Our Process

Your First Visit

Before your appointment, your dog’s assigned care provider will thoroughly review the lifestyle and home history you provided in your intake form as well as your dog’s medical records, including surgery,  imaging and laboratory reports.

Once you arrive you can expect to be greeted by welcoming staff members who want to help you feel as comfortable as possible and reduce the worry that both you and your dog may be feeling. If you need assistance transporting your dog into the facility from your vehicle, please let us know in advance!

Our Facility

We take pride in having designed a facility and appointment schedule  with your dog’s safety in mind. Our flooring provides excellent traction for dogs we know need to feel secure and our spacious lobby and appointment rotation reduce the likelihood of dog interactions, even at our busiest times.

We are dog driven!

When we say We. Love. Dogs. we mean it. It is our mission to provide care that is safe and  as comfortable as possible, not only physically, but also emotionally.  We believe that every dog should have as much consent to their treatments as we can possibly give them and are likely to use treats, as allowed, throughout their evaluation.

If your dog’s behavior shows us that they are fearful or anxious we will do everything we can to work within their comfort level while obtaining the information that we need.

Our Evaluation

Our head to tail comprehensive evaluation may be like none your or your dog will have experienced and can last anywhere from 60-90 minutes. Gaining a complete picture of your dog’s musculoskeletal, neurological and emotional well being are integral to our ability to move forward with a plan of care, unique to you and your dog’s individual needs.

What is included:

• A veterinary physical examination – Our veterinarian will listen to your dog’s heart and lungs, check eyes, ears, mouth and perform an abdominal palpation.
• A musculoskeletal evaluation – Direct palpation is a very important aspect of this exam and we often prefer to be able to do this evaluation while your dog is lying down. We will never force your dog to remain in a position that they are not comfortable with. If your dog has any areas of their body that they do not appreciate being handled (such as feet) please let us know in advance.
• Video analysis of your dog’s gait and posture – Video analysis allows us to look for subtle details that might otherwise be missed. All videos are kept on file for future reference as a means to compare function over time.
• Strength and functional testing – Strength testing in dogs can seem very subjective, but our techniques and experienced observation skills are accurate and diagnostic. These tests often include assessing balance and core strength as well as observing functional transitions such as sit or down to stand.
• Surgery site exam (when indicated) – If your dog has had surgery, we will check incisional health and scar tissue to be sure that everything is healing appropriately.
• Soft Tissue health/Myofascial assessment – Careful palpation of soft tissues can help isolate areas of hidden restriction and pain that often have negative impacts on recovery and may result in ongoing compensatory dysfunction.
• Forelimb and hindlimb assessment – Each limb, from the toes up, will be carefully assessed and compared to one another for discrepancies in comfort, flexibility, joint mobility and neurological function.
• Assessment of the spine – Back and neck pain can be primary or secondary concerns. Careful assessment of the vertebrae and flexibility of the spine and neck are a part of every examination.
• Neurological Assessment – Your dog’s reflexes will be tested to assess for current neurological function.

To finish up the evaluation process your care provider will have a detailed discussion around the findings of the evaluation, answer any questions you may have and collaborate with you to develop a rehabilitation plan that will help get you and your dog back to doing the activities you love. This discussion will also include  recommendations for nutrition, nutraceutical supplementation and other pain management treatments or pharmaceuticals as indicated.

We will finalize your dog’s plan with a follow up email to both you and your referring veterinarian.

Orientation Visits

Every new patient evaluation includes an orientation visit. This visit allows you and your dog time to explore the facility, free from expectations and worry while also clarifying our process, culture and appointment logistics. Your dog will have an introduction to hydrotherapy, our therapeutic exercise room and equipment, as well as an introduction to our treatment room where manual therapy,  laser and shockwave are performed. Many follow up questions you may have after your evaluation can be addressed at this time. We have found that this visit, offered at no additional cost, helps make your dog’s first therapeutic appointment more enjoyable and successful and gives you space to understand what to expect in the future.

Happy Visits

Dogs who are more worried or anxious often benefit from short duration acclimation visits that allow them time to investigate the facility without the pressure of treatments and handling. Our staff are expertly trained to understand canine body language and communication. We utilize positive reinforcement behavior modification techniques to help shift your dog’s perspective from worried, to tolerant to happy when we are allowed the opportunity to do so! These visits have a nominal fee and take about 15-20 minutes. Every dog is unique and we can never make a guarantee that your dog will feel safe enough to be an ongoing in-house patient. If not, we hope you’ll take part in a personally crafted home exercise program!

Scheduling future appointments can be made by phone or via email with our client care team. When possible we prefer to schedule several appointments at a time in order to better achieve the outcome and goals discussed.

Follow up therapeutic exercise sessions are all based on your dog’s current pain level, healing timeline, functional ability and emotional state. Our canine rehabilitation therapists will  progress exercises by closely monitoring for changes in function and strength.

Our rehabilitation sessions may include any combination of the following when indicated and last 40-45 minutes:

• Therapeutic floor exercise
• Hydrotherapy
• Manual therapy and massage
• Laser therapy
• NMES/Tens
• Shockwave treatment
• Review and recommendations for home activity
• Review of home rehabilitation exercise plan
• Pain and surgery site monitoring

Our rehabilitation sessions can be purchased as single sessions or in discounted packages of 8 sessions. Multiple package purchases entitle buyers to larger discounts. Please inquire for details.

Payment

We accept, cash, checks, all major credit cards, Care Credit & Scratch Pay

Pet insurance

If you have pet insurance it is important to contact the company who provides your pet’s policy to determine what rehabilitation services are covered. Most insurance companies require proof of payment prior to reimbursement.

Stride’s Rainbow Fund

If pursuing needed rehabilitation is restricted due to financial hardship, we may be able to offer some assistance using sessions that have been donated by families who unexpectedly lost their beloved pet.