CROC was established in 2017, though it originally began as The Vet's House Rehabilitation in 2014.
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We are a Veterinary Medical Rehabilitation Center providing state of the art physical therapy for dogs compromised by injury, age, obesity, surgery or congenital issues to restore quality of life. Located in central Orange County, CROC works to restore quality of life to your geriatric, injured, overweight, postoperative, and neurological or otherwise compromised pet through physical therapy. Our
caring team of Licensed Veterinary Medical Professionals will help your dog to feel stronger, move better and be safer. Our goals at CROC are to relieve pain, restore range of motion/movement, improve function, prevent injuries and expand the physical potential of each patient we treat. CROC was designed to offer state of the art therapy to pets in need without the stress and fears many patients have associated with pet hospital visits. Early 2020, we upgraded to a new and larger building in Santa Ana, conveniently located just off the 55 Freeway. Our new facility is outfitted with an Underwater Treadmill, a full obstacle course for balance and proprioceptive exercises, and individual sections for our patients to rest comfortably while remaining cage-free. We structure each therapy session to achieve maximum results to each individual patient. The center has a very mellow, calming atmosphere that we know our patients enjoy.
What is Gait Analysis and why does it matter? Gait is the pattern of how the body moves when walking, trotting, or running. By analyzing a patient's gait, we can learn valuable information about their musculoskeletal and neurological status as well as identify potential sources of pain. Rehab can help remedy the problems that lead to gait deficits, therefore helping the body return to normal function (or as close as possible) and reducing incidence of compensatory injury.
Another bittersweet graduation! Congratulations Norman!
What makes Hydrotherapy special? Controlled exercise using an Underwater Treadmill provides buoyancy, resistance, hydrostatic pressure, and thermotherapy. Buoyancy helps reduce the amount of weight the body must support when standing or walking. Resistance builds muscle and increases stamina. Hydrostatic pressure helps to decrease inflammation and pain. Exercising in temperature controlled water helps increase blood flow and reduce inflammation. While certainly the flashiest Rehab Treatment, it's just one of many clinically proven modalities we use to treat our patients!
Earlier this week, we talked about soft-surface walking and how it improves balance and coordination. How is this exercise different? Any of you that have tried to walk on a boat in choppy water will know what this exercise feels like! You might stumble at first as your body tries to adjust to the moving floor, but as you learn where to put your feet and which muscles you need to use to make sure you don't fall, it gets easier. After a length of time, you are likely tired from the challenge and when you make it back to shore, walking on flat ground is suddenly much easier! With each repetition, it only becomes easier and easier. For dogs that need help to use all of their legs or those that are at risk of falling, this exercise is one of many that is integral to their recovery.
When patients really trust us and relax, we can accomplish so much more during their therapy sessions. In this case, we're able to heat and massage back muscles that have been compensating for rear limb weakness while also applying electrostimulation therapy to encourage nerve signals to start firing again!
How is walking over dog beds helpful? It doesn't look that hard. Looks can be deceiving CROC friends! Each bed is a different thickness and density and some of the covers hold extra pockets of air in them. Patients can't anticipate what the surface will be like, so their body has to quickly respond to keep their balance. This helps encourage use of all limbs and build muscle to help keep them stable on their paws!
Toe floof. Grinchy feet. Whatever you like to call them, they're a blessing and a curse! For the Rehab patient, they're generally a hindrance and sometimes even a danger. While the toe floofs are super cute, they also interfere with a patient's ability to grip the ground. To help your pup avoid slips and falls, we recommend keeping their floofs trimmed back to keep their paw pads exposed in addition to keeping their nails short. This post brought to you by Tanner and his toesies! 🐾
Milo's Graduation Day! These moments are simultaneously heart warming and heart breaking. Our goal is to help our patients regain maximum function and comfort. When they reach the point where they are comfortably mobile without our help, we are so proud of their progress! But we're also a little sad to see them go. We spend so many hours with them, invested in their recovery, and giving them all we've got. CROC is more than just a place for us to work. Our patients are our furry family members when we're away from home. So from the bottom of our hearts, congratulations to Milo and all our other Rehab Graduates! We're missing you, but so delighted to have worked with you 🩵🐾🩵
Are you sure about this?
