Assisi Loop for Pain Management in Dogs

This post is sponsored by Assisi Animal Health.

We’re giving away a FREE Loop (valued at $279) to one lucky reader of That Mutt. Just leave a comment below to enter. Click here.

The winner will need to obtain a prescription from a veterinarian (Assisi can help with that).

The Assisi Loop is a non-pharmaceutical, anti-inflammatory device used to speed up the healing process and decrease pain in animals using low-level pulses of energy.

To use it, you gently rest the Loop on or around the affected area for about 15 minutes at a time. For example, I use the Loop on my dog Ace’s sore hips and knees. It is a lightweight product available in two sizes.

According to Assisi, the Loop is effective for several issues such as:

• Orthopedic injuries (ACL tears, broken bones, muscles strains)
• Neurological issues
• Wound care & post-surgical pain
• Other inflammatory issues such as pancreatitis or bronchitis

The Assisi Loop and pain management in dogs – two examples

The following are two examples on how the Loop helped dogs recover from serious injuries, allowing them to return to their active lifestyles.

I wanted to share these examples because a lot of you have active dogs starting to show signs of arthritis or active dogs recovering from minor injuries. The Loop could potentially help your dogs too.

Mila the German shepherd

The following is a summary of the story originally shared on Assisi’s blog here.

Mila is an athlete who competes in obedience, agility and tracking, but unfortunately she was hurt while playing with her Frisbee.

The injury left Mila temporarily unable to compete in agility. In fact, this high-drive shepherd wouldn’t even jump in the car, climb the stairs or hop on the bed.

Her owner, Shannon Malmberg, tried to make an appointment with a veterinarian but was unable to get her dog in for a few days. During that waiting time, she did everything she could at home such as crate rest, massage and using the Assisi Loop with Mila four times per day.

“It was good to know there was something immediate and very easy I could do at home,” Malmberg said on Assisi’s blog. “To have something that could start working on that area straight away was really good.”

Mila was ultimately diagnosed with a strained quadratus lumborum, and she was able to continue on with her competitions (receiving multiple titles in multiple sports).

Since the incident, Malmberg said she planned to keep the Loop in regular use, especially when Mila is competing. She said she wanted to use it before each agility competition and in between runs when possible.

In fact, Malmberg believes all agility dogs can benefit from the anti-inflammatory treatment of the Loop.

She told Assisi Animal Health:

“If you’re at an agility trial all day … your dog might do four to six runs and each run is 40 seconds to a minute. So there’s tons of down time. And if you could, partway through the day, do the Loop on your dog’s back to just keep everything loose and comfortable and not inflamed, that’s really good.”

Belle the golden retriever

The following is a summary of the original story shared on Assisi’s blog here.

Belle had been working with her owner towards competitive obedience when they had an unfortunate incident at a park.

An off-leash dog ran straight for Belle.

“He took her out right behind the shoulder blade, sideways,” Carrie Johnston told Assisi Animal Health “He T-boned her like he’d run a red light. He flipped her four times, nose-to-tail.”

Before the owner caught up and leashed the dog, he had hit and flipped Belle again, injuring her severely.

It took a few months and multiple vets to diagnose Belle with a ruptured disc and dislocated pelvis. She received months of treatments which included laser, acupuncture and chiropractic, and while she made improvements, she continued to have trouble with her back feet.

Belle’s veterinarians believed they had gone as far as they could, that the problems with her back feet were likely there to stay.

But Johnston wasn’t quite ready to give up on Belle and decided to try the Assisi Loop.

“I used it initially on her twice a day, every day, and we did that faithfully for three months,” she said on Assisi’s blog. It ended up being a “game-changer.”

After a re-check with Belle’s vet, he said the dog was about 50% better. Belle could eventually walk backwards the full length of Johnston’s training space (40 feet), walk sideways and do backwards, left-hand turns.

Like Mila’s owner, Johnston also ended up using the Loop for ongoing maintenance, rotating it to wherever Belle is a bit tight – her hamstring, waist, neck, shoulder blades, it varies.

“I wait til the massage therapist tells me where she’s a bit tight, then we Loop that for a couple of days, and it’s all loose again. It’s absolutely fantastic.”

More info about ordering a Loop

The Loop is available with a prescription online through Assisi Animal Health. It is also available directly through several veterinarians. Cost is $279 and it typically lasts around 150 15-minute sessions.

Click here to learn more about ordering a Loop. Assisi Animal Health is very good about helping you talk to your vet about obtaining a prescription. You can also enter your zip code to find a provider near you.

Giveaway – Win a FREE Assisi Loop + a LOOP-AID for your dog

Assisi Animal Health is giving away a FREE Loop ($279 value) and a FREE LOOP-AID to one lucky reader of That Mutt. The LOOP-AID is a new accessory designed to help dog owners keep the Loop in place.

To enter, just leave a comment below so I know your dog wants IN on the drawing. Why could your dog benefit from the Loop?

Must have a U.S. mailing address to win, and the winner will need to obtain a prescription from a veterinarian. (Assisi can help with this.)

I’ll choose a winner at random on Saturday Dec. 17 and announce it in Sunday’s email. Subscribe to That Mutt’s daily training emails here.

Everyone signed up for the $7/mo reward or higher on Patreon is automatically entered in this giveaway.

Have questions about the Loop and what it can do?

Please leave any questions in the comments or email [email protected]. I’ll get them answered for you!