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Veterinary Rehabilitation at Upstate Veterinary Specialties

Veterinary rehabilitation aims to treat pet injuries and illnesses by decreasing pain and restoring normal function. Trained professionals accomplish this through rehabilitation equipment, modalities, and therapeutic exercises. Rehabilitation can benefit a variety of patients, whether they are recovering from surgery or injury, are involved in sports, or need ongoing supportive care for chronic or degenerative diseases.

What to Expect

An initial rehabilitation evaluation is scheduled for one to one and a half hours. The appointment starts with reviewing the patient’s history and discussing the client’s primary concerns and goals for their pet. The appointment continues with a gait evaluation and a thorough physical examination, followed by a discussion of treatment options based on the exam findings. We offer therapeutic exercises and/or an underwater treadmill trial session when appropriate. Pending the patient’s needs, in-clinic rehabilitation sessions are scheduled. These sessions can be anywhere from 30 minutes to one and a half hours.

Common Services and Plans for Rehabilitation Patients

The veterinary rehabilitation department at Upstate Veterinary Specialties supports postoperative care and recovery from orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries as well as neurologic surgery. Our services and treatments can also aid patients where surgery is not indicated or is not an option. We also work with patients on weight loss, sports training, and strengthening.

UVS currently offers the following rehabilitation services and treatments:

Therapeutic ultrasound
Electrostimulation (E-Stim); Transcutaneous electrical neuromuscular stimulation (TENS)
LASER therapy
Acupuncture
Underwater treadmill with overhead lift system
Passive and active therapeutic exercises
Measurement and fitting for mobility devices such as carts and braces

Our team can design both an in-clinic and outpatient program so that recovery continues at home. As your pet progresses through their plan, modifications are made as necessary to continue to challenge and support you and your pet.

Pet owners are free to stay with their pets for their session. If owners prefer to drop their pets off for their session, they are welcome to and can pick them up afterward.

Certified Veterinary Rehabilitation

Upstate Veterinary Specialties’ rehabilitation team members have completed the necessary training and are certified through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI), a leading veterinary rehabilitation institute.

If your pet needs rehabilitation services, speak with your primary care veterinarian about a referral to Upstate Veterinary Specialties or call to speak with one of our team members to see if rehabilitation would be appropriate for your pet. Our rehabilitation program director, Dr. Laura Perez, and her team look forward to meeting with you and your pet to develop a customized program to work towards your goals.