What Your Client Can Expect

Rehab isn't always the answer.

We can't fix everything and as much as we wish it were, the Underwater Treadmill isn't a fountain of youth. Transparency is of utmost importance to us so when we find that a patient's condition isn't something we can help or maybe it's one that requires surgical correction first, we give your clients the honest truth. We know this allows them to use their resources in the most efficient way possible allowing your patient the best chance at recovery. In the event that a patient is too debilitated to participate in Rehab, we will not offer in-clinic therapy and instead provide them with resources to keep their pet comfortable and discuss their pet’s quality of life.

*If your practice does not offer the services that would best serve your patient, we will provide your client with contact information for local board certified specialists.

Closed Rehab means that clients are not present for their pet’s therapy.

CROC elected this method because it has been clinically proven to result in better patient outcomes, in fewer sessions than Open Rehab, in which clients are present. We will meet with your client and patient during the Consultation, but will then ask your client to drop their pet off with us for about an hour during which time we will perform our evaluation, create a custom Home Care Program, and (as long as it is safe to do so) perform your patient’s first therapy treatments. We will meet with your client once again at the end of this hour to share our findings and recommendations. Future Rehab sessions are drop-off appointments only.

CROC is a medical facility.

We do not offer daycare, playtime, or doggie social hour. Patients are not permitted to interact with other patients. Pets must be reasonably clean for their therapy sessions.

At the beginning of every therapy session, we will ask your client if there have been any changes in your patient’s comfort or mobility since their last visit, as well as any changes in their medical status and medications. We need to know if their pet has made progress, maintained status, or declined at home so that we can use that information in conjunction with the patient’s presentation to adjust their therapy session as appropriate. At pick-up, your client will be given a verbal summary of their pet’s session along with any recommendations for changes they should make at home.

We Veterinary Professionals know how abusive and toxic our industry can be. We recognize that as demand for quality care has increased in our community, the strain on Veterinarians, Technicians, and support staff has resulted in wide spread burn out and as a result, talented professionals are leaving the field in record numbers. Many members of the CROC Team contemplated leaving our field prior to their employment with us. We deliberately structure our staffing, our schedule, and our practice policies to maximize the wellbeing of our patients and our team. We strive to maintain a safe and supportive environment for our team while they work so hard to heal our patients. Our team is simply the best. We could not do what we do without them.

As part of that core value, CROC does not tolerate any abusive behavior from clients. We understand that emotions can run high when devoted pet parents become frustrated or scared and most misunderstandings can be rectified. However, clients are expected to treat our team with kindness. A mutually respectful and cooperative working relationship with the pet parent is required for our Rehabilitation work to be as successful as possible. Profane, hostile, derogatory, condescending, or threatening behaviors will not be tolerated. If there is a client you are considering sending to our facility that you suspect may not adhere to our policy, please let us know before hand.

Since DVM referral is not required, your client can schedule their consult at any time. 

It’s best for them to start out on our website so they can learn what the process is like, view our Pricing & Services and check out our Frequently Asked Questions page before heading to the Getting Started page to complete their New Client & Patient Info forms. Once those forms are completed, we will call to schedule their pet as appropriate.

Clients with questions not answered on our website are welcome to give us a call or send a text message to 949-444-2451 or email us at woof@caninerehaboc.com. We will always prioritize patients in our treatment room and clients in our lobby over answering phones, so we ask that clients leave a voicemail if we were unable to answer their call. We reply to voicemails, texts, and emails in the order in which they come in and at our soonest availability.

There is no “one size fits all” recovery in Rehab.

Every patient is an individual and factors such as age, comorbidities, nutrition, behavior, home exercise routine, and when therapy is initiated will contribute to a patient’s response to therapy. At your patient’s Consultation, we will recommend an approximate number and frequency of therapy sessions to begin with, after which time a Progress Exam should be conducted to re-evaluate the patient and determine if the desired result has been achieved. If not, why? Is it likely that this patient will benefit from further Rehab with adjustments made to address their deficiencies?

Your client’s adherence to the Treatment Plan will also directly contribute to your patient’s chances of successful rehabilitation. For example, if twice weekly therapy sessions were recommended, but a client only brings their pet every other week, that patient will not achieve maximum recovery. If a client fails to adhere to the Prescribed Home Care, but still brings their pet twice a week, that pet will make progress, but not as much or as quickly as they could be. If a client fails to adhere to the recommended frequency and Prescribed Home Care, it is unlikely that that pet will make any significant progress.

Your client’s consistent participation in their pet’s recovery is pivotal to the patient’s outcome. This is true for any of the conditions that we treat, but for the neurologically deficient patient in particular, it could seal their fate as a non-ambulatory animal since measurable improvement is extremely unlikely to take place once approximately 6 months has passed since their injury.

If your client cannot comply with their pet’s Prescribed Home Care for any reason, we recommend that they schedule more frequent in-clinic therapy sessions so that the CROC team can perform these vital activities with their pet, thus giving that patient a better chance at attaining maximum recovery.

Our custom Prescribed Home Care Plan is created for every new patient and directly influences your patient's outcome.

This plan will consist of therapeutic massage, stretching, and target exercises that the patient should be doing on a daily basis along with any recommended home environment modifications, changes to their diet, and/or supplements. This plan is given to your client in writing and includes our exam findings and recommendations for any in-clinic therapies.

Your client’s ability or failure to adhere to the Prescribed Home Care Plan will play an integral role in your patient’s Rehab results. Patients who do not receive home care as prescribed will not attain the best possible recovery, may take longer to achieve the desired result, or may struggle to make any progress at all.