Angela Martins
Lusófona University School of Veterinary Medicine, Portugal
Title: Physical medicine and rehabilitation of dogs with periferic vestibular syndrome
Biography
Biography: Angela Martins
Abstract
This study intended to adjust and apply a functional neurorehabilitation (FNR) protocol with balance training for dogs with peripheral vestibular syndrome (PVS). These protocols intended to stimulate neuroplasticity of the vestibular system, promoting static balance; and also of the central nervous system, promoting dynamic balance. According that and in order to eliminate all empirical evaluation was created a pioneer scale in veterinary medicine – a balance scale, which represents an analogy of the human’s medicine balance scale (Berg Balance Scale). This scale evaluates the ability of keeping active stance, sit after standing, standing after sitting, walking in strait line and in circles, go up and downstairs and finding balance after dislocation of the gravity center. This scale showed to be essential evaluating and monitoring these dogs, avoiding clinical discharge of only compensated dogs instead of rehabilitated. To prove its usefulness, this scale was applied to a group of 21 dogs with PVS, being successful not only to evaluate and monitor them but also to prove that application of FNR protocols with balance training was more beneficial than the administration of corticosteroids or the application of only basic treatment. It was also showed that the administration of corticosteroids does not have benefits in the final performance.
