Testimonials: Hip Problems

Sadie

"When I first met Dr. Waldman, Sadie (my Golden Retriever) was diagnosed with Hip dysplasia and was headed for surgery. Sadie was not doing well. She limped when she walked, had difficulty climbing stairs and her leg would shake a lot. Upon my first visit to CARE, I met the entire staff. Amy, Alex, Adriana and David, as well as Dr. Waldman. From the first visit I knew Sadie was in good hands. Amy and Dr. Waldman were awesome, they assessed what Sadie's issues were and came up with a game plan that worked extremely well for Sadie.

After the first two weeks Sadie had no difficulty climbing stairs and she was definitely feeling better. Amy's patience with the animals is incredible. Every week I would watch Amy along with Alex and/or David work with Sadie, and even when Sadie was being her old stubborn self, Amy worked patiently and gently to make Sadie better. After four weeks, Sadie had lost 10 pounds, running up and down the stairs without any problem, playing with the other dogs and being her old mischievous self again.

At the end of two months Sadie is now 16 pounds lighter and the muscles in her leg and hip are much stronger, it's as if Sadie is a new dog! Sadie is definitely feeling better. I'm so happy I met Dr. Waldman, Amy and the rest of the staff; their patience both with my dog and with me has been greatly appreciated. If it were not for you all, Sadie would have had to have surgery. Now Sadie is much better, NO surgery needed and she sends you much puppy kisses. Thank you so very much!"

M.S.

Xena

"Dr. Jessica Waldman and Dr. Amy Kramer and the staff at C.A.R.E. provided
the ultimate recovery and rehabilitation for Xena my Jack Russell Terrier
puppy. They have gone above and beyond to bring Xena full circle in her
recovery. I am forever indebted to them for the nurturing and care Xena
received while in therapy at their facility.

At 7 months old Xena my very active Jack Russell Terrier puppy had Femoral
Head Ostectomy (FHO) Surgery. She had a congenital condition that she was
born with and the only alternative was the surgery. As she was recovering
from the surgery I was attempting to find the best rehabilitation for her.
At first I took Xena to swim therapy for a few weeks but it did not seem to
completely help her recovery. I started doing more research on animal
rehabilitation and found out much to my surprise that there were certified
professionals right here in Santa Monica! I contacted C.A.R.E. and after
2 weeks of therapy at C.A.R.E. Xena was putting her leg down and attempting
to use it! She progressed rapidly through the program and at 4 weeks the
difference in girth between her surgical leg and her non-surgical leg was 1½
inches and she was using her leg more than 95% of the time. At 8 weeks the
difference was ¾ of an inch and she was using her leg 99% of the time!
Today Xena is using her leg all of the time. She will occasionally lift it
because she is tired or out of habit. C.A.R.E. taught me to look for signs
that she is tired or over doing her activity and to scale back. C.A.R.E.
also taught me the appropriate exercises for Xena to do for her recovery.
C.A.R.E. also provided nutritional counseling which has made a significant
improvement in Xena’s diet as well as my own! Xena was also treated with
acupuncture and ice for her pain. Xena turned one on August 27th and is 4
months post-op. C.A.R.E did exactly what it says on their home web page
“Veterinarian + Physical Therapist =The Gold Standard in Rehabilitation
Services for Your Furry Family Member”. Xena received the Gold Standard in
Rehabilitation Services from C.A.R.E and it shows! With C.A.R.E.’s
assistance Xena has met all of her goals and has exceeded my expectations.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and Xena's!"

C.C.

Atlas & Thea

"Although we are both in the fitness industry, we finally had to face the fact that our 4 year old Mastiffs, Atlas and Thea, were fat. Really fat. We tried different food and exercise combinations; however, we had little success. With Atlas weighing 215 lbs and Thea around 175 lbs their mobility was limited and painful arthritis was making their lives less enjoyable. Atlas was having trouble just standing up and Thea’s hips were getting worse by the day. Then we found C.A.R.E. a neighbor, who had received treatment at C.A.R.E. for her Golden Retriever, referred us to Jessica and Amy and we are so glad she did. Jessica put them a diet that not only had them shedding those extra pound, their allergies cleared up as well. Amy showed us how to work with our dogs so that after our time at C.A.R.E. we could continue their rehab on our own. We couldn’t be happier with the treatment our dogs received, nor could we give them a higher recommendation. Atlas is now a spry 193 lbs and loves being chased by his sister again, and Thea, a svelte 158, is back to tug-of-war and fetch. Thanks C.A.R.E."

R.M. and Y.L.

Arlo

"Dr. Waldman and everyone at C.A.R.E has performed nothing less than a miracle with our thirteen and a half year old Lab, Arlo. When I brought him in, he had just had laryngeal surgery, then pneumonia. He was terribly weak, would barely lift his head, and would not eat. He had such bad arthritis and muscle atrophy that he could not stand nor walk, on his back legs at all, and he had to be walked with a harness to keep his back legs from dragging on the ground.

Through the loving care and expertise of Dr. Waldman and Amy (I don't know her last name!) who is such a talented physical therapist, Arlo became evidence that miracles can happen. He is now able to stand and walk, wander the garden and sniff the grass, bark at birds, and really enjoy his life, something I was so worried that he would never be able to do again. When we came to C.A.R.E I
told Dr. Waldman that I wanted Arlo to be able to run on the beach, even if it were just one more time in his life. She said, "Well, let's try". I know she was protecting me from my hopes, but what I saw from there on out was great knowledge, and experience, and most wonderfully, a determination to do everything she could. She kept her promise, and put him on a regimen of acupuncture,
anti-inflamatories, physical exercises and massage. The funny thing is that Arlo, terrified of the groomer, and shaking when we go to the regular vet, gets himself up and to the door excited to go to his therapy.

The end of our story is that we have been to the beach three times now, and to watch him trot in and out of the tides and sniff seaweed and play, even though still a still a little wobbly, and not as speedy as he used to be, he looks to be just about the happiest dog ever. And I am the happiest dog owner. I do not have enough words to thank Dr. Waldman and Amy and the wonderful and amazing staff at C.A.R.E. Their commitment and caring have supported us and carried us a long way. I cannot possibly think what we would have done without them, and I will be grateful always for the life they gave back to Arlo."

D. R.

Java and Nutmeg

"We have been blown away by the treatment out two Labrador Retrievers have received at CARE. You have definitely improved the quality of life for Java and Nutmeg. We’ve watched you go above and beyond time and time again. It’s so wonderful to find people who really put the wellbeing of animals first.

We’ve seen you come up with solutions to unique situations and keep on working until you find just the right modality or equipment. We’ve seen you put in long hours on pro bono work with a rescue dog and be genuinely happy to be able to do it.

For our dogs, you’ve met and exceeded our goals for their recovery. Out pets enjoy their sessions at CARE and I enjoy watching their sessions. The entire staff is caring and patient and it is actually fun to watch the progress and the process.

We feel privileged to have gotten to know you and your staff who also go the extra mile and really care about the animals. We would recommend CARE highly. To find such caring and committed professionals is a blessing."

L.E.

Roger

"Just want to report that Roger is doing much better since his last treatment
and evaluation. Since then, Roger is able to do 10 to 15 minute walks and he
doesn't seem to be in pain as he was before and during the treatments.

Thank you very much for making Roger get better!"

J.C., August 2008