Veterinary Rehabilitation
Pet Rehabilitation
Your pet's wellness is our first priority at Silver Springs Animal Clinic. By using modern treatments and professional techniques, we'll ensure your pet receives the best rehabilitation care possible.
Our veterinarians are trained to provide a range of rehabilitation services, including neuromuscular electric stimulation, cold laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, hydrotherapy, K-laser and more.
Feline and canine physical rehabilitation at our Mechanicsburg animal hospital can help your pet recover from surgical procedures or injuries, reduce symptoms of painful conditions such as osteoarthritis, or improve your pet's overall fitness.
Rehabilitation Services
From hydrotherapy to land treadmill and therapeutic ultrasound, we offer a variety of cat and dog rehabilitation services designed to help your pet live a healthier, happier life. The following rehabilitation services are offered at Silver Springs Clinic.
- Underwater Treadmill (hydrotherapy)
Since water provides both resistance and buoyancy, this can be a great treatment option for both cats and dogs, whether they are suffering from pain or recovering from injury.
While your pet walks on the treadmill, the water's buoyancy reduces the impact of gravity, making the exercise easier on their joints. Aquatic exercise is also great for overall conditioning and fitness. It can encourage muscle strength and endurance, as well as increased flexibility and range of motion.
- Land Treadmill
Rehabilitation therapy for your dog using a specially designed land treadmill provides your canine companion with an opportunity for supervised indoor training, conditioning, and rehabilitation.
Utilizing a land treadmill allows your pet's rehabilitation professional to control your dog’s pace and movement, while also providing consistency to keep your pet alert and actively concentrating on the movement.
Land treadmill training can be particularly beneficial for show and competition dogs, as well as dogs with behavioral issues that require extra exercise in their daily routine.
- Neuromuscular Electric Stimulation
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (e-stim) can be used to prevent a muscle or muscle group from experiencing atrophy.
This technique is most often used to help patients recovering from neurological or orthopedic disease or injuries. Your vet may recommend this therapy to help your pet maintain muscle mass during a period in which they are unable to or should not use their limb.
It can also be used to promote joint mobility, muscle strength, pain management and circulation.
- Therapeutic Ultrasound
Therapeutic ultrasound is a branch of physiotherapy that promotes the healing of injured muscles, ligaments, and tendons by decreasing inflammation and scar tissue.
The ultrasound energy warms deep tissues, creating an improved range of motion over time.
- Cold Laser Therapy
Cold laser therapy uses a low-intensity laser or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to help relieve pain, stimulate and enhance cell function, and improve healing.
Several conditions have been shown to improve with the use of laser therapy including muscle and joint pain, arthritis symptoms, and muscle spasms.
- K-Laser Therapy
Laser therapy uses light to stimulate or regenerate cells in the body.
K-Laser Therapy can be used to alleviate chronic pain, accelerate healing and more. Pets receiving laser therapy after surgery typically experience less pain and recover faster with fewer complications.
Benefits of Rehabilitation
Whether they need to recover from surgery, physical injury or trauma or improve their physical fitness, most pets will benefit from varying levels of exercise in the long term.
Promoting mobility and exercise for your pet through physical rehabilitation will give your pet the best chance at a speedy recovery, and healthy, lengthy life.
Conditions that respond well to Rehabilitation
- Orthopedic – Arthritis, amputations, cranial cruciate ligament tears, patellar luxation
- Neurologic – Intervertebral disk, degenerative myelopathy, brain injuries, FCS, nerve injuries
- General Health – Obesity, post-disease, cardiovascular fitness, gait abnormalities, wound care, geriatric support