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What is Canine Rehabilitation?
Canine rehabilitation is a relatively new field of veterinary medicine that involves evaluation and treatment of dogs, cats and other domesticated animals suffering from injury or pathology. Veterinarians typically refer clients for this service when quality of life is affected.
Canine rehabilitation therapists are trained to evaluate the animals’ muscle strength, joint mobility, range of motion, flexibility, endurance, soft tissue mobility, and movement patterns (how they walk, change positions, perform tasks, etc.). The patient’s medical history, home environment, prior level of function, behavioral tendencies and client goals are all reviewed and considered when developing an individualized plan of care. Interventions are designed to meet the goals established in the plan of care. These can include, but are not limited to: ​​
Modalities
LASER
ULTRASOUND
ELECTRICAL STIMULATION
PERCUSSIVE MASSAGE
PEMF
HEAT THERAPY
CRYOTHERAPY
Manual therapy
MASSAGE
SOFT TISSUE TECHNIQUES
JOINT MOBILIZATION
STRETCHING
TAPING
Therapeutic Exercise
Prescribed movement designed to improve range of motion, strength, endurance, or well-being, often with a specific functional goal in mind
Water therapy
Provides a low impact environment that can help improve range of motion, strength, and overall endurance without stressing the joints
Owner Education
Provides information regarding how to best care for your pet while he or she is recovering
Balance Training
Improves stability and proprioception (knowing where the body is in space)
Gait Training
Helps your dog to ambulate efficiently by promoting normalized walking patterns
Neurodevelopmental sequence training
Typically performed with neurologically involved animals with goal of progressing through a series of functional postures.