Year 2018 - Volume 38, Number 8


Title
Physiotherapy in functional recovery and quality of life of paraplegic dogs due to thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease (Hansen type I) submitted to decompressive surgery, 38(8):1656-1663
Authors

Abstract
ABSTRACT.- Andrades A.O., Ripplinger A., Ferrarin D.A., Aiello G., Schneider L., Schwab M.L. & Mazzanti A. 2018. [Physiotherapy in functional recovery and quality of life of paraplegic dogs due to thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease (Hansen type I) submitted to decompressive surgery.] Fisioterapia na recuperação funcional e qualidade de vida de cães paraplégicos por doença do disco intervertebral (Hansen tipo I) toracolombar submetidos à cirurgia descompressiva. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 38(8):1656-1663. Laboratório de Fisioterapia Veterinária, Departamento de Pequenos Animais, Centro de Ciências Rurais, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima 1000, Camobi, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil. E-mail: alexamazza@yahoo.com.br


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

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