Physical medicine and rehabilitation of dogs with peripheral vestibular syndrome

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Angela Martins

Lusófona University, Portugal

: J Vet Sci Med Diagn

Abstract

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This study intended to adjust and apply a functional neurorehabilitation (FNR) protocol with balance training for dogs with peripheral vestibular syndrome (PVS). These protocols intended to stimulate neuroplasticity of the vestibular system, promoting static balance; and also of the central nervous system, promoting dynamic balance. According to that and in order to eliminate all empirical evaluation, we created a pioneer scale in veterinary medicine: A balance scale, which represents an analogy of the human’s medicine balance scale (Berg Balance Scale).This scale evaluates the ability of keeping active stance, sit after standing, standing after sitting, walking in strait line and in circles, go up and downstairs and finding balance after dislocation of the gravity center. This scale showed to be essential evaluating and monitoring these dogs, avoiding clinical discharge of only compensated dogs instead of rehabilitated. To prove its usefulness, this scale was applied to a group of 21 dogs with PVS, being successful not only to evaluate and monitor them but also to prove that application of FNR protocols with balance training was more beneficial than the administration of corticosteroids or the application of only basic treatment. It was also showed that the administration of corticosteroids does not have benefits in the final performance.

Biography

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Ângela Martins is the Clinical Director of the Arrabida Veterinary Hospital and of the 1st Functional Animal Rehabilitation Center–CRAA. She is working as a Professor at Lusofona University, on the discipline: Physical Medicine and Animal Rehabilitation, and Guest Professor on the same topic at the Technical University of Lisbon. She has completed her degree in Veterinary Medicine in 1991 and Post-graduated in emergencies, orthopedic and neurology, at University Lusofona. She wrote few articles on Functional Neuro-Rehabilitation. She is a member of AARV–IAVRPT. She has completed several courses like CCRP in 2012 from University of Tennessee, ESAVSRehabilitation and Physiotherapy of Small Animals in 2010 and Course of Traumatology Orthopedic Rehabilitation in 2012.

Email: vetarrabida.lda@gmail.com