Small Animal Rehabilitation: Restoring mobility and hope
The CSU Small Animal Small Animal Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy service works with companion animals and their owners to treat joint, muscle, and tendon injuries and diseases, including arthritis and canine cruciate ligament injury.
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Just like in human medicine, rehabilitation can restore mobility, alleviate pain, and improve quality of life for our pets. The CSU Small Animal Small Animal Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy service works with companion animals and their owners to treat joint, muscle, and tendon injuries and diseases, including arthritis and canine cruciate ligament injury.
Many owners refer to their rehab appointments as “spa days,” with custom treatments ranging from cold laser therapy to sports conditioning. Some have even moved to be closer to the hospital and its specialty services.
“One of the things that clients like is they get a full rehab course and then they get ‘tune-ups’ so they don’t have to have a bazillion visits,” Foster said. Another perk is the “loaner library,” a donor-funded service that allows clients to use devices like wheelchair carts for the duration of their pets’ recovery.
The service consults on cases within the CSU Veterinary Health System, and with veterinarians across the country, many of whom refer their patients to CSU for follow-up specialty care.
Service coordinator Sasha Foster is a human physical therapist certified in canine rehabilitation whose mission is to provide every patient with compassionate, evidence-based treatments using only gentle handling techniques. A team of veterinarians, technicians, students and therapists makes sure each animal patient can live its best life.
Here are three recent success stories:
Dougal: Hope renewed
Dougal takes first place in the Cheyenne Kennel Club owner-handled competition. (Provided by Heather Everett)
Dougal, a 4-year-old Skye Terrier, usually loves competing in shows, but when he started acting extra tired, his owner Heather Everett knew something was wrong. “He had something going on with his left carpal joint that was causing him pain.”
Her veterinarian referred them to CSU, a familiar place to Everett, who has been bringing her animals to the vet hospital for 22 years (starting with her horses). “I’m very thankful for CSU,” she said. “I’m the luckiest dog owner there is because I’ve got one of the best places in the world to bring my dog.”
After a four-phase course of physical therapy, Dougal went from “not doing very well to better than he has ever been,” Everett said. “I entirely chalk that up to the care that he has been receiving at CSU. He loves all his people there. He knows that it’s his spa day.”
A member of the Columbine Skye Terrier Club, Dougal won a regional competition, and is headed to Florida for the AKC Owner-Handled National Championship in December, with a little help from his club.
“Dougal is a story of hope renewed,” Foster said. “He came to us for a front limb lameness, which could have been the end of his show career, and now he is headed into show season with his eye on nationals.”
Lady Bird: Love wins
Jordan and Leonard McNamara were on a weekend trip to Iowa in August when they got the worst kind of call. Their 1-year-old German Shepherd had escaped from the pet-sitter and was hit by a car in Denver. “We thought she was going to die,” Jordan said. “She’s our baby girl. She’s got two doting dads and two brothers” (also German shepherds) who love to camp and hike.
They zoomed home and faced the difficult decision of euthanasia or whether she would have enough quality of life to proceed with surgery. Her chances of walking were estimated at 50-50.
Love won, and they transferred her from the emergency vet in Denver to CSU, where she underwent a complicated surgery for three fractured vertebrae, followed by weekly physical therapy to relearn to walk with the aid of a wheelchair. The McNamaras are documenting her journey on Instagram and TikTok, @Off Road Bird, and on GoFundMe.
“She would not be here without CSU. Literally, since our first time there, our confidence in her recovery has skyrocketed,” McNamara said. “CSU has such an incredible level of care, so compassionate and kind. I wish I could get this kind of care and compassion when it comes to my own medical treatment.”
Just this week, Lady Bird is able to put weight on her back legs, supported by her wheelchair, and is back to zooming with her pack.
Abby Gail: Go, Grandma, Go
Abby Gail, a 14-year-old yellow lab, came to CSU for front limb lameness that was limiting her ability to get around.
She was diagnosed with multi-focal joint arthritis, a shoulder muscle injury, and a neurological impairment. Her veterinarians treated her with medications and shockwave therapy, and referred her to rehabilitation, where she is an ongoing patient. She survived mammary cancer and has also seen Dermatology, Internal Medicine and Nutrition services at CSU, thanks to her dedicated owner, who moved across the country to be close to the hospital.
“With so many things going on, she is a great example of how the rehab team changes treatments to meet Abby Gail’s needs (instead of just following a ‘recipe’). She is also a great case for showing the importance of manual therapies to improve her function,” Foster said.
Veterinary Health System
Colorado State University’s Veterinary Health System is a community of veterinary professionals dedicated to providing exceptional service with passion and purpose. Our experts are animal and public health leaders working together to apply their diverse skills in veterinary care, diagnostics, and education. As a partner of CSU’s top-ranked academic veterinary program, the clinical team works with researchers and educators to advance the future of veterinary medicine.