It's not uncommon to get a questioning glance from our patients when we ask them to participate in certain therapies. In this case, we've asked Billie to stand with us on the balance board which can be a little tricky at first. Earning her trust means that she will participate in an exercise that improves her balance, coordination, and stamina!
Does Acupuncture really do anything?
YES! Veterinary Medical Acupuncture involves the placement of very tiny sterile needles into specific locations of the body that contain a concentration of nerve endings. The needles stimulate small bundles of nerve endings that send signals locally as well as to the brain and spinal cord to decrease muscle tension and stimulate endorphin release. Acupuncture is effective for the rehabilitation of many conditions thanks to the nerve stimulation, increased blood flow, and relief of pain.
What's the deal with prosthetics and orthotics? We generally won't recommend a device like this unless neither therapy nor surgery can create the stability the patient needs to ambulate comfortably. A properly created and used device is an investment, both of finances and time so it's not something we recommend lightly but if we do recommend a device, we refer our patients to Coastal P&O (who also makes human devices!) so they get the very best around. Then we work together to help that patient adjust to life with their new device!
🎉🥳🎉 Last week, Lauryn completed North Carolina State University's Certified Companion Animal Rehabilitation Therapist (CCAT) program! As far as we are aware, this makes Lauryn the first Registered Veterinary Technician to become DOUBLE CERTIFIED in Veterinary Physical Rehabilitation!!!! 🎉🥳🎉
Her latest accomplishment is just another way she demonstrates her dedication to your pet's care. CROC is not just exercise. CROC is Veterinary Medical science used to apply safe and effective therapy to heal animals, giving every patient the support they need to recover, to retain their mobility, or to remain comfortable in their golden years.
🩵🩵🩵 Congratulations to Lauryn for her major accomplishment!!!!! 🩵🩵🩵
Not every condition can be completely "fixed". Sometimes Rehab is about accepting what we cannot change and pivoting our focus to conditioning the rest of the body to make up for it. When a part of the body cannot fulfill its function, the body will try to compensate by directing that job to other parts of the body that are not used to that workload. Rehab helps create better ergonomics and builds the muscle and coordination needed to comfortably compensate and to prevent compensatory injury for as long as possible.
Our goal in Rehab is to help patients graduate as soon as possible, but that's not always the best course of action for every patient. We have many senior patients that have been coming to see us for years because therapy helps maintain their comfort and keeps them active well into their golden years. Often they pick out their favorite people, their favorite beds, and even their favorite therapies! Our bond with these patients and the extra time they get with their family is priceless!
Check out our latest article! Our Medical Library is home to a plethora of information to help you keep your pet comfortable and active so check it out!
Dogs that can move more comfortably are more likely to stay in motion. Motion helps keep them strong and limber.
Moments like these are the best! When patients not only cooperate, but make themselves comfortable and fall asleep while we're performing treatments 🥰
During the summer months, Rehab is an excellent way for your dog to safely exercise while avoiding the heat. Our entire facility is temperature controlled, including the water in the Underwater Treadmills!
Kiwi starts out a bit distracted and more interested in what the other patients are doing but then she decides that her performance has ended and does her version of a gymnast's salute!
Effective therapy requires some level of cooperation from our patients, but it's even better when they are excited and ready to play with the CROC Team! In this video, we've asked Charlie to walk through the tunnel in order to target specific muscles as he adjusts to the confined space. Does he do it perfectly? Not quite, but he's more than happy to participate and runs to snuggle up to the technician on each end. We get some therapeutic exercises in while making the experience enjoyable for everyone involved!
Miss Molly came to us unable to walk and now she's not only walking, but continuing to improve her strength, stamina, and coordination every day! We're so proud of her progress!
