Rehab is about helping your dog live their best life

Canine rehabilitation is still a very unknown field for pet parents and veterinarians. Many pet parents do not know it exists, and while vets have likely heard of it they may not fully understand what we have to offer. Commonly, physical therapy is thought of as something done after surgery for recovery, which is not wrong, but there is so much more to what we do, what dogs we can help and how much dogs can truly benefit from rehab.

As you may notice your aging dog slowing down on your hikes and walks, not going up/down the stairs as easily, and overall not as energetic as they used to be. Typically after some time passes you go to the vet, maybe have xrays taken, and prescribed meds for arthritis and aging. This is the time you start to wonder is there something more you can do. YES! That is where we come in.

Dr. Kat was born and raised in Arizona, currently living in Queen Creek, and knew she wanted to pursue a career in Physical Therapy since her Freshman year of high school. She has been practicing human physical therapy since 2015 in Gilbert. As she continued working on human patients as a physical therapist, her husband’s and her first furbaby, Aurora, a golden retriever, started showing signs of hip pain and arthritis. Kat used what she knew about physical therapy, massage and manual therapies, to provide relief regularly and saw significant improvements in Aurora’s energy levels and function around the house. While Lymphoma took Aurora too quickly, it did show Kat the effect she can have with her current skills with physical therapy, but she knew there was more to learn. Dr. Kat went on to complete her certification in canine rehabilitation through Canine Rehabilitation Institute, and now she is reaching more dogs as a mobile canine rehabilitation therapist. She wants everyone to be able to have more time and more adventures with their dogs in Arizona!!

Wayne- PT, MPT, CCRT

Wayne has spent 28 years treating people in physical therapy. He has always been a “dog person,” and on occasion, he was able to address pain in his own dogs and other family dogs. This led to long discussions with his wife, Savannah, and with a lot of encouragement, he pursued his certification in Canine Rehabilitation through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute. He has now transitioned his career from the human world to the canine world and loves it. As he has just started into the canine rehabilitation world, he is learning just how much this can improve the pain, mobility and life of his canine patients. When not working, Wayne can be found enjoying time with his wife, playing golf and tinkering with his vehicles. He also enjoys hunting and fishing when he can.

MaryAnn Depka- Customer Experience Manager

MaryAnn has lived all over the valley since she was a toddler, and is now settled in Queen Creek, Arizona. She has always had a passion for animals (especially dogs) and has over a decade of professional experience in animal care, with the majority of that work being in Veterinary clinics as a technician and receptionist. With patient well being continuing to be her top priority, she looks forward to connecting with you and being a part of your pup's recovery journey. In her spare time, MaryAnn loves to watch movies, read, and connect with nature. She also loves to spend as much time with her husband Jon, and dog Ruby as possible!