President's Message
Greetings!
Heading in to the holiday season means that the AARV is hard at work planning for our annual educational session and business meeting held at NAVC. The
AARV Educational Session will be Monday, January 18 -
see below for the exciting line-up of speakers and topics. As in years past, please be sure to join us during lunch for the AARV business meeting where we will recap the highlights of 2015, including the results of the Membership Survey, present the John Sherman Award for Excellence in Veterinary Rehabilitation and the winners of the abstract and research grant competition, and announce the next steps in the Strategic Plan and what you can expect from the AARV in 2016. And new this year - forget the old iPad drawing,
we are raffling off an Apple Watch! You must be present at the business meeting to be entered to win.
If you are planning on attending NAVC and looking for an opportunity to volunteer for the AARV,
we are looking for a few members to work the booth. Please
contact Cara Blake i
f you would like to volunteer for booth time.
Speaking of Dr. Cara Blake, I am thrilled to announce that in January 2016, Cara will not only continue in her role as Membership Chair, but she will also become President-Elect, assuming the role of AARV President in 2017. Congratulations Cara!
In other exciting news, next month Dr. Kristyn Richardson, AARV's legislative liaison, will be representing the AARV Board of Directors at the first Veterinary Rehabilitation Leadership Summit. Dr. Richardson will be joined by Dr. Andy Kaneps, president of the the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR), Kirk Peck, president of the American Physical Therapy Association Animal Special Interest Group, and Dr. Janet Van Dyke, past president of the AARV, who will moderate the meeting. The central purpose of this Summit is to determine how these three groups, with overlapping interests and desires to advance the field of veterinary rehabilitation, can best communicate and collaborate in the future. Among the topics they will discuss is the importance of education and credentialing in veterinary rehabilitation and the recent California legislative process. Dr. Richardson will provide a summary of the meeting in the December Newsletter and at the business meeting at NAVC.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Kristin Kirkby Shaw, DVM, PhD, CCRT
Diplomate ACVS & ACVSMR
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 Welcome, New Board Members!
by Rosemary J. LoGiudice, DVM, CCRT, CVA, CVSMT
AARV Immediate Past President
I want to welcome and announce to all AARV members the new AARV Board members who will begin their duties in January 2016. First, I want to thank the Board members who have served -
Dr. Jackie Davidson as AARV Treasurer and
Kristen Hagler as AARV Technician Liaison. Through their positions, they have both provided tremendous leadership and direction for AARV.
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Dr. Tammy Perkins Johnson
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The new AARV Treasurer is
Dr. Tammy Perkins Johnson. Tammy is a veterinarian at her practice, Endigo Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in Jupiter, Florida, working with both small animal and equine patients. Tammy's current certifications include CCRP, CERP, CVA, and CVSMT. Presently, Tammy is completing coursework for her CCRT and also a canine massage course "to provide additional tools for enhanced patient care." She is particularly motivated to help establish additional financial incentive for further research in veterinary rehabilitation.
The new AARV Technician Liaison is Dawn Hickey. Dawn, a LVMT with her CCRP certification, is a Veterinary Technician in the Physical Rehabilitation department at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center. Dawn is excited to "bring a distinctive set of skills that will facilitate open communication between rehabilitation technicians and the AARV Board of Directors while also promoting educational opportunities for the entire veterinary community ... impacting the lives of animals we treat and the education of their owners."
On behalf of the AARV Board of Directors and the entire AARV membership, congratulations Tammy and Dawn!
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Our Final Membership Survey Drawing Is Coming Up on December 15!
AARV members, we have one more membership survey drawing coming up on December 15th! If you have not taken the AARV 2015 membership survey yet, this is your last chance! You will not only be registered to win a $25 Amazon or Starbucks gift card, but you will also help ensure that the AARV Board of Directors understands who the AARV members are and how the organization can best support you.
You only need to take the survey once to be entered in the drawings all year.
Each quarter, we are randomly selecting three winners from survey respondents for a total of 12 winners this year. If you haven't won yet, you are still eligible to win during our final drawing.
If you haven't taken the survey yet, you can find the link by visiting the
Membership Survey page in the Members Area on the AARV website (log-in required).
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Add Your Rehabilitation Event to the AARV Calendar
 Do you have an event to add to the AARV calendar? All calendar posts are now free for AARV members.
Please send your calendar event to
[email protected] and be sure to include the name of the event, speaker, topic, date, time, location and URL. Rehabilitation related events/classes only, please.
