We offer alternative medicine in addition to conventional treatments to give your pets every possible option for good health. Our interdisciplinary team provides the following complementary medicine services tailored for your pet’s individual needs:
Comprehensive Mobility Assessment
In our mobility assessment session, we take a detailed history and perform a full musculoskeletal and neurological exam. We will assess your pet’s gait, body posture, muscle mass, and range of motion to identify muscular, skeletal and neurological abnormalities. This assessment is needed to formulate the rehabilitation treatment plan that benefit your pet.
Pet Rehabilitation and Sport Medicine
Therapeutic exercise program is an essential part of a rehabilitation program for both post op orthopedic patients and patients with chronic conditions. The Goals of these therapeutic exercise are to improve mobility, reduce pain, and increase strength.
At legacy Veterinary clinic, after the initial assessment of mobility, we formulate therapeutic plan including different modalities and therapeutic exercises. We will teach you train your dog to go through each movement correctly, explain the purpose of each movement and be available to answer questions regarding the exercises. We will increase the intensity of the exercises as your pet improves.
Further, we have a great knowledge of the activities performed by canine athletes and injuries occurring in working and performance dogs. We also understand the importance of returning these athletes back to full performance. We use a number of different modalities and strengthening exercises to bring the canine athletes back to full function
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can help your pet lead a healthier, more comfortable life by relieving or eliminating many common ailments. Acupuncture usually involves insertion of thin sterile needle into discrete and specific points (called Acupuncture points) on the body in order to cause a therapeutic effect. Acupuncture has been practiced in both animals and humans for thousands of years. Modern research shows that acupuncture points are located in the areas where there is high density of free nerve endings, mast cells, small arterioles and lymphatic vessels. A great number of studies indicate that stimulation of acupuncture points can release beta-endorphins, Serotonin, and other neurotransmitters.
Acupuncture stimulation have many physiological effects including but not limited to pain relief, promotion of tissue healing, regulation of gastrointestinal motility, anti-inflammatory effects, immunoregulation, hormone and reproductive regulation, and anti-febrile effects. Acupuncture can be effective in musculoskeletal problems, neurological disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, other chronic conditions such as asthma, renal failure, chronic liver diseases, behavioural problems, endocrine diseases, and skin problems.
Acupuncture is a very safe medical procedure when administered by a qualified practitioner. Acupuncture is rarely painful because acupuncture points are stimulated using very fine needles, almost as thin as a hair. Over 95% of patients are comfortable with acupuncture therapy. Due to relaxation effect some animals will fall asleep during acupuncture treatments.
Laser Therapy
Cold laser has many therapeutic and physiological effect such as increased circulation, reduced inflammation, pain reduction and enhanced tissue healing. Laser therapy is a safe option for treating variety of conditions including wounds, back pain, muscle pain, and osteoarthritis. Lasers are also used post-operatively on incisions to speed the healing process and to prevent infection as well as over acupuncture points to stimulate circulation and healing. With laser treatment we provide a non-invasive way to ease pain and inflammation in tissues of our 4-legged patients. At Legacy Veterinary Clinic we use class 3B lasers which give off wavelengths of light but do not produce enough heat to burn or harm tissue.
Electrical Stimulation
NMES (Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation) utilizes electrical current to create a muscle contraction. NMES is used to treat many orthopedic and neurological diseases. NMES helps strengthen muscle units, limit muscle atrophy, reduce muscle spasm, decrease pain and edema, and increase local circulation.