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Esme’s Road to Recovery |
At the end of this past August, Esme was sprinting after a Frisbee and caught her foot on some metal lawn edging. The result was a large laceration so deep that her tendons underneath her foot were completely severed apart. Dr. Brittany Alvillar performed the emergency surgery to repair her tendons and the delicate, slow process of healing began. Esme was referred to Dr. Elizabeth Jobe, our rehabilitation specialist, for further care. Tendon repairs have a high rate of re-tearing so physical therapy was critical for her ability to heal and recovery without reinjury. Weeks of bandaging every other day and visits 3 times weekly for laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, heating, and stretching kept her owner Sue and Esme quite busy! Six weeks after her surgery, physical therapy exercises began to work on her muscle atrophy, limping, and reduced range of motion in her ankle from being in a bandage.
She quickly learned that her exercises are fun when treats are involved, and the underwater treadmill got her energy out so Sue was happy as well! We are pleased to report that 6 weeks later Esme graduated from her rehabilitation program and was eased back into our daycare program- her favorite place to be!