The twelve weeks after surgery are where the result is made
Muscle comes off an operated leg in days and takes months to rebuild. Rehabilitation is the difference between a dog that walks soundly and a dog that favours the leg for the rest of its life. Two hospitals run it, and both have an underwater treadmill.
2rehabilitation rooms, at Subiaco and Canning Vale
What happens
The assessment
Gait scored on video, limb circumference measured on both sides, and joint range recorded in degrees. Every session afterwards is measured against those numbers.
Underwater treadmill
Water takes weight off the joint while the limb still does the work. It is how a dog loads a repaired stifle at week three, which is far earlier than it could on land.
Land exercises and home programme
Cavaletti poles, sit-to-stand sets, weight shifting and controlled turns. Most of the work happens at home, and the session is where the technique gets corrected.
Pain management alongside
Laser, manual therapy and medication reviewed at each visit. A dog in pain guards the limb, and a guarded limb builds no muscle.
Arthritis, without a surgery in front of it
Most of our rehabilitation caseload has never had an operation. Older dogs on a maintenance programme hold condition and need less medication.
Only on this page
What muscle mass does after a stifle surgery
Thigh circumference on the operated leg, as a percentage of the sound leg, measured at each visit. These are the two shapes we see, and the gap between them at week twelve is the reason the appointments are booked in advance.
| Week | With rehabilitation | Without |
|---|---|---|
| 0, before surgery | 94 per cent | 94 per cent |
| 2 | 82 per cent | 82 per cent |
| 4 | 87 per cent | 83 per cent |
| 6 | 92 per cent | 86 per cent |
| 8 | 95 per cent | 89 per cent |
| 12 | 99 per cent | 91 per cent |
The figures are the pattern our therapists record rather than a published trial. The shape is what matters: the two lines separate from week four, and the gap that is still there at week twelve tends to stay.
Where you can get this
2 of our six hospitals, because the equipment and the people it needs live in those buildings.
What it costs
From $110session
A block of eight sessions is $760, and orthopaedic surgery quotes include the first four.
All consult feesQuestions we get asked
My dog hates water. Will the treadmill work?
Most dogs settle within two sessions because the tank fills around them rather than being entered. The ones that do not get a land-based programme instead.
How often are the sessions?
Weekly for the first six weeks, then fortnightly. The home programme runs daily between them and is the larger half of the work.
Is it worth it for an old dog with arthritis?
This is the group that gains most. Maintaining muscle keeps a joint stable, and owners usually report a better result than a medication change alone.
Do I need a referral?
No. If your dog was operated on elsewhere, bring the surgical report and the radiographs and we will build the plan from those.
Which hospital?
Subiaco or Canning Vale. Both have the treadmill, and Subiaco has the later hours if you are coming after work.
Book rehabilitation and physiotherapy
Available at Subiaco, Canning Vale.