underwater Treadmill Therapy. This kind of therapy improves balance, re-educates nerves and muscles, unloads weight-bearing joints and facilitates an earlier return to function.

Here's a cool video of a kitty doing that:



Coco is good for her baths and Teri thinks she might accept this kind of therapy, though the machine noise might scare her.

So far she has been a happy and agreeable patient for the staff of VOSM, which she sometimes isn't at the cat hospital where Teri works, hahameow...