Post Operative Therapy

Following surgery, proper post-op care is vital for success. Activity is often restricted for a period of time after surgery, ranging from several days to many weeks, depending on the type of surgery. Restricting a dog’s activity can be challenging.  Rehabilitation therapy manages a patient’s activity with controlled movement designed to aid in healing, minimizes the risk for corrective surgeries, and help speed the recovery process.

Rehabilitation therapy can also help reduce post-surgical inflammation and pain. It is important to note though that rehab therapy is NOT a replacement for prescribed medications. Therapeutic care works best when used in conjunction with the medications prescribed by your pet's veterinarian.  Fundamentally, the overall comfort of your pet is vital to the healing process.

After a surgery, rehabilitation therapy can be beneficial for our patients by:

• Reducing post-surgical inflammation and pain
• Promoting early weight-bearing
• Strengthening supporting muscles
• Improving coordination and balance
• Reversing muscle atrophy
• Safely promoting faster return to function
• Increasing range of motion

Types of cases that benefit from rehabilitation therapy after surgery:

• Orthopedic cases such as cruciate injury, elbow procedures, hip surgeries or OCD procedures
• Neurologic cases like IVDD and nerve sheath tumor surgeries
• Oncology cases that would benefit from concurrent pain management assistance
• Soft Tissue cases that require wound care such as degloving injuries

Rehabilitation programs are tailored for each individual patient taking into consideration their surgical procedure recovery needs, breed, over individual health and lifestyle prior to the surgical procedure, and expectations and goals of recovery.

All of our therapeutic treatment options will be considered and/or used at various stages of a patient’s recovery. A combination of any these methods may be used in your pet’s program: electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, hydrotherapy, massage, laser therapy, acupuncture, acoustic therapy, and a variety of exercises.