In the last post, I outlined the big picture. But, now for some details about how to get trained in animal physical therapy. The 2nd most commonly asked question I am asked is if there are any schools (degree programs) specifically for animal physical therapy. Currently, there are NOT any formal programs at the university degree level. I hope to see a masters program in animal physical therapy created in the near future.
Until then, the best training includes:
1) Being a PT, PTA, vet, or vet tech first
2) Several continuing education courses in animal rehabilitation
3) A lot of self-study (especially anatomy, biomechanics, and gait)
4) Observation with veterinarians and surgeons
5) Hands-on experience in handling animals
6) Hands-on experience in applying PT techniques to the animals
7) Learning about behavior from animal trainers is very helpful too.
The continuing education courses/programs are generally offered to the following professionals: physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians. At the moment, there are two programs (in the United States) that are similar in nature and result in a "certificate" in either canine or equine physical rehabilitation. The programs, in a nutshell, are a series of weekend courses (actually, last time I checked, you could take them in longer chunks, such as 6 days of classes at once as well). Plus, they involve some shadowing of an animal therapist, case studies, and a final exam.
There are 2 primary centers for animal PT (rehabilitation) courses. One is based in Florida and split into canine and equine. The other is based out of Knoxville, TN (affiliated with UT vet school), but they offer courses in various locations. I'll put the links to their websites below so that you may check them out. I entered the profession before the certification programs existed, but I have heard that they are excellent. Best of luck!
Canine Rehabilitation Institute:
http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com
Equine Rehabilitation Institute: http://www.equinerehabilitationinstitute.com/index.html
University of Tennessee Outreach Program
http://www.canineequinerehab.com/
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
How do you become an animal physical therapist?
This is probably the most-asked question I get from students of all ages and from professionals who are considering a career change. The simple and best answer is to go to human physical therapy school first. There, you will learn the science and art of physical therapy, which is very important to have under your belt! Once a PT student, there are continuing education courses and conferences that you will be able to attend in the field of animal physical therapy. You will learn to apply your solid PT knowledge and skills to animals (dogs, cats, and horses primarily) much more easily this way and be more competent in working with the animals over the long haul.
Alternatively, veterinarians and veterinary technicians are also known to do animal rehabilitation. But, their ground education is in medicine and medical skills, such as drawing blood, listening to the heart, etc. So, if you haven't started out yet, it makes A LOT more sense to go to PT school and learn what you really need to learn (yes, even though it is based on humans - it really does ALL apply to animals as well)! It's easier, in my opinion, to learn the animal-related stuff later (like, how to handle the animals, the slightly different anatomy and physiology, the common conditions and injuries that dogs and horses endure, etc). In my experience, I can tell you that there is A LOT more to learn in physical therapy school than the additional knowledge you'll need to learn to apply that PT knowledge to dogs or other pets.
For those of you wanting a shorter career path and you don't mind working along side a PT or veterinarian, I would suggest becoming either a veterinary technician or a physical therapy assistant (both are usually 2 years at the associate's degree level) and then you can help with physical therapy treatments. The law says that only licensed physical therapists and veterinarians can do the evaluations and prescribe the treatments. So, you'll need to think about if you want to be the diagnostician and treatment developer or if you just want to spend your time with animals and don't mind carrying out the treatments that your boss designs.
It's a great field -- very fun and very rewarding -- wishing you all the best as you move toward doing animal physical therapy yourself!
Alternatively, veterinarians and veterinary technicians are also known to do animal rehabilitation. But, their ground education is in medicine and medical skills, such as drawing blood, listening to the heart, etc. So, if you haven't started out yet, it makes A LOT more sense to go to PT school and learn what you really need to learn (yes, even though it is based on humans - it really does ALL apply to animals as well)! It's easier, in my opinion, to learn the animal-related stuff later (like, how to handle the animals, the slightly different anatomy and physiology, the common conditions and injuries that dogs and horses endure, etc). In my experience, I can tell you that there is A LOT more to learn in physical therapy school than the additional knowledge you'll need to learn to apply that PT knowledge to dogs or other pets.
For those of you wanting a shorter career path and you don't mind working along side a PT or veterinarian, I would suggest becoming either a veterinary technician or a physical therapy assistant (both are usually 2 years at the associate's degree level) and then you can help with physical therapy treatments. The law says that only licensed physical therapists and veterinarians can do the evaluations and prescribe the treatments. So, you'll need to think about if you want to be the diagnostician and treatment developer or if you just want to spend your time with animals and don't mind carrying out the treatments that your boss designs.
