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Physical therapy has successfully helped many people around the world recover from injuries of all kinds, helping them to get back to their normal lives. Just as humans can get it, pets are also able to undergo physical therapy. Pets that have been injured are capable of having remarkable turnarounds in their physical abilities once they have undergone physical therapy. Continue reading to learn more about physical therapy for your pet.
What Is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is a collection of various treatments that can be used to promote healing to pets with different types of injuries. Some of the different treatments involved in physical therapy are exercise, massage, electricity, hydrotherapy, and a wide variety of other practices. Each of these treatments has a specific purpose: to help your pet get back to the strength, range of motion, and mobility it had prior to the injury. Physical therapy relies on creating a high amount of blood circulation in the areas affected by injury in order to speed up the healing process.
What Types of Pets Can Receive Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is so versatile and useful that it can be used on many pets. While it is commonly used only on horses and dogs, there is plenty of room for these treatments to be spread to many other species of pets, such as cats, birds, and many others. Since many of the treatments require an animal with a certain size and stature, certain modifications will need to be made for various other pets.
What Problems Can Be Treated by Physical Therapy?
Since there are so many different injuries a pet can experience, physical therapy treatments have been advanced to handle all different types of injuries. One of the most common injuries, particularly to horses and dogs, is various muscle sprains and strains that can occur. In order to rehabilitate the pet, exercise, massages, and a variety of other treatments can be used to effectively heal the tissues and help the pet to get back to its normal health. Beyond muscle strains and sprains, there are various areas of a pet’s body that may be experiencing swelling and pain for any reason. Physical therapy can provide a method for reducing the swelling and removing the pain through a course of treatments that could last just a few visits.
One of the other problems that can be treated through physical therapy is any chronic pain problems your pet experiences, whether it is joint pain, muscle pain, spasms, or a variety of other injuries. A nice thing about using physical therapy for chronic pain is that it can be used as a substitute for full surgery. A regularly scheduled physical therapy appointment at a certain time interval could be a great way to keep chronic pain from ruining your pet’s quality of life. Beyond the injuries and problems mentioned, there are many more problems that can be rectified or improved by having physical therapy performed.
What Are the Benefits of Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy can be a very powerful tool to use as a standalone alternative to surgery or medications, or it can be combined with other methods, making it a very useful set of treatments. One of the major benefits is that physical therapy is non-invasive, keeping your pet from having to undergo surgery. This not only saves you money, but it can prevent the tiny chance of an infection or other complication from surgery. Another benefit of physical therapy is that pets are usually not scared or irritated to undergo physical therapy. It can even make coming to the vet a fun time for them! In fact, many pets enjoy physical therapy once they begin feeling the results.
A great benefit of physical therapy is that it can help improve the quality of life of your pet. This is especially important if your pet is dealing with a type of chronic pain. Chronic pain can be eliminated or at least helped by a proper course of physical therapy treatments. Finally, physical therapy can be a great way to speed up a pet’s healing process if they recently had a surgical procedure performed on them. This can keep your pet from experiencing so much pain, swelling, and discomfort, and will get them back on the move in no time!
Is Physical Therapy Safe?
If you take your pet to licensed professional, physical therapy services will be safe. Pets that are dealing with different injuries can be harmed by someone who is untrained attempting physical therapy, so it is very important that you take your pet to a professional. If you are concerned about your pet’s safety during physical therapy, talk to your provider and let them know your concerns.
Where Can My Pet Receive Physical Therapy?
Not just anyone can perform physical therapy services for your pet, as someone who is untrained may accidentally cause more harm to your pet. Since physical therapy for pets is not as common in some parts of the country, it is important to be aware that you may have to do some research to locate a professional who provides this service. Physical therapy services are often provided by full-service vet offices, such as Buena Vet, located in Ventura, California. It is important to note that not all full-service vet offices offer physical therapy, as performing physical therapy on pets requires special training and licensing in most jurisdictions. In order to locate a professional that offers pet physical therapy in your area, call around to some local vet offices and look around online to find some potential providers.
How Much Does Physical Therapy Cost?
Physical therapy is a process that begins with a licensed professional coming up with a treatment plan for your pet’s particular situation and needs. This can be a few visits, or it could become a long-term schedule at regular intervals. This will obviously affect the cost, so it all depends on a variety of factors. Each provider who offers this service will have their own prices, but in general, physical therapy cost depends on what problems your pet is experiencing and how they can be remedied.
Buena Vet is your stop for any veterinary needs. As one of the top veterinarian offices in California, we take pride in what we do. Give us a call today!
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