Like people, dogs and cats can benefit greatly from physical rehabilitation. Physical rehabilitation consists of therapies and exercise that helps restore movement and function of the body. These modalities can be used to help heal injuries or to help prevent new injuries from occurring. Physical rehabilitation is also used to help speed healing and return to function after surgery. The most common therapies used in physical rehabilitation for dogs and cats includes massage, specific stretching, specific strengthening exercises, low level light therapy, acupuncture, electrostimulation and pulse signal therapy.

Your first appointment with Dr. Krause will include an in-depth physical evaluation. This may include a gait evaluation as well as an orthopedic and neurological examination. Based on her findings, Dr. Krause will create a plan that may include therapies performed in the hospital as well as a home care program.

The amount of sessions your pet will need will depend on your pet’s problem as well as your pet’s lifestyle. Some conditions can be easily resolved, while others require continuous maintenance.  Many conditions can be helped by physical rehabilitation. The most common conditions treated are arthritis, spinal pain, sports injuries, post surgery, obesity, neurological conditions, and cruciate injuries.

If you have any questions about whether physical rehabilitation might be the right option for
your pet, feel free to call the clinic for an initial consultation with Dr. Krause at (303)794-2008.