Career in pet physical therapy

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Career in pet physical therapy

Physical Animal Therapist: Job Descriptions and Requirements

Learn about education and also the preparation needed to become an animal physical therapist. Get a quick view of the requirements and details about school, work assignments, and credentials to find out if this is a career for you.

Training as a physical therapist, physical therapist, veterinarian technician or veterinarian can prepare individuals to become animal physical therapists. Physical therapist assistants and veterinary technicians usually complete associate degrees in their fields, while veterinarians must become veterinary doctors and physical therapists are required to have a master's or doctoral degree. The state licensing requirements for these professionals vary.

Important information

Physical animal therapists are usually licensed physical therapists who choose to treat animals. However, physical therapist assistants, veterinarians and veterinary technicians are also allowed to do physical therapy in animals. Educational requirements vary from diploma to doctorate degree, depending on career degree. Likewise, many of the following professionals must be certified, licensed or registered to practice.

Job Description of Animal Physical Therapists

Physical animal therapists provide rehabilitation care for animals who have been operated on, injured or suffer from chronic pain. Physical therapy can accelerate animal recovery and improve quality of life.

Physical therapy for animals is relatively new. In the past, veterinarians will paralyze animal limbs after surgery for 4-6 weeks using casts, splints or braces. However, it is now known that enabling mobility can accelerate throughout the recovery process. Physical therapy can help by increasing blood flow to the injured area, reducing inflammation, minimizing muscle atrophy, normalizing joint function and increasing collagen synthesis.

Animal physical therapists use many of the same treatments, such as sports rehabilitation, aquatic therapy, massage, ultrasonic therapy, heat therapy, range of passive motion activities, neuromuscular stimulation and cryotherapy, as well as physical therapists who treat humans.

Requirements for Animal Physical Therapists

Various professions can do physical therapy in animals. Therefore, there are several pathways for becoming an animal physical therapist.

Physical Therapy Requirements

Undergraduate students who are interested in becoming physical therapists must take science and math courses and gain voluntary experience in hospitals or clinics to compete for physical therapy programs. At a minimum a master's degree is required to become a physical therapist, but there are also doctoral programs in physical therapy.

The Masters program generally requires 2-2.5 years to complete, while doctoral programs usually take three years. Physical therapy students take science courses, such as pharmacology, neuroscience, anatomy, physiology and pathology. They also gain clinical experience and learn about diagnostic processes, medical screening and therapeutic interventions.

After graduating from an accredited program, a physical therapist needs to be licensed. This usually involves passing the National Physical Therapy Exam. Some countries may have other requirements for licenses, such as jurisprudence exams and continuing education to maintain licenses.

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Requirements for Physical Therapy Expert Assistant

Most states require physical therapist assistants to graduate from associate degree programs in physical therapy assistance. These programs have class and clinical components. Students usually study anatomy, physiology, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid. Most states also require physical therapist assistants to obtain a license, certification or registration. This usually involves passing the National Physical Therapy Examination, but some countries may require additional state exams and continuing education to maintain their trust.

Veterinary Requirements

Students interested in becoming veterinarians must take science courses as scholars, including chemistry, organic chemistry, biology and physics. Many veterinary schools do not require a bachelor's degree, but students who have a bachelor's degree are more competitive to be accepted. Undergraduate students must also gain experience working with animals.

After graduating from a veterinary program for 4 years, veterinarians must obtain a license by passing the North American Veterinary License Examination before they can practice. Most states also require veterinarians to pass a jurisprudence exam that includes state laws and regulations for licenses. New licensed veterinarians can choose to start practicing immediately, or they can start a 1-year internship that can lead to better payment opportunities in the future.

Those who want to specialize in a particular field, such as internal medicine, ophthalmology, dermatology, anesthesiology, surgery or nutrition, can enter a 3 or 4 year residency. After completing the residency, veterinarians can take the exam to become board certified in their chosen specialization.

Requirements for Animal Technicians

Veterinary technicians must have at least an associate's degree in veterinary technology. However, a 4-year undergraduate program is also available. Graduates of accredited veterinary technology programs must take the credential test to become licensed, registered or certified. Requirements can vary by state, but most states require veterinary technicians to pass the National Veterinary Technician (NVT) exam. In addition, new veterinary technicians are usually asked to complete training in the workplace under the supervision of a veterinarian.

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Optional Animal Physical Therapy Program

Physical therapists, physical therapists, veterinarians and veterinary technicians can enroll in weekend courses or animal rehabilitation certificate programs to learn how to care for animals using physical therapy. Completion of such a program or course is not necessary to practice physical therapy in animals but may be useful. Courses usually include differences between human and animal anatomy, neurological and orthopedic conditions, osteoarthritis, pain management, massage techniques, therapeutic exercises and other rehabilitation methods. However, these programs and courses are relatively rare and may not always be comfortable.

Job Outlook and Salary Information

Job vacancies for physical therapists, physical therapists and veterinary technicians are expected to experience job growth that is much faster than the average between 2014 and 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Veterinarians must see job growth faster than average during the same period. Salaries for this work vary. In May 2015, BLS reported that veterinarians earn an average salary of $ 88,490, and physical therapists earn an average annual salary of $ 84,020. Animal technicians and technicians received a median of $ 31,800, while physical therapy assistants produced a median of $ 55,170.

Physical animal therapists practice physical therapy in animals. They usually have at least two years of relevant postecondary training, although specific requirements for licensing may vary based on the country where they practice. The aim of animal physical therapy is to provide care that will improve the quality of life for animals that have been injured, sick, or suffer from chronic pain.

You choose physical therapy rather than a veterinary school, but do you still like animals?

Just like humans, animals can develop functional limitations and impaired mobility with age. Therefore, animals will also benefit from a treatment plan that is skillfully developed for rehabilitation to overcome this problem. An animal rehabilitation therapist is the right person for the job.

Animal rehabilitation is a growing niche area - such that the APTA Orthopedic Section has a Special Interest Group dedicated to it! The World Confederation of Physical Therapy also formed a subgroup for PTs in Animal Practice in 2011. As the field develops, physical therapists have more opportunities to engage with animals.