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At Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, we offer advanced sports medicine & rehabilitation therapy designed to enhance recovery outcomes and help your pet regain strength, mobility, and function.

24/7 Emergency services are available at our Houston and NASA Parkway locations.

Conditions We Treat

We provide expert physical rehabilitation for pets recovering from surgeries or managing a wide variety of medical conditions. Our tailored approach addresses each pet’s unique needs to improve mobility, alleviate pain, and restore quality of life.

Most Commonly Treated Conditions:

  • General Maintenance Therapy: For pets requiring ongoing care to maintain mobility and strength

  • Joint Disorders: Hip and Elbow dysplasia, Osteoarthritis (OA), and degenerative joint disease (DJD)

  • Lameness: Diagnostic workup for limping, skipping, or any change in gait

  • Neurologic Disorders: Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), degenerative myelopathy (DM), Wobbler syndrome, vestibular disease, and lumbosacral disease

  • Orthopedic Conditions: Tendon injuries, muscle strains, fractures, neck and back pain

  • Pain Management: Targeted therapies to alleviate chronic and acute pain

  • Post-Surgical Rehabilitation: Enhances recovery and returns to normal function after surgery, such as TPLO, FHO, MPL repairs, and more

  • Prehab: proactively strengthens the musculoskeletal system to prevent injuries or improve surgical outcomes, resulting in a faster, more complete recovery with reduced pain and a lower chance of complications

  • Sporting Dogs: Evaluations to enhance performance, recovery, and long-term health

  • Weight Management: Supporting healthy weight loss for improved mobility and health, resulting in better quality and longevity of life

  • Working Dogs: Prevention of injuries, improved longevity of service, recovery from injuries, and return to work

Our Rehabilitation Services Include*:

  • Acupuncture: Stimulates specific points to promote natural healing, reduce pain, and improve overall wellness

  • Braces & Wheelchair Fittings: Custom-fit mobility aids to support injured joints, compensate for weakness, or restore independence

  • Chiropractic Therapy: Realigns joints and the spine to restore movement, improve function, and reduce discomfort

  • Chronic Pain Management: Ongoing treatment plans to help pets with long-term pain, maintain comfort, and quality of life

  • Cold Therapy: Reduction of swelling and inflammation, and improvement in pain

  • Electrical Stimulation: Stimulates muscle contraction, aids in pain relief, and helps prevent muscle atrophy

  • Epidurals: Targeted pain control for severe spinal or pelvic discomfort

  • Heat Therapy: Relaxes muscles, improves circulation, and tissue plasticity

  • Home Exercise Programs: Tailored instructions for at-home activities to maintain progress between rehabilitation sessions

  • Joint Injections: Delivers targeted medication to reduce inflammation and improve joint comfort.

  • Lameness Work-Up: Comprehensive evaluation to pinpoint the cause of gait changes or mobility issues

  • MRI/CT: Advanced imaging for the detailed evaluation of soft tissues, bones, and neurological structures

  • Musculoskeletal Ultrasounds: Non-invasive imaging to assess muscles, tendons, and ligaments for injury or inflammation

  • Post-Op Rehabilitation: Structured recovery plans to restore function, prevent complications, and optimize healing after surgery

  • Shockwave Therapy: Decreases pain and enhances the healing process, particularly in chronic or non-healing injuries

  • Targeted Arthritis Management: Synovetin OA® works by targeting inflammation inside the joint, the root cause of arthritis pain. Learn more here.

  • Therapeutic Exercises: Improves muscle strength, weight-bearing ability, range of motion, and neurological response

  • Therapeutic Laser: Promotes cellular regeneration and reduces pain, swelling, and inflammation

  • Therapeutic Ultrasound: Uses sound waves to increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and break down scar tissue to improve mobility

  • Underwater Treadmill Therapy: Improves muscle strength, gait, and controlled exercise for activity restriction, helps to channel pent-up energy/improves behavior

  • Weight Loss & Weight Management: Nutritional guidance and tailored exercise plans to help pets achieve and maintain a healthy weight

*Not all services are available at our NASA Parkway location at this time.

GCVS Houston Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Team

GCVS NASA Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Team