Return to flip book view
1Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13ISSUE 13M A G A Z I N EAnimalerapy
10Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13KISSING SPINESCauses of primary pain • Impingement of the dorsal spinous process, more commonly known as kissing spine• Articular process arthropathy or facet joint arthropathy• Sacroiliac disease• Kyphosis (upward curvature), lordosis (downward curvature) or scoliosis (sideways curvature) of the spine.• Spondylosis, which is a degenerative disease of vertebrae• Azoturia, or tying up• Muscle strain• Stress fractures of the pelvis, ribs, sacrum etc. Causes of secondary pain • Girth galls• An ill-tting saddle• An ill-tting bridle or bit, or one that is inappropriate for the horse • Dental issues• Lameness of the hind or fore limbs• Lack of tness, a sporadic training regime or occasional, extreme amounts of exercise. generally struggle to maintain a three-beat canter, become disunited or show signs of discomfort.TestsThere are useful tests, such as the ‘surcingle test’ where the pressure of the surcingle can dramatically change their action and therefore give some indication of back pain. However beware that this test can have a dangerous reaction in some horses with severe back pain (or sometimes stomach ulcers).“Kissing spines” also known as “Impinging dorsal spinous processes” or “overriding dorsal spinous processes” (ODSP), are always high on the list when it comes to back pain. ey are generally associated with unrideable horses and this can certainly be the case. However other horses may well be competing at the highest level and coping well with them.ere are many factors that may make this condition more active and painful and every individual could have a dierent presentation. In fact some horses, typically with very chronic “kissing spines” where the spines are almost fused, may just show back stiness and may present with hindlimb lameness (i.e. suspensory pain) as the limbs will work harder to compensate for the lack of back mobility. Also the temperament and how ‘sensitive’ they are to pain has proven to be another factor.Musculature, other than serving as a cushion for the saddle, holds the spine and is vital in injury prevention. Muscles run through the length of the spine and connect throughout the length of the vertebrae, which is why it is not surprising that kissing spines can be related to or mimic clinical presentation of lumbo-sacral or sacroiliac pain.Palpation of the backHorses react dierently to palpation. We generally assess reactions to both supercial and deep palpation. Some horses are just ticklish and very reactive. In any case, it is surprisingly easy to ask a horse to extend and to ex the back using the right pressure points. To test sideways movement we put pressure on the opposite croup at the same time as we press the near side to achieve a left exion and vice versa. Make sure you don't stand behind! It can be normal, however, for the horse to mildly resist these movements. The point of this is to assess the ability of the horse to ex his spine. Repeat this on the other side.To test exion we can pinch the skin under the sternum and for extension we can rmly apply nger pressure at both sides of the spine under the saddle area (pictures below).Horses should have a good range of motion. Any lack of movement or unusual response could potentially be suspicious.Above right: Sternum ‘pinch’ to induce back exion. Right: How to induce extension of the spine, which is generally more painful in horses with kissing spines.
11Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13e most practical diagnostic tests are X-rays (i.e. see picture right demonstrating the presence of kissing spines), which generally can be done at the yard. Ultrasound can also be useful to further look at the so tissue involvement. ere are other hospital diagnostic tools such as a Bone Scan that can be helpful but they may not actually be that reliable in more chronic ongoing problems. ermography can complement in some cases, but it is not indicated as a diagnostic tool. Ultimately we can conrm that there is a problem by ‘blocking’ the horses back. e back would be injected in the aected areas with local anaesthetic and if it is the source of pain, the horse improves under a rider (unfortunately only for a few hours). e response to this test can help us to decide a more eective treatment.Are all horses prone to Kissing Spines?Not really; there is a genetic predisposition and some horses can have kissing spines before having weight on their backs. Horses with high withers/short backs would be more predisposed to have kissing spines. Horse with long backs are not immune and they have more predisposition towards ligament/so tissue injuries of the back. Some horses will develop deformation of the spines when they start to be ridden at a young age.So this combination of genetic and early weight stress on the back can be evident in breeds such as racing thoroughbreds where the incidence of back problems is very high.Fact: Conformation can play a role; horses with a combination of high wither-short back are predisposed to kissing spines. Horses with long backs are more predisposed to soft tissue injuries. Le picture showing more uptake of radiopharmaceutical in keeping with kissing spines. Right picture showing injection between spinal processes under x-ray guidance in order to block the horse.How do we treat them?We always encourage a more conservative treatment as the rst plan of action, in an attempt to avoid surgery. In fact there could be great results with rehabilitation and re-schooling with an experienced rider. e exercise program should encourage the development of a top line and abdominal muscles to protect the back from strains. A combination of changes such as rider, saddle and physiotherapy can keep things on track. At this stage horses could be treated (i.e. steroid injections, mesotherapy, etc) to control pain and muscle spasm.If the problem can not be managed successfully, surgery could be the next step. Surgery has improved vastly in the last few years. It was originally done in the 80’s under GA (with an increased risk of death and bleeding). Currently they are done standing under sedation.ere are several techniques that are recommended depending on the individual case:• Interspinous ligament desmotomy (ISLD). A minimally invasive procedure which consists of cutting the ligaments between the aected spinal processes in the hope of relieving pressure. Horses are back in work between 6 to 8 weeks. e surgery will, I believe, de-nerve the painful areas and I have seen some horses presenting secondary fractures of small fragment edges of the spinal processes without any clinical signs!• Conventional surgery involves dissecting portions of upper spinal processes to allow space. is may have a longer recovery period (6 months approx.), however it is a more long-term treatment. e prognosis of surgery is variable. As a guidance, at least 60% would improve aer surgery, 30% may not change and 10% may actually get worse!In conclusion, interpretation of back pain requires a holistic approach and successful management oen involves the vet, physiotherapist and controlled exercise regimes/rehabilitation.www.horsevetberkshire.co.uk
12Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13The denition of ‘Suppleness:’‘Bending readily without breaking or becoming deformed; pliant; exible: a supple bough. Characterised by ease in bending; limber, lithe: supple movements’ SUPPLENESS is probably one of the weakest parts of the training scale for the ex racehorse to achieve. ere is nothing supple about a horse galloping in a straight line. eir movement is uid, and explosive, but not supple. e most a racehorse is asked to bend is if they run more than the 6f furlong sprint and have to run around a bend of a racetrack. Once you move above Elementary with any ex racehorse the bend in the lateral work becomes a sticking point. e thoroughbred can understand the concept of a half pass, or a leg yield, but actually managing to be supple from tail to poll with cadence and li, is dicult for them as is going against their breeding, former training and conformation. When their former training, breeding conformation is challenged you can see behavioural issues creep in such as; lack of willingness to go forward, teeth grinding, lack of swing through the back, anti social behaviour and in some cases, an unlevel gait. So how can we start to encourage the cadence and li, with bend and ultimately suppleness to create happy dancing partners? Pole work! For us as trainers it is good to get and understanding of what our ex racehorse does as ‘default’ when asked to step and li. Usually, when their body is asked to do something which is naturally benign any asymmetry may be exacerbated as the range of movement is greater. If it is possible I long rein my horses through the combinations of poles so I can see how their body works and responds on both reins. You should be able to see (and probably feel down the rein) whether or not your ex racer loads a shoulder, leans le/right, picks one leg higher than the other, falls away through the pelvic area greater on one side or the other. (Photo A)e second thigh muscle is an important muscle that allows, creates and generates push and li. In new retrainers there is normally an asymmetry seen between le and right though muscle, or a general lack of. All pole work with help the building and developing of the second thigh muscle and allow any asymmetry to start to become more symmetrical. Pole work will also help with the liing and engaging of their core muscles, which will help the swing through the back, which all leads to a greater, more supple way of going. With the four exercises below it should help develop your ex racerThree poles in a line/curveA good, basic set up is one of three poles in a straight line or a curve with alternate ends raised. For me, I would avoid too much straight line pole work, as your ex racehorse can start to disengage or revert back to their ‘default’ way of going, which is what you're trying to avoid. As you can see in Photo B, the greater range of motion in the hind limb (notice its comes up, but not through and under) pushes the croup higher and therefore more weight goes down onto the shoulder. e energy created by the back end is almost too great for Quad. If you look at the hindlimb action compared to the forelimb action, the hindlimb action is greater, which, over time can be detrimental and also counter productive to what you as a retainer are trying to achieve. From RaceHorse to Dressage HorseLouise Robson, a sought after specialist in the eld tells us more about what is involved in the retraining of a racehorse and the success she has enjoyed.THOROUGHBRED DRESSAGEA
13Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Keeping everything on a curve/fan shape will help with; the step, bend and encourage the hindleg to step under and support/push, therefore liing the back and encouraging suppleness through the frame.Figure of 8 exercisePole work can also help with transitions and change of direction. Probably the hardest transition to accomplish with your ex racer is the; trot, canter, trot transition. In both the upward and downward transition there is normally a loss of connection with can be shown with; running o, tossing their head, becoming inverted, trying to strike o and getting stuck, running through the bridle, pulling down. You will notice with this exercise that one one rein your horse will fall very heavily to the inside and on the other you will struggle to steer as you will struggle to turn the outside shoulder, all points, when controlled and more balanced will lead to greater suppleness. Riding a gure of eight with three trot poles at one end of the arena, two canter poles at the other and a single pole over X is a very good exercise. e pole over X keeps the li through the stepping over the pole as you change direction, it can also act as a strike o pole if you're struggling with the correct canter lead. e three trot poles encourage the li in the trot to either engage the horse before or aer the canter transition. e two canter poles encourage the hindleg in the canter to not become wide and keep the break of the hindleg, which in turn keeps a soer back. As your horse becomes more developed in this exercise you can use the trot and caner poles to either extend or compress the frame of the pace you're in. Normally when you compress the frame of an ex racer (especially in the canter) the hindleg becomes wider and the back stier ad they don't understand how to ‘sit’ and bend the hock, with the hindlegs close together. e widening of the hindleg acts as a support to the ex racer, but over time can be a negative impact on the long term soundness continued overleafBCD
14Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13and comfort of your ex racehorse. With the hindleg becoming wider the neck becomes sti and slightly drawn back into the shoulders. It can also result in you loosing the true forward nature, and begin to create a slight backwards tendency in your horses way of going. In Photo C we can see that the pole in the canter work has encouraged the hindleg to step under and for the croup to lower and the wither and shoulder to come up. e frame is compressed with a so neck. In Photo D we can see where the placing of the pole has asked for the frame in the canter to slightly extend out. Note: the hindleg has automatically returned to ‘default’ which is slightly out behind Quad as poised to underneath. When the trot is compressed the hindleg will push out behind, rather than step under, which means that the li through their middle and ‘push’ will never be fully achieved. e next exercise normally helps with the compression of the trot. Poles in a Corner Even simple exercises such as riding a 10 metre circle can tap into an ex racers weakness. Your ex racer can understand the concept of turning around a 10 metre circle, but the dynamics of bending and liing around a 10 metre circle and not falling on the shoulder is dicult. A good exercise (which also teaches your ex racers about corners and using corners to help set them up for the next movement in a test) is to set up three poles in the corner of the arena and ride a 10/15 metre circle incorporating the poles. With your ex racer you have to really focus on them bending around your inside leg. It is common when you ask the body to do something that is a little dicult your ex racehorse may return to ‘default’ and go straight and slightly rigid. (See Photo E) I think of a very small leg yield feel as we begin to step through the poles to help encourage the bend the whole way through the body. (Photo F) Once your ex racer become condent moving through the poles with a slight curve throughout their body you can start to ride deeper into the corner, therefore asking them to step over the higher raised end of the pole. is will create a higher range of motion of the limb, which will in time create more li and ultimately bend and suppleness in the horses body . (Photo F and G) is exercise will also help with; turning onto the centre line, leaving the track onto a circle, understanding that the inside leg is to bend around and using In Photo H, we can see that the frame is shorter than that of Photo F and G. e distance between the poles has become slightly shorter and I have asked Quad to move more into the corner. Instantly Quad looks soer, rounder, more supple throughout the whole frame and has a higher range of movement in the joints. e foreleg and hindlegs match in their movement and you can see a greater li of the shoulder and wither. For those more advanced, or wanting to start to ‘produce’ the trot, it can be a good way to introduce compression, ultimately leading towards Passage steps. e greater the height of the pole, the higher the step, which can begin to help with compression of the horse. It can encourage your ex racer to compress and li, rather than compress and become resistant, backward and tight in the frame.A ‘Square of Poles’ A very good setup with lots of options that you can ride through in walk, trot and canter. e lines show make you as a rider consider not only the forward motion of the horse, but also the le and right side of their body. Are they more supple one way? Are the falling in/falling out through the shoulder? Am I able to steer? Do I approach the plea on the line that I want? If you as a retrainer consider the le and right side of your horses body, it will help with etc suppleness and making sure that they stretch equally on both sides, which in turn will release the neck and back, which will then allow the hindlegs to step through and a more supple frame achieved. I work all of my ex racehorses from juts beginning through to the ones at Advanced level dressage over poles at least once a week. For the more asymmetrical and weaker horses more time is spent in the long reins and they may have more than one session a week to help build up their core strength. As mentioned at the beginning; ‘being supple’ is not a oroughbreds forte. Its not that it cannot be achieved, its just nding ways that allow you to progress and develop with your dancing partner. the corners to help encourage li, bend and step under of the hindleg, resulting in a soer, more supple frame and body. THOROUGHBRED DRESSAGEEFGH
15Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13WITHIN human sports science, practitioners and therapists regularly utilise exercise and training aids within the rehabilitation of neuromuscular disorders, informed by a comprehensive evidence base that has been developed through research (Gross et al., 2016). In equestrianism, despite increasing calls for evidence-informed practice, few studies have evaluated the impact of common exercises and training aids, such as the Pessoa Training Aid™ (PTA), used within rehabilitation and to train horses’ naïve to ridden work.A fundamental goal of training or rehabilitation is to prepare the horse for the physical and mental demands exercise and/ or competition will place upon them. This is achieved through a combination of physiological conditioning to establish tness and generate muscle mass (hypertrophy), alongside developing the motor skills to be able to complete specic movements required for dierent disciplines. The horse’s spinal, abdominal and pelvic musculature are fundamental structures which facilitate movement and function, and therefore inuence equine performance, regardless of the equestrian discipline of the horse (van Weeren et al., 2010). Biomechanically these muscles work together to generate movement of the hindlimb and transfer the force and power created in the hindquarters, through a stable spine to provide the propulsion and power the horse requires to move, change gait and to perform eectively (van Weeren et al., 2010). Injury, lameness, ‘weakness’ or muscle hypotrophy, and pain can alter a horse’s biomechanics resulting in spinal and abdominal muscle spasm and/or inhibition (Zsoldas et al., 2010). Aected horses may present with spinal extension or a cranial pelvic tilt, both of which are undesirable postural characteristics that may impede function during movement reducing performance (van Weeren et al., 2010). Groundwork techniques, such as the utilisation of training aids including the PTA may be used to promote, maintain and restore the physical, psychological and social well-being of horses (Buchner and Schildboeck, 2006) and are often advocated by industry professionals to restore or prevent muscle related problems in the performance horse. To date, the majority of research in this eld has examined the kinematic impact of working horses using various training aid systems, for example evaluating the impact of the PTA (Walker et al., 2013; Cottriall et al., 2009), side reins (Cottriall et al., 2009), resistance band training (Andersen et al., 2011) and raised poles (Brown et al., 2015). However, how their use aects muscle workload, despite anecdotal claims that muscle activation and hypertrophy occurs when training aids are used within equine training and rehabilitation regimes, is yet to be fully understood. The preliminary study reported here investigated if the PTA aected equine core muscle (represented by rectus abdominus) workload. This work was presented at the 13th International Society for Equitation Science conference in Wagga, Wagga, Australia 2017. The Pessoa Training Aid™ (PTA)The PTA is commonly used in equestrian training as a controlled method to improve strength in young or weak horses with muscular hypotrophy as a result of pathology or lack of training (Odendaal, 2009). The system consists of ropes and pulleys that run along the side and around the hindquarters of the horse (Figure 1). The aid is commonly used to create a shift in weight-bearing from the forelimb to the hindlimb, with the aim to create spinal exion and engagement of the hindquarters to strengthen the spinal and abdominal muscles, including Rectus abdominus (RA). The cranial aspect of the PTA moves through the bit to alter the head and neck position (HNP) and create spinal exion (Cottriall et al., 2009; Walker et al., 2013), whilst the caudal aspect of the PTA runs behind the hindquarters of the horse. The PTA can be put into three dierent positions: low which attaches in between the forelimbs (position one), middle which attaches at shoulder level (position two) and high which attaches in level with the withers (position three). Position one produces a low HNP, position two an elevated HNP, and position three an extremely elevated HNP, only suitable for horses with advanced training. All positions aim to get the bridge of the nose in line with the vertical with the aim to optimise kinematic and kinetic outcomes at dierent stages of training. In all positions, the caudal aspect of the system with the hindquarter strap remains in the same place (Pessoa Training Aid, 2012). The proposed benet of the hind quarter strap is to facilitate engagement of the hind limb through encouraging hind limb protraction (the swing phase RESEARCH ARTICLEThe Eect Of The Pessoa Training Aid On Equine Rectus Abdominus Workload On A Treadmillby Jane Williams, Charlotte Betchley, Jessica Meagher and Gillian TaborUniversity Centre Hartpury, Hartpury, Gloucestershire, GL19 3BE, UK.Figure 1: Middle (A) and Low (B) positions of the Pessoa Training AidA: The PTA being worn in the middle position. The pulley running from the roller, fastens at the bit, and run back to fastens on the roller at shoulder level. The caudal aspect includes the hindquarter strap running around the back of the horse and attaching to the roller in the midline. B: The PTA being worn in the low position. The pulleys run from the roller, attach at the bit and run through to fasten onto the roller in the girth area between the horse’s front legs.Acontinued overleaf15Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13B
16Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13of the limb where the hindlimb moves forwards towards the horse’s head). Walker and colleagues (2013) reported ndings of signicantly increased dorsoventral displacement of the mid-back (exion or raised back) and lumbosacral angle at maximal hind limb retraction (the swing phase of the limb where the hindlimb moves backwards towards the horse’s tail) when horses were wearing the PTA in the middle position compared to no PTA, suggesting the aid does create improved hind limb engagement. Tension of the hind quarter strap at hind limb retraction is also likely to provide a sensory cue for the horse, with the response of increased protraction (Walker et al., 2013). Therefore, the hind quarter strap could act as a sensory aid which stimulates the sensory modulation system to encourage the horse to move the hindlimb promoting the desired eect of increased hind limb engagement (Walker et al., 2013).Use of the PTA in the middle position (at shoulder height) has been shown to aect horses’ gait characteristics on a circle in trot. Walker’s research group (2013) found the aid signicantly reduced speed, stride length and head angle when horses were lunged on a circle compared to lunging without the aid supporting the industry perspective that the aid slows a horse’s natural rhythm and facilitates increased collection and engagement. However, interestingly the application of the PTA did not increase muscle activity of the supercial muscle of the back (longissimus dorsi) in trot suggesting that the aid ‘works’ by altering the function of deeper back or the abdominal musculature (Cottriall et al., 2009). The PTA is used by equestrian trainers in training and rehabilitation regimes with the aim to build and strengthen the back muscles and hindquarters in young or weak horses, through engaging the horse’s ‘core’ muscles, although this has not been studied to date. Rectus abdominis (RA) is a key ‘core’ muscle in the horse, it arises from the 4th to 9th costal cartilages and adjacent parts of the sternum, and inserts into the pre-pubic tendon. The muscle supports the abdominal viscera and aids with lateral exion and exion of the back and limits passive excessive extension of the spine in the horse (Zsoldos et al., 2010). RA has a biphasic action and is activated initially during the stance phase at periods of low back muscle (longissimus dorsi) activation (Licka et al., 2009), the muscle then produces a second, smaller contraction at the end of stance (Zsoldas et al., 2010). These results suggest RA plays a role in arching or exing the back, as well as providing resistance to passive extension as a result of the gravitational eects of the visceral mass (the horse’s organs) via eccentric activation (as it increases in length), making this muscle ideal to evaluate potential eects of the PTA. Seven horses of variable breed, sex, age and height participated in our study. Prior to taking part, all horses were checked to ensure they were free from pain, healthy and sound by an experienced ACPAT registered veterinary physiotherapist. Horses also had to be used to working on the high speed treadmill and in regular exercise.Horses had their normal bridles and rollers tted, and markers were placed on the hindlimb to enable stride length to be measured. Electromyography (EMG) sensors were secured to the horse’s left and right RA to enable muscle workload to be measured (Figure 2). All horses then completed a warm up on the treadmill in walk, followed by three periods of data collection (Zsoldos et al., 2010; Cottriall et al., 2009):1. no PTA to collect a baseline for RA activity in walk and trot2. with the PTA tted in the low position in walk and trot3. with the PTA tted in the middle position in walk and trotThe treadmill was used to ensure a standardised environment, by providing the same surface, keeping horses working in a straight line and most importantly allowing us to work them all at the same consistent speed, as speed would aect muscle workload. We then compared the dierent muscle workload in left and right RA muscles when horses were wearing the PTA to the baseline RA activity without the PTA on the treadmill, to see if dierences existed. Figure 2: Surface electromyography sensor placementEMG Sensors were placed bilaterally 6cm caudally from the horse’s umbilicus (circled) and secured with tape over the horse’s RA muscles.In walk, minimal dierences in RA activity between the baseline, no PTA condition, and walking with the PTA in the low or middle positions were found. Left RA workload increased by less than 1% with the PTA and right RA workload reduced by 1% in the low position and by 4% in the middle position, across all horses. Unsurprisingly, statistical testing found no signicant dierences in workload occurred (P>0.05). Using the PTA in both positions did increase the majority of horses’ left RA activity by a small amount in trot compared to when horses worked without the PTA on the treadmill. In trot, left RA workload increased by 10% in the low position and 5% in the medium position, but for right RA, workload reduced by 4% in the low position and 2% in the middle position. However, statistical tests found these dierences to not be signicantly dierent from the control (no PTA) position and could just have occurred by chance (P>0.05). These results suggests the PTA when used in the low or middle position, does not increase RA workload in walk and trot on a high speed treadmill. It is well documented in previous research that speed can signicantly aect muscle activity (Crook et al., 2010). To enable speed to be standardised, a high speed treadmill was used. Variations in stride characteristics between treadmills and over ground work have been reported including increased stance duration (SD) in the forelimbs (Mendez-Angulo et al., 2014). Changes in stride characteristics were observed here and interestingly this eect appeared to still apply when the PTA was utilised. In contrast, Walker and colleagues (2013) observed no change in SD when the PTA was applied during over ground analysis, suggesting the use of the treadmill impacted how the PTA works. A possible explanation for these dierences could be the impact of speed. Walker and colleagues (2013) reported signicant reductions in speed when the PTA was applied, however in the current study, speed was consistently maintained, preventing the horses from slowing down when wearing the PTA. As a result of this, the reduction in SD here may represent horse’s adapting to working on the treadmill in a PTA to maintain speed, suggesting the treadmill impacted on the ‘normal’ action of the PTA.So should we use the PTA? Our results are not conclusive and more research is needed to determine the full eect of the PTA. As well as the changes observed in SD, we noticed that when 16 Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
17Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13horses worked on the treadmill, they did not extend their head and neck position as low as they would when working overground in the low position of the PTA (Figure 3). This is due to the location of the breast bar on the treadmill which needs to be in place to prevent the horse moving too far forward when working on it. As a result, horses’ head position was restricted and they may not have been working in a ‘true’ outline for the low position of the PTA which would aect RA activity. Figure 3: An example of the dierent head and neck positions of horses demonstrating the eect of the treadmill breast bar. A: control – no PTA, B: PTA in low position and C: PTA in middle positionBased on our results, we would not recommend using the PTA when working horses on a treadmill but as this aid is used predominately during lunging, further research measuring RA workload during lunging is needed to explore its eect in this context.We would like to thank Hartpury Equine Therapy Centre, and the horses and their owners who supported this study.REFERENCES:Andersen et al., 2011Brown, S., Stubbs, N.C., Kaiser, L.J., Lavagnino, M. and Clayton, H.M., 2015. Swing phase kinematics of horses trotting over poles. Equine veterinary journal, 47(1), pp.107-112.Buchner, H.H.F. and Schildboeck, U., 2006. Physiotherapy applied to the horse: a review. Equine veterinary journal, 38(6), pp.574-580.Cottriall, S., Ritruechai, P. and Wakeling, J.M., 2009. The eects of training aids on the longissimus dorsi in the equine back. Comparative Exercise Physiology, 5(3-4), pp.111-114.Gross et al., 2016Licka, T., Frey, A. and Peham, C., 2009. Electromyographic activity of the longissimus dorsi muscles in horses when walking on a treadmill. The Veterinary Journal, 180(1), pp.71-76. Mendez-Angulo, J.L., Firshman, A.M., Groschen, D.M., Kieer, P.J. and Trumble, T.N., 2014. Impact of walking surface on the range of motion of equine distal limb joints for rehabilitation purposes. The Veterinary Journal, 199(3), pp.413-418. Odendaal, T., 2009. Training aids and gadgets (part 2): training. SA Horseman, 4(6), pp.31-35. Van Weeren, P.R., McGowan, C. and Haussler, K.K., 2010. Science overview: Development of a structural and functional understanding of the equine back. Equine Veterinary Journal, 42, pp.393-400. Walker, V.A., Dyson, S.J. and Murray, R.C., 2013. Eect of a Pessoa training aid on temporal, linear and angular variables of the working trot. The Veterinary Journal, 198(2), pp.404-411. Zsoldos, R.R., Kotschwar, A., Kotschwar, A.B., Rodriguez, C.P., Peham, C. and Licka, T., 2010. Activity of the equine rectus abdominis and oblique external abdominal muscles measured by surface EMG during walk and trot on the treadmill. Equine Veterinary Journal, 42, pp.523-529.ABC17Exploring New Concepts in NutritionThe Raw Feeding Veterinary Society is holding its fourth annual international conference on 10th November in Manchester. All vets and VNs are welcome. Speakers include Prof. Alex German, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, Dr. Conor Brady, Dr. Mark Roberts and Mr. Jonathan Self. Speakers will be presenting new academic work, new concepts and a wealth of experience in the eld of small animal nutrition. For more info, email enquiries@rfvs.info or buy tickets at: http://rfvs.info/rfvs-conference-2018/Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
18Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13HUMANS understood that diet and health were connected many, many thousands of years ago. It is core to all the traditional medical systems throughout the world. One nds it in Ayurveda, the oldest medical system in the world, and in what we call Chinese herbal medicine, in the medical traditions of the Incas and, more recently ancient Greek medicine. It was summed up, indeed, more or less 2,500 years ago by Hippocrates, when he advised: ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ Yet although mankind has known this for tens of thousands of years after the Industrial Revolution the production of food changed beyond all recognition. Food became processed, the quality of ingredients dropped dramatically, articial colours and preservatives became the norm. By the 1950s and 1960s everything became about convenience rather than health and nutrition. People who believed that their food should be unadulterated – free of chemicals, in fact – were considered slightly mad. Indeed, when I was growing up in the 1960s my mother used to take us to a vegetarian restaurant called Cranks!The tide has since turned and although the human food sector is still resisting a return to higher quality food and minimal processing (because what they are doing is so protable) things are changing. There are dozens and dozens of excellent books on the topic and there have been some huge and very inuential research programmes. Indeed, if you are interested in this area I can recommend a fantastic book called How Not To Die by Dr. Michael Greger, which looks at the 15 most common causes of death and examines the role of food in causing and curing them. If the human food sector has been slow to embrace the idea of change, the dog and cat food sector has been even slower. Although a growing number of people are starting to realise that their animal companions would be better served by a species appropriate diet – in plain English the same sort of diet they would eat in the wild – the vast majority continue to feed highly processed, highly adulterated pet food. Not surprisingly the pet food industry – perhaps the most protable industry in the world as it turns waste ingredients into premium products – is resistant, as is the majority of vets. What they say, when challenged, is: where is the proof that a natural diet is better than our (supposedly) scientically proven food?Which is why Honey’s, the artisan dog food company I co-founded, decided to invest in a major piece of research. In case you are not familiar with this whole subject let me just summarise. Traditionally, domesticated dogs were fed a species appropriate diet consisting of raw meat, raw bones and raw vegetables (a ‘raw diet’), supplemented by table scraps and whatever other food they could scavenge. After the introduction of processed dog food in 1860 their diet slowly began to change until, by the 1980s, a species appropriate diet had become the exception rather than the rule. In 2008, there were barely half a dozen raw dog food producers in the UK and none were members of the main industry body: The Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA). At the latest count, there are close to a hundred producers and the PFMA has a dedicated raw food group. There are no reliable gures on how many raw fed dogs there now are in the UK, but a recent report (Pet Care in the United Kingdom, Euromonitor, May 2017) pointed out that: ‘... raw food is gaining weight in the UK, with some retailers – especially pet superstores and Internet retailers – oering raw food as a way to provide pets with a completely natural diet and link them with their traditional feeding habits.’ With the increased interest in raw feeding has come controversy. Those in favour claim that dogs enjoy better health and longer lives. Those against claim that it carries health risks both to dogs and humans. Both sides depend to a surprisingly large extent on anecdotal evidence, there being a paucity of reliable, relevant scientic research. For my own part, I am convinced that a raw food diet is benecial to dogs. I base this on: • Logic. Every species on earth must eat an appropriate diet in order to survive and ourish. For some species the range of appropriate foods is very limited, for others there is greater tolerance. Although, over time, certain species, with varying degrees of success, can adapt to a new diet, it doesn’t alter the core fact that the food they eat must be appropriate. Dogs, Canis lupus familiaris, have the typical physiology and digestive system of a carnivore. Their natural diet, like that of other canids, consists predominantly of prey with a certain amount of vegetable matter (grasses, herbs, fruit &c..). It is what they have eaten for millions of years. • Observation. I have been responsible for feeding thousands of dogs a raw food diet since 2009 and I have seen only positive outcomes as a result. Now, thanks to Honey’s research programme, I have some hard evidence to support what I believe. First, our researchers set out to establish whether a raw food diet could meet the highest possible nutritional guidelines for adult dogs, as set out by the European Pet Food Industry (FEDIAF). Second, they set out to show whether such a diet would prove to be nutritionally adequate when fed to a meaningful sample of adult dogs over 26 weeks using an extended version of the rigorous trial protocol set out by the Association of American Feed Control Ocials (AAFCO). The investigation was designed with great care to ensure the most accurate possible results. To this end, we appointed an independent, veterinary surgeon to plan, oversee and carry out the research and employed an independent laboratory for all the analysis work. The results are currently being reviewed by a panel of independent veterinary surgeons. Although the research ndings support species appropriate feeding of dogs, it is important to remember that there is much more work to be done. To arrive at meaningful research in relation to human diet and its eect on health, Oxford University, Cornell University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine set up a 20-year programme involving 6500 people (China–Cornell–Oxford Project, 1981 onwards) and even then some of their conclusions remain open to interpretation. We are conscious that further analysis, trials and studies are required. We plan to undertake more ourselves and we hope that others will rise to the challenge. In the meantime, we are pleased to have made a modest contribution to the study of canine nutrition.If you would like a free copy of our research report, Raw Proof, please email myself (js@jonathanself.com) or Honey’s (info@honeysrealdogfood.com). The report will be available in September 2018. Let Food Be Thy Dog’s Medicineby Jonathan Self
19Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 1301672 620260 info@honeysrealdogfood.com www.honeysrealdogfood.comIf, in the course of your work, you come across any canine or feline patient where you feel diet could have a role to play in achieving optimum health, please remember Honey’s. Our Health Team (which includes vets, vet nurses, and nutritionists) is happy to provide information, advice and recipes to anyone – there is no need to be a customer. We don’t like to boast – well, actually, we do – but we probably have more expertise in-house on natural, raw, species appropriate diets than any other organisation in the UK. Obviously, we will be delighted to supply food but we will never pressure anyone to buy from us. We believe that the health and welfare of the patient comes rst. We are concerned, too, about the health and welfare of all animals. This is why we insist on using only certied organic, wild and free range meat. All our ingredients are fresh and British, by the way. We are happy to supply free sample boxes – including our prescription range – to any animal therapist. Please just introduce yourself when you contact us. We will also be happy to send you any of our books, free of charge. Finally, thank you for your support. We greatly appreciate your recommendations.Free books and reports from Honey’sHoney’s Natural Feeding Handbook for DogsAn invaluable, plain-English guide to canine health and nutrition (with a chapter on feeding cats, too).The Lucky Dog Weight Loss PlanThe quick, easy, natural way to help a dog lose weight (without feeling hungry).Raw ProofOut soon! Pre-order your copy now. The results of our independent research into raw, natural, species appropriate diets for dogs.Good MoneyThis book tells our story and explains how to launch and grow a successful ethical business.an im print of Head of Zeuswww.r eadani ma.co mHave you ever wondered why so many dogs seem t o be suffering from weight issue s? T his excellent lit tle book provides t he answer: modern dog food. The author explains the effect proc essed dog f ood has on a dog's body and ho w, by switching to a biologic ally appropriate diet, the we ight will, lite rally, drop off. The diet itsel f coul dn't be simpler. You can get all th e ingredient s from a butcher or supermarket and it is easy and quick to prepare. Bes t of all, it work s. Vicky Marsh all is an author and co-founder of Honey’s Real Dog Food – a fam ily business base d in rural Wiltsh ire that combines a nimal welfare with ethically produced B ritish ingredient s to provid e a nutritionally balanced diet fo r dogs.VICKY MARSHALLYOURDOG WILLLOVE THISDIET!THE LUCKY DOG WEIGHTLOSSPLANTHE LUCKY DOG WEIGHT LOSS PLAN VICKY MARSHALL£9.99also availab le in eboo knon-ficti on • petsISBN: 97817866974489781786697448THE QUICK, EASY, NATURAL WAY FOR DOGS TO LOSE WEIGHTCOMPLETE WITH MEAL PLANS AND RECIPESWHY YOU NEVER SEE A FAT WOLF
2Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Vetkin-Tape® is a tape that sticks well and gives the maximum results for animals, as it is 20% larger than human tapes, comes in 3 sizes and starts at £6.25+vat per roll.This unit is ideal for animal therapy where the unit can be powered by battery whilst in its carry bag, and be protected from the elements. Call for latest offersArcEquine is a compact, portable, battery operated device, which delivers drug free, non-invasive Microcurrent Therapy. Full Kit £375.00+vatAnimal Therapy Productstrimbio offers a vast range of products all at very competitive prices Micro-CurrentMobile Ultrasound with Battery & Carry BagVetkin-Tape® Kinesiology Tape Plus so much more : Balance Products, Magnetic Therapy, H-Wave etc… Laser & Light Therapy From £295.00+vatWe also offer a range of Reconditioned Devices including Ultrasound, Laser, Doppler, Infusion Pumps and more for Veterinary use, please visit our website 01403 597597 www.trimbio.co.uk sales@trimbio.co.uk
20Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13e small dog’s body tensed. e half-moon whites of his eyes were clearly visible and his top lip curled back displaying glistening white teeth. e ne feathering on his tail swayed gently like a ag as he wagged it from side to side and, crinkling his shiny black nose, he let out a deep throaty rumble. His long uy ears were pulled slightly back and his piercing stare made it abundantly clear that the bone was his. is 12-week-old spaniel puppy was guarding. e owner, who had bent down to fuss him, was visibly shaken. Enquiring why she couldn’t pet him when he eats, it was explained that her dog doesn’t view her attention as aection, he believes she is a thief about to steal his dinner. Biting the hand that feeds you…Tips for resource and food guardingby Kate Mallatratt A Dip CBM, ICB, PPG, Canine BehaviouristCanine CareMany dogs enjoy chasing balls, but giving back is counter instinctive.© Bounders Dog PhotographyPossession is nine tenths of the law…Guarding is quite common and about half of all dogs will show guarding tendencies towards material objects. Items guarded include toys, clothing, food, chews, bones, water dishes, sleeping areas and even owners. For some dogs guarding needs no prior learning: their innate desire to defend is expressed early despite a relevant training protocol as a puppy. Discriminative breeding inuences guarding behaviour. Some dogs are strongly motivated by genotype to defend territory, possessions and those in their care, especially if guarding was historically their job. A livestock guarding dog tending sheep should be worried about losing one of his ock, and those raised with stock, such as the Great Pyrenees or Anatolian shepherd, form strong aliations and regard their wards as family. Certain phenotypes are more prone to guarding, particularly full colour show cocker spaniels (rather than working types).Apart from the recognisable guarding breeds like German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers, gundogs may be loath to relinquish possessions. With selective breeding, a gundog’s desire to hold is hypertrophied and the kill-bitedissect-eat part of the predatory sequence eyestalkchasegrab-bitekill-bitedissect-eat has been weakened. Although the release is counter-instinctive, retrieving an object to an owner can of course be trained. Discriminative breeding also means that some dogs are choosy about what they guard and may protect one species yet attack another potential predator, and some will resource guard from animals but not people.Why dogs guardGuarding is usually rooted in worry about losing a possession such as a toy or food, or space like a bed or the best spot in front of the re. What is most valued depends largely on the individual. We joke that the family dog is so good natured he would lead a burglar to the family silver, and the truth is he probably would since it’s of little worth to him. On the other hand,
21Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13ideal for dogs on restricted exerciseexcellent for crate trainingcalming for anxious dogsgreat distraction from unwanted behaviourfabulous for puppy developmentstimulating for dogs with sensory impairmentperfect mental stimulation for golden oldies useful for extending reward timesrecommended by canine professionals fully washable and can be tumble driedwww.pickpocketforagers.comwww.pickpocketforagers.comWhy does my dog need aPick Pocket?EMAIL kate@PickPocketforagers.comTEL07875 951632A MUST HAVE! The PickPocket is a superb interactive feeder providing mental stimulation, especially important for dogs on restricted exercise for medical reasons. Highly recommended!Brigie Barton, chair & education oicerInternational Canine Behaviourists | www.icb.globalMy 9 month old border collie Thessie loves her PickPocket. It occupies and mentally stimulates her, and is helping to improve her nosework skills ready for competition. As a behaviourist I strongly recommend this product to all dog owners.David Svennelid, canine behaviourist & trainer Swedish Dog Academy | www.swedishdogacademy.comMy dogs love the PickPocket! They are perfect to keep noses busy, and as a veterinary nurse I can see their value for dogs on crate rest, restricted exercise or recovering from ortho-paedic surgery. With a PickPocket your dog can ‘exercise’ with his nose!NIKKI CADDICK, Registered Veterinary NurseTrained to Pawfection | www.trainedtopawfection.co.ukThe puppies in my class LOVED exploring the PickPocket – one had his evening meal in it! In my grooming salon, the PickPocket made Angel’s first puppy visit very enjoyable, and she happily foraged in the pockets while being combed.Karen Backhouse, APDT trainer & groomerGuiding Paws Training | www.guidingpaws.co.ukGift setsAre you looking for that extra special gift for your ‘bestie’? Look no further than our pawsome gift set - PickPocket and matching bandana.ideal for dogs on restricted exerciseexcellent for crate trainingcalming for anxious dogsgreat distraction from unwanted behaviourfabulous for puppy developmentstimulating for dogs with sensory impairmentperfect mental stimulation for golden oldies useful for extending reward timesrecommended by canine professionals fully washable and can be tumble driedwww.pickpocketforagers.comwww.pickpocketforagers.comWhy does my dog need aPick Pocket?EMAIL kate@PickPocketforagers.comTEL07875 951632A MUST HAVE! The PickPocket is a superb interactive feeder providing mental stimulation, especially important for dogs on restricted exercise for medical reasons. Highly recommended!Brigie Barton, chair & education oicerInternational Canine Behaviourists | www.icb.globalMy 9 month old border collie Thessie loves her PickPocket. It occupies and mentally stimulates her, and is helping to improve her nosework skills ready for competition. As a behaviourist I strongly recommend this product to all dog owners.David Svennelid, canine behaviourist & trainer Swedish Dog Academy | www.swedishdogacademy.comMy dogs love the PickPocket! They are perfect to keep noses busy, and as a veterinary nurse I can see their value for dogs on crate rest, restricted exercise or recovering from ortho-paedic surgery. With a PickPocket your dog can ‘exercise’ with his nose!NIKKI CADDICK, Registered Veterinary NurseTrained to Pawfection | www.trainedtopawfection.co.ukThe puppies in my class LOVED exploring the PickPocket – one had his evening meal in it! In my grooming salon, the PickPocket made Angel’s first puppy visit very enjoyable, and she happily foraged in the pockets while being combed.Karen Backhouse, APDT trainer & groomerGuiding Paws Training | www.guidingpaws.co.ukGift setsAre you looking for that extra special gift for your ‘bestie’? Look no further than our pawsome gift set - PickPocket and matching bandana. Tel: 07875 951632 kate@PickPocketforagers.com www.PickPocketforagers.com Fabric food foragers for your best friendFind us on FBSee our latest fabrics, watch videos of happy customers and read our training tipscontinued overleafif the crook stole Rover’s favourite toy he might nd himself making a quick exit with the dog close at heel….Guarding is selective and some dogs only guard food. is may be learned or worsened due to poor management of the environment, for example people walking closely past a food dish, children interacting with the dog whilst he is eating, or another family pet coming too close. All these reasons can make a dog feel vulnerable, and they may express calming signals to show their discomfort.Some puppies may learn to become possessive about food if a breeder feeds from a single bowl and competition for dinner is strong. e underlying instinct to eat in comfort can start very young. At the tender age of ve weeks our Golden Retriever puppies would grab a raw chicken wing and retreat to the corners of the room away from their litter mates. Mealtime management by increasing distance between bowls or feeding in separate rooms/crates is recommended to reduce tension and minimise potential issues arising. At mealtimes one or other of our adult dogs carries their bowl to another room away from the other dogs, where the meal can be peacefully enjoyed without watchful eyes - even though none of our dogs overtly resource guards their food. Speaking to other guardians, this appears quite common although a few dogs reverse this pattern and carry their bowl to eat with their owners! Given that most dogs choose to eat in safety, dinner bowls that are placed closely together or even in the same room may cause friction and may be a time bomb waiting to go o.Making matters worseOwners sometimes say that they can take anything away from their dog as if it is a sign of good character, but the simple truth may be that the resource wasn’t worth ghting over for that dog. A strategy sometimes employed is to take away a dog’s dinner when he is eating to show him ‘who is boss’. Based on the dominance myth, this strategy is risky and likely to increase any potential confrontation. Firstly, it assumes your dog understands why his dinner is being removed and secondly, it may increase his concern about losing his dinner thus making him more vigilant and aroused. is can quickly escalate, especially if the early warning signs (lick lips, body tensing, stops eating when approached, shows whites of eyes), are missed and the dog steps up a gear with a growl or snap. Once he has reached the point of ‘shouting’ and you (intentionally or reexively) retreat, he learns his behaviour is successful and his dinner is saved. Successful behaviour is likely to be repeated. Imagine a scenario where you are enjoying a splendid Sunday roast and someone swily removes the plate from under your nose. You may be taken aback and quite rightly question the purpose of these actions. If this happens repeatedly the urge to protect your dinner may grow stronger until your patience runs out, and you snap. A dog who growls evokes strong emotions and is oen labelled a ‘bad dog’, but let’s put these feelings aside for a moment and see growling simply as communication and information
22Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13FOOD GUARDINGthat something needs to change. How else can your dog tell you he is worried about losing his beloved bone, prized chew or delicious dinner - especially when you may have missed calming signals? Putting yourself in your dog’s shoes and learning what he is trying to communicate can oen bring about understanding and resolution by putting the correct teaching in place. He needs to learn that he has nothing to fear and his environment is safe. e use of punishment can increase fear making guarding worse, but so too can neutering. Neutering may be recommended as a solution for guarding, however this not an advisable treatment for most behaviour problems as the loss of the sex hormones - especially testosterone - may make existing problems worse and lead to other issues arising. Unless there is an underlying hormonal reason, it is not recommended that your dog goes under the knife, and there are less invasive and more successful alternatives using positive reinforcement.Minimising guardingYour dog needs a quiet place where he can eat undisturbed away from other pets and busy walkways in the home. If there are young children in the house, feed your dog in a covered crate where he cannot be interrupted and if the children are old enough to learn, teach them how to safely collaborate with your dog when he is eating by following some of the recommendations below.Train your dog to see people being close to his bowl as an agreeable event not a threat. Drop several morsels of high value food in his dish when he is eating, or divide his dinner into several portions and spoon into his bowl separately. Using a cue like “dinner’s coming” before giving your dog more food develops a positive conditioned emotional response with this phrase, associating it with the anticipation that great things come from people near his dinner. When eating your Sunday roast, envisage how you feel if a waiter brings more gravy for your beef, oers second helpings of uy Yorkshire Puddings, and places a large chocolate dessert in front of you. Of course you would be thrilled to see him approaching your table! Just as your perception of someone’s impending arrival around your food should be lled with joyful anticipation, so should your dog’s. Hand feeding can help your dog learn that hands around food give, not take. With your hand in front of your dog’s nose and palm upwards, clench your st around a treat. If he mugs you wait until he is calm (no verbal cue necessary) and clearly indicate he can take the treat by opening your ngers, feeding from your ‘pony-feeding’ hand. Holding a KongTM for him to eat from can also teach him to accept people around food, however for some dogs the urge to guard is very strong and this is especially true of raw bones.Should you give a dog a raw bone if he defends it? If the benets outweigh the risks then probably, with the caveat that it is done safely. Although it could be argued that the dog’s guarding is being reinforced, there are many benets to feeding raw bones such as cleaning teeth, providing nutrition, oering enrichment, fullling the instinctive need to chew and relieving boredom. A dog that guards raw bones can be safely managed by feeding him in a covered crate and calling him out of the crate with a titbit (away from the bone) before removing it.Aside from food guarding, some dogs will defend objects and this may be rooted in puppyhood. Most puppies are thieves and delight in running o with socks and shoes and other household items. If these articles are forcibly taken from the dog without giving a reward many puppies learn to run away as you approach in fear of losing their possession. Before long this turns into a game of chase. To avoid this and minimise any potential guarding, always swap the object your dog is holding for something of high value. If he learns he will get a favourite toy or a tasty treat he will be much more willing to oer you the object in his mouth. Playing hold/release games such as tug can teach your dog that dropping the toy is reinforced with more play. Manage the home environment too by picking up anything that may be guarded, especially in a multi-pet household. Not all dogs guard food and objects; sometimes they become over protective of a guardian. If a dog Holding a KongTM for 10-week-old Bernese Mountain Dog Zeva teaches her to feel safe around people and food.Spooning food into 12-week-old English Setter Evie’s bowl when she is eating teaches her to accept people approaching her dish.
23Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13is guarding his owner, a slightly dierent protocol needs to be taken with desensitisation and counter conditioning by working with the dog at a distance where he does not guard the owner, and reinforcing non-reactivity. CASE STUDY: BUDDY’S ‘GUARDING’ BEHAVIOURBuddy was a bright and trainable 19-week-old entire male ‘Sprocker’ referred to me for possible resource guarding, which appeared to be of sudden onset at 17 weeks. He was growling when approached and seemed to be object guarding, and this appeared to have a strong genetic element. The parents, who have children of eight and ten, were understandably concerned especially as Buddy’s behaviour was unpredictable with no clear triggers. Fortunately, they were committed to using positive reinforcement and clicker training, since suppressing Buddy’s ‘naughtiness’ with punishment would undoubtedly have made him more anxious and exacerbated the situation.Normal guarding protocols were put in place and the owners were advised not to neuter Buddy, as it was felt that any reduction in testosterone could make him more fearful. Buddy was changed from kibble onto a raw diet, which satised his nutritional needs better. Despite following my recommendations to the letter, Buddy’s guarding continued. After further consultation it became apparent that although Buddy’s behaviour had all the hallmarks of resource guarding, the underlying cause was due to social conict and he was using growling to distance people when he felt uncomfortable. In essence he was guarding but not in the traditional sense – he was defending his personal space. With this new diagnosis, his training protocol was changed accordingly. A holistic approach was taken to Buddy’s care and the training was complemented by the family meeting Buddy’s other emotional and physical needs, not simply addressing the isolated problem.The children were encouraged to watch Stop the 77 videos aimed at educating kids around dogs, and a catch phrase “Hi Buddy” was introduced when anyone walked past him and a treat was tossed to him. Buddy’s environment was managed so that he was not put in dicult social situations such as at the school gates. Choice is a powerful reinforcer and condence builder, and Buddy was allowed to approach people in his own time and crated if a situation could not be managed successfully. Buddy’s family were marvellous at carrying out recommendations.Much to everyone’s delight, Buddy’s owners reported that after three weeks on the new regime he was growling less, was more relaxed, displaying fewer calming signals and seemed happier – he was ‘smiling’ more. It was particularly pleasing that eight year old Nancy’s condence had grown so much that she took Buddy to the local village dog show where they won two rosettes! Buddy’s owner summarised his delight: “At this stage we are much more hopeful that we can give Buddy a long-term home, which is fantastic. He is very driven to work and so I have booked us on a clicker based retrieving course in September.”This is a very pleasing outcome for a complex case and clearly demonstrates that it is imperative to nd the root cause for unwanted behaviour in order to successfully modify it. My thanks to Andrew Hale of Train Positive for his collaboration on this case. www.trainpositive.co.ukProud as punch! 8-year-old Nancy and Buddy winning a rosette at a local dog show © Jonathan PontingRESOURCESStop the 77. Excellent teaching videos and resources to help keep kids safe around dogs www.stopthe77.comBounders Dog Photography. Oering a 10% discount for ATM readers with code “ATM10” www.bounders.co.uk REFERENCES: Donaldson, J. PhD. (2002). Mine!: A practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs. Jean Donaldson, USA.Beaver, B.V. (1999). Canine Behaviour: A Guide for Veterinarians. Saunders Elsevier, Missouri, USA.Beaver, B.V. (2009). Canine Behaviour: Insights and Answers. 2nd edition. Saunders Elsevier, Missouri, USA.Rawlinson, S. (2005). Dogs Possession Aggression Resource Guarding. Available from https://www.doglistener.co.uk/dogs-possession-aggression-resource-guardingRawlinson, S. (2005). Food and Bowl Guarding Aggressive Dogs. Available fromhttps://www.doglistener.co.uk/food-and-bowl-guardingAnother type of guarding is protecting the home. Territorial guarding can oen be minimised by managing the environment by restricting visibility such as access to windows and covering car crates. A common question asked is if a dog should be allowed to sleep on your bed or sofa, and it depends. Some dogs willingly jump o when asked but not others, for whom these sleeping areas are highly prized. If your dog growls when you try to move him and you step away, your dog learns how to retain his snug spot. To avoid confrontation, a dog that guards sleeping areas should never be allowed access to these places– why put yourself in a conict situation when you may not win? It is better to entice your dog o the bed or sofa with a treat or call him for dinner, and remember to close the door to restrict future access. Conclusione old adage that prevention is better than cure prevails and there are many steps that can be taken to help reduce guarding, and even if your dog isn’t protective it is never too soon to put a training protocol in place. On the other hand, if your dog guards you can help reduce this by managing his environment alongside positive behaviour modication. And if your dog is likely to guard his bone while allowing access to the family’s belongings, lock away the silver!
24Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
25Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13OSTEOPATHY is one of the manually applied forms of medicine. It dates back about 130 years and is a Western adaptation of Native American medicine, so has lineage much further back in time.As a form of medicine osteopathy looks at nding out the root cause of a health problem, and then attempts to address this, rather than chase symptoms and pain. is is not to say that it ignores these valuable signs though. An example oen used is the one where someone turns on a tap but no water ows. Is the problem with the tap? It might be, but it could also be a problem anywhere along the watercourse. As an osteopath I want to know why a patient has the signs and symptoms they present with. I do not merely want to treat those symptoms.How osteopaths treat their patients does vary. I will talk about the way I work, and am evolving to work constantly in order to produce the best possible outcome for my patients.Osteopaths look at the body framework, or musculoskeletal system (MSK) and the way that each individual holds themself, and the way in which they move. Combined with as full a case history as is possible the osteopath will want to observe normal movement of the patient, and if possible particular gaits and tasks, such as walking and trotting in a straight line, turning in tight circles, and walking backwards. Obviously this does depend on the species in question and rarely would it apply to wildlife cases.e case history will include all veterinary and keeper sta information, as well as specic information that I also require.Prior to any hands on work there will be rigorous health and safety procedures put in place. is is not always quite as rigorous as it should be, especially when working in some of the range state countries. In these situations I way up probable issues versus likely treatment outcomes.Once protocols have been accepted what I need to be able to do is work out a probable treatment programme. Probable treatment programme, because no two treatments are ever exactly the same.As an osteopath I need to work through the MSK to access and enable changes to the central nervous system (CNS). We oen liken this to computers, with the MSK being the computer itself, and the CNS the soware within it.By engaging with the various peripheral and autonomic nervous system connections it is possible to eect changes within the spinal cord where pain stimuli have triggered the pain gate mechanism within the spinal cord inter-neurone connections.If a situation is of a chronic nature, then I will attempt to calm down fascilitated activity by way of reducing factors contributing to neurones ring randomly at the slightest stimuli (rather than at a normal threshold of ring). Some of the ner (gently applied) osteopathic techniques are great at achieving this, where the only other alternative is long term chemical intervention.What is Osteopathy?Osteopathy as a method of species conservationby Tony Nevin, BSc (Hons) Ost, DO, Osteopath at Zoo Ost LtdTONY NEVINcontinued overleaf25Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
26Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13TONY NEVINWhat role can osteopathy play in conservation?An immediate part that osteopathy can play in conservation is in the area of treating injured wildlife. To date this has included many species of mammal, reptile, and bird. It is just as useful in helping with the eects of shock with orphaned mammals.Within the “injured” wildlife category these can be split into physical trauma origin, and psychological trauma origin. Obviously there can be elements of both within the same casualty.By assisting with treatment as part of the overall rehabilitation package, or team, osteopathy can oer signicant reductions in time for individual patients to be returned to the wild. is factor alone can mean the dierence between a patient successfully returning to a social group (European badger, Meles meles), or even being accepted back by its mother, in the case of certain deer species. By topping up the wild populations with individuals that would probably have died, it can be argued that this does reduce pressure on some wild populations.A counter argument could be that these individuals weaken the strength of the gene pool, although I would argue that most of these casualties are from human made problems, and not from an individuals lack of intelligence.With my elephant work in South East Asia I have been demonstrating the benets of utilizing certain osteopathic techniques that are easy to teach to mahouts, and reputable tourist encounter organisations. e hope is that by encouraging better care of their elephants that this can also reduce the pressure on wild populations, by reducing the numbers that are being taken from the wild to prop up the “domestic” demand for these creatures as status symbols.Osteopathy is also very good at improving both the physical and psyche of captive species, as the work is so tactile it does seem to break down some of the communication barriers, even when individuals are treated under general anaesthetic!26 Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
27Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13The osteopathic treatment of wildlifeese basically fall into two main groups; trauma based, and orphans or impaired individuals (not t enough to be released back to the wild, but too valuable as a gene pool resource to euthanize).Of the trauma based ones, those with non-critical injuries are xed up by the team (including vets and nurses) and released back to the wild. e rest are either deemed never likely to make it in the wild and not likely to cope with captivity, and therefore get euthanized, or they are sent to specialist centres to become part of a breeding programme.Orphans come in all shapes and sizes. Hedgehogs are really easy to rear and release. Elephants take years of continuous hard work, and then take even longer to hack back to the wild.Some patients are suitable for homing in zoos and safari parks, including elephant calves. Many African elephants within European collections are from family groups that were culled. Some individuals remain in “captivity” and are employed as ambassadors for their species within range states.Taking pressure o wild populationsAs already mentioned, osteopathy can contribute towards propping up wild populations. In looking at improving fertility in captive populations, it is also possible, with advances in AI techniques, to keep gene pools more diverse than would otherwise be the case.e continual improvement in captive welfare is ensuring better longevity of these populations, and by being more transparent about these welfare improvements collections can raise public awareness, and thus help to educate future generations about the plight of their wild cousins.How can all this be applied?Osteopathy is much about having an open mindset as it is to using specic treatment techniques. ere Tony Nevin, BSc (Hons) Ost, DO is Clinical Director on the MSc Animal Osteopathy programme, run through the McTimoney College of Chiropractic, Oxon. He also lectures nationally and internationally; runs unique wildlife workshops; and is a prolic writer, presenter and broadcaster. His radio show “The Missing Link” on Corinium Radio is the only one of it’s kind and is rapidly gaining a loyal listenership. You can catch his earlier shows, and specialist podcasts by following his Mixcloud page titled Tony Nevin.For more than 6 years he chaired the Society of Osteopaths in Animal Practice (SOAP) before it rebranded and became the Association of Animal Osteopaths (AAO).For more information contact Tony at +44 7831 759339. www.zooost.com www.horseost.co.uk www.coriniumradio.co.uk www.mixcloud.com/tonynevin is obviously the “hands on” work, but it is also just as plausible that I might be looking at a situation that requires some lateral thinking. An example of this concerns a lion I was asked to look at with known neurological problems. Anaesthesia wasn’t a safe option, so instead of giving up I devised a series of exercises the keepers could perform, as he was quite happy to follow food. So in order to improve his coordinated movement we got him walking up to the fence line, then having to change direction le and right, at intervals. Aer each set of movements he was positively rewarded with food.is type of approach has also been successful in other areas of my work, especially with elephants. ey are quick to learn, and adapt to any physical issues very fast. By making things fun it is also easier to get other people involved actively. Some members of sta even see it as a way of getting positively noticed by their employers!The futureI would like to see osteopathy integrated much more into zoo and wildlife veterinary medicine. It has so much to oer that is still not understood outside of the profession itself.Wildlife is always going to be under pressure from humans, so the more that can be done to understand and value our planet’s living resources the better.I see a vast area where osteopathy can help with fertility and breeding programmes.ere is so much more scope to develop outreach projects where some of this work can be taught and utilized to support wild populations.In certain cases, and if we look at how Olympic athletes now train, osteopathy could tip the balance positively for conservation.At Zoo Ost Limited we already operate an outreach programme, which is steadily building upon the valuable eld experience we have. Funding is the biggest hurdle, as it is for most groundbreaking ventures. We are always very keen to meet and chat with potential sponsors, and as a well known supermarket likes to claim, every little helps!27Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
28Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13 WHEN a university student on a night out in Brighton saw a homeless man with his sick dog he was unable to walk on by. Sam Joseph’s career as a vet was about to take an interesting twist before it had even begun. So once qualied, armed with his back pack and a stethoscope, Sam returned to the streets to check over the homeless dogs and lend a friendly ear. Unbeknownst to Sam, Jade Statt an experienced vet inspired by the loss of her own dog and the #dosomethingfornothing movement was doing exactly the same just a few miles away. When they nally discovered that they were not alone in their drive to make a dierence, they joined forces and ‘StreetVet’ was born. Just 18 months later, with over 220 volunteer vets and nurses, StreetVet has spread across the UK to Bristol, Brighton, Cambridge, Plymouth, Birmingham and soon to be launching in Cheltenham and Southampton. Teaming up with the cities’ soup kitchens we hold regular open-air drop in clinics for the local homeless pets. We are a nonprot organistaion that depends entirely on donations from the veterinary and pet industries and the good will of the general public through fundraising and our Amazon Wish Lists. Our team of volunteers is incredibly dynamic and diverse; ranging from orthopods to ophthalmologists, myotherapists to acupuncturists. StreetVet care deeply about what happens beyond our outreach sessions and we work closely with Carla Finzel RVN and her District Veterinary Nursing campaign. We embrace the fact that the problem goes way beyond just giving a wormer and xing a broken leg.Buddy, a young Belgian Shepherd dog, was involved in a horric road trac accident leaving him with multiple fractures to his hindlimbs and pelvis. Despite the generous support of various charities and undergoing surgery, Buddy was not doing well. Jade rst met Buddy in February when he and his owners were homeless and living in the woods. He had dramatically deteriorated. His weight had dropped by 5kg due to muscle wastage and he had completely lost the use of one leg. Jade knew that StreetVet had to do something. With the help of Goddards Veterinary Group, Mandeville, and Dr Cat Arthurs (Towcester Veterinary Centre), further surgery was undertaken to repair Buddy’s aected hip and it was agreed that a more intensive rehabilitation programme was essential. Louise Carson, an animal physiotherapist heard about Buddy and kindly volunteered her time to give him regular treatments alongside discounted hydrotherapy at Oakwood Veterinary Surgery, Radlett. Today, Buddy is in temporary accommodation and is able to weight bear on his leg and is slowly building up his muscle mass; a far cry from that poor dog Jade met in the woods. StreetVet feel immensely proud of Buddy and the amazing team of professionals that have helped him along his incredible journey of recovery.
29Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13 Life with an injured, elderly or arthritic street dog can be challenging as owners are oen unable to leave their pals on their own, which can hugely restrict their day-to-day activities. A multimodal approach to these patients can really help to get them back on their feet. Many of our dogs, including Buddy, have benetted from the support of Lintbells who have kindly donated a large supply of Yumove. We are also fortunate to have been gied handheld light therapy devices by Photizo, which we are currently using on another fracture patient and we hope to use on Buddy too. Mumu one of our oldest street dogs has received a generously donated dog buggy so that she can stay by her owner’s side and enjoy all the things she used to do now that she can no longer keep up.Being a homeless pet is a rich and healthy life full of love, interaction and companionship. Owners will oen put their pet’s needs before their own and to the detriment of their own health and housing situation. Knowing that we can provide kind, non-judgmental advice, preventative healthcare and Mumu in her strollerLe: Jade and BuddyRight: Buddy’s X-rayshelp if their pet is injured or unwell means the world to the owners. Our aim is to empower owners in the responsible care of their pet which builds condence and self-esteem, but also ensures that this wonderful bond can be maintained despite dicult circumstances.StreetVet is built on kindness, team-spirit and a sense of community. So far we have overcome huge hurdles establishing ourselves as a reputable RCVS-registered veterinary practice. But it doesn’t stop here; as the homeless crisis worsens we are needed more than ever. We are always seeking new volunteers from all areas of the veterinary industry: animal behaviourists, physiotherapists, pet bereavement counsellor hydrotherapists, nutritionists … your assistance and advice is invaluable to us. We also rely heavily on donations of food, medicines (from approved veterinary pharmaceutical companies), facilities and equipment. Into the future we hope to expand into other cities that are in need of our support and of course we are still looking for more incredible volunteer vets and nurses who are the backbone of everything we do. If you think you can help then we would love to hear from you! info@streetvet.co.uk www.streetvet.co.ukRAISING FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE STREETVET PROGRAMMEWe currently have a homeless man Phil and his dog Lucky walking over 2000 miles to raise funds and awareness of StreetVet. For more informationand to donate visit:https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/iapwa/streetvet
3Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13GET IN TOUCH: Hannah Ashton – Editorhannah@animaltherapymedia.co.uk Georgia Keegan – Editorgeorgia@animaltherapymedia.co.uk Beth Lorraine - Sales Manager info@animaltherapymedia.co.uk Donna Boddie - Sales Manager donna@animaltherapymedia.co.ukLevi's Blog _________6Riding Surfaces _____ 7Kissing Spines ______ 9Louise Robson: From Racehorse to Dressage Horse ____ 12Pessoa Training Aid 15Kate Mallatratt: Biting the Hand that feeds you ________20Tony Nevin: What is Osteopathy? ______25StreetVet _________28Anna Webb: Pangolins ________30Smell the Pheromones ______34Top Tips for Healthy Digestive Function _38Canine Hydrotherapy _____40Canine Arthritis Management _____44Vet Festival 2018 ___ 46Lynne Crowden:Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome ____50M A G A Z I N EAnimalerapyWelcome! Welcome to issue number 13. Unlucky for some, but as ever, our writers and contributors have done a brilliant job so we are pretty sure we are safe with our number 13!Not wishing to be typically British, but we have tomention the weather. Yes, it’s been hot, and one thing Iam sure we can all agree on is - DON'T LEAVE DOGSIN CARS. It’s heartbreaking to see that so many animalshave suered and whilst we appreciate it can be hard tomanage those dogs with seperation anxiety and otherbehaviour traits and you need to do your daily tasks, butplease just always think to yourself, there has to beanother way. Shutting an animal in an car, even for afew minutes is unbearable. Try it, and we don't have a fur coat!VET Festival was brilliant, and it was great to see so many readers and contributors there. Each year they grow and get better and better, do make sure you have your tickets for next year. e dates are already conrmed and you can book now through our website.Amongst many other shows, we also have the London Vet Show in November. Another fantastic conference that we are proud to be associated with. Look out for discount codes in this issue and on our website. We hope to see you there for another great couple of days.As always, we hope you enjoy the read and please get in touch if you have any features or information you'd like to share with us and the rest of our readers.from all at Animal erapy MediaISSUE 13Issued QuarterlyCONTENTSwww.animaltherapymedia.co.ukWhile every eort has been made to ensure that information is correct at the time of going to print, Animal Therapy Media Ltd cannot be held responsible for the outcome of any action or decision based on the information contained in this publication/website. The publishers or authors do not give any warranty for the completeness or accuracy for this publication’s content, explanation or opinion. No part of this publication and/or website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of Animal Therapy Media Ltd and/or the authors of the articles within. Permission is only deemed valid if approval is in writing.Front cover photo: Kevin Sparrow, international Dressage Photography - www.kevinsparrow.co.ukVetkin-Tape® is a tape that sticks well and gives the maximum results for animals, as it is 20% larger than human tapes, comes in 3 sizes and starts at £6.25+vat per roll.This unit is ideal for animal therapy where the unit can be powered by battery whilst in its carry bag, and be protected from the elements. Call for latest offersArcEquine is a compact, portable, battery operated device, which delivers drug free, non-invasive Microcurrent Therapy. Full Kit £375.00+vatAnimal Therapy Productstrimbio offers a vast range of products all at very competitive prices Micro-CurrentMobile Ultrasound with Battery & Carry BagVetkin-Tape® Kinesiology Tape Plus so much more : Balance Products, Magnetic Therapy, H-Wave etc… Laser & Light Therapy From £295.00+vatWe also offer a range of Reconditioned Devices including Ultrasound, Laser, Doppler, Infusion Pumps and more for Veterinary use, please visit our website 01403 597597 www.trimbio.co.uk sales@trimbio.co.uk
30Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13WHEN Sophie Sparrow, Head Vet Nurse at London Zoo, contacted Photizo’s UK distributor, Danetre Health Products, enquiring if they could help on a conservation project involving Pangolins in Vietnam, MD, Ruth Milner was delighted and honoured to help.Sophie Sparrow commented: “I’ve always had a passion for animal rehabilitation using Physiotherapy, Hydrotherapy, Laser and Light erapy, and incorporate such modalities into my vet nursing practices at London Zoo. I was aware of Photizo’s pocket sized, hand-held device, which was perfect to take with me to the forests of Vietnam and work alongside Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW). I was lucky enough to win a grant through ZSL London Zoo which covered my travel to SVW, a non-prot organisation, based in the Cuc Phuong Pangolins Working with a conservation project in Vietnam by Anna Webb on behalf of PhotizoBroadcaster, Author, Trainer has studied natural nutrition and therapies with the College of Integrated Veterinary erapies (CIVT)PHOTIZONational Park, in Northern Vietnam, about 3 hours south of Hanoi.”e work of SVW in collaboration with the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program (CPCP) focuses on all aspects of conservation and care of small carnivore and pangolin species. is includes the rescue, rehabilitation and release of those conscated from the illegal wildlife trade, as well as the development of global conservation breeding program for the threatened carnivores and pangolins. With an overall aim ‘for all rescues to be rehabilitated and for the captive born carnivores and pangolins to be released back to the wild, provided there is sucient protection and adequate habitat for their survival.SVW has successfully been rehabilitating and caring for pangolins for over seven years. e health and welfare of the animals in their care is paramount. With wildlife keepers caring for the animals on a daily basis along with two vets responsible for the provision of their health care and treatment.Sophie explained: “My role at SVW involved helping the early detection of wounds or infection to start treatment. e scales of a pangolin are very tight meaning you can’t li them to see if any puncture wounds or pressure wounds are developing in the so tissue underneath. A lot of the wound issues start small and are undetectable until infection is present. ese wounds are caused most oen by rope bags wrapped tightly around the pangolins, or from connement in small boxes once caught by poachers.Wound healing in Pangolins is tricky and typically slow not helped by the moist warm tropical conditions of the forest alongside that many of these wounds are chronically infected. Additionally Pangolins are shy creatures by nature and wild, meaning that handling them can be extremely dicult. “From the rst treatment sessions, Photizo made a considerable positive impact on the Pangolins. e types of wounds the SVW team deals with include tail injuries and infections with resulting amputations being the most common.ere were 21 Pangolins at SVW out of these 11 individuals were receiving on-going treatment of wounds. Many had multiple wounds”.30 Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
31Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13continued overleafpronouncing ‘Photizo’, the device became aectionately called the ‘Ping-Ping’ machine due to the small beeping sound of its 31 second pre-programmed dose being activated and switching o.Some of the professional therapeutic laser devices also include LED diodes and Photizo Vetcare harnesses specic development in LED technology following the success of NASA LED research and published recommended doses from WALT (World Association of Laser erapy). It has been specically developed with high output LEDs to ensure a fast delivery of an eective evidence based dose red and infrared light with pulsed frequencies (LED Phototherapy).e convenience of this pocket sized rechargeable treatment tool appeals as does its capacity to treat a large surface area with LED diodes. Unlike a true laser, which transfers coherent, or near coherent light, LED emits non-coherent light, which has a greater cover area. Whilst laser light can pose a risk to the eyes, with laser goggles recommended, with LED light sources used in Photizo’s design, there’s no risk to the eyes, making it much simpler and safer to use by Animal erapists, Vets, Vet Nurses, healthcare professionals and by pet owners.Treatment of infected wounds is fast and eective with Photizo Vetcare as it works at a cellular level. A proven eect from studies is the increase in blood and lymph vessel diameter, which promotes the removal of debris, whilst promoting the inow of oxygen and nutrients, helping damaged cells to repair and function at optimum levels. In addition Photizo Vetcare helps the remodelling phase of healing by stimulating broblast and collagen formation needed for wound closure. is helps to minimise scar tissue formation. Vetcare’s near Infrared light has also been shown to increase immune system functioning. is means that a local treatment of a wound has a general immune enhancing eect helping to prevent any infections. e pain relief oered by Photizo Vetcare by promoting circulation and reducing inammation to the aected areas also contributed to the positive results seen by the SVW team. Sophie added: “e Vetcaremachine has gone down so well with the team out there, both the vets and keepers alike were so keen to see it used and see some of the benets and also as a new technology. Wound healing in Pangolins is tricky and usually slow healing so they were all, and still are, super excited about it! Photizo’s success in aiding wound healing, has been well documented by Physiotherapist, Marietjie Venter who developed Photizo in South Africa. Vet Surgeon, Berol Goede, who helped develop the veterinary market in South Africa with cases studies on small animals, horses and wildlife, including Cockatoos, Sea Lions and Cheetah explained: “In general veterinary work, the biggest use is bite wounds, chronic necrotic wounds and oozing abscesses. We use it to help clean up septic wounds.”Since its launch in 2013 Photizo’s non-invasive, hand-held device has pioneered modern Phototherapy and it was positively received from the start of Sophie’s whirlwind 11 day trip. As the SWV team had diculty 31Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
32Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13We saw some great improvements in wound healing, in such a short time frame. It is dicult to appreciate the huge change from the photos alone, but I can say 100% the smell, infection and necrotic tissue was signicantly less aer treatment.e Photizo Vetcare has been donated to SVW following Sophie’s two week volunteer trip assisting the team and, as one of the founders of the Association of Zoological and Veterinary Nurses (AZEVN), Sophie has gained useful information not only for SVW going forward but also to use and present back here in the UK (with permission of SWV), so it can be used in other projects abroad.“I’m proud to have a dierence to animal conservation as a veterinary nurse. e improvement on the animals treated for wound healing with Photizo was more than I could have hoped for.”Healing improved so much in 10 days while Sophie was volunteering, the SVW Centre Team have updated their standard wound care protocol to include Photizo Vetcare application at every treatment wherever possible.Ruth Milner MD of Danetre Health Products enthused: “We were so excited when Sophie contacted us. e work that SVW does to help this precious endangered species is beyond commendable. I am simply thrilled that Sophie and team saw such positive results on the poor Pangolins. is highlights the powerful natural healing potential that Photizo oers. It is an additional aordable and simple-to-use modern phototherapy tool for any practitioner to use alongside standard treatment protocols to enhance healing. Photizo and is the result of years of dedicated research, innovative thinking to harness the latest in LED technology which means modern and portable phototherapy is available for everyone.” PHOTIZO32 Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13
33Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Faster, natural healing and pain reliefA non-invasive treatment tool for numerous acute & chronic conditionsIdeal for pet owners to use at home for• Wounds• Musculoskeletal injuries• Swelling/inammation• Arthritis or joint dysplasia pain• Bruising plus many moreExclusive discounts for animal practitionersInterested in becoming a Photizo Reseller? Call us nowon 01327 310909 Order now online at:www.danetrehealthproducts.com• Highly effective• Simple to use • RechargeableDanetre Health Products LimitedBroad March, Long March Industrial Estate, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 4HE 01327 310909 info@danetrehealthproducts.com PhotizoUk PhotizoUk
34Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Introduction:Just like people, stress can negatively impact dogs. ere are a number of reasons why stress occurs, including changes in routine, separation from a care giver or a visit to the vets. Undesirable behaviours such as excessive vocalisations, destructive behaviour and inappropriate elimination can occur, with some of these unwanted behaviours causing a breakdown in the human-animal relationship. is breakdown can oen result in owners relinquishing their pet to a rescue shelter. With large numbers of dogs in the UK being relinquished annually to already over-burdened shelters, reducing stress related behaviours is an increasingly important issue.Many owners now seek an alternative to using drugs to manage stress related behavioural problems. A commercially available stress relief product, which can be used as an alternative to drugs, is the Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) also known as Adaptil(R). DAP is a synthetic version of the pheromone produced by a lactating bitch to help reassure the puppy. e product comes in various forms including a plug-in electronically heated diuser (which looks like a plug-in air freshener), a collar which is activated through body heat and also a spray which is portable and oers a exible means of applying the pheromone. is drug free option is widely available from most pet retailers and Vets and is used to help dogs transition in new, unpredictable and potentially stressful situations such as during crate rest or restricted exercise during rehabilitation.Adaptil(R) Calm Home Diuser diuses dog appeasing pheromones into the surrounding environment.Evaluation of Dog Appeasing Pheromone Research:DAP has been suggested to be benecial in relieving stress in dogs in a number of published studies. A study by Tod and colleagues in 2005 investigated the eects of DAP on the behaviour of shelter dogs. irty seven dogs were exposed to DAP diused into the environment continuously over a 7 day period where they were subjected to two temperament tests used to measure fear, separation and excitable behaviour. e researchers found dogs exposed to DAP exhibited barking at a lower decibel and frequency combined with increased resting behaviour although many behaviours also remained unchanged such as body postures, growling, whining and displacement behaviours. Whilst the researchers suggested that DAP may be a useful tool in reducing stress and anxiety, they recommended that further research was required which combined exposure to DAP alongside behavioural modication. A few years later in 2007, Levine and colleagues found that DAP combined with a behavioural modication programme such as desensitisation training was found to be a more eective, long term solution for behavioural problems relating to fear of reworks.More recently in 2015, Landsberg and colleagues tested the eects of a DAP collar in reducing noise induced fear and anxiety in 24 laboratory housed beagles divided into two groups, DAP and a placebo. Dogs were initially exposed to a laboratory controlled thunderstorm simulation and assigned to either the DAP or placebo group which was balanced using dogs that showed a range of fear scores. Dogs were then tted with either a DAP or placebo collar and exposed to two further thunderstorm simulations on consecutive days where researchers measured fear and anxiety on a scale and also measured how much time dogs spent hiding in a box. Fear and anxiety scores signicantly reduced in dogs during and aer the thunderstorm simulation when they were wearing DAP collars compared to the placebo group. Dogs exposed to DAP also used their hiding box more frequently which the researchers suggested may be a response by dogs due to increased reactions to the thunder. e results of this study would suggest that DAP helps calm conned dogs exposed to loud noises and should be used in Wake up and smell the Pheromones!e use of Dog Appeasing Pheromones to reduce stress in dogsby Sienna Taylor, Animal Welfare Research and Knowledge Exchange Arena, University Centre HartpuryCanine Care
35Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13conjunction with a hide in a home environment.DAP may not appear to calm and reduce stress in all individuals however. In 2016, Broach and Dunham aimed to test the ecacy of a DAP collar in reducing stress in military dogs transitioning from a foster home. Dogs were allocated to either a DAP treatment or placebo group. e treatment group wore DAP collars for four weeks and behaviour was measured at three time points, prior to application of the collar and at 3 and 5 weeks. A performance observation was also conducted in week 3. No reduction in stress related behaviours were observed in either of the groups. e authors recommended that a multimodal approach should be considered in future research that evaluates stress reduction in dogs, whereby a combination of environmental factors, behaviour modication, nutritional, pharmaceutical supplements and medications are taken into account.To add to the existing research in the eld of pheromonal research, Hermiston and colleagues in 2018 investigated the eects of DAP spray upon reducing vocalisations and stress related behaviours in a shelter environment. Twenty ve pure and mixed breed dogs were allocated to an order of conditions depending on when they arrived at the shelter. Longer resident dogs were exposed to DAP spray rst and then on the consecutive day no DAP was present. Shorter stay dogs were exposed to no DAP rst and subsequently the DAP condition. In the DAP treatment, each corner of the kennel was sprayed with two pumps of DAP spray. Another dog unknown to the test dogs was led past the kennel to induce a behavioural response so any eects of DAPs could be measured. e researchers recorded barking intensity, frequency and also the occurrence of stress related behaviours such as low posture. Whilst barking intensity marginally reduced in the DAP condition, a reduction in barking frequency and stress related behaviour was not observed in either condition. e authors suggested that such a small change in barking intensity was dicult to interpret as being benecial to welfare. ere was also a lack of support from other stress indicators to suggest that DAP reduced stress related behaviour in this particular study. Although research in the eld has methodological limitations that make it challenging to determine pheromones true eectiveness, there are other factors that inuence ecacy, especially in relation to kennelled dogs. Previous studies have reported large individual variations in behaviour (Hubrecht, 1995 and Titulaer et al. 2013). Also temperament (Jones and Gosling, 2005) and coping style (Stephen and Ledger, 2005), which can be attributed to genetic factors such as breed and sex (Serpell and Hsu, 2005) and to environmental factors such as experience (Appleby & Plujimakers, 2003), rearing environment (Harvey et al. 2016), and neuter status can all impact how an individual dog perceives stimuli and should be considered when evaluating research ndings.Common Signs of Stress in Dogs:Behavioural indicators of stress in dogs can be overt and very obvious or much more subtle. Often, a combination of stress indicators occur at the same time. There are common signs of stress to look out for, which include:• Low body posture or curving the body • Tucking the tail• Excessive vocalisations• Excessive panting• SalivatingSome of the more subtle signs include:• Yawning• Lip and nose licking• Narrowing of the eyes• Avoiding eye contact• Tense forehead and earsThese indicators may occur for a number of reasons and in dierent contexts, therefore it is recommended to seek advice and help from a qualied Behaviourist or Vet if your dog shows signs of a behavioural problem or stress. If you do need to approach, handle or treat a stressed dog, there are ways you can potentially help reduce stress:• DO allow the dog to settle and relax before you approach and prior to handling them. • DO train the dog to ‘sit’ or ‘lie down’, you can use these cues with rewards when the dog is calm.• DO approach the dog from the side, crouch down and reach down and under the dog.• DO move quietly and try to remain calm and relaxed.• DO stop approaching or handling the dog if it shows signs of stress and give them more time and space until signs of stress disappear and before you try and approach them again. • DON’T use direct eye contact.• DON’T lean over the dog.• DON’T use a head on approach.• DON’T approach or handle the dog in noisy and busy environments.• DON’T use force and minimise the use of restraint.Some of the more subtle signs of stress can include yawning.continued overleaf
36Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Application of Pheromones:DAP can be easily applied both in the indoor and outdoor environment. In an indoor environment, DAP can be applied through using an Adaptil(R) diuser. You simply plug the diuser into an electrical socket in the room where the dog spends most of their time, switch it on and leave it (the product takes up to 24 hours to dissipate into the environment and for any eects to be seen). For a portable alternative, an Adaptil(R) collar can be tted on the dog or a spray can be used if the dog is anxious in an outside environment (for example, on walks, in a pet carrier or in the car).Benets:• No prescription is needed. • There are no known side eects.• Non-toxic.• Drug-free.• Odourless.• Easy to use.• Species-specic – does not aect other species in the home e.g. cats, humans.• Flexible use - indoor and outdoor environments and for re-occurring or specic situations.Limitations:• The diuser needs to be switched on continuously and replaced with a rell every 30 days, so longer term use can be expensive and needs to factored into cost. Similarly, the collar lasts 4 weeks.• If used in a large room, multiple diusers may be needed (the diuser covers an area of up to 70m2, according to manufacturer guidelines).• The diuser needs to be plugged in with an open space around it to work (not behind doors or furniture) so tricky room layouts need to be considered.• The collar is less eective in wet or windy conditions.• The collar needs to be correctly tted and not too loose in order to release the pheromones. The collar should t snuggly and should be in contact with the dogs skin (two ngers should be able to slide under the collar when fastened).• The spray should not be directly applied to the dog and needs re-applying every 4-5 hours, waiting time of 15 minutes before the dog is exposed to the environment. So should we use DAP?The research to date that investigates the ecacy of dog appeasing pheromones suggests that the product has some success in relieving stress in dogs although this may be dependent on factors such as temperament and coping style. Research suggests DAP should be used in combination with a behavioural modication programme and stressful environments should contain places to hide for the product to be most eective in reducing stress in dogs. DAP products are easy to implement, are a drug-free alternative and there are no known side eects although products need to be bought regularly for longer term use which can be costly. It is important to note that, with any behaviour modication, DAP isn’t a quick x. A change in behaviour is not always seen and sometimes the problem may not always be rectied. As behavioural problems can also be caused by medical issues, it is always advisable to have the dog thoroughly checked by a Vet before implementing a behavioural modication programme.ADDITIONAL READING:Appleby, D., Plujimakers, J. (2003). Separation anxiety in dogs. The function of homeostasis in its development and treatment. Clin. Tech. Small Anim. Pract. 33, 321e344.Broach, D., & Dunham, A. E. (2016). Evaluation of a pheromone collar on canine behaviors during transition from foster homes to a training kennel in juvenile Military Working Dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 14, 41-51.Harvey, N.D., Craigon, P.J., Blythe, S.A., England, G.C.W., Asher, L. (2016). Social rearing environment inuences dog behavioral development. J. Vet. Behav. 16, 13e21.Hermiston, C., Montrose, V. T., & Taylor, S. (2018). The eects of dog-appeasing pheromone spray upon canine vocalizations and stress-related behaviors in a rescue shelter. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 26, 11-16.Hubrecht, R.C. (1995). The welfare of dogs in human care. In: Serpell, J. (Ed.), The Domestic Dog. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 180e198.Jones, A.C., Gosling, S.D. (2005). Temperament and personality in dogs (Canis familiaris): A review and evaluation of past research. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 95, 1e 53.Landsberg, G. M., Beck, A., Lopez, A., Deniaud, M., Araujo, J. A., & Milgram, N. W. (2015). Dog-appeasing pheromone collars reduce sound-induced fear and anxiety in beagle dogs: a placebo-controlled study. The Veterinary Record, 177(10), 260.Levine, E.D.; Ramos, D.; Mills, D.S. (2007). A prospective study of two self-help CD based desensitization and counter-conditioning programmes with the use of Dog Appeasing Pheromone for the treatment of rework fears in dogs (Canis familiaris). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 105, 311–329.Titulaer, M., Blackwell, E.J., Mendl, M., Casey, R.A. (2013). Cross sectional study comparing behavioral, cognitive and physiological indicators of welfare between short and long term kenneled domestic dogs. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 147, 149e158.Serpell, J.A., Hsu, Y. (2005). Eects of breed, sex, and neuter status on trainability in dogs. Anthrozoös. 18, 196e207.Stephen, J.M., Ledger, R.A. (2005). An audit of behavioral indicators of poor welfare in kenneled dogs in the United Kingdom. J. Appl. Anim. Welf. Sci. 8, 79e95.Tod, E., Brander, D., & Waran, N. (2005). Ecacy of dog appeasing pheromone in reducing stress and fear related behaviour in shelter dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 93(3), 295-308.Sienna Taylor,Animal Welfare Research and Knowledge Exchange Arena,University Centre Hartpury, Hartpury, Glos, GL19 3BESienna.Taylor@hartpury.ac.ukHARTPURY COLLEGE
37Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Hannah Capon has been a qualied rst opinion small animal vet for 15 years. When Hannah noted that there was a disproportionate number of dogs being euthanised for poorly managed arthritis, she felt this chronic disease needed to be managed dierently. Hannah initiated Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) online to help owners and their dogs. Janet Lloyd-Jones has written and presented papers, both nationally and internationally on the use of LLLT (Low Level Laser Therapy). Janet provides both human and veterinary treatment training and travels widely – at the beginning of this year spending time in South Africa supporting the rehabilitation of injured vultures. She has thought of compiling an A-Z of animals she has treated with LLLT, one animal for every letter of the alphabet!Melanie Watson provides Behaviour Consultancy, mentorship and behaviour courses across the UK, working closely with vets, physiotherapists, equine dentists and farriers. Melanie is aware that behaviour may reect underlying pain which must be dealt with before training begins, once veterinary intervention is completed the vets will often refer horses to Melanie for training. Anna Webb needs no introduction to readers of Animal Therapy Magazine. A broadcaster, author and trainer she is passionate about Nutrigenomics, a science-based approach to diet which can optimise natural health. Anna’s talk will explore how functional food can help promote health and prevent disease.Our members are highly skilled in providing physiotherapy care for animals. We work as part of the multi-disciplinary team which is involved with the care and welfare of animals. Members are graduates of university validated BSc and PgD/MSc courses that are accredited and supported by the NAVP.NAVP members must full certain requirements including CPD, they must carry Professional Liability Insurance and practice in line with the Associations regulations and standards of practice. FOR FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT: EM AIL info@navp.co.uk W EBSITE www.navp.co.ukPromoting Excellence in Veterinary PhysiotherapyInspirational and Informative!When like-minded people meet to hear and learn more about their professions there is a sense of camaraderie, of all those present having a common aim – to always improve the welfare of animals in their care. The National Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists (NAVP) Conference on Saturday 13th October, hosts speakers whose passion and knowledge of their subjects will be guaranteed to provide delegates with a day lled with information and inspiration. All those involved in therapeutic intervention should know the science behind the techniques they use, and these speakers will support their subjects with science but also with their invaluable experience. Whether you are a vet, therapist, student or owner the talks will hold you spellbound as the speakers share with you the knowledge which has made them specialists in their eld. For further information visit: www.navp.co.uk or contact: navpsec@yahoo.co.uk Venue: Dunchurch Park Hotel & Conference CentreDunchurch, CV22 6QWThe National Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists ConferenceSaturday 13th October 2018
38Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13WITH the promise of warmer weather, summer can mean longer walks and fun days out with your pet. As dogs can be especially curious, more access to the outside can sometimes lead to them picking up objects that they shouldn’t, which could give your dog an upset tummy. As a pet owner it is important to understand how to support and maintain healthy digestive function for your dog to prevent unwanted trips to the vet. Maintaining healthy digestive function also helps your canine friend to live a healthy and happy life. There are a number of causes that can aect your dog’s digestion. These can include: eating spoiled food, scavenging, food intolerance, bacteria imbalance, change of diet, stress or parasites. Typical signs of a sensitive tummy can be characterised by: a frequent runny nose, loose stools, loss of appetite, excessive atulence and marked lethargy.DIGESTIVE FUNCTION HEALTHTop tips to maintain healthy digestive function in petsTo help soothe your pet’s sensitive tummy and maintain healthy digestive function, there are some positive things that you can do, which include:Water Encourage your dog to consume more fresh water, which should be presented in a way that they prefer, whilst having access to a constant supply. The aim of this is to reduce the chances of dehydration. Diet Your vet will be able to oer the best advice on your dog’s specic dietary requirements. A bland diet that is easily digestible, such as boneless cooked chicken breast and white rice can be advisable. A specialised diet for gastrointestinal imbalance may be benecial with small amounts of food given several times a day.Try to keep treats to a minimum as too many could cause your pet to have a sensitive tummy.Outside access To avoid accidents within the home, be sure to take your dog outside frequently or ensure that they have easy access to the outside. However, it is important to monitor their toilet activities and general demeanour. Be sure to keep a close watch on them and not let them stray too far.Avoid table scrapsFood we eat may not be suitable for your canine companion. To manage your dog’s digestion, try to prevent family members from feeding them food not intended for dogs. Don’t let them have any table scraps or snacks, which could lead to a sensitive tummy.Try to prevent your dog from scavengingWhen out on walks keep an eye on your dog to prevent them from picking up any foreign objects or discarded food. Also, prevent them from drinking from puddles and eating plant material. Minimise stressAttempt to reduce any stress within your dog’s home and outdoor environment. You could do this by keeping to their routine as much as possible, including sleeping, food and walking routines. Keep up-to-date with deworming and vaccinations Be sure to keep on track with deworming and disease vaccinations. Speak to your vet who will be able to advise a suitable course of action for your pet, dependent on their age or size.Foreign bodiesBe careful when giving your dog small toys to play with. These can get chewed and swallowed. Also, when out on walks, don’t throw sticks for your dog as they can get stuck in their mouth or swallowed. Follow your vet’s adviceBe sure to take on board and follow any advice from your vet. They will be best placed to help maintain your dog’s digestion.Introduce probioticsTo help your dog to stay healthy and to support digestive function, use a natural supplement like nutrabio, which is specically formulated to aid healthy digestive function in dogs. nutrabio uses a unique combination of proven natural ingredients to help to restore the natural digestive balance. If you are concerned about your pet’s digestive health, speak to your vet. They are best placed to oer advice to ensure the long-term health and wellbeing of your pet.
39Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13www.nutravet.co.ukFind your local stockist atDoes your pet have sensitive digestion? High strength pre & probiotic for healthy digestive function for dogs & catsnutrabio®Support British manufacturingnutrabio is a highly palatable naturally formulated paste, to promote a healthy gut and support sensitive tummies.✓Helps maintain digestive function✓Promotes friendly bacteria✓Replenishes natural balance of gut bacteria✓Binds toxins✓Improves stool consistency✓Highly palatable natural formula✓Reduces flatulencenutrabio is available exclusively from veterinary practices where you can purchase over the counter without a prescription, even if your pet is not registered at the practice.Ask your vet for more information or find your local authorised stockist at www.nutravet.co.uk
4Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Environmental skin allergies can be as upsettingfor owner as it is for their pet, however they canoften be very successfully managed.Leucillin works as a fantastic preventive aid,helping to support the skin from the outside in,its soothing formula helps calm the symptomsof allergy suffers and works as a preventativeagainst secondary infection.Leucillin cleverly mimics the bodies’ ownimmune system by replicating the leukocytes(white blood cells) naturally produced chemicalused to fight infection caused by invadingpathogens. Leucillin provides you with a user-friendlysolution applied topically, it is skin pH neutraland will not sting or irritate. Leucillin is a naturalantiseptic, destroying harmful pathogens oncontact, creating the perfect environment forhealthy itch free skin.info@leucillin.co.uk www.leucillin.co.uk 0345 548 9800Healthy Happy Animals From The Outside InBattling theCall or email ustoday to find out moreabout Leucillin and itsamazing benefits for skinmanagement.SummertimeItches“I’m just writing to thank you for the product. My Labrador has itchyskin due to allergies and I fear without finding this product we wouldbe in more trouble with his itching!”Nikki CrossFP_July18:Layout 1 06/07/2018 14:12 Page 1
40Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13AS canine hydrotherapy gains popularity for the rehabilitation of a range of dierent conditions, questions are beginning to arise surrounding the type of protocol that is implemented for individual dogs. Some dogs referred for hydrotherapy will swim in a pool, some will walk on a water treadmill and some may undergo a combination of both approaches. If the treatment team including the attending veterinarian, hydrotherapist and or physiotherapist determine that water treadmill walking will be benecial for the rehabilitation of a particular animal, they need to specify the exact nature of the aquatic exercise the dog will perform. ere any many things that can be varied on a water treadmill including the speed and incline of the belt as well as the water depth. While speed is usually based on the comfortable walking speed of the animal, (which may vary based on breed and level of tness), the most appropriate water depth for individual cases may be more dicult to ascertain.What are the benets of hydrotherapy?e majority of research conducted to date has assessed the benet of hydrotherapy for dogs with a range of dierent clinical conditions. Studies have shown that an increased range of movement is exhibited by dogs not only during swimming (Marsolais et al., 2003) but also aer the completion of a single session of hydrotherapy (Preston and Wills, 2018) and following a programme including water treadmill exercise (Monk et al., 2006). Based on existing knowledge that an increase in range of movement can relieve pain and improve general limb function, these studies are promising and demonstrate that hydrotherapy really can benet dogs suering from a range of musculoskeletal problems.How does gait change when walking on a water treadmill?Few studies have focussed specically on how dogs move during aquatic walking or have made recommendations for the design of water treadmill protocols. However, it has been demonstrated that water depth can aect the way a dog moves on a water treadmill; with an increased water depth resulting in a longer stride length and decreased stride frequency (Barnicoat and Wills, 2016).While these data are useful in Canine HydrotherapyHow does water depth aect muscle activity when dogs walk on a water treadmill?by Dr Alison Wills, Department of Animal and Agriculture, University Centre Hartpury, Hartpury, GloucestershireHYDROTHERAPY
41Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13helping to further our understanding of the mechanics of canine aquatic locomotion, they fail to provide specic information about how these changes might reect adaptations in muscular function. As dogs are a terrestrial quadruped, their movement in water has not been extensively studied and data on their overground locomotion may lack applicability to their movement in water. erefore, until recently, our understanding of how water depth might aect muscle activity in dogs walking on a water treadmill was limited. How does water depth aect muscle activation on a water treadmill?Parkinson and colleagues (2018) investigated the eect of altered water depth on the activation of two muscles, the longissimus dorsi (LD) and the gluteus medius (GM). Whilst little is known about the role of the epaxial musculature in dogs, the LD has been shown to maintain stability of the vertebral column during locomotion in horses (Licka, Peham and Frey, 2004). Similarly, studies investigating the canine caudal musculature are limited, but the GM is involved in the initiation of movement in dogs (Williams et al., 2008). e authors used seven clinically healthy dogs of a variety of breeds in the study and used surface electromyography (EMG) sensors (a special type of surface sensor which measures muscle activity) to examine how the two muscles were activated when the dogs walked in water of a variety of depths. Results indicated that there was a signicant eect of water depth on the activation of both muscles studied (Parkinson et al., 2018). Overall, it was found that water at tarsal height elicited the most muscular action, suggesting that this depth might be more appropriate later in the rehabilitation process when the patient requires further challenge. e authors recommended that higher water levels might be more appropriate for the early stages of canine rehabilitation but cautioned practitioners to consider the clinical history and tness levels of individual dogs when designing rehabilitation programmes.Is there an eect of laterality on muscle activation?Interestingly, the activity of the GM and LD was asymmetrical in the dogs included in the study. e reasons for this were unclear, the dogs may have had a dominant limb (Garcia et al., 2014) or they may have been bending their body while walking on the water treadmill. It is also possible that the dogs had a small degree of pathology, which was insucient for them to show clinical signs, but did result in the uneven muscle activation observed. Consequently, it is important that practitioners are aware of the potential inuence of the handler at the front of the water treadmill and check that their position does not inuence the straightness of the dog during exercise. Parkinson and colleagues recommended that the hydrotherapist should try to ensure the dog remains straight during sessions on the water treadmill to avoid unintentional asymmetrical muscle use. Why does water depth aect the way muscles are activated during water treadmill walking?Water depths above the stie decreased the estimated workload of the GM compared to walking on a dry treadmill. If dogs adapt their limb movement as described by Barnicoat and Wills (2016) to push the hindlimb through deeper water, then this, along with the eect of buoyancy would continued overleaf
42Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Visit our website: www.westcoasthydrotherapy.co.ukSince 1988 Westcoast have been the pioneers of hydrotherapy for animal’s!Visit our website: www.westcoasthydrotherapy.co.ukSince 1988 Westcoast have been The lowest Under Water Treadmill with the largest viewing windows in any colourWestC_91mmx135mm.indd 2 01/04/2016 14:55HYDROTHERAPYreduce the work the GM needs to perform. It is thought that in deeper water, dogs li their pelvic limb higher increasing the time the limb is elevated above the treadmill belt. As this movement is assisted by buoyancy, this may be a more energy ecient movement pattern needing less input from the GM. e eect of water depth on the LD was similar, but the dierences between water depths were smaller. Whilst there are no studies that have investigated movement of the canine spine during aquatic locomotion, the results are consistent with the role of the LD in maintaining stability during walking. REFERENCES:Barnicoat, F. and Wills, A. P. (2016) ‘Eect of water depth on limb kinematics of the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) during underwater treadmill exercise’, Comparative Exercise Physiology, 12(4), pp. 199–207. doi: 10.3920/CEP160012.Garcia, T. C. et al. (2014) ‘Forelimb brachial muscle activation patterns using surface electromyography and their relationship to kinematics in normal dogs walking and trotting’, Comparative Exercise Physiology. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 10(1), pp. 13–22.Licka, T. F., Peham, C. and Frey, A. (2004) ‘Electromyographic activity of the longissimus dorsi muscles in horses during trotting on a treadmill’, American journal of veterinary research. Am Vet Med Assoc, 65(2), pp. 155–158.Marsolais, G. S. et al. (2003) ‘Kinematic analysis of the hind limb during swimming and walking in healthy dogs and dogs with surgically corrected cranial cruciate ligament rupture’, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Am Vet Med Assoc, 222(6), pp. 739–743.Monk, M. L., Preston, C. A. and McGowan, C. M. (2006) ‘Eects of early intensive postoperative physiotherapy on limb function after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy in dogs with deciency of the cranial cruciate ligament’, American journal of veterinary research. Am Vet Med Assoc, 67(3), pp. 529–536.Parkinson, S. et al. (2018) ‘Eect of water depth on muscle activity of dogs when walking on a water treadmill’, Comparative Exercise Physiology. Wageningen Academic Publishers, pp. 1–12.Preston, T. and Wills, A. P. (2018) ‘A single hydrotherapy session increases range of motion and stride length in Labrador retrievers diagnosed with elbow dysplasia’, The Veterinary Journal. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.02.013.Williams, S. B. et al. (2008) ‘Functional anatomy and muscle moment arms of the pelvic limb of an elite sprinting athlete: the racing greyhound (Canis familiaris)’, Journal of anatomy. Wiley Online Library, 213(4), pp. 361–372.ConclusionIt is clear that further research is required to fully understand how water depth aect muscle activation in dogs walking on a water treadmill. However, this preliminary study suggests that water depth plays an important role in the activation of specic muscles. In addition, research examining the way aquatic locomotion aects the movement of the canine spine would be invaluable in understanding how water depth can be better used to tailor rehabilitation programmes to individual patients.
43Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Fast ActingNew Home Counter DisplayNew Home KitEverything you need to settle a pet into a new home, and help with bonding and training.CALL TODAY0180 3 612772SPECIAL PRICESNew Home?New Home?Helps us settle inBonding Handling TrainingVisit our pet remedy facebook page and website for reviews www.petremedy.co.ukThe New Home pack has just been launched by Pet Remedy with rescue organisations and other pet professionals. Pet Remedy recommend the new home pack for anyone taking a pet into their home.The comprehensive New Home pack comprises a plug diuser which is ambient, constant slow release, and will last for up to 8 weeks. This will help settle the pet. You also get a rellable 15ml calming spray which can be used on bedding, bandana, or even spray a little on your ngers and rub around the pet’s muzzle and top of chest. There are also 3 individual calming wipes included.If there is already a resident pet, use the calming spray and spray a little on a damp cloth or on your ngers and gently rub around the muzzles of the resident pets as well as for the new arrival. This will help with scent swapping as well as calming, and this dual action will accelerate the bonding process.Pet remedy is a natural, clinically proven, de-stress and calming treatment, that will help all mammals including cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents, horses, and even reptiles and birds. Pet Remedy can also be used to help calm anxious pets during the reworks season and many other stressful situation such as travel, bonding, training, home alone, and change of routine.A great advantage of Pet Remedy apart from being a natural option, is that it starts to help instantly. This is because of the way it works. the low concentration Valerian based formulation works with the pet's (and all other mammals, reptiles, and birds) natural calming pathways. This means the actives in the Pet Remedy formulation mimic GABA (the natural calming agent in mammals)and thus help trick red up / excited nerve cells (when the pet is stressed or anxious) into thinking they are getting a message from the brain to calm. It is now used on a daily basis by vets, vet nurses, rescue centres , pet professionals (such as behaviourists, trainers, and groomers), and even zoos all over the world!Pet Remedy calming sprays are also very easy to use. They are water based and PH neutral, so safe on skin and coat of pet. Simply spray a little on bedding, or bandana. You can even spray on your trouser leg when out walking an anxious dog and simply bring to heel to take in the actives when you anticipate a stressful situation! You can also use the handy individual calming wipes in the same way as the spray. Wipe around muzzle and top of chest of pet or place in carry basket. There is even a battery operated atomiser available Many vets, nurses, trainers, and groomers spray on their tunic and cus before handling an anxious pet.Available from your vet, local pet shop, Pets at Home, Pets Corner, pet professionals (groomers, trainers, behaviourist, etc.) or direct from Pet Remedy. The New Home pack has a RRP of £25.See reviews and comments at www.petremedy.co.uk and www.facebook.com/petremedyA new home for a pet can be very stressful and Pet Remedy can help
44Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13by Kathryn CowleyImproving the links between Therapy Centres and Veterinary Clinics IT is well recognised that physical therapies are an important part of rehabilitation for patients suering from acute injuries, and are a great tool for management of chronic pain. With as many as 1.7 million dogs in the UK suering from osteoarthritis, both veterinary clinics and therapy centres alike are seeing huge number of patients that would benet from the combined care from a physical therapist and a veterinary professional. Unfortunately, in many cases, there is a real lack of communication between these two sectors and this is almost certainly having a negative impact on patient care.The question is how do we improve this situation?As with many things, education is they key. A fundamental essential is that the importance of rehabilitation is taught at veterinary and veterinary nursing schools as well as being reiterated after graduation in continuing professional development (CPD) courses.Currently the syllabus for these courses is lled with essential clinical learning, and the wish to include more disciplines has been a met with concern. However, course structures are continuously changing and there is hope for future inclusion of more material about rehabilitation and complementary therapies. There is an opportunity for therapists to fulll this decit in understanding.It is common place for veterinary clinics to receive short CPD training in house over a lunch break. This may be an opportunity for you and your business to oer short introductions to how your therapy could t into that practice. Perhaps holding an evening event, where you invite the sta from multiple local clinics to see your facility and receive some training, may work better for you. Guiding them around your facilities and explaining how the chosen therapy will aect their client will help forge the link between you and your local practices, ultimately helping to increase footfall through your business.Continuing with the importance of continued education, it would be prudent for those associations that award qualications to physical and complementary therapists start working in conjunction with veterinary specic CPD providers, such as those who produce well attended webinars for vets and nurses. This would allow for wider relevant audiences to be reached.Why are these collaborations slow to take hold?Being a vet myself, I can understand the reluctance to refer for treatment with a therapist of non veterinary training. It is heavily inuenced by the lack of understanding of the level of knowledge and training that the physical therapists have, and how to choose a centre that oers good quality care. There is an honest concern that poor treatment could be performed at a physiotherapy or hydrotherapy centre recommended by themselves. This will reect poorly on them, and could have the potential to have more dramatic repercussions.Advertising the qualications and accreditations that the therapists hold would add to the vets condence in said therapist. This is an opportune moment to mention that like with the UK vet schools increasing from 6 to 9 in recent years, the same is happening with nurse, and therapist training centres, but on a much greater scale. The surge in animal physiotherapy, rehabilitation and complementary therapy qualications makes it very dicult for veterinarians to have faith in a new therapist, because they simply are not familiar with the qualication system.Displaying well recognised and respected associations is essential. For example if your hydrotherapists are members of C.H.A or NARCH make sure this is known and ensure that your local clinics understand what this means, including that fact that insurance companies will potentially cover costs for patients treated by therapists who are members of theseorganisations. (Financial constraints certainly impact on some owners willingness to undertake such treatments). It’s reassuring for a vet to know that they are recommending referral to a highly trained professional.While promotion of physical therapy treatments to the veterinary team is certainly part of the battle, promotion of these techniques to dog owners themselves is also
45Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13 important. If owners are armed with the knowledge of how such treatments could improve their dogs pain management, rehabilitation and ultimately their quality of life, they are more likely to ask about them during a veterinary consultation, prompting the discussion and possible referral.Social media is a great way of reaching out to dog owners, letting them know about their local centres and the general benets of treatments. In other sectors of veterinary care, referral to a specialist requires completion of a referral form, giving all the details of the pets condition, medications and previous treatments. Once treatment has been carried out by the specialist, a report is then issued back to the patient's primary vet so they are kept informed of the patients treatment and progress. While most therapy centres do require a veterinary surgeon to give permission for treatment this is not always the case and it is even more rare for therapy centres to then send reports back to the patients vet with updates.This simple, written communication is key.It could make a huge dierence to how cases are managed and monitored, as it allows the veterinary clinic to reinforce the advice given to that individual patient by the therapist.When writing these reports its useful to include information such as:• Your nding on examination e.g. areas of muscle wasting or trigger points• What treatment has been carried out• What advice the owner has been given, including any exercises advised to be carried out at home and frequency of repeat treatments• Areas of concern brought to you by the owners - owner may bring up points to you that they fail to mention during a veterinary consultConsistency of care between both divides could also be vastly improved by use of consistent monitoring tools which can be used in both the veterinary and therapy consultations as well as by the owner at home. The information gained through various monitoring and pain scoring techniques can then be shared between all parties involved in looking after that animal.Canine arthritis management (CAM), an independent veterinary driven initiative aims to promote a more holistic and proactive approach to chronic pain management and havecreated just such a tool described above.The 5x5x5 system places emphasis on that individual patients markers of pain, be those physical or behavioural changes. It helpsengage the owner in monitoring and allows quicker reaction to deterioration or improvementin their condition. This tool, along with a guide to its use, is available via their website, www.caninearthritis.co.uk, free of charge.There are also other tools available, such as the LOAD scoring technique by Liverpool University. Find one that works best for you and your client and re-evaluate this at each appointment.In summary, more can be done to promote the use of complementary therapies in arthritis management. CAM aims to help this positive progression through providing a variety of resources which the owner can be referred to, including a website and forum. Ensuring owners know about reliable sources of online information such as this, will help to get them thinking dierently about how they would like to manage their pets condition and hopefully start to see themselves, their physical therapist and vet as part of one team.Chronic pain due to arthritis is one of the leading causes of elective euthanasia in dogs the UK but with a more consistent and proactive, team approach from the veterinary team, pet owners, and physical therapists, we can change this.
46Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13ON Friday 8th and Saturday 9th June, VET Festival, in partnership with Centaur Services, returned for its fourth year delivering ‘Veterinary Education for Tomorrow’ to a record number of over 1700 delegates in attendance across the two days. The two-day outdoor conference held at Loseley Park, Guildford, truly lived up to its name as it provided unparalleled inspiration and education of the highest possible standard. Held in a fun, festival environment, VET Festival featured over 35 international speakers that delivered the most relevant CPD applicable to small animal practice today, supported by 40 leading exhibitors. Continuing the theme of the event from 2017, the theme of ‘Wellness’ was truly at the heart of the festival. Delegates enjoyed a collegiate, relaxed and vibrant atmosphere with a Wellness Hub, festival games and healthy food to enjoy between lectures. Founder of The VET Festival, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick personally selected all of the speakers for their enthusiasm and dedication to veterinary education. The programme featured Orthopaedics, Neurology, Oncology & Soft Tissue, Nursing, Internal Medicine, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Critical Care & Anaesthesia, Exotics & Behaviour, Feline Medicine & Surgery, Rehabilitation and Wellness & Team Building streams. Centaur Services were the Headline Partner of VET Festival 2018 who supported the conference theme of Wellness, and sponsored the Wellness and Team Building stream.Once the lectures ended on Friday, the VETFest Conversation took place between Professor Noel Fitzpatrick and special guest Jonathan Ross OBE. The atmosphere was attentive as the pair shared some intimate insight into their lives and shared their views on how being connected to other people transcends industries and backgrounds and that everyone should be kinder, and more supportive of one another.Afterwards the music began for delegates to unwind with friends and colleagues at the VETFest™ Party Night. Acts included Radio 2 DJ James Carpenter, and popular band MadHen who went down a storm. To register your interest in attending VET Festival 2019, please contact Caroline on caroline@vetfestival.co.uk. VET Festival 2018 Delivers on promise to provide new and inspiring paradigm of CPD for veterinary professionalsProfessor Noel Fitzpatrick said: “We are absolutely buzzing after an incredible two days in Loseley Park for VET Festival 2018. We could not have asked for more, inspiring top class lectures, sunshine, and an all-round feeling of comradery and togetherness to celebrate the veterinary profession. I am grateful to everyone who worked so hard to create this unique and special conference which has great purpose and meaning behind everything it stands for. We sincerely want to support each and every member of the profession and all of the companion animals we’re lucky enough to serve.You have to be there to feel it. I would urge everyone who came this year to tell their friends and colleagues about their experience, because we really do want this eld to become a destination for everything that’s wonderful about our great profession. We want to get better every year. We promise to always listen. What you want this event to be, we will aim to provide. We also promise to never lose sight of why we do this at all. We will always strive to deliver what will be of tangible value to folks in all aspects of our profession, both personally and professionally. Wellness and looking after each other for the greater good will always be a core theme alongside outstanding CPD in a relaxed and fun outdoor setting.It is time to blow away the myth that learning isn’t always engaging and fun. It absolutely can and should be! Let’s do what makes us happy, and invest in ourselves and the future of companion animal practice. This sense of community, compassion and collegiate learning was evidenced in abundance by everyone who was in the eld 8th and 9th of June this year.”Delegate feedback from VET Festival 2018:“The best veterinary event in Europe!” Vet Surgeon“Best vet conference I’ve been to in 32 years!” Vet Surgeon“Brilliant atmosphere full of inspiration and love.” Hydrotherapist“Innovative, progressionist and refreshing concept for vet CPD and support (wellness) in a relaxing and beautiful atmosphere. Worth the money! Unique. Consulting PathologistSuper fun, relaxed and completely dierent to other conferences!” Vet Nurse“A breath of fresh air – literally!” Vet Nurse
47Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Book your tickets for VET Festival 2019 at www.vetfestival.co.uk20% discount if booked before end of October 2018For the third year running, Animal Therapy Magazine was delighted to partner the VET Festival. It really is a fabulous event and thankfully we had brilliant weather.Professor Noel FitzPatrick's vision of this festival is to combine learning with, well basically Glastonbury and although Beyonce is yet to headline, the bands that perform denitely get the crowd going. I'm pretty sure I saw Noel stage dive at one point! The Animal Therapy team kept their feet rmly on the ground but I think we all pulled some moves, and muscles we didn't know we had!Pre and post dancing, the lectures were brilliant. Whilst rehabilition is a great focus of ours, the festival covers so much, Neurology and orthopaedics, Soft tissue surgery, Feline Medicine, Veterinary Nursing, oncology and wellness to name a few. You can even get a massage and do a yoga session mid way through the day if you feel the need to unwind.The Animal Therapy team witnessed fantastic talks from the man himself, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, Chris Zink who has a real passion and huge amounts of experience in the canine agility world, and Ellen Martens who is a brilliant physiothearpist. They were all valuable lectures where we all took so much away. We mustn't forget the exhibitors. A great mixture of stands all of whom are very relvent to the veterinary and therapy world. As ever, from our point of view, we get to speak to and meet like minded professionals and understand exciting advances in devices, medicine and techniques. You really can never stop learning.The key note speakers always bring foward intersting discussions and this year was no dierent. Although we know Jonathan Ross MBE as an interviewer and TV personality, he really brought down to earth the stuggles, frustrations and pressure he deals with at work, just like you and me. It's very easy to forget that being on TV is his job, it's work, and he can get himself in situations that take a lot of tact, empathy and understanding to resolve, I'm sure we can all relate to that! His stories were both thought provoking and hilarious, a great nish to day 1 of the festival.So, if this hasn't convinced you to come next year, I don't know what will. Each year it gets bigger and better so we can not wait to see what's on in 2019.
48Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Your Partner for Every Stage of CareCompanion , your trusted source for laser therapy, now offers you more than just great therapy lasers. For every stage of care, Companion has the right therapeutic solution to produce superior outcomes. The newly expanded portfolio includes diagnostic, pain management, rehabilitation, and regenerative medicine products. Your partner on the road to recovery – see the difference the right Companion makes.1. a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time2. one of a pair of things intended to complement or match each other3. your animal health partnercom•pan•ionWELLNESSYour PARTNER on the Journey to®UK Office | Georginam@LiteCure.com | +44 (0) 1646 603878 | CompanionAnimalHealth.com 2239_CAH_Material Resize- A4_Ad.indd 1 9/27/17 2:37 PMScout, a 4 years old, crossbreed dog, presented to see Dr. Andrew Armitage at Greenside Vet Practice with intermittent lameness after exercise to left hind, bunny hopping on hind limbs and intermittent reluctance to jump.A thorough physical examination carried out by Dr. Armitage indicated the possible start of a medial buttress on left pelvic limb and slight joint effusion. Cruciate test elicited the pain response as does full extension, as does full extension, and internal rotation, but cranial drawer was negative.On Gulick tape muscle measurement there was a 2 cm difference in muscle diameter. In the left hind (42 cm) present compared to right hind (44 cm). On palpation she was also painful at lumbosacral region and had sciatic pain throughout limb. Also there was illiopsoas pain on palpation of the muscles and tendon of insertion.Gait analysis which showed a 7 cm reduction in stride length on left hind and a substantial reduction on weight through the limb at walk.Stance analysis showed she was only applying 13% of her weight to her left hind, shifting this weight across on to her right fore. Non-steroidal anti-inammatory and joint supplements were started.Radiographs showed sclerosis of the end plates at L7-S1, Osteoarthritis and early stage of spondylosis in lumbar spine. Both hips had osteoarthritic changes which was worse on the right and there was evidence of left cruciate degeneration.Musculoskeletal ultrasound showed there were signicant changes to both illiopsoas tendons, which was more advanced on the left. Disc degeneration at L6-L7, joint effusion on both hips, which was worse on right and a joint effusion on left stie was also noted.Investigation found that Scout has left cruciate disease, bilateral hip osteoarthritis, illiopsoas tendinopathies, spondylosis and lumbosacral disease. This will continue to be a lifelong debilitating situation for the patient of only 4 years old without intervention.Non-steroidal anti-inammatory and joint supplementswere started.The decision was made to start Scout on a non-steroidal anti-inammatory, joint supplements and begin a regenerative medicine program. This includes Adiposed Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Platelet Rich Plasma and Laser Therapy (Class IV) to treat both hips, left stie, spine and both iliopsoas tendons.Once Scout’s own stem cells had completed culture expansion the patient was sedated and implantation took place. Stromal cells and PRP were intra-articularly implanted in to both hips and left stie. An epidural was performed to introduce stem cells into lumbosacral region and ultrasound guided implantation was performed into both illiopsoas tendons. Initial laser to all areas post implantation using a Litecure Companion Therapy Laser was performed, this is to help re-energizecells and reduce pain and inammation. A total of 6 laser sessions were performed over a 2 week period.Scout was restricted to gentle lead exercise with a gradual increase over the following 6 weeks. She was re-examined by Dr Armitage. Her general demeanour and willingness to play had greatly increased. On physical exam there were improvements noted, no back pain, no cruciate pain or joint effusion, illiopsoas pain still present but reduced. Gulick measurements had improved to a 0.5 cm difference in muscle diameter. Stance analysis showed that her bearing in the left hind had improved to 14% but she was still off loading. Hydrotherapy (underwater treadmill) was advised.Exercise continued to increase and at 12 weeks. A re-examination showed further improvements, further reduction of pain. She is continuing her hydrotherapy sessions and re-examinations. Owner notes overall improvements are fantastic.Case Courtesy of Aimee Mathers RVNCOMPANION ANIMAL HEALTH® UK Ofce // Georgina@LiteCure.com // +44 (0) 1646 603878 // CompanionAnimalHealth.comCompanion Animal Health CANINE CASE STUDY2531_V_UK-Scout Case Summary.indd 1 7/6/18 12:49 PM
49Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13Your Partner for Every Stage of CareCompanion , your trusted source for laser therapy, now offers you more than just great therapy lasers. For every stage of care, Companion has the right therapeutic solution to produce superior outcomes. The newly expanded portfolio includes diagnostic, pain management, rehabilitation, and regenerative medicine products. Your partner on the road to recovery – see the difference the right Companion makes.1. a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time2. one of a pair of things intended to complement or match each other3. your animal health partnercom•pan•ionWELLNESSYour PARTNER on the Journey to®UK Office | Georginam@LiteCure.com | +44 (0) 1646 603878 | CompanionAnimalHealth.com 2239_CAH_Material Resize- A4_Ad.indd 1 9/27/17 2:37 PMScout, a 4 years old, crossbreed dog, presented to see Dr. Andrew Armitage at Greenside Vet Practice with intermittent lameness after exercise to left hind, bunny hopping on hind limbs and intermittent reluctance to jump.A thorough physical examination carried out by Dr. Armitage indicated the possible start of a medial buttress on left pelvic limb and slight joint effusion. Cruciate test elicited the pain response as does full extension, as does full extension, and internal rotation, but cranial drawer was negative.On Gulick tape muscle measurement there was a 2 cm difference in muscle diameter. In the left hind (42 cm) present compared to right hind (44 cm). On palpation she was also painful at lumbosacral region and had sciatic pain throughout limb. Also there was illiopsoas pain on palpation of the muscles and tendon of insertion.Gait analysis which showed a 7 cm reduction in stride length on left hind and a substantial reduction on weight through the limb at walk.Stance analysis showed she was only applying 13% of her weight to her left hind, shifting this weight across on to her right fore. Non-steroidal anti-inammatory and joint supplements were started.Radiographs showed sclerosis of the end plates at L7-S1, Osteoarthritis and early stage of spondylosis in lumbar spine. Both hips had osteoarthritic changes which was worse on the right and there was evidence of left cruciate degeneration.Musculoskeletal ultrasound showed there were signicant changes to both illiopsoas tendons, which was more advanced on the left. Disc degeneration at L6-L7, joint effusion on both hips, which was worse on right and a joint effusion on left stie was also noted.Investigation found that Scout has left cruciate disease, bilateral hip osteoarthritis, illiopsoas tendinopathies, spondylosis and lumbosacral disease. This will continue to be a lifelong debilitating situation for the patient of only 4 years old without intervention.Non-steroidal anti-inammatory and joint supplementswere started.The decision was made to start Scout on a non-steroidal anti-inammatory, joint supplements and begin a regenerative medicine program. This includes Adiposed Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Platelet Rich Plasma and Laser Therapy (Class IV) to treat both hips, left stie, spine and both iliopsoas tendons.Once Scout’s own stem cells had completed culture expansion the patient was sedated and implantation took place. Stromal cells and PRP were intra-articularly implanted in to both hips and left stie. An epidural was performed to introduce stem cells into lumbosacral region and ultrasound guided implantation was performed into both illiopsoas tendons. Initial laser to all areas post implantation using a Litecure Companion Therapy Laser was performed, this is to help re-energizecells and reduce pain and inammation. A total of 6 laser sessions were performed over a 2 week period.Scout was restricted to gentle lead exercise with a gradual increase over the following 6 weeks. She was re-examined by Dr Armitage. Her general demeanour and willingness to play had greatly increased. On physical exam there were improvements noted, no back pain, no cruciate pain or joint effusion, illiopsoas pain still present but reduced. Gulick measurements had improved to a 0.5 cm difference in muscle diameter. Stance analysis showed that her bearing in the left hind had improved to 14% but she was still off loading. Hydrotherapy (underwater treadmill) was advised.Exercise continued to increase and at 12 weeks. A re-examination showed further improvements, further reduction of pain. She is continuing her hydrotherapy sessions and re-examinations. Owner notes overall improvements are fantastic.Case Courtesy of Aimee Mathers RVNCOMPANION ANIMAL HEALTH® UK Ofce // Georgina@LiteCure.com // +44 (0) 1646 603878 // CompanionAnimalHealth.comCompanion Animal Health CANINE CASE STUDY2531_V_UK-Scout Case Summary.indd 1 7/6/18 12:49 PMScout, a 4 years old, crossbreed dog, presented to see Dr. Andrew Armitage at Greenside Vet Practice with intermittent lameness after exercise to left hind, bunny hopping on hind limbs and intermittent reluctance to jump.A thorough physical examination carried out by Dr. Armitage indicated the possible start of a medial buttress on left pelvic limb and slight joint effusion. Cruciate test elicited the pain response as does full extension, as does full extension, and internal rotation, but cranial drawer was negative.On Gulick tape muscle measurement there was a 2 cm difference in muscle diameter. In the left hind (42 cm) present compared to right hind (44 cm). On palpation she was also painful at lumbosacral region and had sciatic pain throughout limb. Also there was illiopsoas pain on palpation of the muscles and tendon of insertion.Gait analysis which showed a 7 cm reduction in stride length on left hind and a substantial reduction on weight through the limb at walk.Stance analysis showed she was only applying 13% of her weight to her left hind, shifting this weight across on to her right fore. Non-steroidal anti-inammatory and joint supplements were started.Radiographs showed sclerosis of the end plates at L7-S1, Osteoarthritis and early stage of spondylosis in lumbar spine. Both hips had osteoarthritic changes which was worse on the right and there was evidence of left cruciate degeneration.Musculoskeletal ultrasound showed there were signicant changes to both illiopsoas tendons, which was more advanced on the left. Disc degeneration at L6-L7, joint effusion on both hips, which was worse on right and a joint effusion on left stie was also noted.Investigation found that Scout has left cruciate disease, bilateral hip osteoarthritis, illiopsoas tendinopathies, spondylosis and lumbosacral disease. This will continue to be a lifelong debilitating situation for the patient of only 4 years old without intervention.Non-steroidal anti-inammatory and joint supplementswere started.The decision was made to start Scout on a non-steroidal anti-inammatory, joint supplements and begin a regenerative medicine program. This includes Adiposed Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Platelet Rich Plasma and Laser Therapy (Class IV) to treat both hips, left stie, spine and both iliopsoas tendons.Once Scout’s own stem cells had completed culture expansion the patient was sedated and implantation took place. Stromal cells and PRP were intra-articularly implanted in to both hips and left stie. An epidural was performed to introduce stem cells into lumbosacral region and ultrasound guided implantation was performed into both illiopsoas tendons. Initial laser to all areas post implantation using a Litecure Companion Therapy Laser was performed, this is to help re-energizecells and reduce pain and inammation. A total of 6 laser sessions were performed over a 2 week period.Scout was restricted to gentle lead exercise with a gradual increase over the following 6 weeks. She was re-examined by Dr Armitage. Her general demeanour and willingness to play had greatly increased. On physical exam there were improvements noted, no back pain, no cruciate pain or joint effusion, illiopsoas pain still present but reduced. Gulick measurements had improved to a 0.5 cm difference in muscle diameter. Stance analysis showed that her bearing in the left hind had improved to 14% but she was still off loading. Hydrotherapy (underwater treadmill) was advised.Exercise continued to increase and at 12 weeks. A re-examination showed further improvements, further reduction of pain. She is continuing her hydrotherapy sessions and re-examinations. Owner notes overall improvements are fantastic.Case Courtesy of Aimee Mathers RVNCOMPANION ANIMAL HEALTH® UK Ofce // Georgina@LiteCure.com // +44 (0) 1646 603878 // CompanionAnimalHealth.comCompanion Animal Health CANINE CASE STUDY2531_V_UK-Scout Case Summary.indd 1 7/6/18 12:49 PM
5Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13ATOPY, or skin allergies can be as upsetting for owner as it is for their pet, however they can oen be very successfully managed.Leucillin works as a fantastic preventive aid, helping to support the skin from the outside in, its soothing formula helps calm the symptoms of allergy suers and works as a preventative against secondary infection.Leucillin is a unique antiseptic, which cleverly mimics the bodies own immune system, Leucillin replicates the leukocytes (white blood cells) naturally produced chemical used to ght infection caused by invading pathogens (germs). Leucillin is a natural antiseptic, destroying harmful germs on contact allowing the skin to heal naturally. Leucillin provides you with a user-friendly solution applied topically, it is skin pH neutral and will not sting or irritate. Leucillin is a natural antiseptic, destroying harmful pathogens on contact, creating the perfect environment for healthy itch free skin.How to use Leucillin preventatively for soothing allergies:Leucillin is skin pH neutral, non-toxic, and will not sting. It is 100% safe to use in any application including eyes, ears, sensitive skin and allergy prone skin, simply spray liberally to use, recommended for use three times daily.To use eectively apply Leucillin liberally to the eected skin, making sure to get the product down through the hair and onto the skin surface, if applying to paws make sure you open up between toes and paws and get the Leucillin into all the corners germs like. You can use as a preventive aid for grass or pollen intolerances by applying to areas that are prone to are ups, oen paws and under arms, applying straight aer walkies or time spent outside.Contact Details:Email: info@leucillin.comTel: 0345 548 9800Web: www.leucillin.co.ukFacebook: www.facebook.com/leucillin Twitter: @LeucillinBattling the ItchesLeucillin Animal Skincare, Hypochlorous Antiseptic Technology “This is Sasha, eight years young and has suered terribly with her skin for the past 3 years, my friend got in touch with me at her wits end, heartbroken that Sasha was suering with leather rock hard skin and balding and asked for help in anyway. Vets over the years have gone from allergies, yeast infections, thousands of pounds later, tears and not knowing what to do, I oered to help. I was recommended Leucillin so thought would give it a go. Picture one is when Sasha came to me, picture two is one month later she is healing very nicely and new hair is now growing, I cannot recommend this product any more than I already do, thank you for making a little dog happy and a family now enjoying Sasha properly in her later years.”Jay Chambers212Sasha
50Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13WARMBLOOD FRAGILE FOAL SYNDROME(WFFS) is a genetically induced disorder seen in horses, specically those belonging to the Warmblood breeds. Aected foals have extremely fragile skin that tears or cuts from contact with normal surroundings, are subject to infections, and are oen euthanized within a few days of birth. e disease is caused by a mutation of a gene and is incurable.e disease is caused by a mutation in the PLOD1 gene, which is important for an enzyme, which supports the biosynthesis of collagen, which then aects the skin and mucous membranes. Humans may suer a similar defect known as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.Two copies of the mutated gene are needed to cause the disorder and if both parents, otherwise completely normal, are carriers, there is a chance, using normal genetic probability, for 25% of their ospring to be aected and 25% to be carriers while 50%, implicitly, will be unaected. e incidence of carriers is estimated between 6% and 10% in Warmbloods, but this is based on very limited data. ere is also a low carrier frequency in oroughbreds.e condition was rst identied in the mid 90s but has only recently become topical as so few live foals were available to be diagnosed. One of the rst diagnosed cases was a foal born in the USA in 2012 and the research was published in 2015 in a veterinary research journal. Following a further case this year, a reaction to the implications of WFFS for the Sherry’s Blogbreeding population is now converting to sensible consideration of what needs to be done for the future of breeding. e KWPN has announced that only 4% of its riding horse stallions, presumably only those tested, are carriers. So let’s say that, typically, 5% of stallions, i.e. 1 in 20 and 5% of mares (there is an equal incidence) i.e. 1 in 20 mate, what is the statistical probability of two carriers actually mating? e risk, I believe is low. en factor in the fact that 50% of the resultant ospring will be completely unaected and of the remainder a further 25% will by carriers only.e issue is to identify carriers in the mare and the stallion population and to ensure that they are not bred together. It is important to compare this risk with many other potential genetic defects which lead an animal to being non functional and having either a short or poor life. Sherry Scott MBE invites Lynne Crowden of Woodlander Stud to share an insight into Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome.Lynne CrowdenWe should take steps. At Woodlander Stud we tested our own stallions and discovered that Woodlander Wild Child is a carrier. We immediately started the process of testing, free of charge, the mares booked to that stallion. I believe this is the responsible process. While breeding with one carrier will pass on the recessive carrier gene and, on average 50% will be carriers, breeding with two carrier parents results in 1 in 4 of deceased or aborted foals. So, the issue is only that two carriers do not mate. In time, I imagine that all studbooks and responsible studs will announce the status of their stallions, and breeders will also test their mares as a matter of course. e test is under £40 in the UK.It would be a pity if an over reaction to this very unpleasant condition aected the breeding with otherwise valuable genetic material. e incidence of, say, cystic brosis in humans has an almost identical risk with a 25% chance of two carrier parents producing an aected child. Very few couples would genetically test and while this is a challenging and terrible disease, it is not prevalent. Let’s be open, honest and sensible and keep British Breeding on its upward trajectory.Information taken from publications including:Animal Generics UK; Cystic-Fibrosis-Carrier-Screening: WFFS: UC Davis; Eurodressage – Statement of the American Hanoverian SocietyEquine Care
51Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13The College of Animal Physiotherapyis the longest-established animal physiotherapy college in the UK and trains students from around the worldAnimal PhysiotherapyIs this the career for you?There’s no need to be a human physiotherapist rst! Visit our website to see how we can help you develop your skills or start a new career.Our Equine and Canine Massage courses will complement and develop your work with animals.01844 290545 admin@tcap.co.uk www.tcap.co.uk Magnetopulse II Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field machine Blue and red light phototherapy plus six different magnetic field frequencies enabling a wide range of therapy treatments for joints, bones, ligaments and muscles Package includes: Magnetopulse II unit, phototherapy head, leg applicator and charger. RRP: £900 +VAT Promotional price: £700 +VAT Dual outputs allow two applicators to be used together. Other accessories are available. We also stock Electrovet and Long and Shortwave Ultrasound machines. Please contact us for a price list, training opportunities and CPD. The College of Animal Physiotherapy admin@tcap.co.uk | www.tcap.co.uk | 01844 290545 magnetopulse IIPulsed Electro-Magnetic Field machineBlue and red light phototherapy plus six different magnetic eld frequencies enabling a wide range of therapy treatments for joints, bones, ligaments and muscles.Dual outputs allow two applicators to be used together. Other accessories are available.Package includes:Magnetopulse II unit, phototherapy head, leg applicator and charger.RRP: £900 +VATPromotional price: £750 +VATMagnetopulse II Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field machine Blue and red light phototherapy plus six different magnetic field frequencies enabling a wide range of therapy treatments for joints, bones, ligaments and muscles Package includes: Magnetopulse II unit, phototherapy head, leg applicator and charger. RRP: £900 +VAT Promotional price: £700 +VAT Dual outputs allow two applicators to be used together. Other accessories are available. We also stock Electrovet and Long and Shortwave Ultrasound machines. Please contact us for a price list, training opportunities and CPD. The College of Animal Physiotherapy admin@tcap.co.uk | www.tcap.co.uk | 01844 290545 We also stock Electrovet and Long and Shortwave Ultrasound machines.Please contact us for a price list, training opportunities and CPD.01844 290545admin@tcap.co.ukwww.tcap.co.ukWe are working for excellence in animaltherapy through ourregistered animal therapistsIAAT exists to provide vets, owners and insurance companies with a register of trained professionals in a number of disciplines: Physiotherapy Osteopathy Animal Manipulation Massage HydrotherapyIAAT is run by its members, for its members andis committed to providing a professional andproactive association. It is a high profile organisation that boasts a large number of international members.To find a fully qualified and insured therapist please use our postcode search on our website: www.iaat.org.ukTo register as a therapist, or for more information, please contact: info@iaat.org.uk or 01844 290545We are working for excellence in animaltherapy through ourregistered animal therapistsIAAT exists to provide vets, owners and insurance companies with a register of trained professionals in a number of disciplines: Physiotherapy Osteopathy Animal Manipulation Massage HydrotherapyIAAT is run by its members, for its members andis committed to providing a professional andproactive association. It is a high profile organisation that boasts a large number of international members.To find a fully qualified and insured therapist please use our postcode search on our website: www.iaat.org.ukTo register as a therapist, or for more information, please contact: info@iaat.org.uk or 01844 290545
52Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13I need an exponential growth of knowledge to give the best care to my clients…and there’s where the Vet Show comes in. MICHAEL HOUGH Vet & Director, The Vets Place, Wilmslow ““BOOK BEFORE 28TH SEPTEMBER FOR JUST £285+VAT USING CODE AT1YEARS OF THE LONDON VET SHOW10VISIT LONDONVETSHOW.CO.UK OR CALL US ON 02476 719 687BOOK BEFORE 28TH SEPTEMBER FOR £285+VAT USING CODE AT1 (BVA/BEVA MEMBERS RECEIVE ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS)LONDONVETSHOWYou care for animals and the LONDON VET SHOW cares for you. And it has been for 10 years. It’s simply the one and only place where veterinary professionals get everything they need – from ideas and inspiration to the latest techniques and products. With more than 450 exhibitors, an in-depth conference programme and world-class CPD, it’s in a class all of its own. MICHAEL IS GOING TO BE THERE. ARE YOU?Platinum Sponsors:Gold Sponsors: Silver Sponsors:Organised by:Proud to host:Education Partners:I need an exponential growth of knowledge to give the best care to my clients…and there’s where the Vet Show comes in. MICHAEL HOUGH Vet & Director, The Vets Place, Wilmslow ““BOOK BEFORE 28TH SEPTEMBER FOR JUST £285+VAT USING CODE AT1YEARS OF THE LONDON VET SHOW10VISIT LONDONVETSHOW.CO.UK OR CALL US ON 02476 719 687BOOK BEFORE 28TH SEPTEMBER FOR £285+VAT USING CODE AT1 (BVA/BEVA MEMBERS RECEIVE ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS)LONDONVETSHOWYou care for animals and the LONDON VET SHOW cares for you. And it has been for 10 years. It’s simply the one and only place where veterinary professionals get everything they need – from ideas and inspiration to the latest techniques and products. With more than 450 exhibitors, an in-depth conference programme and world-class CPD, it’s in a class all of its own. MICHAEL IS GOING TO BE THERE. ARE YOU?Platinum Sponsors:Gold Sponsors: Silver Sponsors:Organised by:Proud to host:Education Partners:
6Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13ONE thing we all will struggle with one day, is retiring our horse from ridden work. Whether you’ve been competing in any sport, riding at home or hacking, it’s a sad day but always comes with the horses welfare at heart.Luckily in horse years, 20 is the new 16, horses are living and staying in work longer than ever due to the advances in veterinary care, increased knowledge in therapy and rehabilitation, developments in supplements, arena surfaces, tack and shoeing. So, to make the most of your beloved mount, what can you do to maximise health, suppleness and activity?Thankfully, there is so muchyou can do, almost anythingyou would consider doing aspart of your health routine,could also be benecial toyour horse.Throughout your horse’syears, from young, to veteran,making sure that exercise isgradual, regular, fair on theirbody and always with thequestion “are they as t andsupple as they can be” in your mind. It still surprises andfrustrates me that some owners feel that after a month o,it’s OK to jump on and go for a good gallop up a hill, or goin a school and ask them to do a work out. Would you do that to yourself?Making sure a horse is equally supple and balanced means they will be working their body as evenly as possible, therefore loading weight as equally as possible and not overbearing on one limb. Overloading limbs and muscle imbalances will cause problems and will likely lead to soundness issues over time. Regularly stopping and looking at your horse will tell you so much. If unsure, ask your animal therapist to show you how to read the signs. Just getting them to stand up square and by looking that their shoulders and back end will tell you what is going on underneath you, some things are so subtle you may not feel them but they are actually have a signicant eect on the horses body. Changing the tiniest preference can make a huge dierent not only in their comfort and ability but also an evenly balanced horse is a much easier to ride!Just like we lubricate a car engine with oil, or take cod liveroil ourselves, joint relief supplements that are scienticallyproven to have positive benets can really reduce theimmense pressure horses joints face. Remember, horses aren’t actually designed that well for being ridden, so if we can help them out, why wouldn’t you. I know the supplement market is a mineeld but speak to stockists and fellow owners and trainers for advice and experience. You don’t have to spend a fortune but equally, if you buy cheap, you won’t be giving them the correct amount.When riding, the warm-up and cool down is just as important as the main exercise. Again, it doesn’t matter if your planning a happy hack, a dressage session or a jumping session, give the horse time to warm up, get their muscles ring and joints exing and extending. Would you jump out of bed and immediately start running or jumping, I know I wouldn’t, or couldn’t! A solid warm up and cool down will prevent pulls and tears which can be so detrimental in later years. The older the horse, the longer the warmup and cool down may take in order for them to feel as athletic as he once did. This is normal but not to be over looked or hurried, cutting corners on an older horse is more likely to cause a strain on his body than if he were younger and remember, the older they get, the longer things take to heal and as such the longer you are potentially out of the saddle. Working your horse on surfaces that cushion and absorb their weight and movement is key to prolonging soundness and avoid jarring. Some older horses who once enjoyed road work and being ridden on grass may start to indicate things aren’t quite what they used to be. Stride length may alter, they may be less willing to go forward and they may appear to be less energetic. All this could be due to joint pain and concussion and potentially some foot bruising. In contrast, putting them on a good equestrian surface, you suddenly feel their natural movement return. This isn’t to say, stop hacking out, but just be aware of what may be going on under you.If I relate horse care back to people. It’s no dierent to the OAP’s in my village, they all stay t, eat well, don’t appear to smoke or drink too much (if they do they hide it well ) and they are all going strong in their 70’s! I should really take note, put the glass of gin down, throw away the curry house takeaway menu and get my sweat bands on for a walk with the ladies of Beckford!Levi’s BlogKeeping the golden oldies supple and activeLevi Hunt - Grand Prix International Rider for Great Britain, British Dressage Young Professional of the year 2016, Regional British Dressage Team Trainer, UKCC3 Coachlevihuntequestrian.co.uk
7Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13WHEN, in 2014 e Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) commissioned a detailed white paper on riding arena surfaces – it was clear that at last, people in the corridors of horsepower were coming to realise the importance of the surface to performance and overall health of the horse. Whilst it’s impossible to condense a 51-page study into a short article – it’s important that owners understand dierent surface types, how they aect the horse and how each surface material behaves over time. If you do, you will save money, time and most importantly you will understand the factors that could aect your horses’ wellbeing. So pay attention class! – arena surface 101 is about to begin:TYPES OF MATERIALSurface materials vary, but you have natural materials such as turf, sand and wood, and synthetic ones, such as textile bre, rubber, PVC and wax – many surfaces, especially those with fancy brand-names are the manufacturers own cocktail of materials and the recipe is a closely guarded not-so-secret – but the basic components are these:TURFIt’s what nature intended – but unless you have your own clerk-of-the-course, have unlimited acreage, and an army of grounds-people turf isn’t suitable for the average arena – ve circuits and you’ll have a pronounced track, and beyond that it deteriorates to mud – a swamp in rain and like concrete in summer. Anyone that’s done Pony Club camp in a eld knows exactly what I mean.WOODCHIPWoodchip is a surface material that unlike the others, doesn’t need to be mixed with anything else. Most other surfaces are a mix of sand and additives. Woodchip is relatively inexpensive, so for a long time was used on arenas and racing gallops and it’s enduring popularity is based on price, (or lack of!). Wood chip is exactly that: chipped wood, so is mostly natural cellulose. It has a slight springiness underfoot. Whilst it may save you a few quid, remember that wood is a natural material, and composts down – so your wet arena woodchip will go a bit slimy then eventually turn to soil. Because it’s a material rotting down, the behaviour of the surface underfoot is also constantly shiing – a year on and it will ride nothing like the day you put it in. e only answer is to add more wood chip – and to change a woodchip arena over to a more modern surface is costly - a classic case of “buy-cheap-buy-twice”. SANDSand is by far the most popular arena surface type. So, I hear you ask: “What’s wrong with lovely natural sand for my arena?” - In riding terms there isn’t the wrong kind of snow – but there is the right kind of sand. Pointed Silica to be exact – and there are only a few quarries in the UK that have it. e only problem is that sand alone lacks the stability and consistency to be the sole ingredient – if you’ve ever seen a sand dune blowing about, or have sunk up to the ankle whilst paddling on the beach you’ll see what Riding Arena SurfacesBy Toby Elford, LEISURE RIDE GROUPAs Levi mentions, the surface you train on can be the making or breaking of your horse so it is vital you get it right if you want to keep your horse sound and supple for years to come.In July 2015, the very rst issue of Animal erapy Magazine, we published a fantastic piece on surfaces, which we wanted to share with you again. ere are so many dierent types of surface out there and the costs vary massively. It can be really confusing and dicult to know what will suit you and your horse's activities best, so we hope this article will help.
8Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13I mean – there’s a huge variance in how sand behaves when very wet or very dry. A sand only surface tends to be dry, dusty, deep and can cause tripping. Builders sand oen has salts & chemicals in – so check with your supplier that it is silica suitable for equestrian use. So once you have your sand – the next question is what you add to it to create that lovely rm, cushioned ride.RUBBERGood old rubber…or bad old rubber – it really depends on who you talk to. Some hate it, others swear by it. Either way it’s advisable to simply understand it’s properties and pitfalls and make your own mind up. Equestrian rubber is mostly recycled auto rubber – that’s chopped up synthetic car tyres to you and me – designed to perform on asphalt roads with the warmth that friction generates. It’s mostly advertised as 99.9% wire-free, so there’s always that 0.1% somewhere. To make it ready to be used in arenas they strip the wire out and shred it. Rubber is bouncy, frost resistant and drains well. However it’s o reported to have a tendency to break down over time and turn the arena black under the surface of the sand. It’s also costly to get rid of as it’s not very enviro-friendly (have you ever tried to take a tyre to the council tip?). Also consider the eect of walking on rubber – arguably too much rubber in an arena has masses of energy return– but the forces go in all directions, which raises questions about sureness of footing. It’s down to personal opinion, but ask yourself if the Olympics, or World Equestrian Games took place on a rubber surface?PVCPVC can be bought on its own as an additive for sand, or is oen sold ready-mixed as an o-the peg surface. e PVC is either granular, or is the chopped up recycled sleeving from electrical cables. When mixed with the sand it produces a frost resistant riding surface. e ready-mixed surfaces may also contain wax to help the sand/pvc mix bind together. e pitfalls really all boil down to longevity and ride depth. ese surfaces tend to ride deep, and the harrows to tend them are the leveling type – moving material around the school to return it to at. For the waxed ones, the wax eventually deteriorates and the ride goes deeper and deeper – but can be reversed by re-waxing. Again however, top-level competition doesn’t take place on this surface type as the competitions demand a surface where the horses go “o-the-top”.TEXTILE FIBREese surfaces are the ones currently used for top level competition – at London 2012 the surface at Greenwich was a sand and bre surface. e bres can come from many dierent sources, and be of many dierent materials: wool, cotton, rayon, nylon, polyester etc etc. At the budget end of the market there is recycled chopped carpet and underlay – it’s called all sorts of brand names, but its quite simply recycled chopped used carpet. e main pitfall with this stu is about what actually is in it – the answer is: Whatever the recycling centre was processing that week before it was shipped to you. So it could have natural bres in that rot or synthetic ones that lack tensile strength – meaning your surface deteriorates over time. At the better end of the market there are bres that are 100% polyester – meaning they don’t rot and you get many years of consistent riding. e bres are ultimately there for a few simple reasons: To stabilise and rm up the sand. And to add structure and energy return. e very best sand and bre surfaces are springy, allowing the hoof and joint to perform the movement without jarring or twisting and where the hoof penetrates only the top half inch of surface – just like natural turf. ere is currently an ongoing study by the University of Central Lancashire that is impact-testing all the main bre surface brands – but whilst we await those results it’s telling that most top competition organisers and many leading professional riders all choose sand and bre surfaces to compete and train on.43Animal Therapy Magazine | SUMMER 2015‘THE BEST SURFACE I HAVE EVER RIDDEN ON’Carl Hester, Gold Medallist, London 2012Call now 01684 273 232or email info@leisureridesurfaces.co.ukwww.LeisureRideSurfaces.co.ukArena Fibre from £180+VAT per balerough our passion for performance horse sports, we have developed our own Trojan® range of surfaces which oer unrivalled durability, energy return and appearance - tailored to each riding discipline.Trojan® Arena Fibres for stabilising or adding energy to your surface. 100% polyester bre that won’t rot.Arena & gallop construction or renovation, maintenance equipment and advice - with options to suit all budgets.‘TROJAN DRESSAGE TURF IS FANTASTIC TO RIDE ON, YOU CAN ACTUALLY FEEL THEENERGY FROM IT THROUGH THE HORSES’Charlotte Dujardin, London 2012 Individual Gold Medallist and World Record holderConstruction & renovationTrojan® PolyFibreWAXArena wax is used in conjunction with a sand-based surface – it won’t stabilise sand itself – rather is used as a binder to help sand and additives stay together. It can also oer a degree of cold resistance, as it’s the water content in a surface that freezes, not the components themselves. e London 2012 surface was a waxed surface – and the wax is useful where the user wants to not have to irrigate – especially in indoor arenas, and where water is metered. Because the wax is a dust inhibitor – the surfaces are useful where dust sensitivity in the horse could be an issue. e main drawback is cost – a waxed surface costs considerably more, but the benets could make it worth spending the extra.In conclusion – there is plenty the FEI study can help owners, riders and those interested in equine health make an informed choice (you can read it for yourself at http://www.fei.org/ system/les/Equine%20Surfaces%20White%20Paper.pdf) However in the meantime, whilst more research is being done – consider what surface materials oers the most consistency, longevity, quality and rmness of ride and cushioning for the joints - buy the best surface you can aord, and put it on a well-constructed free draining base - the long-term rewards will be felt by both the horse, and your pocket.Toby Elford is the UK Sales Manager at Leisure Ride Group, a leading provider of arena surfaces. For more information or if you have any questions relating to this article please contact Ross or Toby.www.leisureridesurfaces.co.ukRIDING ARENA SURFACES
9Animal Therapy Magazine | ISSUE 13YOU would only expect to get the best results aer putting all the joy and hard work into training, wouldn't you? Well, sometimes things don't quite go to plan! We may face a tendon injury or in other cases we may want to look for another physical problem that might explain why a horse is not jumping or performing as expected. Back problems can certainly be one of them. Aer all horses are not designed to have riders on their backs.Back problems can be a major cause of poor performance, for some disciplines or breeds more than others.Quite commonly riders and owners alike would seek advice from paraprofessionals and/or veterinarians on possible back problems. In reality back pain can be challenging to diagnose and therefore to treat. But why is it so dicult to diagnose?e back is a large area with deep muscle padding hiding the bony structures - also the complexity of the great number of structures that involve the back mean that it can be dicult to isolate individual reactions to back pain.Diagnosis should no longer be a “guessing game”. anks to the great advances in the last few years, we now have the means to establish a denitive diagnosis.But how can we tell?e manifestation can be variable, from “the performance has deteriorated” to “dangerous when ridden”. Kissing SpinesAnother pain in the backby Emiliano Espinar, MRCVS How can we diagnose back problems?Not every horse with a “sensitive back” has to have a primary back problem. In fact, more oen than not we can blame the cause on limb lameness, typically bilateral hind limb lameness. e challenge is not only demonstrating the presence for example of “kissing spines”, but to conrm that they are causing a problem.A careful inspection can highlight areas of asymmetry or muscle wastage as an indication of back abnormalities.Clinical examination is most important and a normal horse would be expected to have a pain free range of spinal motion both in dorso-exion and latero-exion. Stiness of the back, even in the absence of palpable pain, can indicate problems as some horses guard themselves “like a plank of wood” to avoid manipulation.Horses should be examined from the ground and it is very important they are also ridden. When horses are trotted in hand (more so in slow trot) the back relaxes and bounces up and down when pain free, therefore this is the best pace to assess back suppleness. When ridden they On many occasions, it is brought to the attention by a therapy paraprofessional during a routine maintenance treatment.Symptoms are not always specic and/or dicult to prove. To complicate matters, there could be other causes (i.e. stomach ulcers, hormonal problems that may contribute).In reality, when it comes to “dicult behaviour”, horses are very honest and more oen than not there is a physical/physiological explanation rather than a pre-meditated behaviour to avoid work.These are some of the common problems we see with back pain:• Poor performance.• Not making proper shape whilst jumping.• Inability to perform a dressage manoeuvre that it normally does (i.e. resisting collection or lateral movement).• Hates to be rugged or groomed.• Muscle atrophy in certain areas.• Dicult with farrier.e spine position within the body and the number of vertebrae of each sectioncontinued overleafEquine Care