Imagine your usually energetic dog has started to favor one leg after a fun hike in the Catalina foothills. Your graceful cat now thinks twice before jumping onto her favorite windowsill. Breaks your heart, right? That’s when you should consider animal rehabilitation. This time on Acoma, we’ll talk about rehabilitating your furry buddy and getting them back to their playful self.
When pet parents hear the term “rehabilitation,” they assume it’s about wild animal rescue. In reality, rehabilitation here means physical therapy for pets. It means therapies and exercises to help an animal recover from their injuries, surgeries, age-related woes, or other problems. This therapy gets your puppy chasing squirrels again or your cat ruling the couch like old times.
But rehabilitation also helps wild animals. Wildlife authorities in different parts of the world send thousands of animals back into the wild after rehabilitating them, which is pretty impressive!
Why & When We Rehabilitate Animals
We at Acoma know how to approach stray animals and make them feel at ease. We realize that rehab is basically about slashing pain and rebuilding your pet’s lost strength. We restore your pet’s balance and fire up their flexibility, so they can move naturally and reclaim their vigor.
We kick things off after evaluating your pet animal using our in-house diagnostics. We conduct wellness checks to spot early issues as well. This means tackling desert-specific challenges like dehydration-stiffened joints or sand-irritated wounds. Your pets thrive after rehab. You won’t help but notice their peppier attitudes, louder barks, deeper bonds, and a more relaxed demeanor.
What Techniques an Animal Rehabilitator Uses
We believe that animal rehabilitation involves several methods and techniques. Different pets require different techniques. For instance, an outdoor cat needs unique caregiving when it’s hot outside. We at Acoma use these methods:
- Underwater treadmills are amazing. Warm water buoys up heavy breeds like a Golden Retriever. They can “walk” without stressing their joints. This practice makes sure that an animal doesn’t need to put their paws on Tucson’s scorching pavement.
- Cold laser therapy zaps inflammation deep in tissues. It speeds the healing process with no drug use. Your pets often nap through this process. So, it is non-invasive.
- Hands-on massage kneads away their muscle knots. Electrical stim pads gently wake dormant nerves.
- Balance boards and therapy balls lead to “proprioception,” a body awareness thingy that prevents slips & falls.
Ideal Candidates for Animal Rehabilitation
Not every scratch calls for rehab. But rehab is indeed a great lifesaver for post-op recoveries. It isn’t very different from wildlife animal rehab. This rehabilitation of an animal happens due to:
- Recoveries from spraying and neutering
- Neurological hiccups (disc diseases)
- Chronic stuff (obesity-fueled hip issues)
If you have a Tucson hiker dog with a sprain or a cat that gained weight after living indoors, we have your back. We layer in hydration tips because our desert air dries out during healing. Early intervention via vaccinations & parasite prevention can identify ideal rehab candidates.
6 Practical Ways to Help Rehabilitated Animals
- Take your pet through a gentle range of motions, i.e., 10 slow flexes per limb every morning and night.
- Protect their neck and joints by designing elevated bowls and ramps.
- Place non-slip mats to prevent kitchen skids on those shiny tiles.
- After your pet goes through a dental exam, use Frozen Kongs with yogurt to sneak in probiotics.
- Track their progress via weekly weigh-ins and tweak diets for Tucson’s treat temptations.
Animal rehabilitation is your beautiful pet’s ticket back to zoomies & cuddles. That’s why we at Acoma serve Northwest Tucson, a service we’ve been providing for the last 30 years. We wrap every session in love, dignity, & expert care… from puppies to seniors. So, don’t wait for that limp to turn gangrene; call us today to get started. Our office staff will guide you.
