Patient Stories

Lola Bauer

Lola unfortunately had a very serious muscular injury where her triceps muscle completely detached and balled up.  Surgery was extremely expensive and had a 50% fail rate.  The decision was made to try rehab therapy.  We were referred to ARPC, and I mean it when I say I was skeptical my 4 year old bulldog would ever use her leg again.

Since starting rehab, Lola has recovered beautifully and although she will always, more than likely, have a bit of a gait to her walk, she is not in pain and uses the leg on every step.  I would absolutely recommend rehab therapy and the Animal Rehab and Pain Center.  It was a fantastic experience from day 1 to work with them. 

The most valuable aspect of this experience is the personal care and experience shown by Becky and Kim. You can tell the genuinely love working with animals and are passionate about what they do.  The results speak for themselves.  She is a new dog because of the work done by Becky and Kim.  I could not be happier.  

 -Joshua Bauer

Beetlejuice Carroll

Beetlejuice, age 13, has been coming to ARPC for laser therapy for several months. Her vet, Dr. Scrivener, suggested it when she noticed signs of arthritis & we’d seen Beetlejuice having trouble jumping. Laser therapy has really made a difference. She’s now jumping & doing evening zoomies like her old self again. She just seems more comfortable moving around now, as compared to pre-therapy. When our schedule gets off & she has to miss sessions, we notice that she’s less active until she’s back in therapy. And Beetlejuice loves going—we call it her “spa time.” She comes right out of the carrier & doesn’t want to go back in (the opposite of what happens everywhere else). She loves seeing Miss Becky & Miss Kim, & won’t settle in until she gets her few minutes of loves from them! I’m very thankful for ARPC; they have been an important part of Beetlejuice’s quality of life. 

Snapdragon Mellott

4 year old Bulldog

For months Snap would walk 4-6 feet, sit down and stare at his rear end area.  After several vet visits and laser acupuncture at his normal vet, I took him for a second opinion and found out he had torn CCL’s (Cranial Cruciate Ligaments) in both knees.  His first TPLO surgery was on May 13^th. He walked out on May 14^th like nothing happened.  His second surgery was on June 29^th and when he walked out June 30^th, he took a little longer to fully weight bear on his leg.  He had already started rehab after his first surgery and loved the underwater treadmill treatment.

How has your pet changed since starting rehab?

Snappy acts like a 2-year-old again.  He runs, jumps, chases cats, and demands attention if he feels like playing.  I’ve got my devilish dog back!

Would you recommend rehab Therapy and ARPC to a friend?

Most definitely.  If it were closer, I would take him 2x or ore a week just for exercise therapy alone.

What would you consider the most valuable aspect to your experience with us?

I was thinking that being a bulldog it was normal for him to just want to lay around as he got older – not the case after surgery and Rehab.  He is a very happy dog who wants to walk, play, jump and unfortunately sit on my lap.  I plan on continuing to work on weight loss with him.

Final notes:

Please if your pet has CCL tear don’t be afraid of surgery.  You owe it to your best friend to be able to move without pain. It really is worth it!

09/04/2020 Pam Mellott

Lily Jantz

I want to give a huge thanks to the 

She is a senior dog but still a beast (a super sweet beast) and she has some pretty severe arthritis. Plus she ended up with a torn knee ligament. Her mobility was so compromised & she was hurting so much I thought we were down to having just a few more months with her. That was a year ago! Working with Becky, Kim, & Dr. Scrivener we made it through TPLO surgery (at Skylos - highly recommend those surgeons). With PT and work on the treadmill, Lily recovered her fitness & mobility. We are back to our hikes! Pain management & weight management is still a big part of our routine but she is back to living her best life!

 - Claire Jantz

Bailey Riding

By: Kim Stouffer 

Bailey came into my life after the years had turned her black face to white. She was frail, but happy, weak, but with a heart strong enough to steal part of mine. Arthritis had caused her discomfort which caused her to lose muscle. She was blessed with owners who would do anything for the opportunity of more time with Bailey.
It was May 2013 when Bailey began therapy with our Companion Therapy laser. Radiographs had shown significant arthritic changes in Bailey’s back, hips, and stifles. These areas are where we initially targeted our therapy. Our therapy laser provides comfort and pain relief by reducing inflammation, promoting cellular healing and causing an endorphin release which decreases the perception of pain. This information is for us: the medical staff and care takers, the owners, the humans who love these animals. Bailey didn’t understand how the laser worked; Bailey was generally nervous of veterinary clinics. Bailey was, however, quickly able to differentiate a medical visit to the clinic versus a laser therapy visit to the clinic. If she was pointed towards the door outside to the rehab room she went with a grin. If she was pointed toward an exam room, her head would hang.

For the pets, they feel warmth from the laser as it passes over stiff muscles, or aching joints. Some sleep, some lay in their owner’s arms, some nibble treats as they receive treatment. Bailey, like many dark coated dogs, preferred to be sprayed down with water because the dark coats become very warm. Over the months following her initial treatment, Bailey became stronger, more comfortable, happier and less nervous. She began to arrive for her therapy, climb on the mattress and lay down with a smile on her face. Bailey was walking more steadily, she was making more friends and she was happier and more energetic at home.

I forgot to mention; Bailey was 15 years old at this time. Everyone that has ever loved a dog knows that one day we will have to face goodbye. Bailey’s owners, all of her friends and myself and the staff here at the clinic were ready to support Bailey with love and various treatments and therapies so the goodbye didn’t come soon.

One year passed while Bailey continued laser therapy. She was strong and happy and playful; demanding her walks, asking for visits with her friends (or simply sneaking across the street to say Hi) and stealing my heart.

Six months later we all said Goodbye to Bailey. At 16 years old, Bailey had left her mark on everyone she met. At 16 years old she had outlived many wonderful, beautiful pets I have known and loved. At 16 years old, Bailey had defied the odds. She had, in the last year and a half, regained her strength, comfort and happiness. Bailey had, through the combined efforts of our therapy and treatments and her owner’s dedication and love, given all of us a gift; the gift of time.

For a year and a half we were able to block goodbye… but goodbye always comes. Together we gave it a good fight.

We will miss you Miss Bailey