What is Canine Rehabilitation?

Physical rehabilitation is often indicated after injury, surgery, or disability and is an essential part of the recovery process for both people and our canine companions. The field of physical rehabilitation in veterinary medicine is rapidly expanding as veterinarians and clients recognize its wide range of benefits.

As we have seen with human rehabilitation, recoveries from injury or surgery that are guided by a rehab professional's close monitoring throughout the healing stages will suffer fewer setbacks and result in much better outcomes.

We are learning that the same decades-old principles used in human rehab that enable patients to return safely to their active lifestyles may be extended to canine patients, as well.

Canine rehabilitation has evolved in over the last decade as a result of consumer education and interest, technological advances in surgery, care and management of the canine, and the hope to return dogs to their pre-injury/disease state more thoroughly and effectively. The University of Tennessee was the first school to develop a curriculum of courses for a certificate program for canine rehabilitation, and their first class of students graduated in June 2003. While the program has continued to expand with about 1,000 participants, Gail is among the first 36 in the world to graduate from the program and provide rehabilitation with the trademarked title of “CCRP – Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner.”

The goals of rehab are to promote optimal healing, an early return to fun and function, and to prevent the complications from disuse. The art and science of rehabilitation as provided by a credentialed professional can help the canine companion get safely back on their feet.

For more information on studies that demonstrate value of early rehabilitation for our dogs, please refer to the University of Tennessee’s website: www.utc.edu/~dine.

Benefits of Rehab:

o Professionally guided, accelerated recovery from injury
o Decreased pain, inflammation and swelling
o Improved blood flow and optimal healing in the injured
   area
o Protects other limbs from trauma
o Controlled, early mobilization to limit the effects of
   disuse
o Restore normal movement patterns
o Prevent or minimize muscle atrophy
o Earlier and safer return to fun and function
o Improved attitude and happiness with improved
   mobility
o Owner education and home program instruction
o Communication link for veterinarian and client
   throughout the rehab process