Brighton-Eggert Animal Clinic
Why would my pet need rehabilitation?
Most pet owners decide that veterinary rehabilitation is necessary for their pet after an injury or to manage their pet’s chronic health condition. It is important to note, however, that your pet does not need to be in any immediate pain to consider the benefits of rehabilitation services. Rehabilitation has been particularly useful in reducing and managing pain, improving athletic performance, treating injury, reducing the risk of further injury, restoring, and maintaining movement and mobility, as well as improving the overall daily functions of your pet.
When should I consider rehabilitation for my pet?
If your pet is suffering from pain due to an injury or chronic health condition, rehabilitation may be the answer. Pain-related symptoms are the most common indicators of a need for pain management, but if your pet is not living as comfortably as they could be, rehabilitation should be considered.
Conditions Treated:
Post-surgical recovery (orthopedic and neurological conditions)
Chronic Pain – Osteoarthritis (multimodal approach)
Senior Patient
Vestibular Disease
Neurological condition (e.g., IVDD, FCE)
Degenerative disorders (e.g., degenerative myelopathy)
Orthopedic conditions (e.g., cranial cruciate ligament, elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, Osteochondritis dissecans OCD)
Immune-mediated diseases (e.g., Rheumatoid arthritis, immune polyarthritis)
Soft tissue injuries (e.g., Tendinopathies, tendosynovitis, ligament tears, and muscle strain)
Obesity (conditioning program and nutritional management
Athletes and working dogs
During a rehabilitation consultation, your pet will have a comprehensive evaluation including a physical, orthopedic, and neurological exam with Dr Eliana M. Cely DVM CCRT, who has extensive experience working in rehabilitation and pain management in WNY. Some of the cases will require additional diagnostic tests. Just to mention some: x-rays, MSK (musculoskeletal ultrasound), blood work, synovial fluid evaluation, and cytology. These tests are complementary to confirm or to give a proper diagnosis of pets' condition, as well as a Rehab initial assessment (gait analysis, muscle and joint measurement), customized treatment plan, goal setting, regular therapy sessions, and home exercise instructions.
Based on the condition/diagnosis of your pet, our Certified Veterinarian and Technician will create and implement a customized rehabilitation plan to restore mobility and eliminate any pain your pet may be feeling. We may recommend any of the following for rehabilitation treatment.
Laser Therapy (Cold or Low-Level Laser) Class IV Laser
A non-invasive treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate cellular activity. It is commonly used for arthritis, wound healing, post-surgical incisions, and acute soft tissue injuries.
Benefits:
Decreased Pain: Relieves pain by desensitizing nerves and triggering endorphins release.
Reduced Inflammation: FDA-cleared modality that decreases inflammation, swelling, and edema.
Faster Healing: Activates the body's natural healing capabilities, speeding recovery post-surgery or injury.
Shockwave Therapy (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy)
This therapy applies high-energy sound waves to a specific area to stimulate the body's natural healing process. It encourages the release of growth factors, increases circulation, enhances bone and wound healing, and provides long-lasting pain relief.
Benefits:
Often used to treat specific orthopedic conditions like tendonitis, non-healing fractures, lumbo-sacral pain, and osteoarthritis. It helps reduce pain and promote healing in deep tissues.
Intra-articular Injections
This procedure is performed under sedation and involves injecting medications such as hyaluronic acid (natural component of the joint) and/or steroids directly into the joint space to reduce inflammation and control pain. Often used in cases of severe osteoarthritis.
Trigger Point Injections
These injections are an effective and emerging treatment modality for canine musculoskeletal and myofascial pain. They are used as part of a comprehensive pain management and rehabilitation program.
Trigger points are hyperirritable, painful spots (hard nodules or knots) found within a taut band of skeletal muscle or fascia that can cause local pain or referred pain in other areas of the body. TPIs work by:
Mechanically disrupting the contracted muscle fibers within the trigger point using a needle.
Breaking the neuro and chemical feedback loop that keeps the muscle in a contracted stage.
