The Assisi Loop is an effective treatment for arthritis in dogs, cats, and horses.  We have published several blog posts about this.  We also have an excellent overview of tPEMF.  Animals are living longer, which means more of our pets are suffering from the debilitating pain that can come with arthritis.  Our new Manager of Client Relations and Sales has a dog with chronic arthritis.  Before she even started working with Assisi, she began working with the Loop.  Here’s her story of using the Loop for the first time to treat her beloved Blake.

dog with osteoarthritis - Assisi Loop

Blake is a 10-year-old rescued Pit Bull Terrier who was adopted from the Santa Fe Animal Shelter (New Mexico) in 2005, when he was about a year old. He sat in the shelter for 3 months before he found his forever home – and perhaps that long wait can be attributed to his slightly strange looks.

 

Blake has chondrodysplasia – a developmental abnormality that is essentially doggie dwarfism. While some breeds, like Basset hounds and Dachshunds, are selectively bred to have chondrodysplasia, it sometimes occurs in other breeds by genetic accident.

 

As a result, Blake has very short and bowed front legs and an elongated back, earning him the nickname “Low Rider.” He often gets stopped on the street by tourists in Santa Fe (where he lives with his momma, Assisi’s Manager of Client Relations and Sales) asking to take a picture of such a cool-looking dog. Unfortunately, though, Blake’s bone condition also causes many medical issues.

 

He first started limping and developing arthritis in his front shoulders, elbows, and wrists when he was just a year and a half old. Many years of glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplements kept him moving fairly well, but cold weather and age have slowing effects on Blake. What his momma didn’t realize, however, was that he was also developing severe arthritis in his entire spine.

 

Blake with Loops on back-shoulderEverything came to a head in 2011, when Blake and his momma were living in Knoxville, Tennessee. One day Blake could barely walk and trembled uncontrollably. His momma took him to a number of different vets before, finally, the neurology team at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine isolated a slipped disc in his back. After a week, despite medication and acupuncture, Blake was immobile in his back legs and in constant pain.

 

Momma scheduled an MRI for him at the University of Tennessee but was afraid that the disc problem would require costly surgery. The MRI was scheduled for a Tuesday at 7:30 am. Suddenly, at 3:30 am that same day, Blake stood up, walked casually to his water bowl, and took a drink. The disc must have popped back into place – and not a moment too soon!

 

While he was able to avoid the MRI, Blake’s back issues persisted – though thankfully not with the severity of his incident in Knoxville. After moves to New Jersey and then back to Santa Fe, Blake usually acted normal, though occasionally – often after a day of exertion, like a long walk – he would get “pain attacks,” where he’d sit and tremble until his momma gave him some Previcox (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). After taking the pill, he’d lay down and sleep the rest of the day.

 

After years of spot-treating Blake’s spinal arthritis, Momma (also known as Charlotte Jusinski) found out about the Assisi Loop. She received her first two Loops during a cool, rainy spell in the weather when Blake was especially “creaky.” She Looped Blake’s back for 30 minutes (one 15-minute treatment with each Loop) three times a day for a week, then backed it off to about twice a day, and once a day after that. Blake’s “creaks” slowly disappeared.

 

Assisi Loop treating arthritis

Now, Blake only uses the Loop as necessary. He hardly gets his “pain attacks” at all anymore – and, once in a blue moon when he does, his momma Loops his back for 30 minutes and he is ready to face the rest of the day (instead of sleeping off medication, like before!). He once again enjoys his walks and doesn’t creak around the house when it rains or when it’s chilly. When he presents with a little limp in his right front leg (which he first started limping on at 18 months old), his momma Loops his leg once, and he is good to go for days or even weeks.

 

Blake is a great ambassador for pit bulls, with a smiling face and a sweet disposition – and, while we all agree that dwarf dogs are adorable with their silly little legs, remember that any bone disorder (no matter how cute) comes with its own set of challenges. Blake is ready to face all those challenges now that his momma has the Loop in her arsenal!