Rehab rewritten: Inside the handbook of canine exercise therapy

On this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and his 3 guests, Leilani Alvarez, DVM, DACVSMR, CVA, CCRT; Kara Amstutz, DVM, DACVSMR (Canine), CVA, CVPP, CCRT; and Jennifer A. Repac, DVM, DACVSMR, discuss the importance of exercise therapy for dogs, emphasizing that it should be considered a therapeutic intervention from the start.

Throughout the episode, they highlight common mistakes in exercise prescription, such as sudden activity increases post surgery, and stress the need for tailored exercise protocols based on the dog's condition and recovery phase. The conversation also covers the benefits of exercise for various body systems, the importance of owner adherence, and more!

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity.

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: [Dr Alvarez], in human medicine, exercise is considered medicine. I have experienced this myself. So, at what point should veterinarians start thinking of exercise as a dose-dependent therapeutic intervention rather than just enrichment?

Leilani Alvarez, DVM, DACVSMR, CVA, CCRT: Right away, I would say there is no question—in my mind, at least, and I realize I might be biased—but there is no medicine, no prescription that you can write that brings as much benefit as exercise does in all domains. I think we think about exercise as improving our mobility, and it certainly does, but there are benefits to our brain, our mind, especially for dogs.

In fact, going back to the question you just asked, we have restricted activity, especially after IVDD [intervertebral disc disease] surgery or TPLO [tibial plateau leveling osteotomy]. We just really restrict dogs, and that comes with a lot of stress that can hamper recovery. And if we can provide a guided method of perhaps activity modification rather than just restriction, we're going to see [psychosocial] benefits…for our patients. And of course, exercise has cardiopulmonary benefits that are very well documented in people, as well as improving bone health. It's really, really important that you’re weight-bearing through that bone. Particularly [with] post-op TPLO, you have an osteotomy, and if you're restricting their activity, you're actually potentially delaying that osteotomy site from healing, because we all know Wolff Law; you have to load through the bone to actually get that callous formation.

Of course, it benefits muscles, it benefits the neurologic system, [and] you get better coordination…. So I mean, Adam, if you mention a body system, exercise is beneficial for every body system.

In fact, we see rabbits at AMC [Schwarzman Animal Medical Center] that have similar [effects] as the horses; they get colicky if they're not eating, and I get them moving. That's the way that you can improve that gastric stasis—get them moving. Absolutely.

Want to hear more of the conversation? Tune in at the top of this article or wherever you listen to podcasts!