It's a great field -- very fun and very rewarding -- wishing you all the best as you move toward doing animal physical therapy yourself!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tucker's Story
How it all began...
Julie's interest in animal physical therapy developed from her own dog, Tucker. In 1998, he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at eight months of age and due to the severity of his condition, the vets anticipated that he would require a hip replacement after he was fully grown. Being a physical therapy student at the time, Julie knew that every person who undergoes a hip replacement has intensive physical therapy. And she knew that Tucker deserved the best treatment and care possible!
Determined to learn enough to translate her physical therapy knowledge over to her dog's body, she began researching the field of animal physical therapy. Julie discovered that the animal physical therapy field was just emerging. After taking her first course in canine physical therapy at the University of Tennessee veterinary school, Julie said, "That weekend was the best weekend of my life!” Indeed, it was the start of a new career path that involved the blending of her two passions – dogs and physical therapy! (Little did she know then that she would eventually be moving to Knoxville!)
Since that first course at UT, Julie took several canine physical therapy courses offered to physical therapists, did a tremendous amount of self-study, observed canine surgeries, and began treating dogs in 2000. Tucker is now eleven years old and has lived a long, active life with strong legs and minimal discomfort. He never needed surgery.
Julie's interest in animal physical therapy developed from her own dog, Tucker. In 1998, he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at eight months of age and due to the severity of his condition, the vets anticipated that he would require a hip replacement after he was fully grown. Being a physical therapy student at the time, Julie knew that every person who undergoes a hip replacement has intensive physical therapy. And she knew that Tucker deserved the best treatment and care possible!
Determined to learn enough to translate her physical therapy knowledge over to her dog's body, she began researching the field of animal physical therapy. Julie discovered that the animal physical therapy field was just emerging. After taking her first course in canine physical therapy at the University of Tennessee veterinary school, Julie said, "That weekend was the best weekend of my life!” Indeed, it was the start of a new career path that involved the blending of her two passions – dogs and physical therapy! (Little did she know then that she would eventually be moving to Knoxville!)
Since that first course at UT, Julie took several canine physical therapy courses offered to physical therapists, did a tremendous amount of self-study, observed canine surgeries, and began treating dogs in 2000. Tucker is now eleven years old and has lived a long, active life with strong legs and minimal discomfort. He never needed surgery.
Who should perform a pet's physical therapy?
The best and most qualified professional to perform animal physical therapy is a licensed physical therapist that specializes in the treatment of animals. It is important for the physical therapist to work closely with the veterinarians. Be cautious about the therapist's credentials and experience. It is important for the consumer to understand that being certified in "canine rehabilitation" or "canine massage" does not necessarily mean the individual is qualified to be providing this type of service. The ideal model of animal physical therapy is for veterinarians to refer their patients to licensed physical therapists for evaluation and treatment, with the PTA and vet tech assisting the PT in the treatment of the animal.
Only a licensed physical therapist (PT) or licensed physical therapist assistant (PTA) working under the supervision of a physical therapist are allowed by law to perform physical therapy (on humans). Veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians are legally able to do physical therapy with animals; however, education on physical therapy is not routinely a part of their schooling. Although there is currently no formal training or degree programs, there are weekend courses available for PTs, PTAs, vets, and vet techs to study animal physical therapy. Also available to these professionals are certification programs in canine rehabilitation and equine rehabilitation.
The certification programs include a series of weekend courses. Keep in mind that the training is minimal in comparison to that which physical therapists go through in graduate programs. Graduate programs in physical therapy are typically 3 years of full time coursework as well as hundreds of hours of clinical training/experience. Therefore, the licensed physical therapist has a far greater depth of rehabilitation knowledge -- biomechanics (how the joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves work in terms of movement), physiology of injury and recover, how to evaluate and develop the most effective treatment plan specific to each individual patient, etc.
This is not to say that a veterinarian or veterinary technician can not provide competent and effective rehabilitative care. I have personally met some veterinary professionals who do a wonderful job with rehabilitative services. The point is simply that the physical therapist is trained in depth in rehabilitation and amazingly, the animal anatomy and physiology is almost identical to that of the human. Therefore, it is fairly easy to apply that depth of knowledge to another species. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians do not have that depth of rehabilitative knowledge under their belts from their veterinary training, so more extensive self-study and experience are necessary to learn all the nuts and bolts of the science of physical therapy.
