Dog stroke recovery for dragging paw . hydrotherapy

[Lablady26]

Our lab had a minor stroke 3 months ago. She is fine but one paw is still being dragged (which rubs) although we have hunted down some doggie boots to help I was wondering if anyone had found anything that helps rehabilitation wise? She is 12.

There is somewhere that does hydrotherapy but it’s almost 1.5 hrs away. I would happily drive this if it would help but husband not sure it will and thinks being dragged about in a car for so long isn’t what she would want. Has it helped anyone with a similarly aged dog?

other ideas? Supplements? Alternative therapies? Exercises we could do? Or is this just part of the aging process of an old dog? We love her dearly and just want her to have the best quality of life.

My Goldie is 13 1/2 and swims at hydro weekly. It definitely helps her back leg strength and overall mobility
Check with your vet though - there are several options for rehab and one may be more suited to your girl than others. She will need a vet to sign her off as suitable anyway for hydrotherapy

Not quite the same, but our collie was had nerve damage to her back leg after an accident. We bought a 10ft child's pool and a set of fishermans waders and did our own daily hydrotherapy to help her regain some strength and mobility. It worked really well, she still trailed a paw for the rest of her life (7 years, she made it to almost 15) but the swimming made a noticeable difference very quickly. Afterward her pad hardened up very quickly to compensate for the change in gait and there was no need for boots long term.

Thank you so much. I think it might be worth visiting the vet a bit further afield for more guidance as they have a bit more on offer (we have a v small local vet). Also good tip on the DIY option. Will speak to the vet about this too as this is something we could definitely do. It might be that we could do official hydrotherapy fortnightly and ask for exercises we could do at home to help build strength. Also very reassuring to know the paw might harden up a bit as she loathes the boots.