What can I expect at my first visit?

Welcome to Arfit Dog Therapy Chicago, I bet you’re wondering, “What can I expect at my first visit?” We are so happy to meet you and your pet.  We will get acquainted with you and your pet during your first visit.  While at Arfit, we want you and your furry family member to feel safe, relaxed and comfortable.

Once introductions are complete, we will discuss your reasons for coming to Arfit.  Is your pet in pain? Are they lethargic? Maybe they are walking more slowly recently? Are they having difficulty getting up or down? Climbing stairs? Is your pet overweight?

Next, we will evaluate your pet. This includes observing their posture and movement, goniometric measurement of their range of motion to look for stiffness in the limbs and the spine, measurement of limb and trunk girth for signs of muscle atrophy / wasting, strength testing of the limbs and core and palpation of muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints.

After the evaluation, we will discuss our findings and how they relate to your pet’s health and functional status. We can then set goals for treatment such as increasing walking time and distance, improving sit to stand or the ability to climb stairs, as well as improving their overall level of function and well being.

After we establish our goals, we can create a treatment program for your pet, including home exercises and massage/mobilization techniques you can do between Arfit Dog Therapy visits.

In just a few short weeks, your pet can make improvements in movement, strength with less pain and improved quality of life. Hopefully this helped answer your question, “What can I expect at my first visit?”

We look forward to your first visit!

Sincerely,

Tod Miner, PT CCRP

Dog Therapist

Owner / Therapist Arfit Dog Therapy Chicago

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