Rehabilitation for pets is not exclusively about curing your pet or fixing a problem. The process helps your pet live a better pain managed life.
She’s terminally ill and will be over the rainbow bridge soon, look at her expression. Content in the knowledge her caregivers have given her best liveable life for the remaining time.
Rehabilitation, the term used to renovate, fix or make better. To renew a patient the therapist, doctor or care taker needs tools. A well crafted tool will work. Cheap tools will not deliver a quality product. If you’re a builder you know cheap raw materials mean your building is likely to collapse one day .
This does not mean you do not construct. If you have a conscience and know the value of human lives who will inhabit the building, you build a sound structure that will keep its inhabitants safe. If you are a purely for profit enterprise, materials do not matter.
Once you have decided which kind of constructor you are, you need raw materials and tools. The better the are, the better your product and the longer it remains in use. When we discuss rehabilitation for pet, keep this in mind.
The Colosseum in Italy, Taj Mahal in India, Pyramids in Egypt, the city of Petra in Jordan- all have a common denominator. Quality, attention to detail, they make a lasting contribution and stand the test of time.
What does a discussion about raw materials have to do with in rehabilitating a dog or cat? How does a discussion on building relate to rehab? It has a lot to do with your approach to building a strong foundation.
Rehabilitation is not purely a physical act, it involves rebuilding confidence which can only happen with trust. Trust in your therapist and the devices they use the faster you recover . Animal patients are the same as human patients in their reaction to therapy. Once an animal knows it can trust the people who care for it, it trusts the activities and devices a care giver uses.
Treat an animal patient with love and kindness, no matter its condition, it will respond.
Does this mean a terminally ill dog or cat will magically heal, no it does not. It does mean that animals know intention. Pets, shelter residents, animal hospitals and rehab clinics all at some time in their existence require an aid to help an animal walk, move or recover from an injury.
The professionally crafted aid is with the input of veterinarians who understand canine and feline body mechanics.
A medical aid is created from precise input and in collaboration with doctors who understand skeletal and motor functions. Which brings us to the prickly issue of price. Why is it some are more expensive than others? Your answer lies in the crafting, material and professionalism. You do not construct a buildings with Lego blocks and medical aids are not created with shop floor left overs.
Specific to India and the hundreds of dedicated animal welfare workers, shelters, Non governmental organisations, please demand the best for your patients. “Make do” is no longer an option India has access to the best products on the global veterinary market. We have an opportunity to help and heal India’s animals.
Make the change of mindset to poor and suffering street animals and patients must learn to accept bottom of the barrel products. It is about allocation of funds and educating donors on the virtues of donating beyond food and blankets.
Shelter workers, veterinarians, therapists, and volunteers work tirelessly in the most stressful conditions. Patients who cannot speak and explain pain are some of the most challenging patients to heal. It is rewarding to watch a patient heal, unless you’ve worked and know the challenges first hand, it is impossible to know the value of a medical aid.
A paralysed dog with a full stomach , is not a soul saved, it is your conscience appeased. An investment in quality medical products for your pets shelters and animals is a necessity.
Developing Product quality standards for wheelchairs used in less resourced environments. The African Journal of Disability
