Physiotherapy in functional recovery and quality of life of paraplegic dogs due to thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease (Hansen type I) submitted to decompressive surgery

ABSTRACT:

The retrospective study included paraplegic dogs affected by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease with absence of deep pain perception and submitted to a decompressive surgical technique. The aim was to compare functional recovery and quality of life (QOL) of dogs that underwent a home physiotherapy protocol to dogs that were cared in a specialized center. Twenty-eight dogs were placed in group A (GA, home physiotherapy protocol) and other 38 patients were placed in group B (GB, physiotherapy protocol in a specialized center). Forty three percent (43%) of the patients recovered the ability to walk in an average of 40 postoperative (PO) days in GA and 42% in an average of 36 days in GB. In 53% of the cases (35/66) the dogs remained paraplegic without deep pain perception at the end of physiotherapeutic protocols. Twenty-five owners from GA and 26 from GB answered a questionnaire about QOL, with a minimum of six PO months. The evaluation of the animals survival time, euthanasia and the QOL score demonstrated that dogs that underwent a physiotherapeutic treatment in a specialized center probably were benefited by the close monitoring and orientation to owners until 90 days of PO.

INDEX TERMS: Physiotherapy; recovery; paraplegia; dogs; intervertebral disc disease; Hansen type I; rehabilitation; neurology; surgery