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Follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
Check out our
Facebook page (American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians) and follow us on
Instagram (@rehabvets) and
Twitter (#rehabvets) to stay current with AARV members and get the latest news on rehabilitation. Don't forget to follow #vetrehabtechs too!
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Attend the AARV Lecture Track at NAVC 2016
 Plan to attend the AARV Lecture Track on Monday, January 18, 2016, at the North American Veterinary Community Conference in Orlando, Florida. We have planned a full day of presentations on leading-edge topics. All NAVC attendees are welcome to attend the AARV Track. To register, please visit the
NAVC website.
Win an Apple Watch!
As a special bonus, one lucky AARV member who is attending the noontime annual AARV Membership meeting at NAVC on January 18, 2016 will win a new Apple Watch! Attend the annual membership meeting for lots of great information and a chance to win an Apple Watch.
The schedule for the day will be as follows:
Monday, January 18, 2016
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8:00-9:15
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Laurie McCauley, DVM, DACVSMR, CVA, CVC, CCRT, and Cynthia Otto, DVM, PhD, DACVECC, DACVSMR, CCRT
Preventive Medicine Through Injury Recovery to Keep Dogs Working and Playing
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9:55-10:45
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Cynthia Otto, DVM, PhD, DACVECC, DACVSMR, CCRT
Preventing Dehydration: Lessons from Professional Canine Athletes
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10:55-11:45
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Cynthia Otto, DVM, PhD, DACVECC, DACVSMR, CCRT
Health Hazards and Rehabilitation of Dogs that Play or Work Too Hard
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11:45-1:45
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 Lunch Meeting with John Sherman Award Presentation to Rosemary LoGiudice. All members and interested parties are welcome.
There will be a drawing for an Apple Watch!
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1:45-2:35
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Laurie McCauley, DVM, DACVSMR, CVA, CVC, CCRT
Rehabilitation of Working Dogs: Modifying Physical Modalities for this Group
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2:45-3:35
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Laurie McCauley, DVM, DACVSMR, CVA, CVC, CCRT
Rehabilitation of Working Dogs: Modifying Manual Therapies for this Group
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3:55-4:10
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Mary Ellen Goldberg, BS, LVT, CVT, SBA, CCRA
Defining the Veterinary Technician's Role in Physical Rehabilitation
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4:15-4:30
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Leilani Alvarez, DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVCHM
AARV Winning Abstract Presentation
Survey of Referring Veterinarians' Perceptions and Reasons For Referral to Rehabilitation Facilities
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4:35-4:50
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Andrea Henderson, DVM, MS, CCRT, CCRP
AARV Winning Abstract Presentation
Effect of a Core Conditioning Program on Lumbar Paraspinal Area, Asymmetry and Pain Score in Military Working Dogs with Lumbosacral Pain
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
An Update on California, Plus Colorado, Connecticut and Delaware
by Kristyn Richardson, DVM, CCRT, CVSMT
Legislative Liaison
Happy holidays, AARV members!
I hope this fall is treating all of you well. I have some news about the public meeting held in California in October. The California Veterinary Medical Board has decided to discard the current wording for Animal Rehabilitation in the Veterinary Practice Act and basically start over. I am seeing that this will be addressed at the meeting in January 2016.
OK! Now on to Colorado, Connecticut and Delaware.
At this time, Colorado has stipulations in the Veterinary Practice Act and the Physical Therapy Practice Act that allow for licensed physical therapists to perform animal rehabilitation with clearance from a licensed veterinarian. The Physical Therapy Practice Act outlines education, internship hours needed to comply with the Act. These practice acts are used as an example when other states are attempting to integrate animal rehabilitation into both practice acts.
Connecticut has an interesting definition of the practice of veterinary medicine:
"A person shall be construed to practice veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry, within the meaning of this chapter, who holds himself out as being able to diagnose, administer biologics for, treat, operate or prescribe for any animal or bird disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition, or who either offers or undertakes, by any means or methods, to diagnose, administer biologics for, treat, operate or prescribe for any animal or bird disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition. " Chapter 384, Section 20-197.
What is interesting is that euthanizing animals in accordance with state and federal laws by the Connecticut Humane Society, equine teeth floating with rasps and that does not include treating decay and extractions of teeth, and myofascial trigger point therapy (with specific hours of training needed) are not considered the practice of veterinary medicine. Other than these 3 things, there is no specific mention of animal rehabilitation.
