Veterinary Massage & Rehabilitation
St. Bernard’s Animal Medical Center is proud to offer veterinary massage and rehabilitation services. Marissa Brown, CVT, has undergone extensive rigorous training to achieve special certification in veterinary massage and rehabilitation therapy. She is passionate about working closely with pet owners to help their animals improve strength and mobility and comfort. Spending quality time bonding with a pet is a bonus benefit!
What is Veterinary Massage and Rehabilitation?
Veterinary massage and rehabilitation therapy is another tool in a veterinarian’s tool box to help with your pet’s overall health. Rehabilitation is using therapeutic means to restore improved physical function. Massage therapy is manipulating muscles and other soft tissues of the body in an effort to rehabilitate. Our goal with massage and rehabilitation therapy is to help improve your pet’s overall health, to help them heal faster from surgery, or to get in shape for events.
Benefits
Massage therapy has many benefits including decreased pain, increased muscle tone, decreased scar tissue, increased blood flow, and decreased muscle spasms. In combination with therapeutic exercises, we can increase your pet’s muscle tone, help them maintain muscle, lose weight, and engage their mind. We can also help stimulate their nervous system.
What conditions are managed with veterinary massage and rehabilitation?
- Mobility problems in senior pets such as caused by arthritis
- Neurologic disorders causing imbalance, weakness, dragging feet, etc.
- Congenital defects affecting movement and range of motion
- Post-surgical recovery (e.g., cranial cruciate repair)
- Post-traumatic injury recovery (e.g., sprains and strains, falls, etc.)
- Any condition where loss of muscle tone is present
Other Modalities
Several modalities that can be used in your pet’s individualized rehabilitation plan include laser therapy, cryotherapy or “cold” therapy, heat therapy, Assisi Loop, medications, and nutrition. We use different varieties of modalities to help give us the best results. Not every patient gets the same treatment plan or gets to use the same modalities. Each patient is unique so their massage and rehabilitation plan needs to reflect that!
What some of our clients have seen
Some of our clients that have utilized massage and rehabilitation therapy for their pets have seen improved function in their pet’s walking and balance. They have also seen improvement on pain control and bladder/bowel control. It is also a great way to bond with your pet.
“I had a dog named Penny who slipped on ice this winter and injured her back leg. Took her to SBAMC for evaluation and they had said she would be a good candidate for their laser and massage therapy with Marissa, who had gone to school for this, which was new for the vet. As time went on, Penny had gotten better with her leg, this treatment worked wonders on her. Marissa had set up a plan and was very thorough with everything she had learned. It was great working with her. 😊” ~ Sue