CLEMMONS, N.C. — Going to see a back doctor isn't just for humans, there's also one for your pets!
A Triad veterinary hospital is offering our furry friends a new type of health care that's helping them to live stronger and longer.
Over in Clemmons, at Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital, you'll find animals doing water treadmill to those receiving laser therapy.
These treatments are a part of a new type of integrative pet health care that combines non-medical ways of treating pain in animals.
Owner Dr. Mitch Spindel said his hospital invested in an onsite rehabilitation center with a goal of healing arthritis in dogs and cats, which he said is quite prevalent.
"Roughly 20% of them will develop osteoarthritis and degenerative changes many as one year of age," Dr. Spindel said.
Dr. Spindel said therapies like water treadmill, stem cell therapy, and mono-clonal antibody therapy all can help lower arthritis' effects.
"There's certainly simple things that we can do to just help animals especially at the later stages of their life to help them live a long and healthier life."
Animal Ark Vet Dr. Sarah Sawayanagi or "Dr. Saw" for short, tried one of the treatments on her pet.
She said she implemented spinal manipulation therapy—a type of animal chiropractic. To do this type of treatments, Vets are required to take a 92-hour certification program in order to practice the technique.
Dr. Saw said this service offers her patients another option over pain medication.
"Oftentimes owners come in looking for ways to help their furry babies without using medications and other ways that require anti-inflammatory medications and this is a really good option to preserving their health," Dr. Sawayanagi said.
Heads up! The cost can vary. Some treatments can be $400 to $500 per therapy session which includes a round eight treatments.
Dr. Spindel said some therapies are covered by pet insurance.
While there are costs to treatments, Dr. Spindel said the benefits are priceless.
"If we can offer and find ways to recognize pain early in our pets we have a wonderful much better way of slowing the progression of these diseases," Dr. Spindel said.