You never want to see your pet suffer, but sometimes accidents and illnesses happen. Your dog may suffer an injury or have to undergo surgery to recover.Though the vet and pet insurance may help ease your worries going into the surgery, the real focus should be caring for your pets afterward to help keep them comfortable and get them back to normal as soon as possible.
Like people, pets need time to recover and rehabilitate to get back to their usual selves. But, adding a rehabilitation routine can help shorten recovery time and give your dog a better quality of life. Below, let’s examine some essential information that every dog owner should know regarding pet rehabilitation following an injury or illness.
Consistency Is Key
When it comes to making the most of dog rehabilitation, understand that consistency is critical. Not only do you want to stick with the prescribed recommended timeline for rehabilitating your dog, but you want to be sure that you’re performing the proper practices just as they were prescribed. If you are doing physical therapy, ensure that you continue treatments at home with the same movements and pressure as you were instructed to perform. Try to stay as consistent as possible, ensuring that treatment is administered around the same time every day. Having a consistent recovery program often makes the difference between a healthy dog and a dog that takes longer to recover.
Many Options
Probably the most significant piece of information many dog parents don’t understand is that there are many options for rehabilitation. Helping your dog recover from an injury or illness doesn’t have to mean you only perform physical therapy, although it is a viable rehab option. You and your veterinarian know your dog the best, so finding a good balance that mixes your dog’s needs with your ability to help will be the key to success. Some of the most popular types of pet rehabilitation include:
- Physical Therapy – This treatment option is popular for many pet parents helping their dogs recover from an injury. Physical therapy for a dog is similar to physical therapy for a person. Treatment may include exercises, stretching, and manual manipulation to bring movement and flexibility back to the injured joint or limb.
- Laser Therapy – Although it may sound scary to a pet owner, laser therapy is highly safe and effective. This rehabilitation option introduces an extremely gentle medical laser that focuses a concentrated beam into the impacted area. The laser can help invigorate cells and tissue, which can expedite healing.
- Pet Acupuncture – Just like acupuncture for people, pet acupuncture involves inserting tiny needles into specific areas of your pet’s body. The tiny needles help to release pent-up energy, promoting healing and comfort. Pet acupuncture can help treat a range of illnesses and injuries, and many owners find their pets improve after just a few short treatments.
- Medication – In some instances, using prescribed pet medication to help manage pain and swelling is an effective option. Usually, immediately following the injury or surgery, a veterinarian will prescribe medication to help manage the pain. Be sure to follow the instructions exactly to make the most impact on your dog’s recovery.
Ask Questions
When it comes down to it, understand that you are the only person who knows your dog the best. If you feel that the rehabilitation options you have chosen are not effective, know that it is alright to ask questions. Your veterinarian is there to listen and understand what works and what doesn’t work for your dog. If one rehabilitation method isn’t helping, it’s alright to move to the next option. At West Toledo Animal Hospital, we put our pets and owners as our priority. We want to listen and find solutions to help your pet through its rehabilitation.