Case Study: Buzz the Boxer

The Initial Referral

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Buzz was referred to The Suddy Dog Rehabilitation Centre following a diagnosis of advanced lumbar spondylosis with associated hind limb weakness and muscle atrophy.

Before beginning rehabilitation, Buzz's owners had noticed a significant decline in his mobility. He had become increasingly wobbly through his hind limbs, his back legs had weakened considerably, and he was experiencing pain that required high doses of Gabapentin to keep him comfortable.

Like many owners of dogs living with spinal disease, Rachel wanted to do everything possible to maintain Buzz's mobility and quality of life. After hearing positive experiences from other owners whose dogs had benefited from hydrotherapy, she decided to explore rehabilitation as part of Buzz's ongoing management

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Initial Assessment

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When Buzz attended his first consultation, a full clinical assessment was carried out to establish his baseline mobility and identify the areas requiring rehabilitation.

The assessment identified:

• Hind limb weakness associated with lumbar spinal disease.

• Reduced muscle mass through the pelvic limbs.

• Poor coordination (ataxia) affecting the hind limbs.

• Reduced stability during walking.

• Intermittent hind limb knuckling.

• Compensatory movement patterns caused by his neurological deficits.

These findings were consistent with the effects of advanced lumbar spondylosis and highlighted the need for a structured rehabilitation programme focused on maintaining mobility, rebuilding muscle strength and improving neurological coordination.

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Objective Gait Analysis

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As part of Buzz's rehabilitation, we carried out an instrumented Tendiboot gait assessment to objectively measure his movement and monitor progress throughout treatment.

The initial assessment demonstrated:

• Marked hind limb ataxia.

• Reduced coordination and limb placement.

• Reduced weight-bearing through the left hind limb.

• Altered stride mechanics.

• Compensatory loading through the forelimbs.

These objective findings closely matched our clinical assessment and provided an excellent baseline from which to monitor Buzz's progress.

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Rehabilitation Programme

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A personalised hydrotherapy programme was developed to support Buzz's long-term management.

The programme focused on:

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Hydrotherapy

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Weekly water treadmill sessions were introduced to:

• Improve hind limb strength.

• Increase muscle mass.

• Improve neurological coordination.

• Reduce hind limb knuckling.

• Improve gait stability.

• Maintain mobility while reducing impact on painful joints.

As Buzz progressed, his sessions were gradually advanced by increasing treadmill speed and introducing incline walking to further strengthen the pelvic limbs and improve spinal stability.

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Early Progress

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Buzz responded exceptionally well to rehabilitation.

By his sixth rehabilitation review we observed:

• Reduced hind limb ataxia.

• Improved limb placement and coordination.

• Increased stride height.

• Improved forelimb symmetry.

• Improved overall gait stability.

• Significant reduction in hind limb knuckling.

At home, Rachel also reported that Buzz was:

• Walking longer distances.

• Managing flat and uphill walks comfortably.

• More active around the house.

• Brighter and happier overall.

Although downhill walking remained more challenging, this was consistent with the ongoing effects of his lumbar spinal disease.

As rehabilitation continued, Buzz's progress became even more impressive.

Following sixteen hydrotherapy sessions, reassessment showed:

• Improved hind limb muscle mass and tone.

• Increased hind limb strength and propulsion.

• Improved gait symmetry.

• Improved stride length and stride height.

• More consistent weight-bearing through both hind limbs.

• Complete resolution of hind limb knuckling during treadmill sessions.

By this stage Buzz was comfortably working at a slow trot on an incline while maintaining excellent coordination and endurance.

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Owner Feedback

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"I approached Stephen back in January after my 8-year-old Boxer Buzz was diagnosed with severe spondylosis of the spine. He was incredibly wobbly, his hind legs were weakened and he was in a fair amount of pain, which was being controlled with high doses of Gabapentin.

Stephen gave Buzz an initial assessment and started him off very gently.

Buzz has been having sessions weekly since then and I've been astounded by his progress! He shows no sign of pain, he's much stronger in his hind legs and he has bouts of running around like a puppy again, which is amazing to see.

Hydrotherapy won't cure him but it's absolutely given him a new lease of life and he LOVES Stephen and Amanda!

Buzz has come every long way since his first session and he's now going only twice a month to maintain his new found strength.

I heartily recommend Stephen and Amanda. They truly care about each and every fur baby they work with."

— Buzz's Owner