Physical rehab helps keep pets moving Therapy can ease pain, improve mobility and aid weight loss

Mikey was hit by a car, fracturing his upper front leg. Mocha had severe degenerative joint disease that affected his elbows, hips, knees and back. Doc had a painful ruptured disk, causing him to be unable to use his hind legs or control his bladder and bowels.

But through the use of underwater treadmills, electrical stimulation, range-of-motion exercises, massage and other equipment and techniques derived from physical therapy in people, Mikey and Mocha are active dogs with full use of their limbs. Doc is able to walk, no longer suffers from incontinence and continues to improve.

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If Mikey, Mocha and Doc had been human, physical therapy would be an expected part of their treatment. But as dogs they were fortunate to benefit from veterinary rehab, a relatively new but quickly growing field.

"It’s advanced very rapidly in the last 10 years, in line with people’s expectations of their own physical therapy," says veterinarian Michael Andrews, president of the American Animal Hospital Association. "We’ve seen more and more people participating in physical therapy for their own injuries, and that’s spilled over into veterinary medicine as well."

John Sherman A dog gets a water workout thanks to an underwater treadmill.

Experts say physical rehabilitation can be a helpful tool for animals that are recovering from surgery for orthopedic or neurological problems, have incurred injuries to joints or soft tissue, or suffer from chronic pain.

Rehab can help pets recover more quickly, increase mobility and flexibility, improve endurance and agility, and reduce the need for pain medication. Before surgery, rehab can help pets lose weight, reduce pain and gain muscle, all of which can eliminate the need for surgery or improve its success. And after surgery, weeks of cage rest have been replaced by rehab techniques that begin almost immediately, including cold therapy to reduce inflammation. It’s also popular for conditioning athletic or working dogs.