Finnbar: Rehabbing Meningoencephalitis of unknown origin (MUO)

This is a particularly personal blog for me about the journey I have been on with an amazing animal that has spanned my professional training through to being one of my very first patients of “Lead the Way”. For nearly a year I have been working with a dog called Finnbar as his appointed physiotherapist.

Finnbar is a working Golden Retriever who had competed successfully in obedience events over several years. I first met Finnbar whilst studying and we immediately bonded, I went on to treat him at the time for some muscle tightness but overall was all-round healthy dog.

In early September 2023 Finnbar was unfortunately diagnosed with Meningoencephalitis of Unknown Origin (MUO). Although Finnbar’s owner caught the condition early, this can cause permanent brain damage and ultimately can be a fatal condition. Initially it was advised that he would not need physiotherapy as part of his treatment plan however Finnbars’ owner pushed for consent, ensuring all possible forms of rehabilitation were explored.

Finnbar presented with proprioception and withdrawal reflex delay, during movement analysis he veered to the left and had very little strength to transition from sitting to standing up. His muscle deterioration from initial diagnosis to when he presented to me was pronounced, globally affecting every muscle group.

His condition had taken a significant toll and he was in a pretty sorry state when compared to the fit competition dog I had met only the previous year. The priority was getting Finnbars’ reflexes to return to normal as quickly as possible by stimulating the sensory nerves. Once proprioception was back to normal, we could begin small weight shifting exercises to prevent any further muscle atrophy. I also observed at some points Finnbars’ hind limbs would feel cold to the touch, so red-light therapy was used to help increase the circulation to those affected areas. With Finnbar responding well to these initial treatments we began to increase the exercises he could do, incrementally working on different muscle groups.

I’m pleased to say in less than a year and with the support of a dedicated and loving owner who supported me in the application of a well-developed treatment plan, Finnbar competed and won again in competitive obedience trials. In those dark early days this was something that Finnbars’ owner never thought possible.

This was a joint effort between me, Finnbars’owner, Finnbars’ trainer and of course the star himself. I’m honoured to have been a part of his journey, and I hope to be throughout his competitive career and perhaps one day in his well-deserved retirement.

Why did I want to share such a personal account you may ask? Well obviously, I want to highlight the results physiotherapy, especially as part of a well-coordinated team effort, can achieve. Without Finnbars’ owners support and dedication, I’m confident we would have not achieved the success we did – but I also want to recognise the real hero in this sorry, Finnbar.

Finnbar will forever be an inspiration to me, no matter how bleak the outlook never give up, miracles really do happen.

Great work Finnbar, you made us all very proud.