Nikki will visit your home for canine physical therapy treatments, to relieve pain and to help with recovery from surgery or injury.

Canine Rehabilitation

Nikki Smolczynski, is a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT). She is available for pet therapy in your home. Call our office for more information.

To achieve this certification, Nikki completed extensive postgraduate education in the anatomy and bio-mechanics of the canine patient. She also studied the injuries and surgeries associated with commonly referred cases. After the required coursework, she then completed and passed certification exam administered by the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, in order to treat canine patients.

Questions About Canine Physical Therapy

What is Canine Physical Therapy?
What are the benefits of Canine Physical Therapy?
What is required of me during my dog's physical therapy process?
How do I know if my dog should have Canine Physical Therapy?

What is Canine Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy for dogs uses many effective techniques in order to promote healing, relieve pain and help with recovery for musculoskeletal injuries. Types of therapies often used are treadmills, hydrotherapy, ultrasound, lasers, heat & cold, electrical currents, massage, manipulation and stretching exercises.

What are the benefits of Canine Physical Therapy?

Specific benefits from physical therapy include:

• Quicker recovery from injury
• Increases mobility and flexibility
• Improves endurance and agility
• Reduces need for pain medications
• Helps dogs to lose weight
• Reduces pain
• Muscle gain
• Conditions athletic or working dogs
• Helps aging dogs suffering from osteoarthritis and mobility problems
• Helps to prevent disease, injury, neurological disease and stress

What is required of me during my dog's physical therapy process?

Your dog's physical therapy plan involves additional care by you while at home. Home care may include applying ice 3 times a day for 1 week or learning massage and at-home exercise techniques.

How do I know if my dog should have Canine Physical Therapy?

First and foremost, you should always take the advice of your dog's attending veterinarian. You should consider canine physical therapy to improve your dog's mobility and promote a greater quality of life, especially if your dog has:

• Recently undergone orthopedic surgery and requires immediate rehabilitation
• Neurological problems
• Chronic pain due to advanced age or undiagnosed problems
• Recently experienced trauma or injury
• Overweight
• A higher susceptibility to injury

There is substantial research available which indicates that muscle atrophy begins within 24-48 hours following injury or surgery. Research also demonstrates that when rehabilitation is delayed, there is increase of swelling due to lack of movement, loss of muscle control and joint stability, and increased stiffness of muscles and tendons.