The Animal Doctor's holistic practice of focusing on the wellness of the whole animal through Natural Nutrition, Essential Oils, Chinese and Western Herbs is pleased to incorporate physical fitness through modalities offered in our Romper Room.

The doctor or technician can observe your pet's mobility on the special rubber flooring. Your pet's condition may be best treated by home exercise, acupuncture, veterinary spinal manipulation therapy, or massage.
Introduction to Canine Physical Rehabilitation:
Canine physical rehabilitation is a relatively new field for both veterinarians and pet owners. It is similar to human physical therapy, which has been a mainstream treatment for decades. As we’ve learned from the human model, as well as extensive research, canine rehabilitation can return your companion to a comfortable and functional lifestyle more effectively than one without rehab.

Rehabilitation can be used in many situations that you may not even realize. Most of us know that it can aid in post-operative recovery. It enhances the healing process while decreasing the pain and inflammation associated with the surgery (and decreases the risk of post-op problems and recovery time, saving you money in the long run). We also understand its benefits when recovering from trauma or sports injuries, like a sprain or strain, since we hear about it so regularly in the human sports world. Physical rehabilitation can also help pets that are suffering from other problems like arthritis, nerve disease, hip and elbow dysplasias, or any chronically painful condition. And what a wonderful tool to help overweight pets lose weight in both a comfortable and safe way!

There are numerous modalities that can be utilized in canine rehabilitation. Some of them can be taught to you to use at home, while others involve high-tech equipment that will be performed by our technicians at Animal Doctor. The key to successful rehabilitation is applying a team approach. With your help, we will design a personalized program for your pet, and check their progress on a regular basis. Your job will be to support your pet with good nutrition, weight management, an appropriate home environment, home exercises and daily monitoring.

The modalities used at Animal Doctor include:
• Nutritional consultation: We focus on preventative care and holistic treatment for disease. A holistic approach to pet care looks at the whole animal. Since there is truth to “you are what you eat,” we recommend and sell high quality foods with balanced nutrition. Whether you home prepare your pet’s food or decide to feed a commercial brand, we will guide you in appropriate nutrition and supplements that may help your pet. By decreasing grains alone, you can decrease the inflammatory cycles in your pet. Dr. Jodie has also been trained in Chinese and Western herbs and can recommend an appropriate herbal medication for your pet’s needs.

• Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Evaluation and Adjustment: Dr. Deanna Witte is an experienced veterinarian with veterinary spinal manipulation expertise. VMST is a technique used to help correct and rebalance the way your pet uses his spine and limbs. Dr. Deanna can perform a thorough assessment and quick and comfortable adjustment to return your pet to joint and skeletal balance. This visit can dramatically improve or cure a variety of maladies. Chiropractors for people genuinely assert that their adjustments "hold longer" when combined with good nutrition. Thus, the Animal Doctor rule: Learn and practice good carnivore nutrition first, and other modalities as needed to prevent or manage disease.

(Please see Testimonial page for stories about dogs and cats who have benefitted from Dr. Jodie and Dr. Deanna's holistic approach.)

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture has been practiced in China for over 8,000 years, and has been accepted here in the United States since the 1970’s. It is used in human medicine as an excellent treatment for pain and nausea (and now many insurance companies are covering acupuncture treatments for cancer patients, to manage their pain and nausea). It can decrease the pain and inflammation associated with chronic arthritis. It can help pets afflicted with neurologic disorders to regain control and mobility. Acupuncture is effectively used to treat skin, heart, kidney, liver and immune system disorders.

Dr. Jodie is a certified veterinary acupuncturist. She studied under world renowned Dr. Huisheng Xie at the Chi Institute affiliated with the University of Florida. Dr. Jodie's patients continue to pleasantly surprise her with their acceptance, even enjoyment of acupuncture. Treating feline patients is especially rewarding.

(Please see Testimonial page for stories about dogs and cats who have benefitted from Dr. Jodie and Dr. Deanna's holistic approach.)

