When Rose Anderson began her course in physical therapy, she had no idea who one of her first patients would be.

Her dog Beaner.

Anderson, of rural Akron, graduated Saturday with an associate's degree in physical therapy from the University of Indianapolis. Her final graduation requirement was a case study of how she rehabilitated her 5-year-old Australian shepherd.

On Aug. 1, Anderson's last day of class in Indianapolis, her roommate Helen Talford went outside to feed their animals. Beaner kept trying to get up but couldn't move. Talford took him to the vet, who after observation diagnosed the dog with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

GBS is characterized by muscular weakness and mild distal sensory loss. It is not normally found in animals; Anderson's vet said he knew of just two cases where animals had contracted the illness.

The GBS had affected Beaner to the point that about all he could do was wag his tail - and cry. "We'd pick him up and he'd just cry ... he was so brave," said Anderson.

The vet prescribed intensive steroid therapy for two weeks. He told Anderson it would be an uphill battle for Beaner and they should consider his options - including putting him down.

During the next few weeks Beaner developed open wounds Anderson said would have killed him. The damage caused by the pressure sores (similar to bedsores) is compounded because the animal cannot move to relieve himself and lies in his own waste if no one is there to help him.

Anderson took Beaner to the vet after three weeks. There was no improvement in his reflexes, and new medication was creating additional problems. Anderson decided to stop Beaner's medication and try therapy instead.

It didn't look to good for Beaner in the early stages. "Two weeks after beginning therapy, he declined even more," Anderson said. "It was really difficult to stomach because you didn't know where he was going to end up."

But Anderson did not give up.

One of the first things she did was put Beaner on a wire grate to get him up out of his own urine. Enhanced by the use of a waffle air mattress, and by turning him every two hours, this treatment saved Beaner's life. "We were able to get him up so the urine could go through, and (the mattress) would cushion the wounds to decrease his pressure sores," she said.

Anderson rigged up a sling for Beaner to "let him hang awhile," and she made little splints to keep his legs straight. The free standing combined with the splints helped improve the dog's range of motion. Anderson and Talford, also a physical therapist, worked Beaner's limbs daily to keep the muscles from deteriorating.

Beaner also underwent pool therapy twice a day, and Anderson believes this was the key to Beaner's recovery.

Initially Beaner had to use a flotation device. "When we tried without it, he'd just fall to his side and go under," she said.

While floating was all Beaner could manage at first, soon Anderson could see shoulder movement. By the fifth week Beaner was swimming up to 25 12-foot widths of his little pool; this increased to 45 laps by the seventh week.

Though he's lost about 14 pounds, Anderson says Beaner is "back to his old obnoxious self." His hind legs still quiver a little, but he can jog three miles without rest and is chasing rabbits and deer again.

After her experience with Beaner, Anderson said it has crossed her mind to work with animals instead of people. But either way, she wants people to know that ailing pets have options.

"Proper care is what it's all about. ... It does not matter if you are human or canine; honesty, love, compassion and persistence can make the difference in any life." [[In-content Ad]]