What is Canine Rehabilitation ?

Physical Therapy is to humans what Canine Rehabilitation is to your pet!

Treatments offered…

Spinal Traction for paralyzed or painful backs whether caused by injury or arthritis.

Joint mobilizations and range of motion exercises which improve joint health and full movement of the affected joint.

Electrical muscle stimulation which is used in healing or strengthening weakened muscles before they are able to bear weight, for pain relief, and while standing or beginning to walk again to aid in muscle re-education as walking resumes.

Therapeutic exercises which are used for general conditioning, proprioception (body awareness), balance or weight shift training, muscle strengthening, and re-education for both normal posture and gait.

Low level laser therapy which is used for pain relief, cartilage and tendon/ligament healing, bone healing, nerve regeneration and wound healing. Laser has recently been proven more efficient than ultrasound therapy and to have a lower incidence of complication.

Cryotherapy or cold therapy decreases inflammation, decreases bleeding and relieves pain.

Heat therapy increases circulation, increases muscles’ ability to stretch and decrease pain.

Why certification matters…

Canine Rehabilitation Institute is one of only two such animal educational centers in the United States. With a combination of over 60 years experience, the instructors are world-reknown lecturers and authors on the subject of Canine Rehabilitation. Classes are based on a combination of current Physical Therapy and Veterinary Medicine in conjunction with extensive hands-on experience.

As more interest grows in the Canine Rehabilitation field, it is important to ensure the best for our patients care by insisting on certified providers.

Your Provider…

Dr Clare LaGarde is a 2000 graduate of Missississi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Working in several busy small animal practices since graduation, she quickly became interested in Canine Rehabilitation. “This field enables me to combine my personal sports training knowledge with Veterinary Medicine and gives us a way to help older, athletic, paralyzed and injured dogs in a way that conventional medicine cannot; drugs only cover, they cannot correct underlying sources of pain or discomfort.”

She completed her training with the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in July of 2007. She is an amateur cyclist with the local mountain bike team Malt Racing, a marathoner, ultrarunner and ultra road cyclist.

Dr LaGarde with the newest pup in training “Dabs”