Why You Need to Work with a Certified Canine Rehab Professional
Every responsible pet owner knows that getting professional expertise is a must in order to provide the best quality of life for their four-legged friend. But because canine rehabilitation is still considered an up-and-coming field, it can be difficult for even the most experienced pet owner to find where quality rehabilitation takes place. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way—you just have to know what to look for!
What Makes a Canine Rehab Professional?
Working with a veterinarian or physical therapist with a certification in canine rehabilitation therapy will ensure that your pet receives rehabilitative care from a professional with the proper training. Simply look for these letters after their name: CCRT or CCRP. These stand for certified canine rehabilitation therapist and certified canine rehabilitation practitioner, respectively. An individual with one of these certifications has received formal training in canine anatomy and physiology, canine behavior and handling, common conditions and injuries, physical therapy assessment techniques, manual therapy, physical modalities (e.g., ultrasound, laser, TENS/NMES), therapeutic exercise, neurological rehab, and more. In particular, physical therapists are regarded as rehabilitation experts given their four or more years of schooling on the subject—before any kind of training with canines has begun.
It is also important to note that veterinary nurses/technicians and physical therapy assistants may also provide canine rehabilitation to your pet, but they should be following a plan of care prescribed by a veterinarian or physical therapist with training in canine rehab. They might also have the letters CCRP after their name, since the certification program at Northeast Seminars does not offer different certifications based on profession to their graduates, or the letters CCRA (certified canine rehabilitation assistant) or CCRVN (certified canine rehabilitation veterinary nurse) if they completed their certification with the Canine Rehabilitation Institute.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of clinics out there that buy equipment, like a laser or an underwater treadmill, and then claim to offer rehabilitative services without employing a professional certified in canine rehabilitation. But the rehab process goes well beyond any one piece of equipment. Just because someone owns the latest in oven technology, that doesn’t mean they know anything about cooking! Canine rehab is an involved process that requires extensive knowledge about body systems, tissue healing times, health conditions, joint anatomy, and much, much more.
This is not to say that equipment doesn’t have its place; it certainly does when used appropriately, oftentimes as a part of treatment plan. There is simply more that should be done if a canine is to receive top-quality care, and a professional trained in canine rehabilitation will be able to provide just that.
How Can You Find One?
In addition to the CCRT or CCRP, veterinarians have the letters DVM after their name, while physical therapists have PT or DPT. To find a veterinarian or physical therapist with a canine rehab certification, you can perform a simple Google search with your city and state along with these letters, or you can use one of the below websites. However, the folks at Canine Rehab Systems have developed this great search tool to help you find someone close to you.
Click here to be redirected to their website to use that search tool (it should open in a separate tab in your browser)
By working with a certified canine rehab professional, you’ll be giving your cute canine the best chance at the best quality of life possible. Certain equipment might be helpful for your pet’s specific needs, but only when used appropriately as part of a larger plan of care developed by a professional. Certified professionals are out there—you just need to know how to look for them. And now you do!
~TheK9PT
Dr. Francisco Maia, PT, DPT, CCRT
In collaboration with:
Dr. Aliya Bahjet, PT, DPT
Professional Writer and Physical Therapist