Chookie's recovery journey
Miniature Dachshund · 4 years · male
35 total sessions · 14 hydro · 18 land rehab · Mar 2025 – Apr 2026
- Hip osteoarthritis
- 35 visits
- Multimodal
- 14 hydro
Presentation
After a car accident shattered both hips at eight months, Chookie developed severe bilateral hip osteoarthritis — skipping on walks and losing his usual dachshund bounce despite prior underwater treadmill work elsewhere.
Assessment
Gait review and orthopaedic exam confirmed severe bilateral hip OA with left-hind knuckling. Land strengthening alone was too load-bearing; the team planned underwater treadmill work with laser and therapeutic ultrasound.
Rehabilitation plan
Fourteen hydrotherapy visits over six months alongside eighteen land rehabilitation sessions — gradual underwater treadmill introductions with shallow fill first, then working depth for supported walking. Belt speed and duration increased only as tolerance allowed.
Progress
Less skipping on daily walks, more even hind-limb push-off in the chamber, and calmer entries after the first few acclimatisation sessions. Iliopsoas soreness and hip discomfort were monitored visit to visit.
Outcome
More confident strides and a happier daily routine — hydro built hip-supporting muscle without the joint pounding of pavement walks. Outcomes vary by case; this arc reflects sustained multimodal rehab, not a cure narrative.
Individual results vary by diagnosis, age, and home adherence. This case summary is drawn from RehabVet clinic records with owner consent to publish the pet's name — it is illustrative, not a guarantee of outcome.