The goal for the first meeting is to build mutual trust with the pet, and to meet the patient where he/she is comfortable.  All efforts are made to keep the interaction as stress-free as possible!  If all goes well the initial examination usually takes 45 minutes – 1 hour, and involves full musculoskeletal, neurological and strength evaluation. Your pet’s gait, muscle circumference measurements, joint range of motion measurements, pet’s functional abilities will be evaluated.  We localize the areas of limited mobility, pain, dysfunction, and restriction.  If you have home videos of your pet walking, running, standing up, sitting down, or playing, this can be great information, too!

After the examination and review of medical records and x-rays, a problem list, treatment plan and goals will be tailored for your pet. Treatments will likely involve some acupuncture, modalities, and a home exercise plan.  Treatments usually start out more frequently, then taper down in frequency as we see improvement in the pet.  The plan involves the owner, patient, veterinarian, and other caretakers as needed.  It is a team effort!

This information will be sent to your referring veterinarian to keep everyone on the same page. Our goal is to complement what your veterinarian is doing to help your pet!