What is physical rehabilitation?

Physical rehabilitation is the treatment of disease or injury with physical modalities such as heat, cold, water, sound, electricity, massage, and exercise.

What are some of the benefits/goals of physical rehabilitation?

The overall goal of physical rehabilitation is to increase patient mobility, manage pain, improve strength, speed recovery, and, most importantly, improve the quality of life for our pets.

Benefits of rehabilitation include the following:

• Restore range of motion of joints
• Prevent muscle loss and build muscle mass during recovery from surgery/injury
• Improve strength of weak or paralyzed limbs
• Prevent muscle contracture
• Improve blood and lymphatic flow to injured tissues
• Improve the mental well-being of pets by providing a safe outlet for energy during recovery

Which patients are candidates for rehabilitation?

Many conditions respond well to rehabilitation including:

• Orthopedic Cases Postoperative cranial cruciate ligament repair, patella surgery, femoral head ostectomy [FHO], fracture repair, total hip replacement, hip and elbow dysplasias, tendon/ligament injuries, and arthritis.
• Neurological Cases Postoperative disk, vertebral fracture, or spinal tumor surgery, nonsurgical degenerative disk disease, degenerative spinal cord conditions, neuropathies, spinal cord trauma, weakness.
• Medical Cases Muscle wasting, weight management, vascular disorders.
• General Health and Wellness Obesity treatment, geriatric support, athletic conditioning.

Please remember that physical rehabilitation is not an alternative to proper surgical or medical care. For example: A dog should not undergo physical rehabilitation for "lameness" without first having been diagnosed by a veterinarian. Some problems such as a torn cranial cruciate ligament or herniated disc could be worsened without medical/surgical intervention before beginning rehabilitation.

Which patients are not candidates for rehabilitation?

Aggressive animals or animals that are "fear biters" should not be considered for physical rehabilitation. Any patient that is deemed aggressive will be turned away from VRO. Patients in casts should not be rehabilitated until the cast is removed. After removal, these patients are excellent candidates for rehabilitation.

When should rehabilitation begin?

Physical rehabilitation should start in some form immediately following surgery or injury. VRO usually likes to see patients the first week after surgery/injury to assess the animal and begin more intensive rehabilitation.

How do I make an appointment?

VRO operates on a referral basis only. All patients must be under the care of a licensed veterinarian. Either you or your veterinarian can schedule an appointment but a VRO Referral Form must be filled out by your veterinarian before a rehabilitation program can be started. If you want to enroll you dog in the athletic conditioning or weight loss conditioning programs use the Conditioning Referral Form. This form can be faxed to VRO in advance or accompany your pet to the first rehabilitation session. A referral form is not required if your pet is a current patient at MedVet.

What special arrangements do I need to make for our first visit?

Plan to drop off your pet anytime before 9am. A small morning meal is fine before rehabilitation. When you arrive you will be asked to fill out some paperwork.

What can be done for conditioning of canine athletes?

The aquatic treadmill is a particularity effective means of exercise for conditioning and strength training for canine athletes. It is very low impact so injuries can be avoided and it works all the leg muscle groups through a full range-of-motion. It has been documented that aquatic treadmills produce better joint range-of-motion than land-based activities. This is an excellent way for dogs who compete in agility, fly-ball, and other activities to stay in shape safely and effectively.

How can physical rehabilitation help my overweight dogs lose weight?

Physical activity increases metabolism, strengthens joints, and builds muscles. These combine to provide a very effective means of enhancing weight loss, however, overweight dogs are prone to injury when exercising. Aquatic-based activities provide a safe, low-impact way to exercise and ultimately lose weight.

What happens during my pet’s first rehabilitation session?

In order to offer an individualized program for your pet an initial evaluation is necessary. This includes: past medical/surgical history, current medications, joint range of motion, muscle mass, gait/balance analysis, analysis of relevant movement tasks, and palpation. After this is done a set of goals and the proper rehabilitation schedule is determined. Typically, the first rehabilitation session is also begun and completed this day. This may include but is not limited to gait and balance training, range of motion activities, underwater treadmill gait training, soft tissue massage, and ice or heat therapy as appropriate.

When do I meet with the veterinary rehabilitation therapist?

At the end of the first session day you will meet with a staff member who will explain in detail what the plan is for your pet. During this appointment the individualized rehabilitation plan and at-home exercises and care will be discussed and demonstrated. This is an important meeting and is critical for proper patient response to rehabilitation. At-home care plays a vital role in your pet’s rehabilitation. Future rehabilitation sessions will not necessarily require additional in-depth meetings because most of the information regarding an ongoing program can be discussed by telephone.

What does "At-Home Care" involve?

Since most patients will only be at VRO once to twice a week during a rehabilitation program, at-home care is a large part of your pet's recovery plan. Each at-home plan depends on the individual's needs but generally involves a variety of simple rehabilitation techniques applied on a set schedule. Balance, proprioception, and range of motion exercises, strength building techniques, and ice and heat therapies will be utilized. At-home care will change during your pet's recovery and you will be instructed by our veterinary rehabilitation therapists how to apply this care throughout the recovery process.