✧ Helping old dogs feel new again! ✧
Jessica Sherman, CCRP
In-Home Canine Rehab
While my truest passion lies with helping our senior pups to thrive in their golden years,
all pups are welcome for help & healing toward their best lives!
HOW WE HELP
In-Home Treatments
Providing in-home canine rehab services allows me to come to you, where your pet feels most safe & comfortable. My approach toward your pet’s wellness is holistic in nature; with an open heart & specialized education, I can help your pet live a longer, stronger, and more enriched life. Oftentimes, it may involve more than exercise & hands-on manual therapies; therefore, it is common for me to utilize varying modalities, such as: Laser Therapy, PEMF Mats, NMES, Ultrasound, Heating Pads, Ice Rollers or Packs, Enrichment Toys, and more. Beyond the time I spend with your pup, I will also empower you, as the pet parent, with the tools and resources necessary to take charge of your little one’s healing process.
Best Friends Deserve the Best Care
As a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, my goal is to assist your furry family member in remaining healthy & active (both physically & mentally) as they age. My areas of specialization and fields of study include providing hands-on therapeutic bodywork therapies along with canine-specific strengthening exercises. Combining these art-forms allow for decreased pain & increased strength, allowing your pup to maintain a peak quality of life, particularly through their senior years. Much like we, as humans, seek out assistance from healing practitioners for our own ailments, similar modalities can be used for our canine companions. While I do not diagnose disease or dysfunction, I can work closely with your veterinarian to ensure the best possible treatments are aligned with your pet’s specific conditions.
Recipe for Healing
Love heals all things……
My mission & approach begins with love, followed by respect and allowing your pup to know he is in control of how our sessions flow. My primary goal & specialty is particularly geared toward our senior kids, helping them maintain or regain strength, mobility, and independence so their golden years can be as engaging and fun-filled as possible through their later years. Arthritis is the primary culprit of aches & pains as we age, this is true for our fur babies, as well. Through a custom-built regimen, we can slow the progression of osteoarthritis (OA), rejuvenate spirits, lose unnecessary extra pounds, build strength & muscle mass, and re-learn movement patterns – keeping both mind & body active and alert.
Meet Jessica
Helping Senior Pups Live Their Best Life
Old Dogs, New Tricks was inspired by a blend of my 22-year career as a Rehab Professional and the experience of watching my own four-legged fur-baby through her decline as she aged. I simply knew more could be done to help her age more gracefully than just traditional pharmaceuticals & have chosen to contribute my healing touch & combined education to support other canine companions in this way. My specialty is in hands-on therapeutic bodywork therapies. Combining these with specific strengthening & mobility exercises allows for the rehabilitation of muscular and neurological injury, allowing for decreased pain & improved function. Let’s support your companion in living a longer, stronger, & happier life.
THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES
Laser
PEMF
Therapeutic Exercise
Each patient is assessed and has a specific set of exercises that are most effective in that patient’s rehabilitation. These are designed to achieve the goals set for that patient’s recovery. Exercises may be directed at helping the patient with strengthening specific muscles or stretching to increase flexibility or learning how to regain the feeling and use of a foot or limb. Exercises will be demonstrated and described so that you can be an integral part of your canines rehab process by participating in these at home.
MANUAL MODALITIES
Joint Mobilizations / Massage / Myofascial Release
Manual Therapy is a specialized treatment approach that consists of hands-on techniques including joint mobilization, massage, and other interventions designed to soften connective tissues, activate muscles, and stimulate nerves in order to facilitate healing and restore optimal function.
Manual stretching / Passive Range of Motion
Sometimes following an injury or surgery your canine might be hesitant to move that area of his body. Restoring Range of Motion early is imperative to making a quick and complete recovery.
Electrical Stimulation: NMES / TENS
Electric stimulation therapy is a therapeutic treatment that applies electrical stimulation in treating musculoskeletal injuries and/or aliments. It can help to reduce discomfort and pain, reduce muscle spasms. It can help prevent atrophy by “re-educating” the muscle and facilitate strength building.
COMMON CONDITIONS
Arthritis
As humans age and start to slow down, we are usually less inclined to keep our bodies in motion, especially if we weren’t physically active to begin with. Our joints start to ache, we feel tired, and then we really don’t want to move, which is exactly what we should be doing to feel better. It is similar to our favorite furry friends as they transition to their golden years. It is actually not uncommon for dogs to lose mobility as they age. In order to keep them as active, mobile, and happy as possible, it is essential to break the cycle. And this is precisely the role I want to play in your pup’s life….assisting him in feeling better!
Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is a condition of the hip joint where the head of the femur doesn’t quite fit properly into the socket of the acetabulum. Over time, abnormal movement within a misaligned joint capsule wears down the ligaments surrounding the joint and they do not remain strong enough for efficient support of the capsule. The cartilage that helps absorb shock also deteriorates and bone spurs develop, creating pain and loss of mobility. A sedentary lifestyle and excess weight will exacerbate the condition. Movement therapy can help your beloved pup return to the activities he once enjoyed!
IVDD / BACK PAIN
Back pain can be mild to debilitating for humans and it is no different for our pups. Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is one of the most common causes of back pain in canines and can lead to reduced mobility and quality of life. IVDD is a degenerative disease that affects the intervertebral discs that act as cushions between the bones of the spine. As the discs become weakened, they are more likely to rupture or herniate causing pain, discomfort, and lameness in your beloved pet. With proper diagnosis and healthcare, your pup can return to a happy and pain-free life. Call on your vet for a proper diagnosis and then reach out to me for hands-on, feel-good therapies that align with your Veterinarian’s healing protocol.
CCL Tears
CCL tears are actually the most common cause of hind limb lameness in dogs. Trauma, however, is rarely the cause of CCL tears versus chronic degenerative changes resulting in a partial or complete rupture. However, even with an injury to the CCL, your dog can get better.
When the CCL is injured, you may observe a number of symptoms in your pup: swelling, limping, reduced movement in the knee, reluctance to exercise or having the knee touched, weight shifting to one side when standing, rear leg extended when sitting. These symptoms alone are not enough to make that diagnosis. A combination of observation, palpation, special tests, and radiographs must be done by a veterinarian to rule in or rule out the condition in order to develop a proper treatment plan.
NEW CLIENT FORMS
To better serve your faithful companion, please take the time to fill in the Informed Consent & New Patient Intake Questionnaire and email to: olddog@caninehealingtherapies.com prior to our first visit.
Please have your primary or specialty veterinarian fill in the K9 Vet Referral form & email back to me, as well. Thank you.
Join Our Mailing List
OTHER CONDITIONS:
- Post-Surgery Rehab (TPLO, FHO, Hemilaminectomy, Tendon Repairs)
- Fibrocartilaginous Embolism (FCE)
- Orthopedic Diseases
- Arthritis (OA)
- Hind-end Weakness
- Aging/Inactivity/Overweight
- Compensatory patterns due to structural imbalances/poor conformation
Contact Us
Let’s Get Your Loved One Back to Thriving
Please feel free to contact me through the form below for more information regarding your pup’s specific needs.
Medical Disclaimer:
All information on this website is intended for instruction and informational purposes only. The authors are not responsible for any harm or injury that may result. Significant injury risk is possible if you do not follow due diligence and seek suitable professional advice about your injury. No guarantees of specific results are expressly made or implied on this website.
Certification
