Meet Marlo, our January 2016 Pet of the Month! Marlo is a 6 year old Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen Mix who began seeing us in September 2015. She had been having some difficulty getting around over the summer and was having R rear limb lameness issues. In 2014, Marlo had surgeries on both knees due to cruciate injuries – left stifle in March and right stifle in June.
On her initial evaluation here, Marlo was found to be lame in both rear limbs (R>L) with several tense muscles in her R thigh muscles due to chronic compensation issues. She also had moderate myofascial (muscular) back pain from her shoulders to her pelvis with a sway-backed appearance. Additionally, evidence of arthritis was found in multiple joints (both stifles/knees, both hocks/ankles, and most of her toes). As a result, poor Marlo had gained quite a bit of weight also since she was uncomfortable when she walked and couldn’t get around as well.
None of that deterred Marlo. In fact, she and her family were quite determined to make a big turn around and get more active and it has paid off. Marlo’s rehabilitation therapy goals included strengthening her core muscles, along with shoulder and thigh muscles too, increasing her endurance while walking, returning to normal activities and also promoting weight loss. We calculated out an appropriate number of calories allowed each day and set up and exercise program to get her up and moving comfortably, slowly increasing her challenges and duration of activity. Her food intake decreased overall with green beans and carrots for treats. Her energy level blossomed and regular walks returned to her routine. Team Marlo has done a fabulous job in working towards her goals.
Results: Marlo started her program weighing in at 46.6 lbs. In just over 3 months, Marlo has lost 3.2 pounds and 8.5 centimeters as part of her rehabilitation program, which is AWESOME! Just that 1#/month equals weight loss for her of nearly 7% - hurray! She has developed a waistline and a little “tuck” below too – definitely, has lost a couple “dress sizes”. Her endurance is better during activities and her back is more level as she stands too. While Marlo does have more weight to lose, she has more energy and is back going on walks with her family. By strengthening her core and losing some weight, her arthritis joints are less bothersome and she is back to enjoying life! We are all so very proud of Marlo and her family and wish them continued success in their Healthy & Happy New Year 2016!
P.S. You can read more about Marlo's story and the importance of weight loss in our January 2016 blog!