Dog Training, Health and Products By Zoey Dog!!

Physical Therapy

Zoey Dog

              A few months ago, a terrible thing happened to me.  It started out like any other day playing in the yard.  My owner was throwing the ball for me, and I was running back and forth to her.  This went on for a long time, and I panted in fatigue and enthusiasm.   The last time I went after the ball, something funny happened.  This pain shot through my leg, I yelped, and immediately pulled my hind leg up.  I didn’t think I had stepped down on something; nothing had been there before, but here I was in unbearable pain. 

            I whimpered up to my owner and motioned with my eyes to my leg.  “What’s wrong with me,” I said with my eyes.  She ran her fingers down my leg, and it was so tender where she touched that I tried to pull it away.  A trip to the vet and a surgery later, it turned out to be some kind of ligament tear, I believe.  The vet said I would hurt for a while, but he gave my owner a brochure and said she should use it. 

            I spent the next weeks quietly lying around the house and limping about.  No more ball play or running for me right now.  After about six weeks, my owner started making phone calls and reading that brochure again.  A few weeks later, we were taking a trip to somewhere I had never been before.  My owner said I would have fun, and it would help my leg immensely. 

            It turns out we were going to a place where physical therapy happens.   I wasn’t entirely sure what all of that meant, even after I saw the place.  The physical therapist was a very nice lady, and she gave me goodies right in the door.  Any place with a person like that can’t be half bad!  “Don’t you worry, Zoey.  We’ll get back to new in no time,“ she said. 

            She had all of these strange looking contraptions throughout her office.  There were stairs, inflatable balls, and what appeared to be some kind of treadmill, or at least it reminded me of what my owner ran on sometimes.  Then, there was this large thing in the back corner.  I could hear water gurgling inside part of, and it looked like there was another kind of treadmill connected to this water tank.  I think she could tell I was a bit anxious about everything, and the physical therapist pulled out more treats and toys.    

            Over the next few weeks, I would learn what all of these things in her office were and how they were used.  The water tank was actually part of an underwater treadmill.  I walked on a treadmill while water surrounded me.  It was fantastic! Granted, I am a Lab and water should be our middle name, but I felt so light in the water; it made my leg not hurt nearly as much.  The physical therapist told my owner that it was easier for me to exercise this way, and I was building muscle to help the injury.  Plus, she had lots of toys she put in the water for me to play with!  The stairs I got to walk up and down to improve my coordination and strength.  As I got better and stronger, I got to jog on the regular treadmill too.  I could really feel myself getting stronger and feeling better everyday. 

            I’m just about back to normal now, and the physical therapist tells me how well I have done.  I’ll really miss going there, but I love my owner so much for taking me.  I can tell it has helped me so much.  The physical therapist told my owner that I won’t have as much arthritis in my leg now either.

            I know that if anything else happens to me, I can always go back to this great place.  The physical therapist can help make everything feel better, and I know if I ever have to have another surgery or I have hurt myself, my owner will take me right back there to help fix it.