Physiotherapy works for humans to improve strength, endurance and flexibility to reduce pain and restore mobility, so why not try it on dogs?
Marissa DuBois saw the benefits of canine rehabilitation as a veterinary technician working at the Murdoch Veterinary Clinic in Prince George and in June she opened & Fetch Animal Rehabilitation.
In four months of operating the downtown clinic, she and her staff have created a thriving business restoring function to dogs who can barely walk or are unable to move on their own before they begin their treatment.
“Some dogs just need fitness and we condition them so they won’t get hurt, those are more active dogs that you want to take skiing, biking or hiking,” said Du Bois. “We see dogs who have just had surgery and need to rebuild and we see dogs that need surgery but can’t have it because they have other medical conditions and can’t be put under.
“Some dogs we do get them back to 100 per cent again, it just depends on the injury. Some just need quality of life management and they might come every two weeks for the rest of their lives. Some people were on the verge of putting their dog down and now we’re a year past that. We’re realistic that we can’t fix every problem, but we can manage it and make them more comfortable and happier.”
They also work with cats, provided they don’t mind getting physically handled.
During her 10 years working at the Murdoch clinic DuBois started out as a receptionist and became a registered veterinary technician, then achieved her rehabilitation practitioner certification from the University of Tennessee. She worked for a couple years out of small exam room at the Murdoch clinic until veterinarian Marina Mann got her rehab training and was ready to team up to open the centre.
Staff work with dogs suffering paralysis or who need wheelchairs, prosthetics or braces to move. The use hands-on manipulations and exercises to loosen up stiff joints or eliminate a limp. Staff also provide massage, laser therapy and pulse electromagnetic therapy.
The centre, at 988 Third Ave., has multiple treatment rooms, a full-sized animal gym and an underwater treadmill known as the doggie hot tub.
“Hydrotherapy is a good resistance workout for dogs so it helps them retain their muscle mass as they age and helps them rebuild muscles mass if they’ve lost it due to injury,” said Mann. “It’s great for building fitness in dogs, especially here during the winter months if people aren’t able to exercise them as they would normally in the summer. It’s kind of like a hot tub for them.”
The initial Stretch & Fetch consultation with Du Bois and Dr. Mann costs $190 plus tax and the price of each rehab sessions is $75 ($115 if using hydrotherapy). The price is reduced for package sessions.
Go to the website to make an appointment.