CROC is closed today so everyone can go celebrate the holiday, but we also tend to make our own holidays when we feel the need for a little extra celebration. Sometimes, that means the Staff Meeting turns into a Staff Party instead! Last week, we took a few hours to show our team just how loved and appreciated they are. Everyday, they come in ready to heal our patients and they work their tails off because they are 1000% invested in the outcome of every CROC patient, your dog included. That kind of dedication isn't always rewarded in our field but we think it should be!
Fireworks and Rehab don't mix well! We'll be back to regular hours on Monday July 8th.
Many pets don't appreciate the festivities like we do so be sure to get everything they'll need to be comfortable during the firework shows ready ahead of time. This could include a covered kennel, music to dampen the noises outside, anti-anxiety medications, and getting some exercise in earlier in the day so they're tired in the evening. If you don't have a plan to keep your pet calm during fireworks, be sure to get in touch with your primary veterinarian ASAP as they are often overwhelmed with requests at this time of year and doing their best to make sure all patients get what they need.
Enjoy the holiday everyone!
Therapeutic massage helps loosen up tight muscles and decrease pain, but it's also one of the best ways to bond with our patients! Sitting with them, calmly talking to them, and massaging their sore spots teaches them that they are safe with us. They begin to look forward to our one on one time because they know that we'll help them feel better!
While we do have orthopedic foam beds, Bimini would rather stand during her Laser Therapy and that's okay! Rehab is all about working to maximize benefit while working around the patient's needs.
What happens during the exam? Well, eternal goofball Timber is modeling part of the exam where we check the patient's reflexes and the range of motion of all joints. Abnormal reflex responses can indicate neurological deficits so while the little rubber Reflex Hammer might seem silly, it has a super important job! Meanwhile, Timber soaks up all the extra attention courtesy of Amanda!
Friendly reminder to make sure your pup is clean before coming to Rehab! This photo was taken after just ONE dog's massage session, but it is a common occurrence. Not only do our hands get yucky during a good massage session, but this dirt also ends up in our Underwater Treadmills. Patients that are overdue for a bath may be excluded from Hydrotherapy for this reason in an effort to maintain clean equipment for our other patients and to minimize damage to the filtration and heating systems for the Underwater Treadmills.
Therapeutic massage is an excellent tool to loosen up tight muscles before exercise and to soothe tired muscles after exercise.
2920 South Kilson Drive
Santa Ana, CA
92707
| Monday | 9am - 6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 6pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 3pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 6pm |
| Friday | 9am - 6pm |
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What is Gait Analysis and why does it matter? Gait is the pattern of how the body moves when walking, trotting, or running. By analyzing a patient's gait, we can learn valuable information about their musculoskeletal and neurological status as well as identify potential sources of pain. Rehab can help remedy the problems that lead to gait deficits, therefore helping the body return to normal function (or as close as possible) and reducing incidence of compensatory injury.
What makes Hydrotherapy special? Controlled exercise using an Underwater Treadmill provides buoyancy, resistance, hydrostatic pressure, and thermotherapy. Buoyancy helps reduce the amount of weight the body must support when standing or walking. Resistance builds muscle and increases stamina. Hydrostatic pressure helps to decrease inflammation and pain. Exercising in temperature controlled water helps increase blood flow and reduce inflammation. While certainly the flashiest Rehab Treatment, it's just one of many clinically proven modalities we use to treat our patients!
How is walking over dog beds helpful? It doesn't look that hard. Looks can be deceiving CROC friends! Each bed is a different thickness and density and some of the covers hold extra pockets of air in them. Patients can't anticipate what the surface will be like, so their body has to quickly respond to keep their balance. This helps encourage use of all limbs and build muscle to help keep them stable on their paws!
During the summer months, Rehab is an excellent way for your dog to safely exercise while avoiding the heat. Our entire facility is temperature controlled, including the water in the Underwater Treadmills!
Kiwi starts out a bit distracted and more interested in what the other patients are doing but then she decides that her performance has ended and does her version of a gymnast's salute!
