Kitty hot-stone massages and canine acupuncture: Denver-area specialty vet teaches old dogs new tricks - The Denver Post

[Elizabeth Hernandez]

BOULDER — Ruffian the champion show cat reclined on a fur pillow wearing tiny protective goggles to shield his eyes from the laser therapy being used to treat his inflamed joints.

Veterinary physiotherapist Kerry Kilgannon hovered a laser wand over Ruffian’s hips one December morning while using a dangling cat treat to bribe the supine feline into submission. After laser therapy, Kilgannon worked Ruffian’s sore muscles in a specialty massage as soothing spa music created a Zen-like atmosphere.

There are no thermometers in butts at this veterinary experience.

At Walking Paws Rehab in Boulder and Denver, pets are treated to holistic and conventional rehabilitation services to help them recover from injuries.

If pets need orthotics, prosthetics or a wheelchair, Walking Paws Rehab can help. If they need diagnostic ultrasound, or wound culture, Walking Paws has that covered.

On the less conventional side, the rehab also offers acupuncture, whole body vibration plates, underwater treadmill therapy, exercise routines, weight loss programs and even hot-stone massages.

Walking Paws Rehab veterinarian Allison Cotter works on physical therapy exercises with Brie at the rehab clinic in Boulder, Colorado, on Dec. 2, 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

“I was unsure if this concept of starting a practice focusing on diagnosing injuries and pain management and physical therapy and thinking about the patient as a whole, combining traditional medicine with holistic, was going to work out,” said Danyel Wynn, owner of Walking Paws Rehab. “I was unsure if it was going to be a flop. It wasn’t. It took off.”

Wynn’s practice, which opened in Boulder in 2016, has grown to 12 doctors with a new Denver location.

The growth aligns with Americans’ ever-increasing financial devotion to their animal companions.

In 2013, Americans spent about $57.8 billion on pet expenditures, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By the end of 2021, that figure rose to $102.8 billion — a 78% increase in eight years, according to the most recent BLS data.

Consumers spent more on pet-related purchases than recreational reading materials ($15.2 billion), alcohol ($73.8 billion) and women’s clothing ($87.9 billion).

In 2020 during the financial turmoil of the pandemic, all other entertainment spending fell 7.8%. Total expenditures declined by 2.7%. Meanwhile, pet expenditures grew 1.3%.

At Walking Paws Rehab, an initial appointment is $395 for a two-hour consultation. If this is all folks can afford, Wynn said they will teach the person how to best help their pet recover at home. Subsequent one-hour long appointments cost $200 per visit. Pet insurance is accepted and encouraged.

“When we ask about the amount of money people spend on pets, it usually implies that there are better ways to spend money,” said Leslie Irvine, a University of Colorado Boulder sociology professor who has studied people’s relationships to animals for nearly 20 years. “People spend huge amounts of money on all kinds of things — hobbies, cars, golf — but if it’s animals, it’s kind of denigrated as silly because they’re ‘just animals.’ ”

In fact, Irvine said, research shows people who spend money on their pets are happier buying their furry friends a gift than treating themselves or other humans.

Judging by the way Ruffian melted into Walking Paws’ fur pillow, he was pretty happy with the gift of massage, too.

A few years ago, the Maine Coon cat was diagnosed with medial humeral epicondylitis, a condition in cats in which mineral deposits develop around the elbow joints and can cause pain. Ruffian’s owner, Carly Forest, joked he had kitty golfer’s elbow.

Ruffian had surgery to treat his condition and went to Walking Paws Rehab for recovery. The cat got muscle strength back through underwater treadmill exercises that allowed him to walk without as much pressure on his recovering elbow.

While Ruffian got his rubdown in the massage room, Juno the dog was outside in the main room licking peanut butter off a spatula while walking along a treadmill submerged in water.

Juno’s owner Lexie Van Buskirk rewards her dog with a spoon of peanut butter as he exercises on a water treadmill as part of his physical therapy for past injuries at Walking Paws Rehab in Boulder, Colorado, on Dec. 2, 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Juno had the dog equivalent of an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tear. To aid in Juno’s surgery recovery, her owner Lexie Van Buskirk was referred by her primary care vet to Walking Paws.

“It’s completely changed the game for her,” Van Buskirk said. “It’s made a huge difference. She’s playing like a puppy again. I don’t think we’ll ever stop coming.”

The veterinarians at Walking Paws went through traditional veterinary education and then additional schooling to become rehabilitation certified. Some of the doctors went on to get specialty certifications in massage therapy and acupuncture, as well, Wynn said.

More unconventional practices like dog and cat hot-stone massages came from Wynn’s own experiences.

“Like getting massages myself and being like, ‘This feels great. Why aren’t we doing this to our pets?’ ” Wynn said.

Researcher Irvine said the evolution of regarding pets as members of the family as opposed to the working animals they primarily used to be has resulted in people treating their animals more akin to children or siblings.

Children in American households have declined in the last 20 years, but pet ownership has climbed steadily. According to the latest data from the American Pet Products Association, 70% of American households have a pet, up from 56% in 1988.

Walking Paws’ specialty veterinary services is an up-and-coming sector of the industry, Wynn said.

Some veterinarians don’t even know a practice like theirs exists — yet.

“It’s successful because we take our time with a patient,” Wynn said. “The whole concept of starting the practice was focused on practicing our best medicine, giving that person in front of you the time to hear what they’re going through, what their pet needs and work together with them and collaborate to come up with a plan that will lead to good results.”

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Originally Published: December 31, 2024 at 6:00 AM MST