Zach’s Story
As told by Zach’s mum
Zach’s rehab journey began before he was a year old and he’s been attending underwater treadmill sessions on and off for most of his life. Zach and his brother Tom were born in Alberta, Canada on the 14th of November 2010. Zach had a limp from 6 months old and was finally diagnosed with OCD at 8 months. He had surgery for the OCD when he was 9 months old and at the time they discovered a partial cruciate tear and he had a TPLO procedure at the same time. He started in the underwater treadmill 2 weeks post surgery and continued with full time rehab for approximately 4 months. He was a very energetic puppy so it was quite challenging keeping him “quiet” during this time. He returned to his normal activities on land but for Zach there was no such thing as “normal”. Zach did everything with great exuberance and excessive speed. The surgeon told us that we couldn’t wrap him in cotton wool and sometimes we just had to let him do his thing. Needless to say he ruptured the other cruciate 2 years later! Back to surgery and back to rehab. This time rehab occurred in the middle of a Canadian winter and that wasn’t fun. He was doing really well at almost 3 months post surgery but unfortunately the gophers decided to emerge from their hibernation earlier than normal that year. The high-pitched sound that the gophers made was a huge trigger for him and he took off at full tilt down our long driveway to go and hunt the gopher. He managed to tear his medial and lateral meniscus, which the surgeon said was quite a feat. Back to surgery and back to rehab for a good few months. He resumed normal activity again and him and his brother enjoyed long hikes in all types of weather and terrain. They spent many hours hiking in both Calgary and Vancouver and lots of time swimming in Vancouver’s icy waters.
In 2018 Zach and his brother made the long trip from Canada to Australia and for the first 4 and ½ years spent many, many hours at the beach and swimming in the ocean. Unfortunately, arthritis started to become worse and they could no longer go the beach as walking in the sand was too much strain on their joints. He went back to underwater treadmill just for maintenance and to maintain muscle mass. Zach then tore his meniscus on the other knee after a silly slip and that’s where his journey with Carmel and her team at Active Pet began. In that time Tom also had 2 TPLO surgeries and also did underwater treadmill. His arthritis isn’t nearly as severe as Zach’s so he still manages to go for a good walk, albeit very slowly.
How did you feel after the first few sessions? Did you notice any changes? Zach was really struggling with his mobility when we first went to see Carmel and her team. We had previously spent years at an excellent rehab facility in Canada so we had pretty high expectations when it came to rehab for our dogs. After Zach’s first few sessions at Active Pet, we were comfortable that Zach was in good hands. We definitely noticed that his knee seemed more comfortable and his walking started to improve.
What has kept you coming back for this many sessions?
The most important thing at this stage of his life is that he enjoys going to treadmill. His ability to walk on land is limited so aqua treadmill is essential to him maintaining muscle mass in his hind legs. He has a fairly stiff gait and some dragging when he walks on land whereas when he walks in the treadmill he has a much better walking pattern and we always see an improvement in his gait after a treadmill session.
Is there a memorable moment or any breakthroughs that stand out?
There’s not really a breakthrough moment because Zach has been doing aqua treadmill for most of his life and he has always enjoyed it and done really well. There has always been a huge improvement in his mobility, pain relief in his knees and muscle growth after surgeries and injuries due to UW treadmill. Memorable moments were when Nik and Carmel dressed him up for Halloween and Christmas. The photos are beautiful and he has the biggest smile. We’ll cherish them forever.
How do you think the aqua treadmill therapy has impacted Zach’s overall quality of life?
In the past, aqua treadmill has been an essential tool to rehab him after his numerous knee surgeries. He was always able to return to normal land activities after 3-4 months. This past year has been different because we chose conservative rehab in place of surgery due to him being almost 13 years at the time. The ongoing treadmill sessions have allowed him to maintain good mobility for his age and ease the chronic arthritis in his knees and back. It has allowed him to maintain independence at home in terms of going out to potty and being able to move around the house without the assistance of aides such as harnesses or belly bands.
Have there been any unexpected benefits from coming here regularly?
There haven’t really been unexpected benefits because Zach has been using the underwater treadmill for most of his life. We were really pleased that we saw such a massive improvement after a meniscal tear over a year ago. This would typically be repaired with surgery but after speaking to our vet we agreed that we would try conservative rehab with underwater treadmill. We weren’t sure if it would be successful but we’re really pleased with how much improvement we’ve seen and how much his mobility has improved. We’re big believers in the benefits of underwater treadmill so we knew there would be huge benefits based on past experience. The fact that he’s made it to 100 underwater treadmill sessions is remarkable considering where he was last August.
What would you say to other pet owners considering aqua treadmill therapy?
It’s definitely the gold standard when it comes to rehab after surgery or injuries and for maintaining mobility in senior pets. Over the years it has been the most important part of rehab for our dogs. We would never consider rehab without underwater treadmill, especially for larger breed dogs. Zach could get a bit too excited with his land exercises and sometimes risked injuring himself further. The underwater treadmill was a safe environment for him to exercise and get rid of his excess energy. At his age he does struggle with land exercises but manages to exercise safely and with more ease in the underwater treadmill.
How would you describe the relationship Zach has with the rehab team?
He has a great relationship with his rehab team. Over the years he has always formed a special bond with his team. Carmel and her team are very passionate about what they do and are truly caring and passionate about the wellbeing of the dogs that they care for.
If you could give advice to other pet owners about supporting their pet’s health, what would it be?
Our two labs are a week shy of their 14th birthday so they are very senior dogs. A good quality diet with good protein sources is essential. Quality joint supplements and nutraceuticals have become essential in their senior years. We still make daily walks a priority. They’re not very long walks but they love the opportunity to sniff around and say hi to their buddies.
Zach walks with the assistance of a Help ‘em Up harness and this has allowed him to go for longer walks than he would be able to manage without the harness. This harness has been so valuable to us this past year and we highly recommend the use of aides for dogs with limited mobility.
Mental stimulation is also really important for seniors (and dogs recovering from surgeries or injuries). Things such as filled Kongs and Licky mats keep them occupied when physical activities are limited. Massage is also really important and it’s easy for owners to learn basic techniques that can be done at home.
A good relationship with our vet and rehab team has been very important. At this stage a combination of medical and holistic therapies has been essential to keeping them comfortable.
And last but not least lots and lots of love and attention, which I have no doubt all Carmel’s clients get an abundance of. Just do the best that you can do, every little bit helps!