Your dog is part of your family, so when you see him or her in pain, limping, having trouble walking, facing surgery, recovering from surgery, or just having more difficulties moving around due to age, you wish there was something you could do… and there is!
Just as humans would go to a physical therapist, chiropractor, or masseuse when in pain or having difficulties with joints and muscles, dogs can also receive this sort of therapy. No, you can’t just take them to any doctor, but there are canine rehabilitation specialists who are trained to help your dog with these types of issues.
Shari Sprague, MPT, CCRT is one of the few Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapists in South Florida, and although she is also trained in physical therapy for people, she much prefers working with her furry patients.
Shari Sprague, MPT, CCRT is one of the few Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapists in South Florida, and although she is also trained in physical therapy for people, she much prefers working with her furry patients.
Let’s take a closer look at how this type of physical therapy for dogs could help your pooch.
Each patient (dog in this case) needs a specialized combination of therapies that will help his or her unique needs. Manual therapy is the application of hands-on techniques to soft tissues and joints with the intention to restore mobility, normal muscle activity, and to modulate pain. These techniques are based upon examination findings that identify problem areas contributing to movement dysfunctions.
For example, 10 months ago PUP rehabilitation began seeing Candy, who is a sweet 13 year old Labrador. She was really struggling to get up, was unable to move around easily, and had lost her playful, active personality. It would take her longer than normal to do things and the owner could tell she was not comfortable. She also started limping on her right front leg. Although there could be different causes for this, Shari determined in this case that Candy was limping due to a first rib dysfunction on the right. This was complicated by discomfort from her arthritic joints which had led to weakened muscles from not using them properly.
Candy was treated with manual therapy which included joint mobilizations to correcct the rib dysfunction, massage to improve tissue mobility and normalize muscle tone, range of motion to all restricted joints, as well as Laser therapy to her affected joints, strengthening exercises, and functional retraining.
Candy’s owner now reports she is acting like she used to when she was 8 years old; she now escapes their home to romp the neighborhood sneaking swims in the neighbors’ pools and trotting all over the grounds of their home. Shari was able to reduce Candy’s pain, get her stronger and moving easier, which then created a happier dog and a much happier owner.
PUP Canine Rehabilitation Can Provide Physical Therapy For Your Dog
If your dog is struggling with mobility, pain, or activity issues like Candy, give canine rehabilitation a try. Shari would love to help your dog live a more comfortable and happy life. For more information, call 954-812-9160 or email sharik9pt@gmail.com.
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