“I’ve already spent $5000+ for surgery for my dog…does he REALLY need rehab?”
Dear Pet Parent,
I am so very sorry that both you and your pet are going through this difficult time. Maybe your pet tore his CCL (common knee condition in dogs, comparable to human ACL) and needed to have surgery. Maybe your dog was having a lot of hip pain and needed surgery. Or maybe your pup became paralyzed and needed to be rushed into emergency surgery for his spine.
First off, I’d like to say, you are not alone. And I’d like to congratulate you on making the right decision for your pet, well done.
You have made a very important decision for a family member who does not have a voice of his or her own. And the fact that you care enough about your pet to make these hard decisions speaks volumes on your love for your best friend.
I understand the frustration, fear, and anxiety that you must be going through. You have just made a very difficult decision to put your pet through surgery, and now I am suggesting that your pet undergoes rehabilitation.
You have just paid likely $5000+ for surgery and now I’m asking you to spend MORE money on your pet.
You might be wondering, does my pet REALLY need rehab? And that answer depends on what you want for your pet.
If you want your pet to have the best chance at a full recovery and the best chance at avoiding re-injury in the future, then yes, your pet REALLY does need rehab.
Imagine that you just spent $5000+ on the surgery, only to have your pet still in pain, or unable to play or walk again like he used to. Was that 5 grand really worth it? Is that the quality of life that you want for your fur-kid? You will have to answer that for yourself. I just ask you to consider all of your options.
I’d like to treat you and your pet like a member of my family, and tell you straight what I would tell a good friend asking me these same questions. I’d like to provide you with all of the information for the best options out there to get your pet back to full, unrestricted activity: running, jumping, playing, and living his best life again, as soon as possible. It’s up to you to choose how to get there.
So what is rehab anyways and what does it do for you pet?
Simply put, rehab provides YOU with the guidance and comfort that you need to get you and your pet through this difficult time. We get your pet back to walking, jumping, playing, and living his best life.
HOW we do that is 100% determined by you, your pet’s condition, and response to treatment.
We use a variety of treatment techniques that were originally designed and used on people. We apply those tried and true treatments to animals. The best thing about animals undergoing rehabilitation is that they DO get better! As long as animals are provided with the right kind of individualized treatment and progressed appropriately, they adapt and overcome a wide variety of conditions.
So if you are skeptical that rehab works, full disclosure, it often works better and faster on animals than it does on people.
If you or a loved one has had an orthopedic surgery, the doctor likely sent you to physical therapy to get better. Without guided care by a movement specialist, it is unlikely that you would have gained full range of motion of the joints, decreased pain and swelling after surgery, and increased muscle strength to support around the surgery to prevent further injury. Your pet will benefit from therapy in many of the same ways.
Many people do like to “go it on their own” and try exercises that they saw on Youtube to get their dog better.
And I respect that. You know what’s best for your dog.
The difficulty with internet exercises is that, well, how the heck do you get your dog to DO that?
Your rehab therapist will teach your dog how to do the exercises first, and then teach you how to help your dog be successful. Your therapist will also be sure that is the best exercise for your dog and make any necessary adjustments to avoid over OR under working your dog. So you don’t have set backs and continue to make progress.
Put plainly, rehab is a direct line between where you are starting and where you want your dog to be. Also, a rehab therapist supports you along this entire journey and takes the time to treat your dog like a member of THEIR pack and answers any and all of your questions along the way.
I don’t want you to have to go it alone. We all need some help and guidance sometimes, right? Especially when it comes to the health and happiness of a member of our family.
Ultimately, the decision is yours. I respect and support whatever choice that might be. You have already made the great decision of getting surgery to help your pet. Now, I’d like you to strongly consider where your pet is right now, what quality of life you want for your pet, and how quickly you want to get there.
If you are interested in discovering more about how to help your pet, please give us a call, we would love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Amy
Canine Rehab and Physical Therapist