The quote from Chapter 384 above has a very wide reaching interpretation.
There is no mention of animal rehabilitation in the Connecticut Physical Therapy Practice Act.
The Delaware Veterinary Practice Act (Title 24, Chapter 33) defines the practice of veterinary medicine (Subchapter 1, Subsection3302(5)) as:
- To diagnose, prognose, treat, correct, change, relieve or prevent animal disease, deformity, defect, injury or other physical or mental conditions, including the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthetic or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique, for testing for pregnancy or for correcting sterility or infertility, or to render advice or recommendation with regard to any of the above;
- To represent directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an ability and willingness to do any act described in paragraph (5)a. of this section;
- To use any title, words, abbreviation or letters in a manner or under circumstances, which induce the belief that the person using them is qualified to do any act, described in paragraph (5)a. of this section, except where such person is a veterinarian.
Subsection 3302(9)""Veterinary medicine" shall include veterinary surgery, obstetrics, dentistry and all other branches or specialties of veterinary medicine."
Based on the definition of medicine, animal rehabilitation could be interpreted to fall under the practice of veterinary medicine based on the presence of the ACVSMR specialty. Again, the definition of the practice of veterinary medicine is general and can be left up to interpretation.
Links to all of these practice acts and their Physical Therapy Practice Act counterparts can be found on the State Practice Acts page of the AARV website.
In the next newsletter: District of Columbia, Florida and Georgia.
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TECHNICIAN CORNER
Around the World with a Credentialed Rehabilitation Veterinary Technician
by Kristen L. Hagler, BS (An.Phys), RVT, CCRP, CVPP, OACM, CBW
AARV Technician Liaison
As a credentialed veterinary technicians, we can sometimes get tied to a particular aspect of medicine, but through the years I have found those of us working in the field of veterinary physical rehabilitation often are the ones who have the most exciting opportunities and ideas. Many have been pioneering physical medicine into general veterinary practices alongside their veterinarians, speaking at conferences to peers, working with performance or working animals, research, pain management specialization, orthosis management, developing rehabilitation equipment or training modules to traveling the world - we are definitely an innovative group. I am most proud of those who have transformed veterinary hospitals and the staff who are aware of veterinary rehabilitation, but just don't really know what it all entails. By simply opening our colleagues' eyes to the creative world inside our endlessly working minds with seemingly simple but profound changes, we can make a difference!
This month, our article comes from
Maria Maddox, LVT, CVT, CCRP, who is currently living in Okinawa, Japan.
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From left: Maria, Kae Shimokonoki, the main therapist, and Nanako Tanakan outside Al Animal.
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In September, Maria visited the AI Animal Medical Center in Tsukuba, Ibaraki prefecture to see how rehabilitation is performed in Japan. She met Kae Shimokonoki, the main therapist, and Nanako Tanaka, her assistant therapist. Kae started her career as a human physical therapist and has split her time between human physical therapy and veterinary rehabilitation at two different locations in Ibaraki. She is a member of the national Japanese physical therapist association and is trying to establish a special interest group for veterinary rehabilitation; she is also a member of the Japanese Society of Animal Physical Therapy. Nanako started her career as a veterinary technician and wanted to pursue rehabilitation after only three years into her career. The only avenue available in her region to get into veterinary rehabilitation was to go back to school for human physical therapy; she has been working in veterinary rehabilitation since this past April. Maria describes more about her visit to Al Animal:
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From left: Maria,
Nanako, Kae inside near their UWTM.
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Tsukuba is an up-and-coming town that is still growing and is supported by several universities. Veterinary rehabilitation is not as "mainstream" in Japan as it is in the U.S.; clinics offering rehabilitation are typically in the larger cities with higher incomes. Currently a veterinary rehabilitation program does not exist in Japan, so therapists who are certified have traveled to either the U.S. or Australia to obtain further education. AI Animal Medical Center is relatively new, and the rehabilitation department currently relies on "fitness and weight loss" for the majority of their cases, helping an average of eight patients a day when the therapists are scheduled. Their underwater treadmill (UWTM) has been custom made, as the commercial ones available in Japan are too small, not allowing room for the therapist to go in with the patient. An electric pump is used to move water between the UWTM and pool. Clients stay with their pets during therapy, and the ones I met have been very tuned in with their pets, were enthusiastic about treatment and excited to be learning how they could do more at home.