I get numerous requests from people of all ages (from kids who dream of becoming an animal physical therapist to adults who are looking to change careers) wanting to know what path of education to take to maximize their success in the field. I tell every one of them that it is optimal to learn the science of physical therapy by going to physical therapy school (even though it is based on the human body), and then once a PT, there are great continuing education courses offered to help therapists apply the knowledge and skills to dogs and horses. In the future, there will be formal graduate programs in animal physical therapy and a more direct path can be taken to enter the profession.
Education levels...
Physical therapists receive a Master of Science in Physical Therapy degree and then must pass a state licensing exam to practice physical therapy. (In earlier years, PTs received Bachelor degrees. However, all physical therapy programs are either at the Masters or Doctorate level now.) Physical therapy programs are approximately 3 years in length at the graduate level.
Physical therapist assistants receive an Associate's degree and most programs are approximately 2 years in length. PTAs may treat patients under the supervision of a physical therapist and are not allowed to do evaluations or make changes in treatment plans without approval of the supervising PT.
Veterinarians receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and must pass a licensing exam to practice veterinary medicine. Their education is 4 years in length at the graduate level. As with most professions, to become a specialist, such as an orthopedic surgeon, more extensive education is required. Many vets have openly admitted to me that they learned nothing about physical therapy in their programs.
Veterinary technician education varies from state to state. Many vet techs are trained on-the-job and have had no formal training. Others who are licensed veterinary technicians graduated with an Associate's degree - approximately 2 years of training. Veterinary technicians also do not typically learn physical therapy as part of their schooling.
Only a licensed physical therapist (PT) or licensed physical therapist assistant (PTA) working under the supervision of a physical therapist are allowed by law to perform physical therapy (on humans). Veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians are legally able to do physical therapy with animals; however, education on physical therapy is not routinely a part of their schooling. Although there is currently no formal training or degree programs, there are weekend courses available for PTs, PTAs, vets, and vet techs to study animal physical therapy. Also available to these professionals are certification programs in canine rehabilitation and equine rehabilitation.
The certification programs include a series of weekend courses. Keep in mind that the training is minimal in comparison to that which physical therapists go through in graduate programs. Graduate programs in physical therapy are typically 3 years of full time coursework as well as hundreds of hours of clinical training/experience. Therefore, the licensed physical therapist has a far greater depth of rehabilitation knowledge -- biomechanics (how the joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves work in terms of movement), physiology of injury and recover, how to evaluate and develop the most effective treatment plan specific to each individual patient, etc.
This is not to say that a veterinarian or veterinary technician can not provide competent and effective rehabilitative care. I have personally met some veterinary professionals who do a wonderful job with rehabilitative services. The point is simply that the physical therapist is trained in depth in rehabilitation and amazingly, the animal anatomy and physiology is almost identical to that of the human. Therefore, it is fairly easy to apply that depth of knowledge to another species. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians do not have that depth of rehabilitative knowledge under their belts from their veterinary training, so more extensive self-study and experience are necessary to learn all the nuts and bolts of the science of physical therapy.
I get numerous requests from people of all ages (from kids who dream of becoming an animal physical therapist to adults who are looking to change careers) wanting to know what path of education to take to maximize their success in the field. I tell every one of them that it is optimal to learn the science of physical therapy by going to physical therapy school (even though it is based on the human body), and then once a PT, there are great continuing education courses offered to help therapists apply the knowledge and skills to dogs and horses. In the future, there will be formal graduate programs in animal physical therapy and a more direct path can be taken to enter the profession.
Education levels...
Physical therapists receive a Master of Science in Physical Therapy degree and then must pass a state licensing exam to practice physical therapy. (In earlier years, PTs received Bachelor degrees. However, all physical therapy programs are either at the Masters or Doctorate level now.) Physical therapy programs are approximately 3 years in length at the graduate level.
Physical therapist assistants receive an Associate's degree and most programs are approximately 2 years in length. PTAs may treat patients under the supervision of a physical therapist and are not allowed to do evaluations or make changes in treatment plans without approval of the supervising PT.
Veterinarians receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and must pass a licensing exam to practice veterinary medicine. Their education is 4 years in length at the graduate level. As with most professions, to become a specialist, such as an orthopedic surgeon, more extensive education is required. Many vets have openly admitted to me that they learned nothing about physical therapy in their programs.
Veterinary technician education varies from state to state. Many vet techs are trained on-the-job and have had no formal training. Others who are licensed veterinary technicians graduated with an Associate's degree - approximately 2 years of training. Veterinary technicians also do not typically learn physical therapy as part of their schooling.
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