Success Stories

Lou is our beloved 14 1/2 year old Long Haired Dachshund. In early December, 2016, two of Lou’s spinal discs broke in the rear and mid-section of his spine. We thought this was the end, as Lou was completely paralyzed from the “waist” back and had no use of his hind legs or even his tail.  Lou remained paralyzed in his hind leg area after the first surgery, but a second MRI revealed a second acute disc break, so we gave it one last try. The second surgery was successful, yet Lou could not fully “move” his hind legs yet, he was extremely weak, and we still needed a harness to help him walk and function.  Lou’s surgeons recommended Dr. Suzi Starr and her veterinary rehabilitation center, Paws in Motion, to get Lou walking again.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a believer, until I witnessed Lou’s first session with “Dr. Suzi” when she put Lou into her water treadmill tank, and the magic began. With the assistance of Dr. Suzi, and her wonderful assistant Lisa, Lou began his path back to a remarkable recovery.  Lou had PT sessions twice weekly for 2-3 months, and with the utmost care, Lisa and Dr. Suzi put Lou through numerous exercises to rebuild muscle, balance, and strength in his hind legs. Using a variety of amazing techniques including the “water tank treadmill”, small ramps, styrofoam “pillows”, and obstacle courses, the team at Paws in Motion brought back Lou’s balance, strength, energy, and most importantly his ability to walk again.

Lou loved his weekly sessions with Lisa and Suzi. He was excited to be moving again and graduated from the water tank to the dry land treadmill and even tried the rehab pool usually reserved for larger dogs who are re-habbing from a variety of knee or hip injuries.  I cannot speak highly enough about the care, the commitment, and professionalism of Dr. Suzi Starr, her assistant Lisa, and the rest of the team. They keep copious notes, invest themselves fully in your beloved pet’s rehab process, set reasonable goals for your pet’s particular injury, give you weekly “homework” to keep the process of healing moving forward with your pet, and most importantly, they never give up on your pet.

For a nearly 15 year old dog, Lou has made remarkable progress.  I didn’t even know P.T. for dogs existed, and Paws in Motionbrought our “pup” back.

Our family can’t thank the team enough, and I recommend Paws in Motion without reservation and with my highest endorsement.

Joanna Brach

My dog Cooper had TPLO surgery March 7, 2016. The surgeon and our vet highly recommended that I bring him to Paws In Motion for rehab. I’m so glad I did. He loved rehab with Lisa and Suzanne!  The exercises and underwater treadmill helped to strengthen his leg so quickly that he was able to go on a 3 hour mountain hike on May 28, 2016—not even 3 months after his surgery!  He continues to do well, in fact it’s like it never even happened.
Thank you again,
Sandy (&family) and Cooper 🐾