Archie receiving his regular muscle stimulation therapy to support nerve function recovery
ARCHIE’S STORY- as told by his Mum
Unfortunately for dear little Archie, the first two years of his life were not ideal, to say the least. He was neglected and mistreated. At 2 and a half, he was surrendered to a dog shelter and the very next day he escaped and was lost in the bush for 3 weeks….scared and alone, in very wet and wintery conditions. When he was finally found, it was very apparent that he had been injured somehow….His front right leg was just hanging, unusable. At this time he won the heart of me, his new mum, and despite being told by 4 different vets that the leg should be amputated, I was adamant that this was not going to be an option, and so began the rehabilitation process.
At first, we tried a vet rehab service in which he had laser treatment performed on his leg, and exercises to do at home. It was suggested that we try a hobble vest to help stabilize his shoulder, as it seemed that he had a brachial plexus injury in his shoulder and no nerve sensation right down to his paw. Although his shoulder strengthened, his wrist remained dysfunctional. Two months went by with not much improvement, so we went and had another consult with another vet who thought shoulder surgery was not beneficial but he suggested we see a pet physio who practiced in the same building.
We have now been working with Carmel Keylock from Active Pet Rehabilitation for 21 months. Archie’s rehab involves a combination of phototherapy, electromuscular stimulation, and aqua treadmill. Carmel introduced us to Steve Carpenter, an orthotist, who made an orthotic to help stabilize Archie’s wrist and enabled him to practice walking. For the duration of this therapy, Archie also has a swimming program that has helped strengthen and build his shoulder….in summer he swims in the pool….winter training takes place in the spa while wearing a harness.
In December 2020, Dr. Neil Gibson, from Rivergum Referral Centre operated on Archies’ leg, to freeze his wrist. Unfortunately, this was not as successful as hoped, so in May 2021 he had a second operation to increase the angle of the plate so that hopefully he would walk on the pad of his foot rather than his knuckles.
Archie was very brave and very patient, as he had endured, in total, 3 very long months recovery in a cage.
After a lot of swimming, many physio sessions, various appliances and 2 operations, Archie has come a long way since that day he was found. We still have a long way to go with many more physio visits, swimming and massage, but I am determined we will get there. He may not walk perfectly, but he will still have 4 working legs.
A note from the team at Active Pet Rehabilitation.
Brachial plexus injuries are always distressing for clients and their fur family. Depending on the severity of the injury amputating the affected limb may be the best option for a pets quality of life, but with dedicated care, rehabilitation therapies and time return to near normal function and wonderful quality of life can be achieved.
A thorough veterinary diagnosis prior to starting any therapy will help to achieve the best possible outcome for animals with this condition.
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