Animal Physical Therapists

There are many benefits of physical rehabilitation for animals, including the reduction of pain and inflammation, increased range of motion, improved balance and coordination, improvements in muscle strength and mass, restoration of normal movement, weight loss in obese patients, and an overall improvement in the quality of life. For these reasons, animal physical therapists have become increasingly popular.

Animal physical therapists (APTs) have varying degrees of autonomy depending on their state’s physical therapy and vet practice acts. Some states require APTS to be directly supervised by a veterinarian, while others allow them to work offsite with the permission of the veterinarian. And some veterinarians provide therapeutic services as part of their practice offerings.

Regardless of their degree of autonomy, all animal physical therapists conduct examinations to detect, assess, prevent, correct, alleviate, or limit orthopedic, geriatric, athletic, and neurologic injuries and conditions. Some of the most common conditions that animal physical therapists diagnose and treat include arthritis, tendonitis, degenerative joint or disc disease, nerve injuries, vestibular and balance disorders, and muscle tone abnormalities. Therapists work with animals of all ages and types. For example, they might help treat a 12-year-old German shepherd with osteoarthritis or a one-year-old kitten with congenital abnormalities. In addition to providing therapy for pets, they also assist race horses, farm animals, police dogs and horses (which are used for search and rescue, crowd control, and illegal drug detection), and even zoo animals such as giraffes, elephants, and zebras.

A variety of treatment modalities are used in animal rehabilitation. For example, a therapist will utilize thermotherapy (the use of ice or heat to affect tissues) to either reduce inflammation and pain (by using cold therapy) or increase blood flow and aid in muscle relaxation (by using heat therapy). Hydrotherapy, which includes the use of an underwater treadmill and swimming pool therapies, can be utilized to reduce pain caused by arthritis, decrease recovery time after surgery, and increase overall cardiovascular fitness. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy—the application of short, intense sound waves to a specific injury site—can be used to treat animals that have been diagnosed with arthritis, non-healing fractures or wounds, tendon injuries, ligament damage, and other musculoskeletal injuries. Other treatment modalities include acupuncture; kinesiology taping; manual therapy/joint mobilization/passive range of motion exercises; neuromuscular electrical stimulation; pulsed magnetic therapy; pulsed signal therapy; regenerative medicine; therapeutic exercise; therapeutic laser therapy; therapeutic massage; therapeutic ultrasound; transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; and trigger point therapy; as well as the use of bioelectrical whirlpools; hyperbaric oxygen chambers; land treadmills; and orthotics, prosthetics, and assistive devices.