What's in a name? "Rehabilitation" is the veterinary equivalent of "physical therapy" in humans. Because physical therapists for people in essence "own" the term, the practice is referred to as rehabilitation when used with animals.

Why Do We Use REHABILITATION for Pets?

reduce the need for medication

While pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) certainly have their place in treating painful conditions, alternative therapies can help reduce the need for these medications. Physical therapy provides relief and improves healing time without the side effects commonly seen with pharmaceuticals.

Improve balance, Strength, & Coordination

Rehabilitative medicine can help pets recovering from an injury or surgery, those with degenerative or age-related diseases, or even healthy dogs as part of a canine athletic training program to give an edge during competition. Building core strength helps to balance the body and strengthen other muscles that work together for overall support.

Increase mobility and joint function

Our trained technicians apply modified physical therapy techniques that have proven successful in human medicine for decades. Pets benefit from improved range of motion and decreased pain, allowing a better quality of life, regardless of age or condition.

Customized Treatment Plans

Every pet presents with unique needs. After evaluation by our rehabilitation team, each patient receives a custom prescription rehabilitation plan. The pet owner uses a unique access code to view easy how-to videos for at-home exercises to supplement the techniques used in the office.

How to Schedule

Pets in Harmony accepts referrals from other local veterinarians, so long as your pet has received an exam within 3 months.

​Alternatively, you may schedule an examination with one of our doctors to start a physical therapy program.
Join us on a rewarding path to healing!

Rehab Program Options

Rehabilitative veterinary medicine is not one-size-fits-all!
Your pet's rehabilitation regimen will likely include a combination of physical therapy treatment modalities.
The following rehabilitation services are available at Pets in Harmony:
​Physiotherapy
  • Manual therapies: This includes massage, therapeutic stretching, range-of-motion exercises adapted from techniques used in human physical therapy.  Our rehab technicians use manual therapy during sessions in the Rehabilitation Center, and will teach you how to correctly perform exercises with your pet at home for additional benefit.
  • Strength, coordination, flexibility and balance therapies: These exercises help to improve coordination and balance, using specialized equipment that includes Cavaletti poles, physioballs, rocker & wobble boards, and therapy bands. By learning to balance on uneven or mobile surfaces, your pet will become more aware of where his feet are, increasing stability and strengthening nerve signals - this is especially helpful for pets with conditions that cause them to lean to one side or have frequent falls."
Picture
Patutti in the Underwater Treadmill
Hydrotherapy/Aquatic Therapy
The Underwater Treadmill offers low-impact, high resistance therapy with the buoyancy of water to reduce pressure on your pet's joints, improve muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, and range-of-motion.

​The specialized tank is filled with warm water that helps relax muscles, allow deeper stretching, and increase range of motion. Our rehab technicians control the water level (to increase or decrease resistance) and treadmill speed to suit each patient's needs. It's especially useful for pets with injured or painful joints.
Picture
Forest on the Land Treadmill
Land Treadmill
The land treadmill improves muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, and range-of-motion. It also allows us to evaluate your pet's gait, identifying strengths and weaknesses within various muscle groups.

​Best used with pets that have healthy joints, it is often used for dogs in athletic conditioning programs and for weight management.
Hot & Cold Therapy
  • Cryotherapy reduces pain and inflammation by using strategically placed cold packs.
  • Heat therapy increases blood flow and eases pain and inflammation using heat packs or warm, moist towels.​
Rehabilitation for Dogs - Ultrasound Therapy
Calvin receiving Ultrasound Therapy
Warm Ultrasound
Therapeutic ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves that cause vibrations in soft tissue, generating heat and increasing blood flow. This helps to heal injuries by stimulating cells and oxygen to the affected area.
​
Ultrasound therapy is also used to reduce muscle spasms, decrease swelling and inflammation, and can help break down scar tissue. ​
Canine Rehabilitation e-stim therapy
Ruger receiving Electrostimulation Therapy
Electrostimulation ("e-stim")
E-stim is similar to NMES (NeuroMuscular Electrical Stimulation) therapy for humans, and is especially useful for pets with orthopedic or neurological conditions.
Conductive patches (electrodes) attached to strategic areas provide low-voltage current, stimulating motor nerves. Electrical impulses cause your pet's muscles to contract and relax.
​
This treatment helps to decrease pain, relieve muscle spasms, improve strength and prevent muscle atrophy by increasing muscle mass, and improve circulation joint mobility.
Dog Cat Laser Therapy
Nero wearing protective "Doggles" for Laser Therapy
Laser Therapy
The Class IV Therapy Laser is a versatile, non-invasive therapy that works by enhancing your pet's natural healing properties. Using infrared light to activate the mitochondria in tissue cells, it stimulates growth of new, healthy cells and encourages vasodilation that increases the delivery of fresh, oxygenated blood to the affected area.
​
Laser treatments can improve nearly any condition that benefits from decreased inflammation, pain relief, and increased blood flow. This includes everything from acute problems like wounds, "hot spots," and skin/ear infections to chronic, long-term orthopedic disease. We use it immediately post-op for all of our surgical patients and after dental extractions.
Dog Cat Assisi Loop
Kinneson with Assisi Loop
tPEMF (targeted pulsed electromagnetic field)
The tPEMF Assisi Loop is a painless, non-invasive tool that helps to decrease pain, reduce inflammation, and speed healing for both soft and hard tissue injuries.

