Send your dog to...rehab?

Does your dog need a little physical therapy? Well then there’s good news from the Faculty of Life Sciences (Life). On Monday the 18th of May, Life cut the ribbon on their new Rehabilitation Center at the Hospital for Pets, sponsored by the Danish veterinary company Merial Norden.

Dogs and other four legged animals can have arthritis or severe muscle pain, and just plain wear and age can lead to health complications.

First certified vet physio

Just like those conditions mean a trip to the physical therapist for us two legged creatures, now also for our four legged companions who have a rehabilitation center at Life.

»Physical therapy for animals is a new concept which is why we chose to partner it with research and instruction at a university,« says Anne Vitger, senior veterinarian at the Institute for Disease and Small Pets, who also is the first veterinarian in Denmark to be a certified veterinary physical therapist.

Water treadmill

All small animals with four legs are the center’s target group, although Vitger admits that dogs will probably benefit most from the center. Dogs are typically the most needy and it is easier to get them to do the prescribed exercises.

»Dogs can walk over obstacles, use seesaws and balls, and we can get them to walk in a zigzag to train joints and muscles,« explains Vitger.

The center also has a treadmill that is submerged in a tank with warm water so the animals don’t exert too much stress on their joints.