Physical Therapy
Rehabilitation and physical therapy are necessary for successful surgical outcome after orthopedic procedures. If you consider a human undergoing surgery for an ACL injury, professional rehabilitation is crucial to a successful outcome, and complete recovery requires 6-9 months. We ask for a much quicker recovery from our veterinary patients with significantly less post-operative rehabilitation. It is quite astounding how well they recover in less time and with less effort (on our part).
Benefits of physical therapy include improved joint comfort and range-of-motion, decreased loss of muscle mass, soft tissue strengthening, quicker return to function, and improved weight bearing.
You can perform physical therapy exercises with your pet at home, and instructions will be provided to you after surgery at the time of discharge.
Professional veterinary physical therapy may also be available in your area - if interested, please consult your veterinarian.
Maximum surgical success can only be achieved with postoperative physical therapy.