About Oxford County Veterinary Rehabilitation and Fitness

---

Physical rehabilitation is becoming a part of everyday veterinary medicine. It is emerging as an important complementary form of care that is a valuable professional asset. This process for animals involves evaluating and managing patients with painful or functionally limiting conditions caused by illness or injury. Rehabilitation involves exercises to strengthen and improve function to the specific area where the animal experiences deficits, most often the muscles or neurological system.
 

Therapeutic exercises are designed to enhance the balance and proprioception of the animal. The most frequently used method is manual manipulation, such as massage and range of motion exercises, of the affected area. Massage increases blood and lymphatic flow to the injured area, helping to deliver nutrients and remove waste products for better healing. 

Range of motion  maintains the mobility of the joint. Other exercises we conduct are balance exercises enhance the animal’s ability to adjust equilibrium at a stand, during movement or with changes in the ground surface. Proprioception exercises enhance the animal’s ability to know their limb position with the movement of  their body. Therapeutic exercises are beneficial for animals with neurological conditions, post-surgical, osteoarthritis as well as those in need of core muscle strengthening.
 

Some examples of therapeutic exercises are weight shifting, walking over obstacles, standing on moving or soft surfaces.
 

When a patient comes in for rehabilitation, the technician begins with the diagnosis provided by a veterinarian and use that to determine the best treatment plan for the animal. We give the animal a full physical, neurological and orthopedic examination to determine the patient’s comfort level and establish a baseline assessment before the rehabilitation begins.

During a rehabilitation appointment, the animal will work with the technician to complete the treatment plan with the equipment at the clinic, such as the treadmills and obstacle courses. However, some of the exercises will be done at home with the owner. The technician will make sure the owner is comfortable with carrying out the treatments at home.
We do ask for owner's compliance to conduct the exercises and recommendations at home. It is the best way for the pet to make progress through the treatment plan.
If you think your pet could benefit from individualized animal rehabilitation, please feel free to contact us for more information.