Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Services
Pets, get your (s)wag back!
Our specialists work closely with you, the pet owner, to support your pet in their recovery. We collaborate as a team to create rehabilitation goals and treatment plans that suit you and your pet’s lifestyle. Each treatment regime is as unique as your pet.
Our treatment areas are private and quiet, ensuring a comfortable environment for your pet. We provide kennelling should they be required to stay with us for close observation and multiple treatment sessions for an extended period of time. Our staff are on-site 24/7 to ensure the comfort and care of your pet.
Hydrotherapy
Manual Therapy
Surgery
Neuromuscular
Stimulation (NMES)
Therapeutic
Ultrasound
VSC has the only Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) in the province.
Rehabilitation Benefits
Reap the benefits of rehab.
Your pet’s health can improve greatly from physical rehabilitation. As with humans, rehabilitation can help your pet have a new lease on life! Rehabilitation is focused on preventing future injuries, strengthening, proprioception, decreasing surgical recovery times, decreasing muscle and joint pain and weight management.
The staff at VSC are committed to taking a holistic approach to your pet’s health – beyond medications and surgeries, to ensure your pet has the mobility and strength to lead a healthy, happy, cuddle-filled life.
Conditioning
Low-impact exercises developed to improve your pets mobility, strength, flexibility, and overall function.
Pain Management
Holistic assessment and therapy techniques developed to provide your pet with a pain-free day.
Injury Prevention
A tailored and proactive approach to fitness and wellness intended to prevent injury.
Injury Prevention
Exercise and techniques aimed at building stamina to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
Weight Management
Low-impact exercises developed to improve your pets mobility, strength, flexibility, and overall function.
Recovery
From injury to surgery – rehabilitative therapies can significantly enhance your pet’s recovery.
What kind of pet is a good fit for rehab?
Physical rehabilitation has proven to be highly beneficial for all pets throughout all stages of life. Whether your pet suffers from injury (ligament ruptures such as CCL/ACL ruptures, bone fractures, muscle sprains), degenerative disease (degenerative myelopathy, hip dysplasia), age-related disease (arthritis) or obesity, or has recently had surgery (TPLO, TTA, FHO), physical rehabilitation can help.
Pre & Post Operative
Chronic Degenerative Conditions
Overweight & Obese
Growing Pets
Senior Pets
Athletic Pets
Did you know?
Rehab is not only for canines. Rehabilitation can benefit many of our animal friends from feeble felines to broken-legged bunnies.
NO REFERRAL NEEDED
Request an appointment.
Rehab is often a preventative service; the time to book is before a problem occurs!
Fill out this form and one of our team members will be in touch to coordinate an appointment for you and your pet!
Pet Insurance
There is often an additional rider that will cover the costs of rehab sessions. Check with your provider for available options.
REHABILITATION RATES
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Rehab can be one of the best and most cost -effective tools available in the prevention against and treatment for physical injuries and other health issues. Many of our rehab services can also help delay or stop certain ailments from getting worse.
Average price per session
$90+tax
Please note: Pets starting rehab must undergo an initial assessment (one-time fee of $150+tax) to determine the best program path for them.
Our Rehab Practitioners
Dr. Trina Bailey
Dr. Bailey grew up on the west coast of Newfoundland in Cormack. She completed a Bachelor of Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS before … Read more ▸
About Dr. Trina Bailey
Dr. Bailey grew up on the west coast of Newfoundland in Cormack. She completed a Bachelor of Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS before completing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree at the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2000. She worked for a short time in St. John’s at a private practice before returning to the AVC as a clinical instructor and research assistant, followed by a small animal rotating internship in 2002.
Following her internship, Dr. Bailey and her family moved to Baton Rouge Louisiana to complete a surgical residency and Master of Science degree in which were completed in 2006. Dr. Bailey became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2007 and worked as a professor at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island and traveled to Newfoundland 3-4 times a year to provide surgical services from 2006 until 2014. In 2014 she moved back to St. John’s to provide full time referral surgical services for the animal in her home province.