• Massage: If you’ve ever had a professional massage, you can appreciate the benefits it can offer to your rehabilitating pet! Therapeutic massage can decrease pain and inflammation (by increasing venous blood and lymph drainage), increase blood flow and endorphin release and can be mentally calming. This reduces recovery time, increases trust, enhances performance and improves general health and well-being.
• Reiki: Energy healing has long been practiced in Eastern traditions. While it may be difficult to prove on paper, anyone who has experienced energy work understands its benefits. It can move energy blockages and stagnation, helping your pet both physically and emotionally. Reiki classes for self-training or reiki treatment appointments may be scheduled. This service is provided by Reiki Master Jeanette Lesada.
• Underwater Treadmill Therapy: Exercising on a treadmill, combined with the warmth and buoyancy of water, can be of great benefit to your pet. We control the water level, speed of the treadmill and time spent in the tank, depending on your pet’s abilities. The warmth of the water can decrease pain, muscle spasms, swelling, etc. The buoyancy of the water takes weight and pressure off of the limbs, allowing your pet to exercise sooner than on dry land, which minimizes muscle atrophy and lack of use after surgery or injury. The resistance of the water increases strength, flexibility and range of motion, all leading to more comfort and a faster recovery. The underwater treadmill at Animal Doctor also features jets, similar to a human hot tub or spa. The jets create a current, providing a more challenging exercise session for those pets requiring it, or the jets can simply provide a warm water massage for those pets not yet able to exercise on the treadmill.
• Education for at-home care: An important part of your pet’s rehabilitation success will be determined by your at-home care, including:
1) Weight management is a very important facet of health. The less excess weight your pet carries while trying to live, the better. A healthy pet’s anatomic structure causes them to carry 60 – 65% of their total body weight on their front limbs. If your pet has hind limb lameness, they will shift even more weight to their front limbs, potentially creating new problems. And if they already have a sore front limb, you can imagine how every pound counts!
2) Appropriate home environment: This will differ from pet to pet and will often require some planning on your part. Pets who are recovering from surgery or injury need good, solid footing (hard wood floors, linoleum and tile can be slippery, especially when wet). You may need to lay down slip-resistant throw rugs, carpet runners, etc. to ensure your pet can get around without falling. Well lit areas are also important to prevent tripping/falling. Additionally, depending on your pet’s injury, there may be other things that he/she can’t do, like go up and down stairs, jump on and off the bed, etc. You may need to purchase baby gates or crate train your pet to protect them from further injury when you’re not home to supervise.
3) Exercises or manual therapies for you to perform at home in between your sessions at Animal Doctor: We can provide you with resources for exercises or massage techniques appropriate for your pet. We will also guide you in any other at-home therapies, including icing or heat application.
4) Progress monitoring: it is very important to monitor your pet’s progress daily. It will help you to decide if what you’re doing at home is appropriate, and help the staff at Animal Doctor decide if we need to change our treatment plan. The purpose of the program is to return your pet to health faster than they would without it – exhausting them, or causing further lameness, will lengthen the healing time.
5) And of course, you are welcome to call us to talk through ANY questions or problems you’re experiencing at home.		  
Fitness should be fun and beneficial. It will build a stronger relationship between you, your pet, and our staff here at Animal Doctor. It will also help your pet to become stronger both physically and emotionally – a win-win situation all the way around.
There are many conditions that can benefit from physical fitness, here are some of the most common reasons to engage your pet in physical rehabilitation or fitness:  
• Athletic Preparedness / Conditioning: agility, herding, hunting, search & rescue, police work. Most common modalities: VSMT/Chiro, massage, acupuncture, Chinese herbals, nutraceutical muskulo skeletal support.

• Muscle and Tendon Injuries : These soft tissue injuries include everything from mild sprain or strain to a full tear of a muscle or tendon. They also include tendonopathies (formerly considered tendonitis), which are considered a chronic degenerative change within a tendon that causes pain and inflammation and often precludes a tear. Generally these injuries are not considered surgical but instead are ideally treated with rest, cryotherapy, homeopathic remedies (Traumeel), herbals (Corydalis), massage, acupuncture, veterinary spinal manipulative therapym controlled exercise, lifestyle management.

