Ice/Heat Packs:
Apply ice or heat packs for 15 minutes per session, multiple sessions per day (as often as is practical). Use ice during the first 48 hours, and then apply heat packs. Ice constricts capillaries, and reduces blood flow (fluid and swelling) in an area. Heat dilates capillaries and increases blood flow. After the initial 48 hour period, ice and heat packs can be alternated. This is especially beneficial in areas that have poor circulation. Use ice first to push existing blood out of the capillaries, and then use heat to pull fresh, oxygenated blood into the area.

Fractures / Hairline Fractures:
Overt fractures are easily diagnosed via x-rays. Hairline fractures can be difficult to diagnose during a specific window of time. Hairline fractures can be seen on an x-ray immediately after an injury, or more than 2 weeks after an injury. During the two week period following an injury, the body coats the hairline fracture with calcium in an effort to form a bone callous, and the fracture may not be visible on an x-ray during this period. Fractures take a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks to heal, and in some cases may take 24 weeks.

Connective Tissue:
The white tissues in the body such as tendons, ligaments, sarcolemma (membrane surrounding muscle fiber), and periosteum (thin membrane covering bone), do not have good circulation. Therefore, injuries to these tissues can take longer to heal than injuries to muscles or bones. Connective tissue can take two to three times longer than bone to heal (four months to a year or more). Therapies to promote circulation in the area (i.e. ultrasound, alternating ice and heat packs) can be beneficial to the healing process.

Spinal Discs:
Spinal disc injuries are soft (connective) tissue injuries, and are best diagnosed with MRI instead of x-rays. A negative spinal disc x-ray does not necessarily indicate the absence of spinal disc injuries, but may only indicate an inconclusive diagnostic result. The Dallas Veterinary Referral Center has a veterinary MRI unit. Spinal discs heal very slowly, because like other connective tissues, they do not have direct circulation. Spinal discs are analogous to a sponge, and are nourished through reverse osmosis. When pressure is applied on one side of the disc, fluid is pushed out the other side. When that pressure is released, fluid flows back into the disc. This flexing is crucial to maintaining healthy spinal discs. A disc that is not flexed does not absorb new nutrients, and will over time become brittle and degenerate, losing its cushioning characteristics.

Physical Therapy:
Physical therapy for rehabilitating an injury should be slow, deliberate and methodical. It can be a long process. The objective of physical therapy is to develop muscle mass sufficient to protect the site of the injury. Swimming is a good conditioning exercise for a healthy dog. However, for back and limb related injuries, walking on an underwater treadmill is more beneficial. Walking restricts the range of motion, so the site of the injury is not overextended, and re-injured. The water supports the dog’s weight allowing the dog to exercise muscles while controlling the amount of stress applied to the site of the injury. There are two registered canine physical therapy centers in Texas that have underwater treadmills: Click here for The Dallas Veterinary Referral Center (Dallas), and Click here for Gulf Coast Veterinary Surgeons (Houston).