Whether your pet is recovering from surgery, slowing down due to arthritis, or just not moving like they used to, you’d do anything to help them feel better. We’re here to help with that. We are proud to offer a dedicated Veterinary Rehabilitation program.
Think of it as physical therapy, but designed specifically for the unique needs of your dog or cat. We use many of the same healing techniques that help humans recover, carefully adapted for our four-legged companions. Our belief is simple: a full recovery involves more than just rest. By combining effective pain management with hands-on physical rehabilitation, we give your pet the best possible chance to regain their strength, get their mobility back, and live with less pain.
How We Can Help Your Pet Thrive?
Our programs are about more than just healing an injury—they’re about improving your pet’s entire quality of life. We can:
- Speed up recovery after surgery.
- Manage chronic pain from conditions like arthritis, making their days more comfortable.
- Rebuild strength and flexibility so they can walk, run, and jump more easily.
- Keep their minds happy and busy during a long recovery (a bored pet is a sad pet!).
Provide a fun, safe path to weight loss that protects their joints.
Is Pet Rehabilitation Right for Your Companion?
We can build a custom plan for dogs and cats facing a wide range of challenges. If your pet is dealing with any of the following, they could be a wonderful candidate for rehab:
- Arthritis or other degenerative joint diseases
- Hip dysplasia (with or without surgery)
- Recovery from orthopedic surgery (like cruciate/ACL tears, patellar luxations, or fracture repairs)
- Back problems (like “herniated discs” or IVDD)
- Muscle strains or other soft tissue injuries
- Age-related weakness and stiffness in senior pets
- Neurological diseases that affect their balance or strength
- Obesity or poor physical conditioning
A Special Note on Weight Loss: If your pet is overweight, it puts extra strain on their body. We can create a specialized exercise and nutrition plan just for them, using our rehab tools to help them shed pounds safely and improve their overall health.
Some of Our Favorite Healing Tools
We use a “multi-modal” approach, which is just a fancy way of saying we combine different tools and techniques to create the perfect recipe for your pet’s recovery.
Underwater Treadmill (Hydrotherapy)
This is a game-changer for so many of our patients. The warm water’s natural buoyancy supports your pet’s weight, taking all the stress off their sore joints. This allows them to walk, build muscle, and improve their gait without pain. It’s a fantastic, low-impact workout for post-op recovery, arthritis, and weight loss.
Therapeutic Laser (Cold Laser)
This painless, non-invasive treatment uses light energy to “wake up” the body’s cells, telling them to heal faster. It’s like a warm, soothing flashlight that reduces inflammation and provides wonderful pain relief. Pets usually find it very relaxing!
Therapeutic Exercises
This is a custom workout plan designed to rebuild strength, balance, and coordination. We use fun props like cavaletti poles, balance boards, and therapy balls to gently challenge your pet as they get stronger, turning their “homework” into playtime.
Hands-On Therapies (Massage & Stretching)
Sometimes, the best tools are our hands.
- Therapeutic Massage: Feels great and is great for them. It increases circulation, relaxes tight “knotted” muscles, and reduces stress.
- Joint Range of Motion: Gentle, passive movements to help lubricate joints and keep them moving smoothly.
- Targeted Stretching: Helps release tension and improve flexibility, especially when they’ve been compensating for an injury.
Muscle Stimulation (NMES)
After surgery or an injury, muscles can “forget” how to work. NMES uses a very gentle, safe current to create a tiny muscle contraction (it doesn’t hurt!). This is an amazing way to prevent muscle loss and “re-train” the muscles in pets who are learning to walk again.
Cryotherapy (Cold) & Heat Therapy
Just like for us, cold packs (cryotherapy) are used to reduce inflammation and numb pain, especially after surgery or an exercise session. Warm compresses (heat therapy) are used for chronic conditions to relax muscles and increase blood flow to an area.