"In January of 2009 I received the news from my veterinarian that I most feared. Sarah, my 12 year old Yorkie needed knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Of course I was concerned about Sarah undergoing surgery, but I was most terrified about the weeks of recovery after the surgery. My fears all stemmed from the horrible months that I lived through after the surgery on both of Sarah’s knees that had occurred several years earlier. I was in charge of the “physio”, stretching and the progression of activity levels. I never knew if what I was doing was helping or hurting…and ultimately my precious Sarah was left with knees that were never the same. Although I had moved on to a new team of veterinarians and knew they would be there for me, I also knew that I would have to be actively involved if I wanted a much older Sarah to regain any quality of life. I have since learned that the best news I received in this knee surgery adventure – other than Sarah did well during the surgery – was when my veterinarian told me that “Sarah will most likely need to go to rehab”.
Sarah’s surgery went very well and after a few months of recuperation at home we were referred to the Edmonton Veterinary Rehabilitation Clinic (EVRC). The team there has been a huge part of Sarah’s life ever since. They have supported both of us in more ways than I could possibly articulate in a few words. I have never felt alone or wondered if what I was doing was the right thing. They helped me control Sarah’s pain and discomfort, developed and routinely modified a home exercise program and showed me how to best manage each stage of Sarah’s recuperation. I never once had to wonder if I was doing the right thing or if Sarah was ready for walks or the stairs. The support did not end with Sarah’s physical needs – they genuinely cared about us and we feel the same way about them!
Eventually Sarah was ready for the water treadmill and in a relatively short period of time, my little athlete was soon running and building muscle and endurance. It did not take very long for Sarah to reach and exceed her pre-surgery activity levels and tolerance and she loved and looked forward to each and every visit to her extended family at the EVRC!
Sarah’s life is complicated by ongoing medical and new and unrelated physical issues and the EVRC continues to be important part of Sarah’s ongoing treatments. I know that there are few certainties in life, but I do know, with certainty, that Sam and the rest of the EVRC team will always be a part of Sarah’s life. "
~Lori Kashuba
"Jessie, my part lab/pat shepherd is almost 13 years old. She has had arthritis in her hips, quite serious, for the last year or so. She has been on metacam for the pain and stiffness. Even with the metacam the arthritis got progressivily worse and then in October of last year, she just stopped wanting to go for walks. It was a chore for her to go up any kind of steps and many times she slept alone on the main floor of our house. Without the exercise, she gained a lot of weight. I took her to our vet and he suggested I take her to an orthopedic surgeon and see what her options were. We were told at her age, surgery would be really hard on her but they did however suggest the Rehabilitation Clinic. The surgeon suggested braces for her front legs which had bowed from the wieght on her hips being shifted to the front legs. I had never heard of that for dogs! I made an appointment for the following week.
Dr. Sandy Valverde did a complete assessment of Jessie and put together a treatment plan. Laser therapy, modalities, home exercise program, diet plan and eventually the underwater treadmill. It has been almost 2 months since Jessie started the treatment and although things are taking slower than hoped, Jessie is walking a block, sometimes 2 on a good day. She goes up and down the flight of steps with caution but now sleeps in my bedroom again. She has lost 2 kilograms and genuinely seems happier and out of pain. She even tried to chase a rabbit the other day! I’m thrilled at her progress. We are now working on getting her to walk with her new braces on and next week she will start the treadmill to help with her weight and exercise. I’m confident in the summer, I’ll be walking her at Terwilliger park again.
Sorry for ranting... what I really want to tell you about are the technicians at the clinic. Compassionate, caring, thoughtful, gifted, they are all amazing animal whisperers. Sam’s hands silently speak to her when she touches my dog and she just knows what Jessie is feeling. Everyone is so friendly and usually greet my dog with excitement even before they greet me.
I have shared a lot about myself with the technicians as the atmosphere makes for a very calming experience. I look forward to bringing her to the clinic as much as Jessie likes going there now.I am so grateful to everyone, they have given me back my dog, my sons dog. And they all know just how much that means to me."
~Barb and Jessie
"In February 2008, our beloved Rottweiler, Minka tore her cruciate ligament. After a successful surgery, we were referred to the Edmonton Veterinary Rehabilitation Clinic.
That was the beginning of a journey for all of us. All of the staff at the clinic were wonderful with Minka. They worked with her to restore full function to her knee, and were very successful. When they introduced the Wellness Program, we were the first in line to participate. She particularly loved the underwater treadmill and would run and sit in the tank waiting for someone to come and join her.
Later, when Minka was diagnosed with a Melanoma, she continued in the program. As time progressed, the Wellness Program became more of a palliative day program. It was something she always looked forward to, and gave her an emotional boost.
The staff became more like family to us as they supported us right to the very end of Minka’s life. Much as we miss her, we have many happy memories of the time spent at the Rehab Clinic and the support that we receive from everyone there.