Effective therapy requires some level of cooperation from our patients, but it's even better when they are excited and ready to play with the CROC Team! In this video, we've asked Charlie to walk through the tunnel in order to target specific muscles as he adjusts to the confined space. Does he do it perfectly? Not quite, but he's more than happy to participate and runs to snuggle up to the technician on each end. We get some therapeutic exercises in while making the experience enjoyable for everyone involved!
Miss Molly came to us unable to walk and now she's not only walking, but continuing to improve her strength, stamina, and coordination every day! We're so proud of her progress!
Therapeutic massage helps loosen up tight muscles and decrease pain, but it's also one of the best ways to bond with our patients! Sitting with them, calmly talking to them, and massaging their sore spots teaches them that they are safe with us. They begin to look forward to our one on one time because they know that we'll help them feel better!
Therapeutic massage is an excellent tool to loosen up tight muscles before exercise and to soothe tired muscles after exercise.
We ask our patients to perform some strange exercises and their trust in us is how we can accomplish so much. They let us touch them where they hurt, put some weird wand device on their bodies, and take the leap to try whatever exercise we ask of them including walking into a giant transparent box that fills with warm water or hopping up onto some huge squishy thing. We could never attain the same success without the relationships we build with our patients!
Having 2 Underwater Treadmills is amazing because it helps us treat double the patients, but the downside is that many patients are so interested in what's going on next door that they forget what they're supposed to be doing and have to catch up! 😂
Some dogs are reeeaaaallllllyyyy big fans of Therapeutic Massage. Corey is some dogs!
When a patient experiences significant loss of function, moments like this are SO rewarding. Gizmo is so confident in his ability to traverse several uneven surfaces that challenge his balance and coordination that he starts running ahead! Not only that, but in most of this clip he is receiving little to no support!
World Veterinary Day is such a short moment to celebrate the magical professionals who bring healing and comfort to those who cannot speak for themselves as well as the endless patience and compassion for their humans. The CROC team represents decades of Veterinary Medical experience and a drive to help as many patients as they can. They are kind, loving souls who give everything they have to our patients because seeing them feel better fills them with pride. Small acts of appreciation from clients mean all the world to our team. Their work is what makes the incredible recoveries we've shared possible. They are the reason our 14-year-old arthritic patient has gained an extra 2 years with their family or that a young pup who was paralyzed and went through back surgery can now walk again. They give the priceless gift of quality time with your best friend. So, take a sec to thank the Receptionists, Veterinary Assistants, Registered Veterinary Technicians, and Veterinarians who have dedicated their lives to caring for your pets and enjoy this video highlighting everything that the CROC Team does to heal, hug, help 💙🐾
Sweet old man, Rohan, is 13 years old and looking excellent in the Underwater Treadmill! He's a no fuss kinda guy. Meanwhile in the background, our other Underwater Treadmill is getting one of its frequent deep cleanings to ensure it is kept sanitary for all patients. Being able to keep the treadmills so clean is yet another way that they are superior to a pool for Hydrotherapy.
Returning patient, Sidoh, knows the drill when it comes to Hydrotherapy so he spends most of the time in the Underwater Treadmill just checking everyone else out and seeing what their up to 🧐
It wasn't too long ago that we were applauding Koko for relearning to sit up unassisted... look at her now!!!! Some pats on the belly trick her into thinking there's something underneath her and she's standing almost entirely unassisted!! She's even self-correcting when she starts to lose her balance. Now we're working on her stamina to keep her up for longer and longer periods of time and of course, we're always there to catch her when she's tired 💙🐾
Dexter and Amanda work together to improve his core strength and balance. He's always a good sport about his exercises and very sweetly expresses when he's tired and needs a break!
Since every bed is a different thickness and material, they all feel different under Marla's paws and she has to adjust her balance over each one. Moving through the cones accomplishes a similar goal. As she turns around each cone, she continually shifts her weight between all four legs.
When Tanner began therapy at CROC, he was unable to walk. Look at him now!! This is why we do what we do!!!!
