Dog osteopathy - Osteopathy for dogs

Osteopathy for dogs

More and more dogs have diseases and problems in the musculoskeletal system. Osteopathy can help dogs or dog osteopathy here. Whether hip or elbow dysplasias, spondylosis, herniated discs or a fragmented Anconeus process. Also, the number of cruciate ligament tears and operated OCDs is constantly increasing. The possibilities of the treatments are becoming more and more varied - so also the osteopathic techniques that are already successfully used in humans and horses have been transmitted to the dog through the dog osteopathy to alleviate the suffering of the various movement problems.

Dogs Osteopathy:
Dog osteopathy - Osteopathy for dogs
The history of osteopathy
Further development of osteopathy
From man to horse
From horse to dog
Emergence of complaints
Causes of complaints

The history of osteopathy

The basic principles of osteopathy were discussed about 130 years ago by the US-American doctor. Andrew Taylor Still (1828 - 1917) developed. The findings of Dr. med. Still later, his disciples expanded upon certain principles:

1) Structures in the body need movement for their function
Dr. Taylor Still recognized that diseases can be associated with decreased self-motion of structures such as muscles, fascia, ligaments, joints, bones, and organs. The organism is seen here like a clockwork: The multitude of small wheels work together with high precision and if only one wheel stops - the whole system can fail. Osteopathy helps to detect and resolve movement restrictions.

Dog Osteopathy: Osteopathy for the dog. Image: Quasarphoto / fotolia)

2) Interaction of structure and function
This principle means that functions of an organ, muscle, joint, ligament or bone determine its structure. Conversely, the same applies, because the structure can also determine the function: For example, the tibia is significantly thicker and larger than the fibula, because the tibia is responsible for carrying a large part of the body weight.

3) Consideration of the organism as an inseparable unity
A consideration of the human body as a coherent unit is also valid in Chinese medicine (TCM). It means, one should always look at all structures, but also at a problem the whole body. For example, an osteopath will usually not look at and treat this in isolation when treating a cruciate ligament, but will also look at the ankle, feet, hips, and spine, for example. Because of an oblique and unphysiological load on the knee due to the cruciate ligament tear, other joints can be "obliquely" and asymmetrically loaded, and the healthy side of the body can be decompensated by restraint.

4) Self-healing ability
A body is constantly striving to achieve a balance in its functions. We owe the ability of our body to its self-healing powers.

5) Arterial rule
This principle describes that cells and tissues of an organism are only 100% fully functional when the supply and discharge of blood and lymph is optimal. Scarring, inflammation, muscle tension and injuries can limit this microcirculation.

Further development of osteopathy

William Garner Sutherland (1873-1954), a direct student of Still, names the Primary Respiratory Movement (PRM) around 1939. It is about a minimal but striking body rhythm that can be used therapeutically and diagnostically. W. G. Sutherland thus introduces osteoarthritis into craniosacral therapy.

Osteopathy brought to Europe a student of Still, John Martin Littlejohn. In 1917 he founded the British School of Osteopathy (BSO), which still exists today. But only since 1993 does the profession of osteopath in England legal recognition. About 40 years later, osteopathy also arrives on the European mainland. In France, osteopaths Jacques Weischenck and Jean-Pierre Barral enrich osteopathy with the visceral area: the diagnosis and treatment of the organs.

For many protagonists of osteopathy this consists of 3 areas:
- Parietal osteopathy (musculoskeletal system, bones, fascia, tendons and ligaments)
- Visceral osteopathy (organs, with surrounding structures and suspensions)
- Craniosacral osteopathy (cranial bones, meninges, sacrum and surrounding structures)

From man to horse

The French veterinarian Dominique Giniaux transferred the principles of osteopathy to horses in the early 1970s. For the anatomy and functionality of the muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons of man are similar to those of the horse.

Pascal Evrard and Beatrix Schulte Wien (physiotherapist and human osteopath) brought the horse osteopathy to Germany and founded the first school in Dülmen, the "German Institute for Equine Osteopathy" (DIPO) for veterinarians, doctors and physiotherapists. In September 2000, Pacal Evrard founded the "Frankfurt International School of Equine Osteopathy" (FISEO) in Kelkheim. Until his sudden death at the beginning of 2004 Pacal Evrard endeavored to further develop and spread the equine osteopathy internationally.

