Success Stories
Shrum
“I adopted Shrum about 9 years ago when they estimate he was 5 years old. A Katrina rescue, he didn’t have one medical issue for almost 8 years aside from being overweight (I adopted him at 22 lbs and with good diet and exercise got him down to 12-14 lbs).
In late November, Shrum got an FCE in his spine, which was not properly diagnosed for a month. During that 30 day period, he received drugs that made him so ill that he lost a tremendous amount of weight (4 lbs). The FCE in November resolved within hours and he was no longer paralyzed. In December, he got another FCE, which did not resolve. I finally brought him to an incredible neurologist (Dr. Lauren Talarico), who diagnosed the FCE, ruled out the other diseases and we started him on physical therapy and acupuncture immediately. This is when we met Carol.
For 7 days, he stayed in the hospital and did intensive physical therapy (we canceled our honeymoon to stay with him). From January-present, he goes once a week for PT with Carol for two sessions a day along with acupuncture. I came home every day from work to do a lunch time workout with the exercises Carol taught me – which was no small feat. Previously, Shrum wasn’t what I would characterize as “active.”
His weight dropped to 7 lbs in late December and we put in a feeding tube. He’s now at 9 lbs and we don’t use the tube at all for food, just a few meds. He actually has started eating like his old piggie self.
Carol always made time for my usually panicked questions and was so upbeat when he’d growl in response to his new exercises. Every week there was progress, no matter how small.
Two weeks ago, he started walking and today, he can climb stairs. It’s nothing short of miraculous.”
– Alyssa Mastromonaco and David Krone
Jive
“In the end of summer 2009, I brought my eight year old Border Collie, Jive, to Carol for rehab due to an iliopsoas strain. When he injured himself, I took him to Dr. Sherman Canapp at VOSM in Maryland to get a diagnosis. Once diagnosed, Dr. Canapp recommended I take Jive for physical therapy. He recommended I take him to Carol Wasmucky (PetRehab) at SouthPaws. I brought Jive to Carol once a week for approximately seven weeks. Each week, in addition to what she did for him at our appointment, Carol provided me with home exercises to work on to improve strength in his rear and core. With all of her help, Jive was up and running again for our nationals in November. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”
– Carrie Jones
NAC MACH3 ADCH Sagehill’s Time Steppin’ Jive, LAA-Silver, TM-Platinum
’06, ’07, ’08 AKC/USA World Team, ’08 Crufts AKC Agility Representative
Beaumont
“Hi, I’m Beaumont. I’m an older guy, 12 years old, with more than my share of health problems. So when I started limping, I went to see the specialist. She said, ‘MRI.’ My mom said, ‘Let’s try physical therapy first.’ She called Pet Rehab and Carol came to my house every week. Boy did I love that! She gave me massages and when I did my exercises, she gave me treats. (Wanna see my big shake?) I gave her kisses and wags. I don’t hurt anymore and I can do the things I love to do again, like swim. Thanks Carol!”
– Beaumont
Sam
“Thank you, Carol, for saving me from shoulder surgery and for giving me the gift of mobility. I’m so glad I found you. Physical therapy has made such a difference. The massages feel so good, the ultrasounds help reduce the inflammation, and the exercises help rebuild my strength. (And the treats, well, I really enjoy them, too!) I can even play ball again!”
– Sam (Shetland Sheepdog, age 11)
Max
“Thank you, Carol, for preserving my ability to walk around the house, to sit and lay down, and to run around from time to time. As you know, I have two slipped disks in my lower back and I sometimes compensate for that pain by walking a little differently, which in turn, causes stress along my upper back and neck. Your massages help relieve my pain (what a special gift!) and reduce my reliance on medication. And the crawl, sit-stand, and walking exercises you have taught me strengthen my legs. You have preserved my freedom, enabling me to maneuver the way I’d like, despite being 77 years old in human years.”
– Max (Shetland Sheepdog, age 11)
Brodie
“Carol is a lifesaver! Her therapy plus guidance to us on exercises and massages haven given my 10-year-old Airedale Terrier, Brodie, who has terrible hip dysplasia, arthritis, and chronic disk disease, years of happy, active life. I don’t know how we could have managed the past 5 years without her.”
