(705) 733-1422
Physical Rehabilitation
Physical rehabilitation is an ever evolving branch of veterinary medicine that can be used to help our furry friends in a multitude of ways. We can help them with pain management, recover from orthopedic surgery, treat arthritis, recover from a neurological disease, or even aid with weight loss. We have a variety of tools available to help your canine or feline companion return to the life they enjoy!
To begin this rehab journey we start off all patients with a comprehensive Rehabilitation Consultation.
This assessment gives us the opportunity to fully assess your pet’s condition. It goes beyond the primary diagnosis and allows us to see how other body structures have been affected. By performing an in-depth orthopedic, musculoskeletal, and neurological examination; it gives us the chance to explore all parts of your pet and ensure they get the individualized treatment they need.
Our Rehab Team will accompany you and your pet on this journey with a customized multi-modal rehab program and provide you with a Home Exercise or Therapy program. We will monitor your pet’s progress and make changes to their rehab program as they progress.
We also accept referrals! We work closely with your family veterinarian when developing a rehab program for your pet as well as providing them with regular updates on your pet’s progress.
Common Conditions Treated:
- CCL injuries (both conservatively and after surgery)
- Patellar luxation
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- Soft tissue injuries (i.e. iliopsoas strain, biceps tenosynovitis, etc.)
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Shoulder conditions
- Arthritis/Degenerative joint Disease
- Acute or chronic pain
- IVDD
- FCE
- Senior pets
- And many more…
Services offered:
Hydrotherapy via underwater treadmill. Walking in an underwater treadmill is a great low impact, muscle strengthening exercise that we can completely customize to your pet’s needs. The deeper the water, the more buoyant your pet is. This, in turn reduces the load-bearing on painful joints and provides water resistance to help build muscle in a safe and controlled manner.
Laser or Photobiomodulation Therapy is an excellent pain management alternative. Laser therapy can help reduce pain, reduce inflammation, and stimulate healing. Laser therapy is a safe modality that can help to reduce the amount of pharmaceutical pain medications your pet needs.
Targeted Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (tPEMF) is another pain management alternative. We offer tPEMF through a product called the Assisi Loop/Lounge. It helps to reduce pain and inflammation as well as stimulate healing. This prescription device can be purchased and used for in-home treatments.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation (NMES/TENS) is another method of managing pain and stimulating muscles to contract. This modality does not build muscle, but if used correctly, can help manage pain, re-educate muscles, and prevent muscle wasting in pets that are not mobile or have reduced mobility.
Massage helps to manage pain, reduce inflammation, reduce muscle spasm, and is great for relaxation! We provide both targeted and whole body massage options for your pet.
Manual therapies include passive range of motion and stretching exercises for your pet. These help to maintain joint range of motion, prevent muscle/joint stiffness, and help to maintain and improve joint health.
Therapeutic exercises are used to target specific muscle groups or encourage particular movements/patterns. They are often fun and challenging for your pet!
Thermotherapies, such as hot and cold, while sounding simple, are very important aspects of physical rehabilitation. When used in the appropriate manner, they can help relieve muscle spasm, reduce swelling, and increase the extensibility of tissues.
Kinesiotaping. Kinesiology tape is a light and very stretchy fabric tape that can be applied to the skin or fur. It is used in combination with other therapies. It can help reduce pain associated with muscular tightness, increase microcirculation, improve fascial gliding, and provide sensory feedback. It can also help reduce swelling and edema.
Assistive Devices. Sometimes external support and help is needed to aid our furry companions with their mobility and comfort. We work with a variety of companies to provide custom aids for your pets.
Depending on the help required, we can discuss which option would benefit your pet best, take measurements, order, fit and show you how to use the assistive device.
Some common devices include:
- Wheelchairs
- Protective boots
- No knuckling boots
- Full body harnesses
- Carpal supports
- Tarsal supports
- Hobbles
- And many more…
Weight loss is often a component to physical rehabilitation. We work with you and your veterinarian to develop a complete weight loss program consisting of a combination of diet and exercise.
