About Cutting Edge K9 Rehab

Trish Penick established Southern California's first k9 Rehab facility in 1999 after completing additional coursework through the APTA in Animal Physical Therapy. Trish is considered one of the leading experts in deep water swimming and has been a speaker at the International Symposium on Rehab and Physical Therapy in Veterinary Medicine. The symposium highlights the collaborative relationship between veterinary and physical therapy professional and give them the opportunity to hear the most current scientific and clinical info in this exciting field.

Cutting Edge K9 Rehab offers an exceptional environment for complete physcial therapy and swim therapy over anyone else in the country. Our pool is 18x38, allowing lap swimming, fetching and plenty of room for partnering up with a swim buddy for extra motivation or competition! The large size of our pool also allows us to get in the pool with the dog to do manual techniques which are not possible with underwater treadmill or small jacuzzi-type situations.

Most dogs are much more motivated when they have a purpose to their swim. We utilize different motivational techniques specific to each dog. The dogs respond well to the owner calling them or when fetching a toy. (They have FUN!) Many dogs have no motivation with stationary swimming and do not use their hind legs well; the working dogs tend to get frustrated .

Swimming allows animals to increase strength and regain lost range of motion (ROM) without the pain experienced on land. This is due to the fact that deep water swimming is a non weight-bearing form of exercise.

The ability to combine ROM, strengthening and cardiovascular conditioning simultaneously is of exceptional value. We have made every attempt to make the swim experience the least stressful it can be with various techniques and assistive equipment. Most dogs are quite comfortable and having a good time within 1-2 sessions. We use a specifically designed lift system to raise and lower your dog in and out of the water; it also serves as a "resting platform" during the swim. We see excellent use of the hind legs with the various techniques utilized. We find dogs that are less motivated often swim better when paired with another dog. We work closely with the owners to help them work efficiently with their dogs and cross reference many so they can hook up with good swim buddies.

We not only encourage, but prefer owner participation in their dog's swim session. This allows the owner to be a part of the rehab process and see their dog's progress first hand. We've also found that this encourages owners to interact with other dog owners going through the same experience with thUeir dogs, allowing people to exchanging information, etc.

Cutting Edge K9 Rehab incorporates a team approach which includes:

• Close interaction with the primary care veterinarian (with emphasis on preventive medicine).
• Follow up care with board certified specialists (including early post-op intervention through extended rehab and return to regular activities/sports activities) All PT services are under the direct supervision of the veterinarian.
• Referrals to practitioners of acupuncture, chiropractic, nutrition and positive training programs .
• Recommendations for pet sitting, dog walking and animal specialty products/services.

We feel swimming is one of the most beneficial options but we do offer underwater treadmill onsite and complete Physical Therapy services at local Veterinarian Hospitals. We find the underwater treadmill very helpful in regulating the pace of a dog's gait. Many dogs do not want to slow down---once they get their momentum going ("Let's run!!! ) it is much easier than walking for them and they do not challenge their balance and coordination systems as needed to recover from these deficits. The smaller breeds do EVERYTHING fast; the treadmill forces them to slow down. We often do 15 minutes with the treadmill followed by 15 minutes of swim time to achieve optimal results in each session.

Deep water swimming facilitates full use of the legs -vs- partial use as seen with underwater treadmills. Since they are weight bearing on a treadmill they will use their legs only as much as when walking; using very little of their full ROM. We see far more hip and knee flexion (bending) and extension (straightening) when they have no contact with a surface. Swimming strokes are much faster than walking/trotting and ROM is far better; therefore we see a much more dramatic increase in muscle mass and strength with swimming. The use of the front legs is even further noticed with the swim -vs- treadmill. ROM is vastly increased. The rapid rate of recovery we see with deep water swimming makes it our strongest recommendation. Along with many other beneifts, It is often easier to stretch a dog in the water versus on land because they don't resist as much.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy has been well respected in the medical community for many years. Today the benefit of physical therapy for animals is becoming increasingly recognized.

Physical Therapists evaluate and treat orthopedic, neurological and cardiovascular conditions focusing on physical methods rather than drugs. They specialize in soft tissue dysfunction, muscle imbalances, biomechanics, physiology and kinesiology.

Additional training in animal PT through the American Physical Therapy Association has been available in recent years. These courses are offered together by Veterinarians and Physical Therapists with an emphasis on comparative anatomy and physiology, animal behavior and evaluation protocols specific to the animal population.

Since there are no Animal Physical Therapy degree programs at this time, the laws do not cover all legal formalities. Although there are a few "Certification Programs" in Animal Rehabilitation attempting to address these issues, there are no legal gains by the Physical Therapy professional completing these programs. We believe that this additional coursework is extremely beneficial and necessary and should be acknowledged by Physical Therapy/Veterinarian Board Associations. Be advised to check the credentials of anyone you are researching to assist in rehab for your animal. No one (Physical Therapy Ass't//Vet/Vet-Tech) can legally state they are providing Physical Therapy unless they are a Registered Physical Therapist. A Registered Physical Therapist must have graduated from an accredited PT program and passed the state board examination. Vet tech's/ and Veterinarian programs currently do not cover Physical Therapy in detail. Physical Therapy degrees usually take 3-6 years to complete (most now require masters level) Any Physical Therapist working with animals should have additional extensive training through the certification programs available, other continuing education courses, working with local hospitals, trainers and specialty veterinarians.

Using the words "Physical Therapy/ Rehabilitation" in conjunction with animal healthcare is not acceptable within the legal boundaries of the Physical Therapy Practice Laws at this time. ( If the therapy is under the direct supervision of a Veterinarian, it is legally acceptable. )