Dear Daisy Dog: Rudy, my 8-year-old Labrador retriever, had surgery to repair a torn cruciate ligament in his knee. After my own knee surgery, my surgeon sent me to a physical therapist. Don't dogs need physical therapy too?
They do, though not all dogs receive it.
Studies show that dogs that undergo post-op physical therapy, called physical rehabilitation in the canine world, do better than dogs that don't.
One study followed 51 dogs before, during and after knee surgery to repair the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and damaged medical meniscus.
Before surgery, the severity of lameness was similar for both groups of dogs: 25 dogs that received post-op physical rehabilitation, and 26 treated with rest only.
Six months after surgery, leg function was measured. Both groups improved, but the rehabilitated dogs achieved significantly greater improvement than the exercise-restricted dogs.
In the dogs that received physical rehabilitation, the surgically repaired leg was as good as the other, uninjured hind leg. In the exercise-restricted dogs, the repaired leg was significantly worse than the uninjured leg.
Do Rudy and favor and talk with your surgeon about physical rehabilitation.
Dear Christopher Cat: What is animal digest, and what exactly are animal byproducts? I see these terms on my cat food labels. They don't sound very appetizing to me.
Animal digest is a protein-rich ingredient that enhances the palatability of pet food.
It is made by breaking down the proteins in muscle meat or other soft tissue to form peptides. The process is similar to the first steps of natural digestion.
Liquid digest usually is sprayed onto dry kibble, and the powder and paste forms of digest are mixed into the food.
Byproducts are ingredients left over when something else is made.
For example, gelatin, bouillon and broths are meat byproducts used in human foods.
Pet-food regulations define animal byproducts as certain body parts other than muscle meat, e.g., liver, kidneys, spleen and lungs, all good sources of protein. Animal parts that may not be included as byproducts are hides, hooves, hair, feathers and intestinal contents.
Other byproducts are rice bran, tomato pomace, whey and fat. Vitamin E is a byproduct of soybean processing.
Reputable manufacturers use highly digestible byproducts to add protein and other nutrients to pet food. For example, muscle meat is deficient in vitamins, calcium and other minerals, which are abundant in certain byproducts.
So while they might not sound very appetizing, both animal digest and byproducts play important roles in the production of palatable, nutritious pet food.
Ask the Vet's Pets appears Friday. The animal authors of the column live with Lee Pickett, V.M.D., who practices companion animal medicine at Bernville Veterinary Clinic. Contact them at www.askthevetspets.com, 610-488-0166 or P.O. Box 302, Bernville, PA 19506-0302.