• Post-Surgical Rehabilitation : Any post-operative orthopedic problem can benefit greatly from physical rehabilitation. The rehab program will aid in healing by decreasing the inflammation and pain and by reducing the risk of re-injury. The pets are able to reach normal range of motion faster, allowing the pet to regain functionality and comfort sooner. Good post-operative care will ideally also be able to precent long term changes and damage from occuring. Depending on the surgery performed, many different modalities may be appropriate for your pet. Dr. Elizabeth Laing, a mobile boarded surgeon, has been performing orthopedic surgeries for the Animal Doctor for 16 years. She is well respected by her veterinary colleagues across the state. Dr. Laing has participated in the Canine Rehabilitation Institute program. She provides Animal Doctor clients with a detailed post-op rehab regimein to facilitate their pet's expedient recovery.

Animal Doctor staff can help implement her recommendations through the utilization of pharmaceuticals, herbs, massage, guided exercise and underwater treadmill.
• Obesity: Is there more of your pet to love than there used to be? Obesity is the most common problem seen in our companion animals. Extra pounds create extra strain on the joints, muscles and cardiovascular system - ultimately shortening the life of our friends! A diet and exercise program can be individually tailored for your pet to ensure an active and healthier life.

• Hip Dysplasia: This genetic orthopedic disease results in laxity in the hip joint and inflammation of the joint capsule. This disease can progress to chronic pain and arthritis, depending on the dog. If the disease is severe, hip surgery is the definitive treatment although many dogs are well managed with physical rehabilitation and strict weight management. Rehab can slow the process of the degeneration, decrease pain and regain or maintain hip function. The best modalities for this disorder are nutricion for weight management, nutraceutical supplementation for joint health (glucosamiine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, etc.), anti-inflammatory herbals and fish oil, massage, acupuncture and underwater treadmill. Dr. Jodie is a wealth of information as to which products are safe and efficaceous. Animal Doctor has an incredible stock of quality products.
• Osteoarthritis / Degenerative Joint Disease (OA/DJD): This degenerative joint disease affects the articular cartilage and causes inflammation of the joint capsule and hypertrophy (growth) of the surrounding bone. The disease is a chronic progressive disease that left untreated can lead to pain, inflammation and server muscle loss. Enhancing the joint nutrition with the supplementation of nutraceuticals and by performing manual therapy, we can help to prevent further damage and restore the comfort and function of the joint. This can allow an arthritic dog to live comfortably for much longer. The physical rehabilitation may include: therapeutic exercises, acupuncture, manual therapies, massage and underwater treadmill.
• Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD): This spinal condition varies in severity, resulting in variable prognosis and treatment options. Whether the lesion is mild to moderate and therefore medically managed, or a severe lesion requiring surgery, acupuncture will decrease the healing time and increase the likelihood of returning to normal function.

• Degenerative Myelopathy or DM: Is a progressive neurologic disease first described in German Shepherd dogs. Recently, it has been identified in other breeds. Although this debilitating disease is not curable, treatment has been shown to extend the quality and length of life in affected dogs. Nutritional changes, antioxidant supplementation and acupuncture are beneficial. Dr. Roger Clemmons, world renowned DM expert, neurologist, speaker and researcher on the subject is an acupuncturist and instructor at the Chi Institute where Dr. Jodie was one of his students. Animal Doctor stocks some of the Chinese herbal formulas developed for neurologic disorders by Dr. Clemmons and Dr. Xie.

Animal Doctor can provide you with resources for the procurement of carts or orthotic braces.
• Fibrocartilaginous Embolism (FCE): This neurologic disease is rarely treated surgically. Physical rehabilitation is used to retrain the dog's neurologic system to regain function. Modalities may include: manual therapies, therapeutic exercises, underwater treadmill, massage and acupuncture.