As traditional veterinary medicine expands and becomes more complex, the general practice veterinarian is pulled in too many directions, and is understandably fragmented in their ability to be up to date on all aspects of health and techniques for the species in which they choose to specialize.  This is not a negative blog post.  Instead, this is a post the recognizes a need for generalists, specialists, and even ‘outsiders’ like myself in the animal health care arena.

This past week I had another interesting case that was  presented to me that highlighted the physical therapist’s ability to localize a lesion and provide treatment options.  Localizing pain is the first step to identifying a problem.  It leads to testing further, interpreting  findings, and then proceeding with the appropriate treatment. The case also highlighted the importance of options for animals as well – not just surgery or euthanasia… but maybe ‘rehab’!

So the case in question is a Basset Hound with IVDD and no motor control.