She is currently completing the Canine Certified Rehabilitation Practitioner program through the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. She feels very strongly that total recovery from an injury or surgery requires continued care past the operating room and hospital stay. With this is mind, VSCNL is working towards a full service Rehabilitation Centre and program to help provide complete care for all of your pets.
When not at the VSCNL she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and menagerie of pets.
Publications
- Isolation, Characterization, and In Vitro Proliferation of Canine Bone Marrow, Adipose Tissue, Muscle, and Periosteum-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (Kisiel AH, McDuffee L, Masoud E, Bailey T, Esparzade-Nino B, Nino-Fong R)
Read publication ▸ - Incidence of claw regrowth with three methods of onchyectomy (Clark KJ, Rist P, Bailey T)
Read publication ▸ - Use of Y-shaped TPLO plates for the stabilization of supracotyloid ilial fractures in four dogs and one cat (Chou PY, Runyon C, Bailey T, Beraud R)
Read publication ▸ - Clinical management of gall bladder mucoceles by cholecystectomy: 61 cases (Malek S, Sincair E, Hosgood G, Moens NMM, Bailey T, Boston S)
Read publication ▸
Frequently Asked Questions
What is veterinary rehabilitation?
Physical therapy for animals that adapts human physical therapy techniques to increase function and mobility of joints and muscles in animals. Animal rehabilitation can reduce pain and enhance recovery from injury, surgery, degenerative diseases, age-related diseases, and reduce obesity.
Why would my pet potentially need rehabilitation?
There are several reasons why your pet could benefit from rehabilitation:
- Increase their rate of recovery post-injury/surgery
- Prevent injury or disease
- Decrease and manage joint and muscle pain
- Decrease swelling/edema
- Lose Weight
- Decrease risk of future injury
- Maintain an active lifestyle
- Build proprioceptive skills (i.e. spatial awareness, balance, sensation)
What kind of animals participate in rehab?
Any animal looking to live a healthy lifestyle, lose some weight, or recover from injury/surgery.
Does pet insurance cover rehabilitation sessions?
It will depend on your insurance provider. There is often an additional rider that will cover costs of rehabilitation sessions.
Can I do rehab exercises with my pet at home?
Yes! Rehabilitation is a team approach and you are critical part of that team as you spend the most time with your pet day to day. An initial assessment with our clinic rehabilitation therapist will provide information to create an individualized program for your pet that will include clinic-based and home-based exercises. Home exercises in conjunction with clinic sessions will ensure your pet has a well-rounded recovery. Rehabilitation appointments are beneficial to monitor your pets progress, adapt exercises through their phases of recovery, and incorporate many modalities that are not available at home.
A combination of a clinic and home-based program is ideal for your pets return to function as studies show dogs enrolled in this type of program have significantly greater range of motion and muscle mass than dogs in a solely home-based program. All home programs are explained and demonstrated by the therapist and are followed by practice time, so owners are comfortable with the exercises involved in the home exercise program.
Do I need equipment for rehab?
There is no requirement for equipment. We try and incorporate common household items (i.e. towels, stools, stairs, pillows) into treatment programs so that it is possible for the owner to complete exercises with the animals at home. However, the FitPawz equipment available at our clinic is designed specifically for conditioning and will enhance home program efficacy. Our therapist will recommend equipment that will best suit your pet’s recovery regime and will provide explanation and demonstration of its use.
Can I attend rehabilitation sessions with my pet?
Of course! The therapist works closely with owners to create rehabilitation goals that suits your pet’s lifestyle. We want to create a stress-free environment as animals work on their road to recovery and having their owners present gives pets the safety and comfort they need to participate in our sessions. It is an amazing opportunity to bond with your pet and have some fun!
How many rehab sessions will my pet need?
This depends on a variety of factors and is different for every case.