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From left: Nanako, a client, Maria, and Kae with their patient "Mose," a 12 year old MN Border Collie that had ventral slot C4-5 and was non-ambulatory.
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I feel that supplies and equipment are quite limited versus what we have access to in the U.S. The majority of their equipment was purchased from U.S. companies, making the cost of some products prohibitive. One client was interested in purchasing a physioroll to help with her recumbent pet at home, but couldn't afford the name-brand physioroll sold for veterinary rehabilitation in the U.S. The staff and owner were pleasantly surprised to find out they could purchase similar products much cheaper through online resources or even searching for human physical therapy equipment offered by Japanese distributors. It has been a pleasure to work with these therapists who are acting as pioneers in the field and be able to teach them various techniques I have learned over the years.
About Maria
Maria grew up primarily in New Jersey and graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in biology and a senior thesis on maternal recognition in sheep. After working a couple of years at a general veterinary clinic, she decided to pursue veterinary technology as her career and graduated with honors in 2002 from the Bel-Rea Institute in Denver. Since becoming a credentialed veterinary technician, she has focused the majority of her career in specialty medicine, enjoying the higher level of care and knowledge base that this provides for patients. She became interested in physical rehabilitation for animals after having gone through therapy herself on multiple occasions because of a myriad of sports injuries (soccer and rugby take a toll on your body!) and after working with an arthritic Pudu (a Chilean deer) at the Bronx Zoo. Staff at the zoo were only able to treat the elderly female Pudu with daily aspirin in her food but Maria felt there had to be something else that could be done to improve the Pudu's quality of life. She shadowed Caroline Adamson, PT, for a few days while attending Bel-Rea and learned about the program that was going to be started at the University of Tennessee. She then acquired her CCRP certification in December 2006 and has been working exclusively in small animal physical rehabilitation for 8 years. Maria currently resides in Okinawa, Japan, with her husband and cerebellar hyperplastic cat, Coconut. She has worked at the American military veterinary clinic on Okinawa, providing rehabilitation for some of the military working dogs and is currently employed by a Japanese veterinary hospital to train their staff in physical rehabilitation techniques.
Do you have an article in mind for the Technician Corner? Contact Kristen Hagler to submit an article (suggested length of 200-300 words) or suggest a topic.
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Upcoming AARV Member Presentations
AARV members will be speaking at the following upcoming events:
International Canine Sports Medicine Symposium - January 16-17 - NAVC in Orlando, Florida. AARV Members Presenting:
- Dr. Britt Carr: Osteoarthritis: Non-traditional Approaches to in the Canine Athlete
- Dr. Cindy Otto: Keeping Working Dogs Working
- Dr. Kristin Shaw: Rehabilitation for Elbow Disease and Practical Approaches to Managing DJD in Canine Athletes
AARV Lecture Track - January 18 - NAVC in Orlando, Florida (see schedule above). AARV Members Presenting:
- Dr. Cindy Otto
- Dr. Laurie McCauley
- Mary Ellen Goldberg
- Dr. Leilani Alvarez
- Dr. Andrea Henderson
Washington State VMA Specialty Day: Veterinary Rehabilitation - January 24 - Renton, Washington
AARV Members Presenting:
- Dr. Kristin Shaw: Introduction and Overview of Veterinary Rehabilitation
- Dr. Alycia Lamb: The Role of Orthotics and Prosthetics in Canine Patients
- Dr. Leslie Eide: Injuries, Rehabilitation and Conditioning of Canine Athletes
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 Are You Speaking at an Upcoming Meeting?
If you will be lecturing at a meeting in the next three to four months, please let AARV know! We will be adding a list of our members' upcoming speaking engagements to this newsletter. Please send your name and the topic of your talk along with the meeting name, dates, and location to AARV at
[email protected].
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 Join Our Speaker Registry!
We are continuing to look for members who are interested in speaking at their local VMA meetings and also national meetings as part of our goal of increasing awareness of the field of veterinary rehabilitation and the AARV.
If YOU are interested in being considered as a speaker, please send your name, your CV, and the state/s in which you would speak, as well as potential rehabilitation topics to Dr. Janet Van Dyke, AARV past president/programming committee chair (
[email protected]).
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UPDATED BROCHURE!
AARV Members: Download Our Updated Free Brochure for Your Clients and Colleagues
AARV has updated its brochure "Why Should You Choose a Rehabilitation Veterinarian?" and made it available as a free download for members from the website.
