Canine athletes are just like human athletes. Often times they need help from a sports medicine specialist to heal injuries and optimize their performance. In Kanzu’s early, very energetic and intense lure coursing career he took several hard falls that left him with a chronic intermittent rear leg and back problem. It was rarely anything that anyone else could see and visits to many vets and traditional X-rays did not show any clear diagnosable problem. But as Kanzu continued in agility it was clear to those of us who knew him well that there was something not quite right. At the peak of his agility career it was frightening to not be able to locate the problem that came and went.

 

Finally we were referred to CARE, (California Animal Rehabilitation). Care is a very unique facility in Santa Monica, CA that combines veterinary medicine and physical therapy for a comprehensive approach to rehabilitation. Dr. Jessica Waldman, a veterinarian who specializes in Canine Rehab was immediately able to identify the problem using a detailed history, physical exam and videotaped gait analysis during walking, trotting and running. An individualized rehab program was developed complete with acupuncture, ultrasound and active and passive physical therapy. The physical therapists taught Linda how to do many of the exercises and stretches to accelerate Kanzu’s healing and provided incredibly valuable information for keeping Kanzu running at his optimal ability on an ongoing basis.

 

Kanzu loves his visits to CARE where he gets lots of attention, treats and massages, We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Waldman and her dedicated staff for how much they have helped Kanzu continue to do the things he loves.

Click here to visit CARE’s website