​After injury, the body naturally releases nitric oxide to stimulate the healing process. The Assisi Loop uses electromagnetic technology to enhance this process, resulting in faster healing and less pain for your pet. The microcurrent electricity is able to penetrate bandages and casting material, making it an excellent therapy for pets with orthopedic injuries and post-surgical recovery.

tPEMF therapy is most effective when used several times per day for the first stage of treatment, followed by a tapering dose. It can be used for maintenance for pets with chronic or degenerative diseases. With a prescription, you can purchase a device for use in the comfort of your home, and our rehab staff will train you on how to use it properly for your pet's condition.

How to Schedule

Pets in Harmony accepts referrals from other local veterinarians, so long as your pet has received an exam within 3 months.

​Alternatively, you may schedule an examination with one of our doctors to start a physical therapy program.
Join us on a rewarding path to healing!

Veterinary Rehabilitation in Action

Ruger is recovering from an FCE (a fibrocartilaginous embolism) that blocked a blood vessel in his spinal cord, causing neurologic deficits in his right rear leg. Our rehab team, his family (and especially Ruger himself!) have been working hard to get this sweet boy movin' and groovin' again. Ruger's therapy program includes physiotherapy, electrostimulation, and underwater treadmill sessions. He's come a long way in a short time, and we're super proud of him!
Blake was referred to Pets in Harmony Veterinary Hospital after being diagnosed with Wobbler's Disease (a condition that causes compression of his cervical spine, common in Doberman Pinschers). Technician Ashley immediately connected with this sweet boy and his wonderful owner, Constance.
Over the past several months, this handsome boy has recovered much of his strength, mobility, and stability through physical rehabilitation. Constance made a lovely testimonial video thanking Ashley & staff for helping improve Blake's quality of life.
It's a pleasure having Blake as a patient - Ashley might be "his girl," but we all love him!

​The Underwater Treadmill was installed in late 2017. From osteoarthritis to obesity, joint disease to post-op orthopedic recovery, geriatric care and more, we're looking forward to helping improve our patients' quality of life for years to come with this treatment modality!

​Oliver is recovering after spinal surgery at PVSEC about a month before this video was taken; he wasn't able to bear weight on his hind limbs at the beginning of August, but with support and dedication from his loving family, he's doing fantastic in our Rehab/Physical Therapy center! ​Check back for a compilation video of his progress in the near future.

​Meredith is helping Daisy on the wobble board as part of her recovery from cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) surgery.

​Rory was found abandoned in an apartment with a partially-healed broken leg and a fractured hip joint. Veterinary surgeons performed a Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO), and she began rehabilitation at Pets in Harmony in October 2017. A combination of therapeutic ultrasound and physical therapy exercises are helping to build her strength and stability throughout her recovery.

​Meredith and Forest (Dr. Brian's rescued Pug) demonstrating the land treadmill.

​Teddy is also a post-surgical CCL repair patient. Ashley is using a balancing tool to help him shift his weight from left to right.

​Roseanna the Pharaoh Hound is participating in our "Conditioning for the Athletic Dog" program. She competes in agility, lure coursing, and conformation.