Laurie's Blogs.
19
Jul 2025
Jul 2025
Electrical Muscle Stimulation in Peripheral Nerve Injuries
As tends to happen, I had a patient that made me want to research and discuss the topic if whether electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) was of value in patients with peripheral nerve injuries, such as brachial plexus lesions. My patient was brought to see me...
12
Jul 2025
Jul 2025
Behavioral and Cognitive Influences on Physical Rehabilitation Outcomes in Non-Ambulatory Canine Spinal Cord Injury Patients
A 2021 research article published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science by Stephanie A. Thomovsky and Niwako Ogata investigates the interplay between canine behavior, cognitive state, and the efficacy of physical rehabilitation (PR) in dogs with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) res...
05
Jul 2025
Jul 2025
Diagnosis and Management of Canine Degenerative Myelopathy – Insights from a Veterinary Survey
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine by Bouché et al. provides insights into the diagnosis and management of degenerative myelopathy (DM) in dogs, based on a survey of veterinary neurologists and rehabilitation specialists. The survey, cond...
28
Jun 2025
Jun 2025
A New Way to Track Canine Spinal Cord Recovery – A 50-Step Walking Test!
A recent study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (2022) introduces a novel 50-step walking test as a practical method to evaluate ambulation recovery in dogs post-decompressive surgery. This StudyConducted at Texas A&M University’s Small Anim...
21
Jun 2025
Jun 2025
Objective Testing for Return to Off-Leash Activity
Do you use a testing model or check list for return to off-leash activity after a cruciate surgery? It’s quite likely important… and a ‘time line’ of ’10-, 12-, 16-weeks’ after surgery isn’t objective. So, what can we d...
14
Jun 2025
Jun 2025
Vitamin D and Vertigo (BPPV)
I was searching through some old blog posts that I keep track of, and I found a juicy nugget of information! There is a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The link between vitamin D and benign paroxysmal posi...
07
Jun 2025
Jun 2025
When to Start Unstable Surface Training in the Neurologic Dog
Have you ever second guessed your judgment when it comes to a neurologic dog and when and how to progress exercises? You’re not alone. I get this question a lot. Let’s break it down into the pieces that will matter and factor into the equ...
31
May 2025
May 2025
Understanding Spinal Disease Prevalence in Pugs and French Bulldogs
Another nifty new study has come out with short and sweet, “need to know” info-nuggets for clinical practice. Spinal diseases are a significant concern in brachycephalic breeds like French Bulldogs (FBDs) and Pugs, but their prevalence and presentation differ mar...
24
May 2025
May 2025
The Hamstring Stretch As A New Screening Tool for Canine Fibrotic Myopathy.
As veterinarians, animal physical therapists, veterinary technicians, and rehabilitation professionals, we often encounter complex musculoskeletal conditions in our canine patients. One such condition, fibrotic myopathy of the hamstring muscles, is a rare but debilitating disease...
17
May 2025
May 2025
Accessoriometacarpal Ligament Injury in (my) Dog
Figure 1: Evidence that he is astonishingly handsome. FigJam, a 5 year old, devilishly handsome (Figure 1), neutered Labrador retriever and my favourite adventure buddy, developed an intermittent left forelimb lameness that would transiently appear following off leash ...
