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A Little Off Topic- Deer Learning To Walk!


Jumabaar
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So i have mentioned in a few posts that I am getting my dogs treated my Dr Helen and Dr Naomi at Animal Physiotherapy Services http://www.k9physio.com and since graduating vet they have let me come and play with their clients and learn more about Animal Physiotherapy. What I DIDNT expect was to end up involved in treating Bambi- the fallow deer how to walk after being paralysed in the hind legs for 14mths. Please don't judge her owner- Bambi has been very well cared for and is clicker trained and is very much a fighter!!

So after just 2 consults and finding her a harness this was her first real attempt at walking- you can see when we managed to hold her back legs up enough that she is actually starting to move her back right leg (OK you also unfortunately have to hear me getting very excited in the video). But I just wanted to share this with you because there are quite a few animal physiotherapists in Australia that can help dogs from puppyhood right through to adults with injury prevention as well as treatment post injury. And well I just was really excited so I thought what better place to share it!!

Hopefully we will have some more exciting footage of Bambi in the coming months :) Bambi has a loooong was still to go and we have never treated a Deer before so we can't predict the outcome but she already has a much better quality of life which is our entire aim in treating every animal we see.

Sorry it is on FB but I think it should work for everyone.

Edited by Jumabaar
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A fallow paralysed for 14 months? Sorry, I don't agree with that poor things life. She also risks massive injuries when she's partially mobile and tries to spring, most deer snap necks and legs from one sharp movement in a confined (and sometimes not even that confined) space.

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So i have mentioned in a few posts that I am getting my dogs treated my Dr Helen and Dr Naomi at Animal Physiotherapy Services http://www.k9physio.com and since graduating vet they have let me come and play with their clients and learn more about Animal Physiotherapy. What I DIDNT expect was to end up involved in treating Bambi- the fallow deer how to walk after being paralysed in the hind legs for 14mths. Please don't judge her owner- Bambi has been very well cared for and is clicker trained and is very much a fighter!!

So after just 2 consults and finding her a harness this was her first real attempt at walking- you can see when we managed to hold her back legs up enough that she is actually starting to move her back right leg (OK you also unfortunately have to hear me getting very excited in the video). But I just wanted to share this with you because there are quite a few animal physiotherapists in Australia that can help dogs from puppyhood right through to adults with injury prevention as well as treatment post injury. And well I just was really excited so I thought what better place to share it!!

Hopefully we will have some more exciting footage of Bambi in the coming months :) Bambi has a loooong was still to go and we have never treated a Deer before so we can't predict the outcome but she already has a much better quality of life which is our entire aim in treating every animal we see.

https://www.facebook...&type=2

Sorry it is on FB but I think it should work for everyone.

:( poor bambi ..... being put thru so much .

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Nekhbet, we fully understand the risks as does her owner and they are certainly being taken into account during our physio sessions. That is why her owner came to us- because we have both veterinarians and physiotherapists on the team.

Edited by Jumabaar
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Nekhbet, we fully understand the risks as does her owner and they are certainly being taken into account during our physio sessions. That is why her owner came to us- because we have both veterinarians and physiotherapists on the team.

I more mean when the deer is partially mobile at home.

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Just a thought, how come they don't use a frame on wheels that the harness attaches to, to hold the deer up rather than using brute strength [would be hard to sustain the right height when walking along].

Bambi does have a wheelchair but they just don't quite work as well for deer as they do for dogs. Her owner is conditioning her to like the wheelchair again (Bambi is clicker trained and has some interesting tricks) but it we don't want to upset her so it will be a while before we introduce it to her again. We are actually hoping that we won't need to hold all of her weight in a few weeks once her front legs are able to straighten out more normally which will allow us to continue with the harness rather than the wheelchair- it also means she is less likely to hurt herself if she decides to jump because we can continue to stabilise which we can't necessarily do with a wheelchair attached. It is really only that she is all bent up in the front and far too straight in the back that makes walking her so difficult at the moment!!

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Just a thought, how come they don't use a frame on wheels that the harness attaches to, to hold the deer up rather than using brute strength [would be hard to sustain the right height when walking along].

Bambi does have a wheelchair but they just don't quite work as well for deer as they do for dogs. Her owner is conditioning her to like the wheelchair again (Bambi is clicker trained and has some interesting tricks) but it we don't want to upset her so it will be a while before we introduce it to her again. We are actually hoping that we won't need to hold all of her weight in a few weeks once her front legs are able to straighten out more normally which will allow us to continue with the harness rather than the wheelchair- it also means she is less likely to hurt herself if she decides to jump because we can continue to stabilise which we can't necessarily do with a wheelchair attached. It is really only that she is all bent up in the front and far too straight in the back that makes walking her so difficult at the moment!!

Ahh okies, that makes sense smile.gif

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