Canine Rehabilitation and Wellness Center
at Windcrest Animal Hospital

Contact us at: (302) 998-2995

In 2004, Windcrest Animal Hospital opened Delaware's first Aquatic Canine Rehabilitation and Wellness Center to provide optimal functional outcomes for your pet's recovery from surgery, illness, injury or to get fit and conditioned safely.

You or someone you know has probably needed rehab after an injury or surgery. You wouldn't want to risk an incomplete recovery from an expensive surgery. It just makes sense to complete the recovery process by participating in physical therapy. So, why not give the same opportunity to your pet? Pets can benefit from rehab in the same ways people do.

Referral Process

We accept clients on a referral basis only. All patients for canine rehab must be referred by a veterinarian who approves the plan of care, maintains responsibility for the client's care throughout the rehab process, and assumes ongoing responsibility of client care upon completion of the rehab program. The referring veterinarian will receive a copy of the initial evaluation and plan of care, progress notes as well as a discharge summary upon completion of the rehab program.

Our team of dedicated rehab professionals under the direction of Dr. Morgan Dawkins, Medical Director, works as a referral service to the veterinary community. Rehabilitation services are provided by Kate Christian, DPT. Kate is a physical therapists for humans and is currently pursuing her Canine Rehabilitation Therapist Certification from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville. Although the team works primarily with dogs, cats and a desert fox have also received rehabilitation at our Center.

Common Indications for Rehabilitation:

Physical rehabilitation not only benefits pets that are recovering from surgery; it can benefit any pet that is in need of rehabilitation. Diagnoses that we treat are:

• Arthritis/DJD
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Gait abnormalities
• Bone and joint injuries and surgeries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Intervertebral disk disease
• Disc herniation
• Spinal surgeries
• Deconditioning
• Obesity

We also treat sports, agility and working dogs to increase their function in their advanced activities.

Treatment Services include:

• Hydrotherapy
• Electrical stimulation
• Therapeutic ultrasound
• Range of motion
• Massage
• Therapeutic exercise
• Gait training
• Individualized home exercise programs
• Owner education

Underwater Treatment: Our underwater treadmill allows animals to exercise without stressing their joints. Similar to a human treadmill, speed can be increased and decreased and the animal can also be walking on an incline.

Aquatic Wellness Program

Our Wellness Program has been specifically developed for dogs that need more exercise or are overweight. We offer 10-15 minute swim sessions in our Endless Pool with river current accompanied by a rehab assistant. Swimming is a great cardiovascular exercise and offers a no impact way to increase strength and endurance. All breeds of dogs can benefit from swimming and most love it!

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The Rehabilitation Team

Dr. Morgan Dawkins, Program Director, has been with Windcrest Animal Hospital since 1998. He is originally from North Carolina and graduated from the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Dawkins' areas of special interest are exotic animals, orthopedics and canine rehab.

Kate Christian, is a Canine Physical Rehabilitation Therapist at Windcrest Animal Hospital. She will complete her Canine Rehabilitation Certification through the University of Tennessee, School of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. Kate is a 2005 graduate of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Delaware. She also received her BA in Neuroscience from UD in 2001. Kate's passion for dogs started in college when she developed a special relationship with a German Shepherd named Pharoah. Then in 2002, Kate had her first opportunity to work with animals. She trained mice in behavioral tasks for a neuroscience project in Philadelphia. Since then, she has developed a unique bond with all animals. Kate is thrilled to be able to combine her knowledge of physical therapy with her passion for animals. The most rewarding part of her job is when she sees progress in the animal's function and an improved quality of life. Kate is a member of the APTA, donates to several animal charities, and plays volleyball in her spare time. Kate's dogs, who are the loves of her life: Logan, a German Shepherd and Maximus, a Chihuahua mix. Kate lives with her dogs and several fish in North Wilmington.

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FAQs

Why Canine Rehabilitation?
The benefits of human physical therapy have been proven for many years. We have adapted the principles of human physical therapy to meet the needs of your pet. The goals of physical rehabilitation are to maximize the recovery of your pet as well as increase function and improve overall quality of life. Some benefits are promotion of tissue healing and repair and decreasing inflammation. Rehab can also increase joint range of motion, increase strength and endurance, decrease muscle spasm, reduce pain and increase speed and quality of movement. To obtain these benefits, we use state of the art equipment and modalities in our rehab department. This equipment includes an Endless Pool with an adjustable current and a Ferno underwater treadmill.

