Koko, a 13-year-old Lhasa apso, arrived for his 9:45 a.m. appointment on Friday. He walked gingerly into the room, his sandy-colored haunches twisting and shivering unnaturally with every step.
Koko suffers from ruptured discs in his back. His owner, Joan Meyer, said she was not sure how he injured it, but speculated it may have resulted from jumping on the bed.
“He let me know something was wrong,” she said.
Since then Koko’s been on medication to blunt the pain, and Meyer has tried to restrict his movement so healing can occur. She plans to buy him a kennel and meanwhile has been sleeping on an air mattress so he won’t be tempted to jump on her bed.
To expedite his recovery, Koko has been coming to Animal Rehabilitation and Fitness in Fishers Landing to receive 10 sessions of physical therapy, much like a human with an injured back might. Each session costs $43.
At Friday’s appointment, veterinary technician Kristin Finstad held Koko and began to massage his back. He responded with complete submission.
“See, you can rub along his back like this, he really likes it,” she said, her fingers pushing up along the dog’s spine.
Finstad then led Koko into a small enclosure, not unlike a shower stall, with a treadmill on the floor. She filled the structure with enough water to cover Koko’s legs and started the treadmill moving at a gentle pace. Suddenly, Koko’s strange gait disappeared and he appeared to be walking, or more accurately, prancing, through the water.
The natural buoyancy of the water reduces pressure on the back, but also offers a low-impact canine workout, strengthening muscles in the legs and back, Finstad explained.
Although Koko whimpered a little during his workout, as soon as his aquatic jaunt was complete he followed Finstad around, begging for the treat he knows comes at the end.
He raised up on his hindquarters, sniffing her pocket with a little more spring in his step.
“You can see they are happy after; it’s from all the endorphins,” Finstad said.
