Kitti Lippai, introduction: Kitti Lippai is a small animal physiotherapist, and also a dog trainer. She works in Szeged and its surroundings as a small animal physiotherapist. She helps companion animals towards an active and pain-free life with special massage techniques, manual therapy, thermotherapy, passive mobilization, active exercise, phototherapy, as well as direct (TENS) and indirect (therapeutic ultrasound, Bemer magnetic field therapy) electrotherapy. She actively does sports and hiking with her own dogs.
What does physiotherapy mean for companion animals?
The word itself means healing with the energies of nature, even if it is produced artificially. Physiotherapy has a tradition in human medicine, its importance has been recognized and is now acknowledged. In certain diseases, traumas, and symptoms, physical therapy is an integral part of rehabilitation and is also used preventively. In the case of our companion animals, physiotherapeutic treatments similarly assist and complete the healing process, whether it is about trauma, neurological, or orthopedic conditions.
Which species does she treat?
Small animals, such as dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, or guinea pigs. Mainly dogs and cats enjoy the effects and benefits of physiotherapy, with dogs especially so. Most cooperation can also be expected from them, and they are the easiest to motivate with a few words of praise or a tasty treat.
For which conditions does small animal physiotherapy provide assistance?
Primarily for neurological conditions and problems affecting the joints, such as various spinal disorders, intervertebral disc herniation, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, or cruciate ligament rupture. Literature states as a fact that in the rehabilitation after surgery of nervous system diseases, the role of physiotherapy is so important that recovery can only be expected partially without it. Additionally, physical therapy is also recommended for muscle and tendon diseases, fractures, dislocations for as quick (that is, with as few consequential symptoms) rehabilitation as possible. Protecting a limb due to pain can lead to consequences such as narrowing of joint range of motion, muscle shortening, and overloading of other joints and muscles. These symptoms can be effectively eliminated or reduced by physiotherapy procedures and tools applied by the specialist. Its role is also emphasized in osteoarthritis, where physiotherapy can significantly reduce pain and inflammation and improve the restricted joint range of motion.
What are the main goals of physiotherapeutic treatments?
In general, the ultimate goal is active, independent, pain-free movement in all cases. The main goals of the treatments are the regulation of muscle tone, elimination of muscle spasms, improving blood circulation, reducing inflammation, reducing pain, increasing nerve conduction, mitigating muscle shortening, and restoring the function of joint range of motion.
By what methods and procedures can these goals be achieved?
The procedure applied by the physiotherapist during a treatment and the therapy itself depends on the specific disorder, the severity of the symptoms, the age of the patient, and their personality. Each procedure is indicated for certain symptoms, and contraindications must always be taken into account. The most commonly used are toning or detoning massage, heat treatment (cold or warm), manual therapy, passive mobilization, active exercise, phototherapy, and direct (TENS) or indirect electrotherapy (therapeutic ultrasound, and magnetic field treatment with the Bemer Vet 3000 device).
What symptoms might alert the owner to musculoskeletal or nervous system disorders?
If our pet’s behavior changes, for example, it becomes disinterested, less active, avoids certain movements, refuses to jump into the car when this was not previously a problem, or a movement disorder develops, such as limping, favoring one limb, "throwing" its limbs during gait, or if posture abnormalities are noticed, it is advisable to show it to a specialist with extensive experience in orthopedics and neurology as soon as possible. Owners can get information about the veterinary members of the Hungarian Small Animal Orthopedic Association on the association’s website.
What is the course of therapy?
During the first appointment, the physiotherapist performs an assessment and also gets acquainted with the patient and the owner, as they will work together to achieve their goals over the next 6-8 weeks. The therapist contacts the treating or operating veterinarian in advance, discussing the disorder and, if surgery was performed, the surgical procedure used. Based on the assessment, the physiotherapist develops the therapeutic plan: its duration, number of treatments, and the procedures to be applied. The first appointment also forms the basis for setting short- and long-term goals. Therapy typically lasts 6-8 weeks, with 1-3 treatments weekly recommended, depending on the disorder and severity of symptoms. The owner also plays an important role during therapy: the approximately half-hour daily home exercises taught and practiced are indispensable for recovery.
What training was required to carry out this activity?
In Hungary, the Hungarian Small Animal Physiotherapy Society trains professionals: it starts a one-year course annually in Budapest. I had planned to participate in the course for years, and as soon as I had the opportunity, I enrolled. I obtained my diploma in 2014 with an "excellent" rating.
Are you a member of any association or organization?
I am a member of the Hungarian Small Animal Physiotherapy Society; I gained membership in 2015.
Do you work together with veterinarians?
I contacted Dr. Zalán Papp during the course period. After passing the final exams successfully, I immediately had the opportunity to treat dogs operated on at the clinic. Later, owners approached me on behalf of other veterinarians in Szeged and the surrounding area as well.
Introduction to Dr. Zalán Papp, veterinarian:
Dr. Zalán Papp is the lead small animal clinical specialist veterinarian at the Móraváros Veterinary Center in Szeged, specializing in orthopedics and neurology. He is a member of the Hungarian Small Animal Orthopedic Association, which was founded in 2000 under the leadership of veterinarians specializing in diseases of the musculoskeletal system of animals. Its members are specialists in a specific field, orthopedics, who continuously improve their knowledge, can professionally diagnose the causes of movement disorders in companion animals, and establish and perform effective therapies, whether conservative or surgical.
What are the most common orthopedic and neurological disorders in your practice?
The most common orthopedic disorder in dogs is cranial cruciate ligament rupture, and in the field of neurology, intervertebral disc disease.
Are there breeds that are more prone to these disorders?
Yes, there are factors that predispose to these diseases, including the breed, age, body size, nutrition-related weight problems, and hereditary diseases. Among the latter, there are some that are more common in certain breeds, for example joint dysplasia in German Shepherds, elbow diseases in Labradors, vertebral problems in French Bulldogs, and intervertebral disc disease in Dachshunds. However, every patient is an individual case, so a French Bulldog can have dysplasia, a Labrador can have vertebral problems, or a German Shepherd can have spine issues. Therefore, it is difficult to state that just because a dog belongs to a particular breed, it will have this or that disease.
Do you consider physiotherapy important in small animal medicine, and what have you experienced in cases where rehabilitation included physiotherapy?
We have previously treated and operated on patients with orthopedic and neurological problems, whom we sent home with post-treatment and exercises I recommended, and as a result, they recovered. But my experience is that since a trained physiotherapist has been involved in the post-treatment, recovery time has significantly shortened and in cases previously considered hopeless, the healing was much more noticeable.
Could you mention a memorable case?
I could mention several, but if I had to pick one, it would be the treatment of a dog that was examined by many and gave little hope for recovery. The dog's owner was starting to come to terms with the fact that their pet would be mobility-restricted, partly due to the long time that had passed and the doctors' expert opinions. As a result of appropriate neurological treatment and thorough physiotherapy care carried out by Kitti Lippai, during a consultation over the phone, the owner happily reported that their dog "runs like a Ferrari!"
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