The brochure is a high-resolution PDF that may be printed and distributed to clients and colleagues to help explain the benefits of working with a rehabilitation veterinarian. The brochure also may be customized with your practice's contact information on the back panel.
To download the PDF, go to the
Resources page in the Members Area (log-in required).
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Have You Read the Latest Articles of Interest?
The November Articles of Interest are posted in the Members Only area of the website. Our Articles of Interest documents containing journal abstracts and citations are posted online to help you stay up to date on the latest research and publications. We also keep links to past Articles of Interest so you can easily catch up if you miss a month.
Click here to read the November Articles of Interest and past Articles of Interest. Enter your username and password to log in, then go to the Articles of Interest page. You must have a current membership recorded in our database for access to the Members Only area.
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 Send Us Your News!
AARV members, we're looking for your news! Have you hired more staff, had a peer-reviewed article published, or accepted a leadership position with an organization? We'd like to get updates on your rehabilitation activities and share your news in our email newsletters.
To see your news in print, email a brief description - and a photo if possible - to AARV at
[email protected].
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Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter?
Our October 2015 issue included:
- President's Message from Dr. Kristin Kirkby Shaw
- Communication Director's Message from Dr. Megan Ridley
- Add Your Rehabilitation Event to the AARV Calendar
- Follow Us on Facebook!
- Attend the AARV Lecture Track at NAVC 2016
- Technician Corner: Military and Working Dogs Benefit from Attention to Soft Tissues
- Recent and Upcoming AARV Member Presentations
If you missed this issue, you can
read the October newsletter online or from the
e-Newsletter page on the AARV website.
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Practice for Sale, Santa Fe, NM
Amazing opportunity in Santa Fe, NM. Free standing rehab-only practice in a beautiful, open, light office with multiple rooms. Oasis UWTM, Companion Class IV laser, NMES, EAP, Fit Paws exercise equipment, VetFM practice software. This is a busy, growing practice with room for growth that allows the owner to maintain a healthy, enjoyable quality of life. Acupuncture is integral to practice. Truly an amazing opportunity. Feel free to call or email with serious inquiries!
How to Apply: 505-983-6912 or [email protected]. Check out our webpage and link to FB @ Bounce Back Integrative Veterinary Rehabilitation LLC.
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Rehab Assistant - The Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware
Seeking entry level rehab assistant (full or part time) to work with two CCRP veterinarians at The Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware, vscdel.com. Our stand alone building supports outpatients, post surgical patients from our three board certified surgeons, as well as ICU and emergency cases from our main hospital next door. We are fully equipped with an Oasis UWTM, therapy pool, overhead lift system, class IV laser, and e-stim/ultrasound unit. More than the equipment, we all love our work, thoroughly enjoy interacting with the clients and the patients, and continuing to learn about the field of rehabilitation. Please email for more information or to schedule an interview at [email protected].
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CCRT/CCRP - PAWS for Rehabilitation, Virginia Beach, VA
Our outpatient, paperless, independent rehab practice is looking to add a part/full time practitioner. We are seeking a highly motivated, team-oriented individual with a strong work ethic to join our family friendly environment with emphasis on communication, service, collaboration and relationship building. Our practice is fully equipped with acupuncture, massage, therapeutic ultrasound, class IV laser, underwater treadmill, Gait4dog digital gait analysis, large gym space, E-stim and more. We have a strong patient base and great working relationship with area referral centers. Rehabilitation certification or eligibility is desirable and additional certification in Chiropractic, Acupuncture, or other Holistic services is a plus. To apply, contact Stephanie Patterson, DVM, CCRT, CVA, at [email protected].
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CCRA/CCRP - The Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle
The Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle is seeking a Certified Rehabilitation Technician (LVT, CCRA/CCRP) to join our collaborative and progressive team! We are searching for a highly motivated individual to work along side a full time rehabilitation therapist in our rehabilitation, sports medicine, and pain management service. Candidates must share our commitment to delivering extraordinary patient care and outstanding client communication. Equipment and facilities include: dedicated rehabilitation exam room, outdoor area for lameness evaluation and therapeutic exercise, underwater and land treadmills, therapeutic laser, ESWT, NMES, and therapeutic exercise equipment. For more information and to learn how to apply, click here.
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Tier 1: Education and Research Sponsors
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Tier 2: Sponsors Providing Member Discounts
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Tier 3: Additional Sponsors
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