Have you ever had a muscle pull, joint pain, arthritis or a surgery? When we humans experience these potentially painful events, we take medications and sometimes seek medical attention including a physician or a physical therapist.
Our dogs also experience these same problems and related pain.
Given our furry companions’ different ways of communicating, we sometimes don’t notice their suffering until we see the following signs of pain:
· Limping,
· Withdrawing from us when we try to pet them,
· Eating less or not at all
· Being reluctant to jump up next to us when we are sitting on the couch,
· Growling at us -- when our dogs normally would never hurt a flee,
· Being unable to jump up into the car to take their favorite car ride.
When our dogs suffer, veterinarians sometimes prescribe medications that can be used to help reduce our dogs’ pain, muscle spasms or swelling but this may not treat, but instead mask the underlying problem.
Canine physical therapy can be a solution to address those underlying problems. Canine or dog physical therapy seeks to strengthen, heal, and stabilize dogs in times of significant physical need. It’s a relatively recent discipline, and many dog owners are not aware of its benefits.
Canine physical therapists are usually regulated by the state in which the therapist practices. Qualified therapists undergo a certification program. Such programs may completed by physical therapists (who usually treat humans), or physical therapy assistants (also who usually treat humans), veterinarians, veterinarian technicians. The certification programs undertaken by these professionals are geared to train professionals in dog specific physical therapy. The certification process, which can be quite extensive, requires a person to successfully complete continuing education, a written examination, an oral examination, a practical examination performed on a canine in the presence of an instructor and the completion of an practical internship. Professionals completing the program may receive a certification as a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP).
CCRP’s treat a wide range of issues including pain management, strengthening, healing, and a host of other quality of life issues for dogs – including weight loss! Just as we regularly struggle with weight control, our dogs also wrestle with weight related issues.
CCRPs help our dogs lose weight without starving them, so that their obesity doesn’t trigger other health related issues including diabetes, joint pain, heart problems, etc.
Canine physical therapy helps relieve our dog’s pain, helps them lose weight with the least amount of stress on their joints, helps to strengthen and help restore our dog to their normal daily routines and provide our dogs with the best quality of life they deserve.
So whether your dog is struggling with obesity, having pain, just tore his/her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and now needs surgery, consider looking up a canine physical therapist in your area to help get your dog back on track and enjoying life to its fullest.
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