Yesterday Bacio had his consultation appointment with the therapists over at Integrative Pet Care to see what they recommend for this FHO recovery. Yuki and I came along for moral support. I have to admit, after hearing about the costs for therapy and the initial consultation, I was a bit wary. Before the appointment I had asked friends for opinions and read reviews all over the internet. For the most part the reviews were 5 stars, and after that consultation visit, I feel like most of their reviews were probably deserved.
They poked and prodded Bacio, in a good way. Felt all his joints move and watched his reaction to touch. They observed him walking, and even tried to see how he’d do going a bit faster. Unfortunately for ‘Cio, both of his back legs have started to atrophy. He really needs to build up muscle in those legs so that he can heal and be ready for round two. The flexibility in his hips was still surprisingly good, and that is a good sign for his recovery. Hydrotherapy will really be the best thing for him. They said that after therapy and the second surgery he will be like a whole new dog. I can’t wait for all this to be over and that moment to come.
I will receive an email in the next day or two outlining the therapy program, with options and associated costs. I tend to be skeptical about paying high prices for anything, and I always try to DIY before buying something. I know that in some cases higher prices mean higher quality or a better product/service. I pay the higher prices for dog food and supplements, while on the other hand made my own sling to carry Bacio down the stairs for less than $10, when the stores wanted $50. Integrative Pet Care will be one of those things worth the splurge. After being in there for an hour, I really felt like they would take their time and do whatever is best for Bacio. When I heard the numbers, they were a bit daunting ($1500-$2000 for the whole program), but when I stressed my concerns about the figures, they were very upfront and honest. They said they could shave off some of the session by teaching me home exercises and taper off the sessions as he improved.
Regardless of what it will cost in the long run, I did initially think just the surgery would cost me $4400. It cost less than a fourth of what I had thought. I can look at this therapy as being payments on what I thought the initial procedure would have been. I didn’t hesitate to set his next appointment. He needs double sessions in the beginning. So next week he will try the water treadmill. I’m expecting him to be terrified and refuse to get in. After 30 min of that, he will receive 30 min of laser therapy on his muscles and bones. I’m not all too sure what that is, but they said the laser would stimulate the muscles and bones, helping the tissues and cells.
Off we go to step two of recovery.