One aspect of their support was in the reports that we received at the end of each day. Instead of an impersonal list of the days activities we received a letter written as if from the paw of Minka herself. It told the highlights of the day from her perspective. Like “proud parents” we looked forward to those “letters” at the end of each day.
These special notes demonstrate the care, of not just the patient (Minka) but show a unique sensitivity to us as we walked through this final stage of her life. We now have written expressions of Minka’s life with her friends at the Edmonton Veterinary Rehabilitation Clinic."
~Dave & Jo-Anne Clarke
“In February of 2008 my police service dog, Cruiser, was diagnosed with a muscle disorder in one of his hind legs that threatened to end his career and shorten his life span. We were referred to the Edmonton Vet Rehabilitation Clinic for treatment and have attended the clinic every week since then. The EVRC staff is second to none. I have not met a more dedicated, compassionate group of people with such a sincere desire to help animals. Their work with Cruiser has been inspiring and nothing short of spectacular. I remain in debt to them for all they have done to treat my partner. “
~A/Sgt. Tom BECHTHOLD
Edmonton Police Service Canine Unit
“I cannot say enough about what they have done for Buster and for us personally. We live about 2 ½ hours away and everyone there will do whatever they can just to accommodate Buster’s trips to Edmonton. Especially Sam, she has been coming in on weekends just for Buster. The results of his rehab therapy have been amazing and without her caring, understanding and compassion Buster’s complete therapy would not have be possible.
Buster is almost off all of his medication and doing better than we expected! He improves more and more each week. Words cannot express how grateful I am to everyone at the Edmonton Rehab clinic. Buster will finally be able to live his life like a normal St. Bernard!”
~Stacy and Buster
“I can honestly say there are no better people to whom I would want my dog, Wilma, taken to than the staff at the Edmonton Veterinary Rehabilitation Clinic.
The Clinic gave us a successful outcome that returned Wilma to full function of her limb (full weight-bearing). Her knees are no longer vulnerable and she can walk, run and play just fine now.
I have always noticed how involved the staff is with the dogs. Everyone at the clinic has always been so cheerful and enthusiastic when Wilma comes in, now for the wellness program. This experience has healed Wilma without delay and brought her to a healthy weight. She does not show any sign of the injury/surgery. I am happy to say that after the rehabilitation she is still doing fantastic! I would recommend Edmonton Veterinary Rehabilitation Clinic to anyone.
Thank you for having heart in your work.”
~The Robinson Family
“We saw Dr. Kim for her initial consult, Maggie was in pretty rough shape she wasn’t very flexible and was uncomfortable with the state she was in. We then set up an appointment with Sam for a message and laser treatment. I must add that Maggie is a VERY timid dog and only lets a few people in her life even to touch her! After only 2 sessions of the message and laser Maggie was a different dog, she was happy and starting to move around a lot. We proceeded with one to two visits a week with Sam for about a month, Maggie is now happy all of the time, she goes for walks everyday and can jump and walk up stairs again, she has a long way to go but it’s like we have our puppy back again – not to mention she warmed up to Sam and has let her in to her circle, she now takes treats from Sam every visit.
I would like to thank the staff at the clinic for the warm welcome and giving us our puppy back!! I would and do recommend this clinic to anyone and everyone who has a pet and needs help getting their dog back to being a happy dog.
Thank you very much for everything you have done for us and for Maggie.”
~Chrissy, Brad and Maggie Dumont
"Oh My God! Bailey lived off his adrenaline high for about an hour after we left the clinic then crashed. I cannot tell you how happy it made me to see Bailey so ecstatic to be doing something. We have managed the best we could within the boundaries of his rehab schedule but it just wasn't quite enough. This is the first time since his surgery that I have seen a glimmer of the dog that used to be. His attitude came back right away but his happiness to be working couldn't. Today you and your staff gave that back to him and I can't thank you enough. I have taken many small pleasures in his progress. After being paralyzed I had no idea what to expect or where he would get to. Everyday has been a celebration of little steps and today was like jumping off the cliff. He thought his visit to your clinic was the best thing ever. I am sure he would give up agility if he could swim everyday!
Thanks again for all your help and understanding on Bailey's road to recovery. I will be forever grateful to both you and Joel."
~Anneli Hilton
See Spot Run Doggy Daycare & Training Inc.
"When she was first brought in, she carried her head low, wagged her tail in a very controlled un-lab like way. It was very obvious that she was transferring most of her weight on her front end when she walked. Her limp was very pronounced, and her overall mood was somewhat quiet.
Although her limp is still noticeable, she is very obviously feeling better. She has more of the swagger like bounce back to her walk. When she’s excited she wags her tail the way she did before she was injured; in a wild circular motion. She also lies on her back and plays with squeaky toys again, something she hasn’t done for a while.
All of this is only after a few weeks of therapy, so we are very hopeful that her recovery will continue to be dramatic."
~Cher Olson