Conditioning Programs for sport or competition dogs.
Meet your Rehab Team!
Samantha Forrest, RVT, CCRP, CCMT (candidate)
- Rehab Dept. Supervisor
- Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner
- Ontario College Graduate Certificate in Companion Animal Physical Rehabilitation
- Certified Canine Manual Therapist (candidate)
- Registered Veterinary Technician
Jocelyne Vasquez, RVT, CCRP (candidate)
- Registered Veterinary Technician
- Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (candidate)
- Ontario College Graduate Certificate in Companion Animal Physical Rehabilitation
Kali McGean, BSc Honours (Animal Biology), Rehabilitation Assistant
Chloe Popov, Rehabilitation Assistant
If you are interested in bringing your pet in for physical rehabilitation or if you have any questions about it, please do not hesitate to call (705-733-1422 ext. 6) or email (rehab@allandalevet.com) the Rehab Team today!
If your dog is suffering from decreased mobility and requires help to get around, a full-body harness that supports both the chest and the pelvis is a must have!
Whether they are arthritic, recovering from orthopedic surgery, or have neurological deficits; this type of harness will make it much more comfortable for both you and your dog when you are aiding them in their mobility.
When choosing a full-body harness, here are some things to consider:
- Comfort and padding:
- There is the potential to use this harness and lift your dog entirely! We want it well-padded so it doesn’t dig into any soft areas
- Stays in place:
- It can be quite difficult to have just a pelvic support harness that will stay in place. It is often paired with a chest harness and linked together to ensure it stays in the proper position
- Pelvic support, NOT abdominal:
- Choose a harness that supports at the pelvis. It is much more comfortable for your dog when assisting them by applying the lift pressure at the pelvis instead of the over the soft abdomen
- Male adaptations:
- For male dogs, choose a harness that can accommodate the male anatomy. This will make it much easier for you when taking him out for bathroom breaks and more comfortable for your dog too
- Ergonomic design:
- Choose a harness that will help YOU, to help your dog
- Comfortable handles or straps make it much more user friendly
How does a full-body support harness help you, help your dog?
- Getting into/out of vehicles
- Going up/down stairs or ramps
- Walking on slippery floors (i.e. hardwood, tile, linoleum)
- Helping them rise from sitting or lying down
Common conditions that a full-body harness is used for:
- Post-op surgery or the conservative management of orthopedic conditions (i.e. cruciate ligament repair, total hip replacement, patellar luxation repair, fractures, etc.)
- Geriatric dogs
- Arthritis
- Neurological conditions (i.e. IVDD, FCE, etc.)
Contact the Rehab Team today to discuss full-body harness options for your dog!
Home Exercise/Therapy Programs. We have partnered with PhysioTec, an online database chock-full of instructional videos, to make your Home Exercise/Therapy Program a fully interactive experience.
Once we register you for an account, we’ll select a fully individualized therapeutic exercise program for you and your pet based on their abilities and exercise goals. These exercises will include written instructions and videos on how to do each specific exercise. It also allows you to track your progress in the program and upload feedback of the exercises right to us at the clinic!
If your dog is having some challenges with their mobility, recovering from an orthopedic surgery, suffering from a neurological condition, or if you’re just interested in some fun and targeted exercises you can do with them at home; call the Rehab Department today to set up an initial consult!
We have partnered with PhysioTec, an online database chock-full of instructional videos to make your Home Exercise Program a fully interactive experience.
Once we register you for an account, we’ll select a fully individualized therapeutic exercise program for you and your pet based on their abilities and exercise goals. These exercises will include written instructions and videos on how to do each specific exercise. It also allows you to track your progress in the program and upload feedback of the exercises right to us at the clinic!
If your dog is having some challenges with their mobility, recovering from an orthopedic surgery, suffering from a neurological condition, or if you’re just interested in some fun and targeted exercises you can do with them at home; call the Rehab Department today to set up an initial consult!