How long after surgery should my dog begin rehab?
Depending on the surgery, your dog can begin rehab immediately. Their plan of treatment will mostly consist of passive exercises, and pain and swelling management, which can be started by you at home or in the rehab clinic. Your dog will most likely be immobilized or have sutures/staples for a period following surgery. When the sutures/staples are removed and/or when your dog is taken off of immobilization precautions, they can begin more intensive rehab including hydrotherapy and therapeutic exercises. However, the final decision is always up to the surgeon.

Is rehab only for dogs that have had surgery?
No. Rehabilitation is for any pet with any of the symptoms or diagnoses mentioned previously. In fact, arthritis is one of the foremost indications for rehab.

Can I watch my pet's rehab?
Yes. We encourage owners to watch and even participate in the rehab sessions with their pet. We know that some animals are scared or nervous without their owners with them and we want your pet to be as comfortable as possible for their rehabilitation.

How long do the treatments last?
The initial consultation is one hour and each subsequent treatment is about 30 minutes.

Can I do anything to help at home?
Included in each consultation is an individualized home exercise program for the owner to perform with their pet at home. This is one of the most important parts of the rehab process. Usually this changes every week, so we educate the owners at each treatment on how to do the exercises.

My dog does not like water. Can he still participate in therapy?
Most dogs do not jump into the water right away, but most get used to the water after one or two sessions. There are two entrances into the pool, the stairs and the hydrolift. Your dog will enter the hydrolift which will lift your dog off of the floor and gently lower him into the water where the therapist will be waiting. However, if your pet does not tolerate the water or the hydrolift, there are plenty of other forms of exercise and therapeutic modalities that we can use to help your pet. For example, we can use electrical stimulation to strengthen your dog's legs instead of swimming in the pool. We can also use therapeutic ultrasound to loosen up your dog's joints and muscles so that we can get a good stretch and mimic the range of motion that your dog could achieve in the water.

How often and how long will my dog need to come to therapy?
This depends upon the condition and individual progress of the animal as well as the diagnosis and prognosis. In general, a typical orthopedic patient will be in therapy 1-2x a week for 4-8 weeks.

What is the temperature in the pool?
The temperature is kept between 85 and 90 degrees. The warm water helps increase circulation to the muscles and joints, increase joint flexibility, and decrease joint pain.

How can I tell if my pet is in pain?
Unlike people, animals are unable to tell us with words that they are in pain; therefore, you must observe you pet for non-verbal and often subtle signs of pain.

Signs to watch for that indicate mild pain:

• less activity
• going up or down stairs less often
• slightly abnormal gait

Signs to watch for that indicate moderate pain:

• unwillingness to go up or down stairs or hesitating before going up or down
• sleeping more than normal during the day
• obvious abnormal gait (limping, bunny-hopping, etc)
• excessive panting
• irritable disposition
• specific areas of the body are sensitive to touch

Signs to watch for which indicate severe pain include:

• severely abnormal gait (little to no weight bearing on a limb, constant weight shifting, head bobs when walking)
• decreased appetite
• restless at night
• sleeping excessively during the day
• severe sensitivity to touch, sometimes leading to an aggressive response

Do you treat any other animals besides dogs?

Yes. Our patients mostly consist of dogs; however we have treated cats, rabbits and a desert fox.

I have a senior dog, can he still benefit from rehab?
There is no age limit for rehabilitation. Sometimes older dogs can benefit the most from rehab. Since the physical therapist individualizes each treatment, the program for your elderly dog will be tailored for his specific condition. For example, if necessary, he can take more breaks while in the pool or walk slower in the underwater treadmill.

What dogs cannot swim in the pool?
Unfortunately, we cannot allow dogs in the pool who are incontinent. Also, your veterinarian may not recommend swimming if your dog has congestive heart failure, epilepsy, diabetes, bleeding and/or asthma. However, there are other modalities that can be used with these dogs to reduce pain, improve healing and mobility and improve function.