What could make a dog that has loved long, vigorous walks for her entire 11 years, suddenly start limping and favoring one leg? That was the question in Newtown resident Sherry Paisley’s mind when her golden retriever, Grace, began slowing down last fall.

At first, Ms Paisley was not sure that Grace’s gait was off; but within two weeks, the dog no longer wanted to put weight on her front left leg. Walks were slow and short as Grace struggled to balance herself and move along. There was no apparent reason or recent injury. The dog had been the victim of a hit and run, three years ago, but  Ms Paisley said there is no way of telling if this affliction is related.

The first trip to her longtime veterinarian, Dr Frances Paulin of Bethel Village Square Animal Hospital, was one of what would become many in Ms Paisley’s quest to find relief for her dog’s symptom. That relief has come in the form of canine physical therapy, but the protocol to reach that treatment was a time-consuming and somewhat frustrating path for this dog owner.

“We had multiple visits, multiple x-rays, multiple medications,” said Ms Paisley. “Dr Paulin — and I think she walks on water — determined that Grace was not in pain,” she said. Still, as fall turned to winter, Grace continued to be unable to bear weight on her front leg.

X-rays showed a shadow on the leg, so the veterinarian suggested Grace see Dr Christopher Potanas, an orthopedic surgeon at Newtown Veterinary Specialists (NVS) on Church Hill Road. He turned out to be the same doctor who had tended to Grace after her previous trauma.

At NVS, Dr Potanas did several more x-rays, and suggested the shadow could be a calcium deposit on the leg bone, requiring surgery. By now, several more weeks had passed since Grace’s first veterinarian visit. Following the January 7 surgery, Ms Paisley received good and bad news.

“He said the good news was that there was nothing there. The bad news was, they didn’t know why Grace was not bearing weight on the leg,” Ms Paisley recalled. The next step, Dr Potanas said, was an MRI at a specialty veterinarian clinic in Middletown.

That process completed, the frustrating result was that it showed “not a single thing wrong,” Ms Paisley said. It was noted, however, that the muscle on the underside of the leg appeared to be atrophied. This doctor wondered if there was not some disconnect between the brain and muscle happening.

When it was suggested that amputating the leg was an option, Ms Paisley and Grace headed back to see Dr Paulin to discuss all of the findings, or lack thereof. This visit resulted in a recommendation to visit Gail Henderson of Paws and Paddle Canine Conditioning in New Milford for physical therapy.

“I had read about Gail Henderson years ago, somewhere, so I knew about physical therapy for dogs,” said Ms Paisley. She made an appointment to see Ms Henderson in February. Within two visits, Grace was touching the ground with the afflicted paw, and Ms Paisley knew she had found the answer. They have been going for weekly visits since, and Grace is now willing to set her foot on the ground and bear some weight.

Certified Canine Therapists

There are seven or eight certified canine rehabilitation practitioners in Connecticut, said Ms Henderson, but she is one of only three in the state who are certified canine physical therapists, and she is the only one in Fairfield and Litchfield Counties. A physical therapist for humans, Ms Henderson was in the first class, worldwide, to graduate from the University of Tennessee with certification in canine physical therapy, 14 years ago. Her practice, Paws and Paddles, was the first dual purpose physical therapy building in the United States, she said. Human patients are treated in one half of the building, while dogs receive treatment in a separate side of the building.

Ms Henderson’s clients come from a 75-mile radius, she said. In addition to Newtown clients, she sees patients from most surrounding towns and as far as Massachusetts and New York. “People that are dog lovers do what they can for their dogs, and they will travel,” she said.

Clients must be referred by a veterinarian, said Ms Henderson, ensuring that underlying physical problems are addressed. Many of her clients come to her postsurgery. “Knee injuries and disc injuries, like herniated discs, are most common,” she said, although references are received to treat degenerative joint disease, arthritis, muscle atrophy (such as Grace experiences), nerve or muscle injuries, and more.

Experience as a human physical therapist carries over into her canine practice. “Ninety-nine percent of human anatomy, on our hands and knees, is the same as a dog’s,” she said. She also tends to use more “hands-on” therapy than other practitioners who are only certified to treat canine patients. “I’ve been a human therapist so long, this is just how I do it,” Ms Henderson said.

The greatest difference between her canine and human patients, she laughed, is that “Dogs are extremely compliant, and I get a lot of kisses!”

Not all veterinarians think to recommend canine therapy, Ms Henderson said, but it is a conversation she encourages pet owners to have with their veterinarian, especially after certain surgeries. She is happy to take calls from veterinarians curious about what therapy might look like for a patient.

“Think about how would you manage it for you. If you had surgery, like knee replacement, when would you start physical therapy?” she asked.

When seeking a canine physical therapist, look for the letters CCRP or CCRT, certified canine rehabilitation practitioner or certified canine rehabilitation therapist, Ms Henderson said. Vet technicians often offer therapy, she said, but using a certified practitioner or therapist is the difference in skill levels from one who has learned “on the job” versus two years of specific training.

Ask a lot of questions, and get referrals, as well, when considering canine physical therapy.

A Wonderful Career

She does take on students to shadow her career, saying that she finds it to be a great option for people who love animal care, but do not care for the “blood and guts” of veterinary practice. “It is a career that I think is wonderful,” Ms Henderson said.

“I want people to know about canine physical therapy. Newtown is such a dog town. So many people here have dogs,” Ms Paisley said. “But people don’t know where to go, and it’s not something you need every day for a pet. I think, too, that very few veterinarians are aware of how useful physical therapy can be for dogs,” she said, and feels fortunate that her regular veterinarian thought to refer Grace to Ms Henderson.

“Protocol was followed to figure out what was going on with Grace,” Ms Paisley said. “I have no problem with that. But physical therapy can be useful for dogs with arthritis and other issues,” said Ms Paisley.

Each week, Grace looks forward to her trip to Paws and Paddles, she said, and it is no wonder.

The session begins with a 20-minute massage, followed by cold laser therapy to stimulate the leg nerves. Then Ms Henderson leads Grace through a small obstacle course and works on her balance. The final exercise is a 15-minute session in the pool, on a treadmill.

“It gets her walking, with water resistance,” Ms Paisley said. “Gail has been wonderful. She is terribly compassionate,” she said. Best of all, the physical therapy seems to have been a success.

“Grace’s improvement has been in her range of movement and functional use of that arm,” said Ms Henderson. “I don’t see Grace ever having 100 percent function; but she has full function of all she wants to do,” she said.

“Gail told me in the beginning that when she could do no more, she would let me know,” Ms Paisley said. That day will be soon, as she expects Grace to be released in the near future from the weekly visits.

“We can walk, she’s in no pain, and that’s what matters,” said Ms Paisley.