Bernie struggles with intermittent forelimb lameness, especially after exercise.
- Weight: 44.5 kg
- Age: 1 year
- Breed: Bernese Mountain Dog
- Diagnosis: Intermittent forelimb lameness
- WimbaTHERAPY: 185° WimbaTOKENS
- WIMBA Provider: Valley Veterinary Hospital
Medical Examination
Bernie struggles with intermittent forelimb lameness, especially after exercise. Bernie is a very bouncy Bernese with a tendency to hyperextend her carpus during activity, and pain on extension becomes evident during her flare-ups.
Veterinarian's Goals
Our goals were to avoid her hyperextending her carpus during exercise and therefore improve her comfort and allow her the freedom of being a young lady.
With the newest WIMBA Carpal Orthosis Go set to 185 degrees, Bernie has gained the support she needed to prevent hyperextension, enhance her comfort, and enjoy life as the young, energetic pup she is!
Pet Owner's Feedback
"I heard about the brace through my work, where I work with Nichi Cockburn, Veterinary Physiotherapist at Valley Veterinary Hospital. I trust Nichi, and when she suggested that the brace could give Bernie a pain-free life and possibly help her avoid medication while she's still young, I felt it was worth a try.
Initially, we were worried about whether Bernie would tolerate the scanning process since she doesn't adapt to change easily. To our surprise, she handled it better than we expected. When it came to the brace itself, she adjusted well. It did take some time for her to get used to walking in it, and for us to get the hang of putting it on, but it’s easy to use and clean.
Bernie can now enjoy longer walks and play with other dogs without us constantly worrying about pain or having to plan ahead to give her medication. She can finally just be a puppy again, doing what she loves without any repercussions or days of rest afterward.
The entire process was easy, and now that Bernie has the brace, it’s truly changed her life. We haven’t needed to give her any pain medication since she started using it, and she can live her life to the fullest again.
We’re still working on making sure the fit is perfect and are cautious while letting her play with other dogs to avoid damaging the brace. So far, we haven’t had any problems.”
Nichi Cockburn RVN NCert (A&CC) CCRP AdvCertVPhys MIRVAP (VP) has been a Registered Veterinary Nurse for over 20 years, many of these years were in emergency and critical care. She refocused her training in rehabilitation and physiotherapy and gained her Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) qualification, awarded by the University of Tennessee in 2015 and an Advanced Certificate in Veterinary Physiotherapy in 2017. Nichi leads the rehabilitation service at Valley Veterinary Hospital in Cardiff. She works closely with their multidisciplinary team, to develop an individual care package for pain management and rehabilitation. She has a particular passion in the management of osteoarthritis and is on the board of directors of the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance (VOA).
About Valley Vets
Valley Vets has treated over 250,000 pets in South Wales over the past 65 years. The veterinary team brings over 150 years of combined experience in all aspects of small animal medicine and surgery. Each hospital holds Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Accreditation, offering the facilities, equipment, and expertise of a large, well-established practice while providing the personalized service and continuity of a small, family-run clinic.