Canine & Feline Rehabilitation

Pets suffering from orthopedic conditions have pain, loss of muscle mass, and impaired mobility.  Our orthopedic rehabilitation program aims at treating muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments.  During sessions, we choose therapeutic exercises safe for a patient’s level of recovery and combine them with treatments such as laser therapy to increase their strength and comfort.

Common orthopedic conditions we treat:

Common orthopedic conditions treated and managed at IndyVet rehabilitation include hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tears (CCL injury), patella luxation, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), legg-calve-perthes disease, biciptal tenosynovitis, elbow dysplasia, fragmented medial coronoid process (FCP), ununited anconeal process (UAP), elbow incongruity, carpal hyperextension, angular limb deformities, medial shoulder instability, joint luxations, muscle contractures, muscle strains, fractures, and ligament or tendon injuries.

Injuries or disorders of the nervous system often result in weakness, loss of muscle mass, loss of balance, gait abnormalities, and pain. Through rehabilitation, we focus on strengthening, gait retraining, and increasing comfort levels so that our patients can regain function. We also provide aid with assistive devices such as carts and harnesses to help increase the patient’s mobility when needed.

Common neurologic conditions we treat:

Common neurologic conditions treated at IndyVet rehabilitation include intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), cervical disc disease, thoracolumbar disc disease, degenerative myelopathy, degenerative lumbosacral stenosis, wobbler syndrome (cervical spondylomyelopathy), fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCE), neoplasia, traumatic injuries, discospondylitis, and atlantoaxial luxation.

As pets age, they become prone to slowing down due to decreased mobility, weight gain, and joint discomfort from arthritic changes. The combination of these conditions often affect your pet’s well-being and decreases their independence. Our geriatric and osteoarthritis rehabilitation program focuses on increasing the patient’s mobility, strength, and comfort so that they maintain an active, high quality lifestyle.

Obesity is a common problem in pet populations. Pets that do not maintain an ideal body condition often suffer from joint pain, decreased mobility, carry an increased risk of injury, and have a decreased life span.  Our weight loss program focuses on sessions in our underwater treadmill, land exercises, and nutritional recommendations. We also provide clients with an at-home program to ensure success during their pet’s weight loss journey.

Pets participating in agility, field trials, flyball, or other sporting events require special fitness training to keep them at optimal performance levels. Our athletic conditioning program targets increasing and maintaining the athletic pet’s fitness level. Through a combination of sessions in our underwater treadmill combined with land exercises, we can improve muscular and cardiorespiratory strength and endurance. IndyVet Rehabilitation can also provide non-pharmaceutical treatments to relieve muscle and joint discomfort that are commonly seen in athletic patients.

If you live in an area that requires a long commute to IndyVet or have a schedule that doesn’t allow for regular in-clinic sessions, our home exercise program is a great option.  After an initial consult, we provide a tailored treatment plan with access to videos and directions for home exercises. While home exercises will not achieve an equivalent level of success as an in-clinic program, we will work closely with you to update the treatment plan to ensure your pet achieves as much success as possible.

IndyVet’s canine home exercise and educational program focuses on helping owners work with their pets from home. With images AND video of all exercises, these custom programs are unique to each patient and can be viewed via computer, devices such as iPads (or any tablet), and smartphones. To access our exercises page, click here…