– Gwynne O’Reagan
Noel
“Hi! My name is Noel. I am lounging on my favorite chair because my mom had the bright idea to take me for therapy treatments to Carol, who operates Pet Rehab. Before Carol started treating me, I was unable, because of my various ailments (hip dysplasia, arthritis, and bulging disk, just to name a few), to jump onto my favorite (or any other) chair, climb stairs without a lot of pain, or do other things that, as a dog, I am entitled to do (like run and fetch my favorite ball for Mom). All that has changed and I owe it all to Carol (and of course my Mom, for having the bright idea of taking me to Carol). If you want to hear more about how fabulous Carol is, please call Carol and she will give you my Mom’s phone number. I would talk to you, but I am too busy leading a dog’s life.”
– Noel
Spirit
“Here’s Spirit on her first agility runs back after therapy.
Thank You!”
– Owner of Spirit
Cadence
“Carol’s treatment of my shoulder injury has allowed me to return to chasing squirrels and running through the park without limping. Oh, Carol has the best treats! Now my Mom buys them too.”
– Cadence (Washington, DC)
Dakota
“I was devastated when the ortho vet told me that my boy Dakota needed surgery for his knee injury. At his age, (he was 7) I was very apprehensive about surgery and the post op period. Luckily, a friend had Carol’s card, so I called her and asked if she thought we could start a rehab program and avoid surgery. After Carol’s evaluation, she designed a program for Dakota involving exercises and restrictions. We saw her weekly for several months and continue to see her periodically to check in. It is now one year later and Dakota is doing GREAT. I don’t know what we would have done without Carol. She is probably my most trusted advisor. She is so skilled at assessing Dakota’s condition that I defer to her judgment. Also, the dogs love her and I don’t think it is because she brings treats, although that doesn’t hurt!! She so genuinely cares about her patients, and I think the dogs know that. I recommend Carol to everyone who has a dog with issues. I would be honored to act as a reference for Carol, as would my happy boy Dakota.”
– Faith and Dakota (Reston, VA)
Koal
“Hi! My name is Koal (also known as K9 Koal). I’m a working German Shepherd Police Service Dog and work for Fairfax County. I’m trained for Patrol duties and crossed trained to locate narcotics. In December 2001, I injured my right knee and tore my ACL. I then had surgery January 30th, 2002 right before my 4th birthday, and thought my days of locating criminals and protecting the citizens of Fairfax County were over. Right after surgery, my handler (Of. Arango) was told about this really nice lady (Carol Wasmucky with Pet Rehab), who gives physical therapy to animals to help them get stronger and better quicker. He then called Pet Rehab and talked to Carol about what had happened to me. A couple weeks after surgery, while I was recuperating at home, Carol came over to meet me. Even though I felt pretty sore still, I had no problem meeting her (especially since she brought treats). Well, Carol came over several times a week to give me physical therapy and also showed my handler different exercises and things to do to help me recover quicker and make me strong again. She then told my handler about hydrotherapy, so he started taking me. Wow-that was my favorite thing to do because I really love to swim. It worked! I got better and stronger every week. After about 3 months, I was back to work doing all the things I did before, especially catching bad guys and keeping the citizens of Fairfax County safe.
Thank You Carol for everything you did for us! I’m 9 1/2 yrs old and still going strong keeping the citizens of Fairfax County Safe!”
– K9 Koal and Handler José Arango
Midas
“In September of 2012, a local orthopedist diagnosed our then-7-year-old German Shepherd, Midas, with gracillis contracture in both his hind legs. Because Midas had a front leg amputated as a puppy, the pain and increasing disability in his back legs was affecting his mobility tremendously: he could hardly walk, and the vet told us that he had about 6 months of mobility and life left. We were lucky enough to find Carol and Tanya at Pet Rehab shortly after, thinking we could at least try to ease his pain in his remaining months with some stretching and physical therapy. That was more than three years ago and Midas is happier and more mobile now than he was then, even with his front-leg handicap. The only reason that we still have our sweet boy in our lives is their loving and attentive care; they have given us the gift of more years with Midas and we can never possibly thank them enough for that.”
– Katherine N. Boone
Charlie
“Carol and Tanya – you both were wonderful resources during my dog’s recovery. Carol – we spoke in late March/early April about my Golden Retriever, Charlie, who had a stroke. You suggested the Help ‘Em Up Harness, which was a lifesaver. Tanya – we met last weekend when we came to SouthPaws for a repeat visit. You kindly helped us with the fit of the harness.
Unfortunately, my beautiful girl passed away this past week at SouthPaws. My heart is broken, but filled with honor of being Charlie’s mama for 12 joyous years. Thank you both for being there for us and for the great work you do.”
– Melissa Martin