Meanwhile, the horse osteopathy is a recognized alternative therapy option for the treatment of all disorders of the musculoskeletal system. In the horse treatment is mainly worked with elements of the parietal and cranio-sacral therapy.

From horse to dog

Only in 2006 did the first training course at the DIPO start as a dog osteotherapist. Because even more dogs have major musculoskeletal problems that can be significantly improved by osteopathic treatment.

The osteopathic treatment of dogs has many parallels to the human treatment, but quite different to the horse treatment. Often the motion problems in dogs come from imbalances of the internal organs and their suspensions, as well as muscle tension and muscle overload.

These causes can be treated very well via visceral osteopathy, via the soft parietal treatment options - such as fascial techniques and cranio-sacral therapy. Often you can save the so-called "narrowing of the spine", if you pretreat the dogs so. This type of treatment is gentle for the organism, is well tolerated by the dog and can be better implemented by the body, so that the treatment intervals can continue to spread even in chronic conditions.
But also acute blockages the e.g. While playing or playing sports, these soft techniques can be treated well. For this reason, dog owners should always pay attention to good training specifically for dog anatomy and dog physiology when choosing their therapists.

Symptoms - Osteopathy in my dog
Symptoms to be treated are:

- lameness
- back pain,
- spine blockages,
- Herniated discs (dachshund)
- osteoarthritis pain
- general movement restrictions and changes
- HD / ED
- Cauda-Equina Compression Syndrome (CECS),
- Cruciate ligament tear OCD,
- Before and after all operations,
- epilepsies,
- Discomfort before / after or during the heat digestion problems
- Urine dripping / incontinence
- muscle weakness
- To increase the quality of life in old age

Emergence of complaints

If a dog suddenly does not jump into the trunk, if the dog hobbles sporadically or runs out of round, the gassi constantly go back behind, stops or even lies down, occasionally falls over with the hindquarters, with the claws grinds, more often is very stiff after longer breaks, is different or even refuses this command - which has never happened before, but also sudden aggression against any other dog, snapping and growling while brushing, twitching in the coat when stroking the back, loss of movement, Unplaying discomfort or other similar symptoms may indicate blockages.

The list of possible options that may indicate problems or musculoskeletal pain is very long. Dogs are masters of compensation and failure to show pain or problems. And only when there is no other possibility, they clearly show that something is wrong. But unfortunately we often have a herniated disc, a cruciate ligament tear or similar. So it makes sense to take these little changes to your dog seriously and have them checked before major damage occurs.

Causes of complaints

The cause list is for the complaints is long and varied. For many so-called "fashion dogs", everything is just bred with everything - regardless of whether the parent animals are healthy or not. And so of course some diseases are inherited. But also the frequency of litters plays a role - if a bitch gets twice a year boy to satisfy their owner's greed for profit, the power they can give to their babies is very minimal. Not for nothing there are restrictions in all associations of dog breeding here.

But also stress, overload, as well as a deliberate rearing have a lot to do with the future health of a dog. Here the relationship between relief and discharge must be right and there is no standard recipe for this!
The best example is cycling. Here are the ghosts of the experts. My opinion is this: cycling yes for all dogs, also for Doggen. The "how" is here auschlaggebend: Of course, it starts very slowly and that means, if necessary, first to push the bike until the dog has understood what he should do there. And then you start with five minutes of slow trot and increase this very, very, very slowly - in dogs in growth is never more than 2x weekly max. Drove 30 minutes and above all according to the tempo of the dog! Basically it is always driven as fast as the dog can walk in a slow trot (this also applies to small dogs) - and no wild Gerenne organized. In doing so, in a healthy organism, the muscles should grow and it can support the joints and back.

An exception are stairs (especially uncontrolled), and constant on the sofa up and down jumping. These are mostly unphysiological patterns of movement that can not be described as species-appropriate. (Friederike Franze, human physiotherapist, dog physiotherapist and dog osteopath

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