Is Animal Therapy Center a veterinary practice?
ATC provides veterinary rehabilitation services under veterinarian direction along with separate non-medical canine fitness and conditioning programs.
The medical or non-medical nature of a service depends on the program and purpose of the visit.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes.
Animal Therapy Center operates by appointment.
Scheduled time is reserved for the individual patient or fitness participant.
Can I walk in for therapy?
ATC is not structured as a walk-in rehabilitation clinic.
Owners should follow the appropriate intake and scheduling process before arriving for services.
How do I start veterinary rehabilitation?
The first step is to begin ATC's evaluation request process.
ATC then obtains relevant veterinary records and completes the required intake steps before scheduling the rehabilitation evaluation according to current availability.
Why is an evaluation required?
Veterinary rehabilitation is individualized medical care.
The rehabilitation veterinarian needs to understand the patient's medical history, mobility, physical function, and goals before determining an appropriate plan.
An evaluation prevents treatment decisions from being based only on a requested piece of equipment or modality.
Can I schedule underwater treadmill without an evaluation?
That depends on the reason for the service.
An underwater treadmill can be used within veterinary rehabilitation or within an appropriate non-medical fitness program.
If the dog needs medical rehabilitation, the appropriate veterinary evaluation process comes first.
Does my dog need a referral?
ATC requests relevant veterinary records for medical rehabilitation patients.
Certain non-medical fitness services may also require information or referral from the dog's primary veterinarian.
Requirements depend on the service being requested.
Can ATC diagnose my dog over the phone or online?
No.
ATC cannot diagnose an individual animal or create an individualized medical treatment plan through general phone, email, social media, or website communication.
Medical recommendations require the appropriate veterinary relationship and evaluation.
Is Fitness Club rehabilitation?
No.
Fitness Club is a non-medical fitness and conditioning program.
Veterinary rehabilitation is medical care provided within a veterinarian-directed plan.
Some equipment may overlap between programs, but the purpose and medical context are different.
Can my dog participate in both rehabilitation and fitness?
Possibly.
A dog's needs can change over time, and some dogs may move from veterinarian-directed rehabilitation into appropriate non-medical conditioning.
Whether that is appropriate depends on the individual dog and the purpose of each program.
Does every rehabilitation patient use hydrotherapy?
No.
Hydrotherapy and underwater treadmill are tools available to the rehabilitation team.
Not every patient needs aquatic exercise.
Does every rehabilitation patient receive therapeutic laser?
No.
Therapeutic laser is one available modality and is used only when appropriate within the individual patient's veterinarian-directed plan.
How long are appointments?
Appointment length depends on the type of service scheduled.
Owners should use the time provided with their appointment confirmation rather than assume that all ATC visits are the same length.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule?
Contact ATC as soon as possible.
Because the clinic operates by appointment and reserves time for each client, cancellation, rescheduling, deposit, and late-arrival policies may apply.
Current policies should be reviewed on the ATC website or in appointment communications.
Is there an evaluation deposit?
ATC may require a deposit as part of the evaluation scheduling process.
Current deposit amounts and policies should be confirmed through ATC's current scheduling information rather than older online references.
Can ATC give me exercises to try before my appointment?
ATC does not provide individualized rehabilitation exercises for an animal that has not gone through the appropriate veterinary evaluation process.
General educational resources can explain rehabilitation concepts, but they are not a substitute for an individualized plan.
Should I stop my dog's medication before rehabilitation?
Owners should not stop or change prescribed medications unless instructed to do so by the prescribing veterinarian.
If medications have changed, ATC should be informed so the patient record is current.
Can my veterinarian communicate directly with ATC?
Yes.
ATC works with primary veterinarians and specialty veterinary teams and accepts veterinary records and referral information through its referral process.
Where should I check for the most current pricing and program information?
Use the main Animal Therapy Center website or contact ATC directly.
Pricing, program structures, scheduling availability, and clinic policies can change, so the current ATC website should be treated as the primary source for those details.
