First sit-ups
I promise, it's not doggie torture. Carmen is doing exercises to strengthen her back, exercises prescribed by her physical therapist vet. When I first heard we were supposed to have her do sit-ups, I thought, "No, way."
Well, after a week or so of gentle coaxing with treats, "Way." :)
She had a re-check at the vet's office today and was able to do a few more-elegant-looking crunches. We're still getting the hang of it, and balancing camera, a pinch of bison, and keeping her on her back (my legs provide support) is a challenge.
(Also, for anyone who might be interested, our vet told us some interesting info re stem cell treatment for dogs with orthopedic ailments. It doesn't carry the same controversy as with humans (the cells are harvested from the patient through a simple surgical technique, processed into a serum, and re-injected into problem areas). Apparently, some dogs are showing substantial improvement. Our vet is just starting to use this with some of her patients, including her own dog and is waiting to see results. Just fyi for anyone who might want to ask their vets about this. We're not pursuing that line of treatment with Carmen, but it might be something we'd look into down the road. I don't have an opinion on the treatment, just sharing info.)
First sit-ups
I promise, it's not doggie torture. Carmen is doing exercises to strengthen her back, exercises prescribed by her physical therapist vet. When I first heard we were supposed to have her do sit-ups, I thought, "No, way."
Well, after a week or so of gentle coaxing with treats, "Way." :)
She had a re-check at the vet's office today and was able to do a few more-elegant-looking crunches. We're still getting the hang of it, and balancing camera, a pinch of bison, and keeping her on her back (my legs provide support) is a challenge.
(Also, for anyone who might be interested, our vet told us some interesting info re stem cell treatment for dogs with orthopedic ailments. It doesn't carry the same controversy as with humans (the cells are harvested from the patient through a simple surgical technique, processed into a serum, and re-injected into problem areas). Apparently, some dogs are showing substantial improvement. Our vet is just starting to use this with some of her patients, including her own dog and is waiting to see results. Just fyi for anyone who might want to ask their vets about this. We're not pursuing that line of treatment with Carmen, but it might be something we'd look into down the road. I don't have an opinion on the treatment, just sharing info.)