Have you ever considered sports medicine for your pet? Like humans, our pets can benefit from injury prevention, care, and strengthening exercises. Whether your pet is a world-class athlete or just enjoys a daily walk around the block, there are many ways to keep them happy and healthy. Here at Pawsitive Strides Veterinary Rehabilitation and Therapy in Des Moines, IA, we offer a wide range of services to help your pet recover, stay active, and remain injury-free.
What Is Sports Medicine?
Sports medicine is a branch of veterinary medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries in animals. Pet owners use sports medicine for its effectiveness in helping animals recover from injury and potentially prevent future injuries.
What Can Sports Medicine Include?
Pets of many shapes and sizes can benefit from sports medicine. Services offered by our veterinarians include:
1. Therapeutic Exercise
When your pet is injured, therapeutic exercise can help them heal and regain strength. It involves exercises to improve the range of motion and reduce pain.
2. Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is similar to therapeutic exercise but is often used in conjunction with other treatments, such as acupuncture or laser therapy. Rehabilitation exercise helps your pet regain health and mobility after an injury or surgery.
3. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the insertion of needles into specific points of the body. It is often used to relieve pain and improve the function of injured tissues.
4. Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses light to reduce pain and inflammation. It may be used in conjunction with other treatments, such as therapeutic exercise or acupuncture.
Which Pets Can Benefit from Sports Medicine?
Most people think of dogs when they think of sports medicine, but cats can benefit from injury prevention and therapy as well. If your pet is active, or has a history of injury, sports medicine can help them stay healthy and improve their quality of life.
Our veterinarians, who practice sports medicine, have special training in strengthening exercises for injury prevention and athletic performance. Sports medicine can help your pet in many ways. Injury prevention is perhaps the most common. Just like human athletes, pets are susceptible to overuse injuries. Arthritis is a common problem in older pets that our veterinary team can help manage through pet care.
Get Your Pet Started on Sports Medicine for Better Stamina
If your pet could benefit from sports medicine, don't wait to get started. The sooner you begin, the sooner your pet will be on the road to injury prevention, healing, and better health. Contact us at Pawsitive Strides Veterinary Rehabilitation and Therapy in Des Moines, IA, at (515) 575-9655 to schedule a pet care appointment with one of our veterinarians. We can help your pet get better stamina and stay healthy.