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Princeton Animal Hospital & Carnegie Cat Clinic

a dog smiles while receiving rehab therapy from a staff member

Rehabilitation

If your pet is suffering from an injury or illness related to the neurologic and musculoskeletal systems, physical rehabilitation can be extremely beneficial.

Dr. Rupp and Staff Performing Therapy on an Old Spaniel

What is Rehabilitation?

Rehabilitative medicine is essentially physical therapy for animals. Rehabilitation services are vital to ensuring that your pet can eventually regain their comfortability in order to live a happy and healthy life. At Princeton Animal Hospital & Carnegie Cat Clinic, we are proud to have Dr. Michelle Rupp, a certified animal rehabilitation practitioner, on our team. Dr. Rupp has over 20 years of veterinary experience, over half of which has been spent specializing in rehabilitative care. When your pet begins their rehab program with us, Dr. Rupp will work with you to create and implement a rehabilitation plan to help them see the best possible improvement to their quality of life.

Brown Dog Receiving Acupuncture

When Should I Consider Physical Therapy for My Pet?

There are many reasons why your pet might benefit from rehabilitation. If your pet is suffering from pain due to an injury or chronic health condition, if they've recently undergone orthopedic surgery, or if they simply aren't living as comfortably as they could be, our rehabilitative services may be able to help.

Most of Dr. Rupp's patients are geriatric dogs with nonspecific symptoms, such as:

  • weakness

  • slowing down

  • difficulty climbing stairs

  • scuffling their feet

  • soreness after walks

We do also offer rehabilitation to cats.

old retriever receiving therapy

How Does Rehabilitation Work?

Based on the condition of your pet and your goals for them, Dr. Rupp will create and implement a rehabilitation plan to restore as much mobility as possible and eliminate pain. Any of the following treatment modalities may be recommended:

  • Therapeutic ultrasound

  • Therapeutic laser

  • Therapeutic exercise

  • Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy

  • Massage therapy

  • Muscle stim

  • TENS therapy for pain

  • Alpha-Stim

  • Reiki

  • Acupuncture

As your pet progresses, our team will keep careful records and make any necessary adjustments to ensure the rehabilitation process is successful. With advanced equipment and progressive methodology, we dedicate ourselves to providing the best possible rehabilitation service for your dog, cat, or other pet. Every test, decision, and treatment is customized to the specific needs of you and your pet, and Dr. Rupp will keep you in the loop every step of the way.

Getting Started with Dr. Rupp

If you're interested in starting rehabilitative services for your pet, call us today at (609) 520-2000 or ask your regular veterinarian about it the next time you bring your pet in for a visit.

Your first visit with Dr. Rupp will be a consultation to determine if our rehab program is the right fit for you and your pet. Dr. Rupp will ask about your and your pet's lifestyle, your goals for them, and if those reasonable goals can be accomplished with rehabilitation.

Dr. Rupp Head-to-Head with Golden Retriever

Zoey was having problems with her back leg, had trouble walking and looked uncomfortable. Her primary vet, Dr. Odgers, who has been wonderful, let us know a new specialist was coming on board at Princeton Animal Hospital who might be able to help Zoey. That’s when we met Dr. Rupp. Dr. Rupp was very nice and explained treatments that might help Zoey. She made no promises, other than that she would do her best to help Zoey. We appreciated her honesty.

After a few visits it was clear Zoey was better. Zoey had stopped taking walks, one of her favorite things to do, prior to meeting Dr. Rupp. Today Zoey is going for a walk almost every day. A sad Zoey was happy again. Dr. Rupp literally saved Zoey’s life!

We’d like to thank Dr. Rupp from the bottom of our hearts for what she has done for Zoey. We’d also like to thank her assistant Rui, Dr. Odgers and the staff at Princeton Animal Hospital for their excellent care of Zoey. Zoey now looks forward to her treatments! Thank you Dr. Rupp!!!

-Steve, Maureen and Caitlyn Carman