Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
What is animal rehabilitation?
What kinds of conditions need rehabilitation therapy?
How long will my pet need rehabilitation?
What kinds of techniques are used in animal rehabilitation?
Are there side effects to rehabilitation?
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1. What is animal rehabilitation? Animal rehabilitation is a term used to describe physical therapy for animals. We use a separate term to distinguish it from human physical therapy, but many of the same techniques and procedures are used in both fields.
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2. What kinds of conditions need rehabilitation therapy? Many different conditions seen in animals can benefit from rehabilitation. The most obvious cases are those in which an animal is recovering from an orthopedic procedure such as a torn cruciate ligament. These dogs often have other problems, such as being overweight or having arthritis, which have led to the knee injury. To prevent muscling wasting (atrophy) and encourage normal range of motion (ROM) after surgery, appropriate rehabilitation can help a dog return to the best possible function. Rehabilitation can help neurological animals regain functionality after a disc injury or back surgery. A therapeutic exercise program can help dogs lose weight or retain their mobility when they have arthritis. Rehab can help manage animals with chronic, debilitating conditions that may not be good candidates for surgery. Many dogs who participate in dogs sports such as flyball and agility also benefit from the exercises and techniques used in rehabilitation to strengthen muscles and help prevent injury on the field.
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3. How long will my pet need rehabilitation? It depends in part on the nature of the problem for which your pet needs therapy. In general, if your pet is recovering from a specific surgery or injury in which activity has been restricted for the sake of healing, the rehabilitation period should be twice that of the time of restricted activity. So if your vet has said four weeks of "strict confinement" then a gradual return to activity, the rehab period should be for 8 weeks starting as soon as your pet is cleared for increasing activity again. Chronic conditions, such as arthritis, might need on-going care. Usually in chronic situations, more intensive therapy is done initially, before then changing over to a maintenance or wellness care program.
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4. What kinds of techniques are used in animal rehabilitation? Animal rehabilitation borrows heavily from the human physical therapy field. Applications of heat or cold to an affected area can help improve flexibility or decrease inflammation, especially in conjunction with other therapies, such as massage or range of motion (ROM) exercises. Application of heat through a therapeutic ultrasound can provide heating of the tissues at a deeper level than just the application of a hot pack to the skin. Deep heating of tendons and ligaments increases flexibility of these tissues prior to stretching exercises. Electrical stimulation of muscle groups can be used to maintain muscle mass in a dog that cannot walk. At a different frequency level, electrical stimulation can be used for pain control. Water therapy (such as swimming or underwater treadmills) provides many benefits at the same time: increasing endurance, providing a low-impact means of exercise and often a source of heat as well. The buoyancy of the water decreases the effective weight of the animal submerged in it, thus allowing some animals to exercise in water that could not do so on dry land. Therapeutic exercises target specific areas of weakness that need to be strengthened and can help prevent injury.
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5.
Are there side effects to rehabilitation? As with any physical exercise program, there is always the potential for injury or re-injury as the case may be. On rare occasions, a healing fracture may de-stabilize or some other complication may indicate a need to alter a therapeutic plan. Concurrent disease or health issues may be in conflict with some aspects of rehabilitation. But the benefits of rehab far outweigh the potential risks of problems. Early intervention with rehab can help prevent irreversible chronic inflammation and scar tissue formation. It can help restore wasted muscles, strengthen tendons, improve cartilage health and bone thickness. It can help reduce weight safely in overweight animals and reduce the need for chronic pain medication in some animals. It can help arthritic dogs stay more mobile and comfortable than with pain medicine alone. Most people report a deepening of the bond they have with their pets through the practice of home therapeutic exercise programs and such modalities as massage therapy.
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About Dr Sally Suttenfield
Sally Suttenfield is a 1991 graduate of the VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She recently became a certified canine rehabilitation practioner (CCRP) through the University of Tennesse certification program. Her experiences through this process were so rewarding, she decided to develop a full time veterinary service devoted solely to rehabilitation and wellness conditioning.
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