Empowering Every Step: Mobility Devices & Custom Support for Your Pet
Watching your pet struggle with mobility can be challenging, but limitations don't mean the end of joy. At Ruff Day Vet + Pet Gym, we believe in maximizing every pet's independence and dignity. We provide expert assessment, fitting, and customized support for a range of mobility devices, ensuring your cherished companion can move with renewed confidence and participate fully in life.
Beyond Limitations: Our Approach to Restored Mobility
Our philosophy focuses on enabling true "unrealized quality of life" by providing practical solutions that support your pet's autonomy and executive function, even in the face of severe restrictions. We combine clinical expertise with a "maker" mindset to ensure devices are not just functional, but perfectly tailored for comfort and optimal performance.
Personalized Fitting & Customization: Maximizing Freedom
Adam Yoshida's "maker" past and background in construction provide a unique edge in modifying and customizing mobility devices. Coupled with Dr. Heather Misener's expertise as a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT) and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVAT), our team offers a truly comprehensive approach. Dr. Heather's deep understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, and neurological function ensures precise clinical assessment and prescription, while Adam excels at the hands-on adjustments.
Together, we go beyond standard manufacturer provisions to adjust wheelchairs, create specialized bracing, and improve padding using everyday materials, ensuring an intuitive and precise fit that meets each pet's individual needs. This is a creative and intuitive process that relies on the collaboration between pet, owner, and the Ruff Day Vet team, in order to optimize the interface between a device and a pet’s body.
Many times, we continue to make fine adjustments as your pet adapts to their device and their needs evolve, helping to maximize their freedom. Braces and orthotic devices are incredibly useful for addressing stability issues and pain, but they are not "one size fits all" or "set it and forget it" solutions. They require intentional use and attention when in use, and are not worn all the time. We guide you on optimal use to prevent challenges like excess pressure from overuse.
Wheelchairs: Renewed Movement & Joy
Wheelchairs are custom-fitted mobility aids that provide crucial support and freedom for pets with hindlimb paralysis, weakness, or severe balance issues.
We have extensive experience working with a wide variety of makes and models, as well as modifying and adjusting them based on individual needs.
This allows pets to run, play, and explore their world again with newfound confidence.
Explore Our Mobility Support Solutions: Tools for Independence
We provide comprehensive guidance on various devices, helping you choose the best options to enhance your pet's independence and dignity
Supportive Harnesses & Slings: Ergonomic Support for Pet & Caretaker
Designed to provide temporary or ongoing assistance for pets with weakness, balance issues, or post-surgical recovery, supportive harnesses are crucial for both pet and owner.
They not only provide gentle and precise support to the mobility-restricted pet but also address caretaker challenges related to supporting their pet, offering ergonomic solutions to owners.
For example, the Help 'Em Up Harnesses we use provide multiple anchor points that fit nicely over shoulders and hips, allowing for many comfortable hand holds.
This helps pets regain more mobility in a safe, supported fashion overseen by their caretakers.
Braces & Orthotic Devices: Targeted Stability & Pain Relief
These are custom-made or off-the-shelf supports for injured joints, weak limbs, or conditions requiring stabilization (e.g., carpal braces, hock braces, knee orthotics).
They provide targeted stability, reduce pain, and effectively assist in rehabilitation.
We emphasize that these devices require intentional use and attention and are not worn all the time to prevent issues like excess pressure, ensuring their optimal benefit.
Toe Grips & Traction Aids: Enhancing Stability on Slippery Surfaces
Dr. Buzby's Toe Grips are a great option to improve traction for pets who lack limb stability necessary to actively grip the ground with their feet. These small, non-slip grips, applied to nails (other products can be stuck on the paw pads directly), can significantly improve traction on slippery surfaces (e.g., hardwood floors), helping to prevent dangerous falls and increase confidence for elderly or neurologically compromised pets.
Prosthetic Devices: Life-Changing Freedom
Prosthetic devices are truly amazing and can be life-changing in enabling pets renewed freedom of movement, and also to address deficiencies that result from the loss of a limb. Dr. Heather and Adam bring extensive experience working with prosthetic devices to provide expert consultation on the best prosthetic options for your pet. We handle the complete process—from initial assessment and measurements to casting, ordering, fitting, and rehabilitation—partnering with highly qualified prosthetic manufacturers to help your pet regain optimal function after amputation.
Case Study: The Prosthetic Fitting Journey
Step 1 involves taking a cast of the affected limb.
Step 2 shows us fitting the foam insert to the stub.
Step 3 shows a newly fitted prosthetic leg to Cleo, who is ready to begin the process of breaking it in.
Guidance & Iteration: Your Partner in Application
We provide comprehensive guidance on application and fit for all mobility devices, drawing on our extensive experience to ensure the best outcomes for your pet. This process often involves the owner learning how to best help their pet use the device.
We are here to support you through that initial learning curve, drawing from our own experience to save you frustration and empower you to confidently manage ongoing care.
We work collaboratively with pet, owner, the device manufacturer, other veterinary providers, and our team, utilizing everyone's feedback to dial in optimal use, and make adjustments over time based on evolving situations, needs, constraints, and ever-developing solutions or improvements.
Is Mobility Support Right for Your Pet?
These devices offer crucial support and renewed independence if your pet is experiencing:
Neurological Dysfunction: If your pet is facing challenges like IVDD, degenerative myelopathy, nerve damage, paralysis, knuckling, or limb weakness, mobility devices can provide essential support to regain function and confidence.
Senior Pet Vitality & Compassionate Care: For beloved senior companions experiencing age-related weakness, balance issues, difficulty rising, or general slowing down, these devices can significantly enhance comfort, dignity, and continued engagement in daily life.
Post-Injury & Surgical Recovery: Mobility devices are invaluable for supporting healing, reducing weight on injured limbs, and aiding in rehabilitation after trauma or surgery, promoting a smoother and faster recovery journey.
Chronic Pain & Mobility Challenges: For pets struggling with conditions like severe arthritis, hip/elbow dysplasia, weakness-induced lameness, or general difficulty walking, these solutions can alleviate discomfort and enable greater freedom of movement.
Stories of Transformation & Resilience
The true measure of our impact lies in the lives we've transformed and the peace of mind we bring to pet parents.
Explore compelling testimonials and success stories from other families who have partnered with Ruff Day Vet + Pet Gym.
Ready to Optimize Your Pet's Health Journey?
Empower Your Pet's Health: In-Depth Articles & Resources
Understanding your pet's health can be a journey, and we're here to guide you. The Ruff Writer blog provides a deep dive into integrative veterinary medicine, offering detailed articles, essential resources, and our unique perspectives.
We aim to contribute to a thoughtful discourse, continually expanding the body of knowledge available to you as a pet owner.
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