Increasing circulation to their restricted tissue, which supplies oxygen and removes metabolic waste products.
Massage, Soft Tissue Mobilization, and PROM (passive or assisted range of motion)
Manual techniques that involve soft tissue manipulation to relax muscles involved in the primary issue or alleviate aches in compensatory pain sites
Techniques such as effleurage (superficial stroking) and petrissage (kneading) can relieve muscle tightness and soreness, increase blood flow, and improve muscle elasticity.
Benefits:
Increased Circulation: Improves blood flow to muscles, which aids in healing.
Pain and Stress Relief: Eases muscle and joint pain and releases endorphins (natural pain relievers) to calm the pet.
Flexibility: Prepares tissue for stretching to improve range of motion and flexibility.
Stretching and Range of Motion (ROM) Exercises: Passive and active exercises to maintain or restore joint ROM and muscle flexibility.
Heat Therapy (Thermotherapy)
Heat therapy works by dilating blood vessels, which increases blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients to the tissues. This helps to relax stiff muscles, decrease muscle spasms, and improve flexibility and range of motion.
Cold Therapy (Cryotherapy)
Cold therapy works by constricting blood vessels, which reduces blood flow to the affected area. This helps to numb the area, decrease pain, and minimize swelling and inflammation in the initial stages of an injury.
Advanced manual techniques for spine, stretching and joint mobilization
These advanced techniques require extensive training in canine anatomy, physiology, and pathology. They should only be performed by a qualified, certified DVM or Chiropractor.
Joint Mobilization: Repetitive, passive joint movements or oscillations designed to restore voluntary movement, improve cartilage/disc nutrition, and enhance soft tissue metabolism.
TENS Unit Therapy (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)
This modality works by delivering our electrical impulse to sensory nerves, “overloading” them to block pain signals from reaching the brain
Benefits:
Pain Management: Short term analgesia and is often use for neuro-pain
Muscle Stimulation: Stronger stimulation can be used to elicit muscle contraction in patients with neurological conditions, helping prevent muscle atrophy and improve tone.
Underwater Treadmill (Hydrotherapy)
A controlled exercise environment where the dog walks on a treadmill while submerged in warm water. The water depth and speed are customized.
Benefits:
Reduced Stress: Water buoyancy reduces weight-bearing stress on painful joints, allowing for earlier and safer exercise.
Muscle Strengthening: Water resistance helps to build muscle mass and improve cardiovascular fitness.
Pain Relief & Flexibility: Warm water increases circulation, reduces pain, and increases joint flexibility.
Gait Training: Helps pets re-learn to use an injured or post-surgical limb.
Land Treadmill
A land treadmill for dogs is a specialized piece of exercise equipment designed to provide a controlled environment for canine fitness, training, and rehabilitation. They offer a safe way to exercise a dog regardless of weather conditions or owner schedules.
Benefits:
Rehabilitation: Useful for physical therapy, improving muscle tone, joint flexibility, and gait patterning for dogs recovering from orthopedic or neurological conditions.
Weight Management: A structured routine can help with weight loss and maintaining a healthy body condition.
Active Exercises (Land exercises)
Structured, targeted exercises using equipment like balance discs, cavaletti rails, and ramps to improve strength (utilizing weights and Thera Bands), endurance, balance, and coordination.
Benefits:
Improved Mobility and Strength: Targets specific muscles or larger groups to build strength and improve gait.
Enhanced Awareness: Improves the dog's awareness of its body and foot placement (proprioception).
Home Program: Pet owners will be taught specific exercises, like "cookie stretches" or sit-to-stands, to continue at home. O will receive guidance on how to perform the exercises and how to track the progression at home, with our online program.
As your pet progresses, Dr Cely will check them periodically, and our team will keep careful records and make any necessary adjustments to ensure the rehabilitation process is successful.
With advanced equipment and progressive methodology, we dedicate ourselves to providing the best possible rehabilitation service for your pet.
