Canine Rehabilitation at Veterinary Referral & Critical Care

At Veterinary Referral & Critical Care in Manakin-Sabot, VA, our comprehensive canine rehabilitation program delivers inpatient and outpatient services. With a commitment to providing effective rehabilitation, our goal extends beyond the hospital setting, empowering owners.

a dog on a leashes and another dog with ball
a dog wearing goggles and a person's leg

VRCC’s rehabilitation program focuses on inpatient and outpatient services, home exercise programs, and owner education/training. While providing outstanding rehabilitation services in the hospital, our goal is to give owners the tools and knowledge to care for their pets at home.

Our rehabilitation program works closely with the surgery department to provide excellent post-surgical care. By utilizing the tools of our rehabilitation service on our post-operative orthopedic and neurologic cases, we can give them a jump start to recovery.

Rehabilitation Services and Benefits

Laser Therapy

In addition to effectively managing pain, laser therapy helps post-surgical cases recover faster by increasing healing speed and decreasing inflammation. The laser can benefit soft tissue injuries, chronic conditions such as arthritis, and patients experiencing acute or chronic pain.

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Underwater Treadmill

The underwater treadmill is an excellent way for post-operative patients to improve strength and muscle control following orthopedic surgery. It can also be used as an aid to weight loss for obese patients, allowing them to exercise without the added stress on their joints. It is also great for increasing cardiac strength.

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES)

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation sends electrical impulses to nerves, causing the muscles to contract. This therapy is useful in increasing muscle strength, reeducation, range of motion, reduction of muscle spasms, pain control, and more!

Therapeutic Ultrasound

Not to be confused with diagnostic ultrasound, therapeutic ultrasound is a tool that uses heat-producing vibrations to penetrate deep into injured tissue. The use of therapeutic ultrasound can help increase the range of motion, decrease pain and muscle spasms, and facilitate wound healing.

Manual Therapy

This type of therapy consists of massage and soft tissue mobilization, increasing circulation to an area, relaxing the muscles, and decreasing pain.

Heat and Cold Therapy

Heat and cold therapy involves cold and warm compresses. Cold compressing helps to reduce inflammation and swelling in post-surgical patients. Hot compressing helps to increase circulation to help relax sore muscles and tendons.

Ground Treadmill

The ground treadmill helps patients with gait training and is also a good exercise tool for post-surgical patients. It is also a good weight loss tool.

TENS Unit

TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. The TENS unit works by sending stimulating pulses across the skin’s surface and along nerve strands. This helps the body create endorphins and keep pain signals from reaching the brain.

Therapeutic Exercise

Therapeutic exercise encompasses the use of the balance board, cavaletti rails, weave polls, and theraballs. These devices help to improve balance, proprioception, and strength.

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