Dr. Cianelli
When a pet experiences a traumatic injury, immediate medical attention is always necessary – and when the Assisi Loop can be integrated as part of the response, the animal’s chances of rapid recovery are increased substantially. In the case of a Boston Terrier named Rosie who was attacked by a larger dog in a public market, she was fortunate that Dr. Vindhya Cianelli was present to administer triage and, later, the Assisi Loop.
Rosie’s Story presented by her veterinarian, Dr. Cianelli
Rosie is an 11-month-old spayed female Boston Terrier that presented to me immediately after a violent interaction with a Newfoundland. I witnessed the attack from a few feet away: the larger dog had grabbed Rosie first by her chest, then slipped his grip down to her left hind leg. After several minutes, we were able to remove the Newfoundland’s grip to get Rosie to safety.
On physical examination she was non-ambulatory, tachycardic, panting, pale mucous membranes but normal capillary refill time. She had multiple abrasions, bruises, and puncture wounds on her thorax and left hind leg. Crepitus was palpated on her right lateral thorax at the costochondral junction, indicating the likelihood of rib fracture(s). Lung sounds were clear bilaterally with no evidence of dyspnea. Pupils were dilated but pupillary light reflexes were direct and consensual. After several minutes, she was ambulatory in all four legs with no neurologic deficits. Bruising was worsening on her thorax near the area of crepitus and with associated puncture wounds.
After determining she was stable with a diagnosis of bite wounds and possible rib fractures, I sent her home so that her owner could take care of her own wounds sustained when she attempted to intervene during the attack.
I made a house call a few hours later to check on Rosie. She was very subdued and there was mild inflammation of the muscles in her proximal left hind leg. Normally this dog is extremely hyperactive, constantly jumping (and being scolded for jumping). She was very reluctant to walk around and was very painful at the site of suspected rib fractures. Since Rosie appeared to be stable, the owner elected to treat her holistically. She cleaned the wounds and applied essential oils for pain and disinfection. I performed treatment with the Loop on her chest during that visit. Immediately after the treatment she seemed less stiff and was walking around a little more. I instructed the owner to use the Loop twice daily on the chest and twice daily on the left hind leg.
The next day the owner called to let me know that Rosie was about 50% better. Her appetite was great and she was eliminating without difficulty. She also mentioned how much Rosie loved the treatments. She would close her eyes and fall asleep during a treatment.
I examined her again two days after the attack and she was about 75% improved. Her bruising was minimal.
By the third day of using the Loop, the owner reported she no longer needed treatment of the leg but continued to treat the chest.
By the fifth day, the owner was thrilled to say Rosie’s activity was almost 100%. She dropped the treatments to once daily. But by the sixth day, she no longer needed the Loop, nor would she sit still for treatment (usual behavior for her).
The owner and I were completely impressed with the speed of Rosie’s recovery after such a violent attack. She was so impressed that she purchased a Loop for her other dog that has hip DJD and cystitis. I am convinced that the Loop significantly decreased her healing time without the use of any drugs!
Thank you to Dr. Cianelli for sharing Rosie’s story. We believe it is important to capture cases such as this and share them with our community. If you are willing to share your story about the Assisi Loop, please contact us!