It was great because the vet chiro. agreed with everything that TOPS had told us. The vet said that Lexi did need adjusting, especially her TMJ. She did mention, however, that she felt that Lexi's issue was possibly more of an issue with the cartilage (maybe her meniscus) rather than the tendons and ligaments in her knee.
She told us that she felt that structurally Lexi was around 90% of where she should be, but that muscularly she is around 60% of where she (as a canine athlete) should be. I figure that's a result of all of her crate rest (over a month total a month or so ago) and her limited exercise until a couple weeks ago. The vet reinforced the importance of not hurrying her back to full agility, but that we should take it slowly to be sure she is back fully healthy. If not, we could see issues pop up especially as we get her to full jump height or ask her for something stressful like the a-frame.
Her timeline pretty much coincides with what we had in mind. She felt that 20 minute walks right now are acceptable, building up as she grows stronger. She also said that 5 minutes or so of agility per day was okay, and a good way to keep her working without her over-exerting herself. She recommended about 6 weeks of gradual increase before getting her back to a full agility schedule. This is exactly what we were planning--so that's great news that we have the right plan in mind.
Oh, she did add another supplement to Lexi's arsenal. So Lexi now gets the following:
- 1 T coconut oil
- 1 fish oil capsule (1000mg)
- 1/2 t Phyto Flex which contains MSM, glucosamine and perna mussel
- 1/8 t Canine Musculoskeletal Support
- 2 capsules per day of Ligaplex-2
She definitely is way healthier than I am!
Oreo has jaw issues as well, but his is more from clenching his mouth when he's stressed. I never would have known he had jaw issues, if not for his chiro. They really know the canine body.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a great plan for the next few weeks. Lexi must be so happy to be getting back in action again.