Physical Rehabilitation Services
Helping dogs and cats stay comfortable, mobile, and active through personalized rehabilitation care.
Patients who benefit
Dogs and cats with orthopedic or neurologic conditions benefit from rehabilitation. Both can cause pain, weakness, and limited mobility-- and can impact your pet's quality of life.
Neurological conditions
Affect the brain, spinal cord, or nerves, including disc disease, lumbosacral stenosis, and age-related nerve disorders.
Orthopedic conditions
Involve the bones and joints, such as arthritis, hip or elbow dysplasia, or cruciate ligament injury.
A rehabilitation appointment includes a thorough orthopedic and/or neurological exam. We evaluate not only the area of concern, but also the parts of your pet’s body working harder to compensate.
Based on this exam, we create a personalized diagnostic and treatment plan. Diagnostics may include referral to your primary veterinarian for radiographs or to a specialist for advanced imaging, such as MRI.
What to expect at a rehabilitation visit
Treatment plans may include:
Pain management and mobility supplements
Weight-management goals
Adaptive equipment (such as a Help ’Em Up harness or a toe-up boot)
Hands-on bodywork (massage, stretching, joint mobilization)
Customized home exercise programs
As an integrative service, we also offer acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, therapeutic laser, and shockwave therapy.
At this time, we do not offer certain modalities, including underwater treadmill therapy, custom orthotics, or cart fittings. For cart fittings, we recommend Doggon’ Wheels in San Francisco.
About Dr. Flores
Dr. Flores is our rehabilitation veterinarian. She is certified in canine rehabilitation, veterinary acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and Chinese food therapy. She has a strong interest in hands-on bodywork and regularly trains with human physical therapists to refine manual techniques for pain relief. She is also certified in canine Tui-na (Chinese medical massage).
Dr. Flores especially enjoys caring for senior dogs and cats, helping them remain comfortable, mobile, and engaged as they age. She looks forward to meeting you and your quadruped family.
