Springfield’s
Mad River Veterinary Hospital (MRVH), founded in 2013 by Drs. Joe and Nikki Maynard, has recently expanded beyond medical care for canine family members, adding new services and care options.
The
PAW Center, located at 2279 Troy Road, officially opened Nov. 15 to provide a unique blend of wellness opportunities for canines.
The newly built PAW (Physical Activity & Wellness) Center features hydrotherapy, K-9 rehabilitation, a gym with obstacles and a therapy pool.
“Dr. Joe has had more and more surgeries that deal with leg injuries,” says Cara Rigsbee, manager of the PAW Center. “He has for years wanted to develop this type of wellness center for dogs, but it’s not limited to dogs that have had surgery. He designed this as well for weight loss and activity and learning different ways to care for your dog.”
Rigsbee says the PAW Center grew out of a surgical idea, but the veterinarians and staff started considering other ways to provide dogs with exercise, especially in the winter.
“It’s much nicer to sit in an 85-degree pool area than outside in the ice and snow,” says Rigsbee. “Swimming is great therapy for dogs, and it really relieves a lot of pressure from their joints. We use swimming as relaxation and therapy, but we also have an underwater treadmill and an indoor gym which works well for hind leg therapy.”
Rigsbee says therapy sessions are adaptable for the comfort of the animal. The indoor therapy pool is specifically built for dogs and features platforms at 6 inches, 12 inches and 3.5 feet.
“It’s so much fun to watch and see them get so much pleasure out of playing in the pool,” says Rigsbee.
Prior to the soft opening of the PAW Center, the MRVH staff brought in their dogs and tested the facility’s features.
“We have fun games for them: an obstacle course, therapeutic massages, different rehab tools to stretch out those muscles and get them activated and get some increased mobility,” says Rigsbee. “We strive for a healthy pet in general.”
Rigsbee says the PAW Center has been very well received by the community.
“A lot of people are just crazy about their pets, which is great,” she says. “…we are taking care of a member of their family.”
The PAW Center currently offers individual sessions but is open to the idea of expanding the business organically to groups. The PAW Center accepts referrals from other veterinarian practices, as well.
The center also welcomes a visiting veterinarian once a week who specializes in acupuncture and chiropractic work.
Nick Vinser is a former athletic trainer turned canine therapist. Now employed by MRVH, he works individually with each client and is certified in veterinary massage and rehabilitation therapy.
“I never thought about doing this with animals of any sort until I brought my dog in for an evaluation with Dr. Joe,” says Vinser. “He saw my sports medicine shirt and asked if I would be interested in doing this with dogs.”
A short time after that interaction, Vinser lost his job as an athletic trainer due to the pandemic, so he began researching places that offered certification in canine therapy.
“Humans and dogs are not completely different,” he says. “Muscles essentially do the same thing…I can bring unique perspective. Past work experiences have allowed me to get creative.”
Vinser says every canine patient gets a full evaluation with a musculoskeletal and neurological exam.
“I do not diagnose, but I can find deficiencies such as muscle mass differences or range of motion differences, and weakness,” says Vinser.
Vinser says the biggest difference in working with humans versus dogs is communication.
“I have to bribe ‘clients’ to do the obstacle course, I can’t just tell them,” he says. “We go home smelling like peanut butter and hotdogs because those are good motivators.”
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