Awesome Day

We just got home from Riley's first physical therapy session. It was GREAT. Cindy did another complete evaluation to see where Riley was at right now and she felt he doing really well. She did some stretching exercises to see where his range of motion is and it is really good for how far he is since the surgery. Then came the big moment......... The Underwater Treadmill. Riley is not a water lover even though he is a spaniel, so I didn't know what to expect. This thing is SO cool. It's a big plexi glass enclosed treadmill. She put Riley in it and gave him lots of treats. As he got more comfortable she started to fill it up with water. She filled it to just below his shoulders. I sat on a small bench in the front so he was facing me. Then she turned on the treadmill and he started walking. It was pretty funny because he really didn't have a clue as to what was happening. He walked at different speeds and with more water for a total of 10 minutes. I sat and encouraged him to keep going. It was AWESOME to see him do it. After the treadmill, Cindy dried him off then iced his leg to reduce any inflammation. Then she used a big rubber ball and positioned Riley on it so that he would stretch his legs down around the ball. He was pretty hesitant at first but then started to relax and did the stretching.
I asked Cindy about how long her treatment plan would last and she said from everything she could see he would only need about 4 weeks of therapy going 3 times per week. I thought that was the best news I had heard in a long time. Of course alot will depend on how Riley responds to the exercise etc but barring any unforeseen setbacks, she said Riley should be able to return to doing Pet Therapy in another month. WOW!!! I never really let myself think that this would all come to a happy ending , but I am starting to believe it now. I am going to bring my camera next time we go so I can post some pictures of Riley on the treadmill. Riley curled up in a ball and slept the whole way home. He is sound asleep now and I am sure will be pretty knocked out for the rest of the day. I am so glad that I could share this great news with everyone. See ya tomorrow!!