The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Four-legged therapy
Dexter facility offers rehab for dogs
By Elaine Owlsey, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: April 24, 2008
If you are old and arthritic, recovering from surgery on one of your limbs, or getting ready to compete in an athletic event, you probably would consider having some kind of physical therapy.
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If you happen to be of the canine persuasion, that kind of help for those kinds of reasons is available at ARF near Dexter, where Veterinary Doctor Jan Masica treats aged, injured, and athletic dogs at her Animal Rehabilitation Facility.
Dr. Masica provides different techniques, designed for each animal problem, to help restore normal function to joints and muscles after surgery or injury. She also can help animal athletes tone and condition for competition, especially after a long winter out of the action. And, they seem to enjoy the experience.Therapeutic exercises, electrical stimulation, massage, acupuncture and aquatic work such a swimming and underwater treadmill work help animals reach their potential and wellness. (The treadmill, by the way, is the only thing underwater.)
Like people, animals respond depending on their age, degree of injury, and condition at time, along with their owner's willingness to follow the program outlined and the pet's cooperation.
ARF is located in the former Thompson Shore building on Joy Road east of Mast. Several other animal (usually dogs) related businesses are also in the building, including grooming and agility training and obedience training.
Watching an older golden retriever swim against the current in the indoor pool with its 86-degree water, made it look like fun. He went after a favorite toy thrown to the end of the 10x16 foot pool and swam back against the "tide" which provides a low impact work-out. The pool can also be used to help field-dogs overcome water-related issues.
Two whippets were at ARF who had come from West Bloomfield with their owner, Maribeth Mateva. Vegas, a four and half-year old female was conditioning for a "courser" event in Chelsea which involves chasing a garbage bag on a wire over ground for up to 1000 yards. Her owner explains, "If they're not conditioned, they don't make it." So Vegas goes into the chamber with the treadmill and warm water is added, which provides resistance as the treadmill advances at trot speed for 30 minutes.
Dr. Masica, who opened the facility in 2006, graduated with honors from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and was in private, general practice for 20 years before establishing ARF.
She studies acupuncture at the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine in Florida and studied rehabilitation at The Animal Rehabilitation Institute of Florida as well. She became interested in physical therapy after receiving the benefits of it following her own injury.
The second whippet, Lucky, was a 13 1/2 year old male who was born with a neurological problem which causes his front and rear legs to be out of sinc. Before beginning his sessions of slower walk in the water, deeper to provide him with more buoyancy, Lucky could barely walk at all. Now, while not agile, he manages to get around andstoically does his workout for Dr. Masica.Five or six dogs a day come to ARF, or about 20 to 25 each week. They come from as far away as Flint, Jackson, East Lansing, Bloomfield Hills and Clinton. Referral by vets in the area brings about half, word of mouth among dog sport participants, the other half. Some come to lose weight, as well as for conditioning and wellness. The number of visits depends on the individual dog and the results achieved.Jake, Dr. Masica's own aging golden, uses the "dry" treadmill to keep up his strength and to limber up. He is a "good boy", sticking with the exercise through the required minutes. His wall of ribbons in Dr. Masica's office attests to his past abilities at various dog sports.Pet insurance usually doesn't cover rehabilitation therapy, so the decision to take advantage of this healing exercise rests with the owner. The dogs? They appear to view the whole thing as another one of those "things" owners lead them into, at least those at ARF on that one day.Those interested in the services offered at ARF can contact Dr. Jan Masica directly at (734) 417-4290.
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