TheK9PT - Canine Rehabilitation & Wellness

How will my dog get around after a severe IVDD injury? Pablo had severe swelling and compression around his spinal cord due to IVDD in his lumbar spine. While that left little motor activation in his back legs. He’s still got a lot of heart, core muscles, and some very strong front legs! His new wheels have made mobility around the neighborhood and even in home much more independent and accessible. The wheelchair doesn’t mean we give up working on strengthening those back legs. In fact it just makes it easier to work on achieving spinal walking with help of his reflexes. And with the help of his Maximus shoes with wheels, he can work on bringing those back legs forward and strengthen the hip flexors 🛞💪 #dogrehab #dogrehabilitation #caninerehab #caninerehabilitation #dog #ivdd #ivddrecovery #ivdddog #ivddsurvivor #ivddawareness

How can physical therapy or rehabilitation help my dog after IVDD and a hemilaminectomy? IVDD stands for Intervertebral Disc Disease and occurs when the disc impacts the spinal cord which can cause pain, stiffness, nerve compression, and trouble moving. There is a sliding scale of how severe the injury can be. Full recovery can take anyway from 9-12 months, depending on the severity. During initial phases of Pablo’s rehabilitation, we worked on helping speed up healing and regrowth of the nerves with not only the use of laser, but through recruitment techniques. Recruitment techniques work by activating neural pathways for the sensory and motor systems. Some examples of these are toe pinching, “gaiting” on the sensi mat, and rebounding. We also focused on motor recruitment with the help of NMES for his hamstrings and quads Stay tuned for part two on helping Pablo to get walking with his wheels! 🛞💪👏 #dogrehab #dogrehabilitation #caninerehab #caninerehabilitation #dog #ivdd #ivddrecovery #ivdddog #ivddsurvivor #ivddawareness

Will my dog ever be able to run and jump again after their TPLO? 🩼 Yes! After the proper rehab and focused strengthening of their surgical leg your pup can return to most activities they love doing! The worry after tearing the first CCL: Will their other CCL tear when return to normal activities? While they are more likely to tear the other CCL within the next year due to overuse. This risks decreases if they begin weight bearing early after surgery and don’t return to high impact activities (like running and jumping) before they are ready. Ready will look like even utilization and strength in both their back legs! Mona here is a great example of a good girl getting ready to return to her normal after around 7 months of rehab with her favorite treat lady at the K9PT 🥳🎉👏 #caninerehab #dogrehabilitation #dogrehab #ccl #tplo #tplosurgery #tplorecovery #dog #chicagodogs #caninerehabilitation

How soon after surgery should your dog start rehabilitation? Early! As soon as 5-7 days post op can help them start feeling better. There are so many reasons to start rehab early after CCL surgery (TPLO/TTA) our manual skills are just one. Gentle passive range of motion and massage are a great way to make your pup feel better in those first couple of days out of surgery! Weight bearing and strengthening exercise and follow along after to help your pup get back to themselves 💪🤗 #dogrehabilitation #dogrehab #caninerehab #caninerehabilitation #manualtherapytechniques #ccl #tplo #tplosurgery #tplorecovery #dog #chicagodogs

New year, new Top Dog of the month! Our first Top Dog of the month for 2025 is Cubbie Bear 🧸 Cubbie Bear still acts like a puppy though he is one of our senior dogs. In the clinic, you will find him working on his core and hind leg strength, his balance, and overall mobility! He has a passion for fashion, hanging out with his family, cheese, and of course the Cubs ❤️💙 #caninerehab #chicagodogs #dogrehabilitation #dogsofinstagram #seniordogs #dog #cheese #chicagocubs

Are ghosts real? 👻 🎃