Joycare Media: All about PT for Animals

07/30/2025

A big part of the type of treatment I provide is manual therapy: soft tissue/massage; connective tissue/fascia releases, joint mobilization and manipulation, traction, etc.....and I am having difficulty finding providers that do this kind of work for my patients after I retire! I hope this is not a dying art. It is certainly mechanical and scientific but it also requires healing arts. In the future, robotics may replace many of the manual skills but they will lack the human element of transmitting healing energy. And for the record, manual techniques have plenty of scientific evidence in the human PT field to support their use and third party reimbursement for.

07/29/2025

...how I feel after getting back into the swing of work after being away: tired but happy!!!

07/26/2025

Hello everyone! I know I haven't posted in a while but I've been on a trip to Norway and the fjords and just back in the States now. All is well and I'll be continuing to post content on this page through the end of September. Dr. Sue

07/13/2025

The horrible devastation in central Texas last week resulted in a large loss of animal life, in addition to human life. I read about a pet crematorium there that has dealt with the grim task of handling deceased pet/animal remains. I hope we can all keep the animal souls in our thoughts as well as the people having to recover, transport and handle the animals that died. Thank you, Dr. Sue

07/11/2025

A sweetie dachshund with IVDD I measured and fit a custom Eddie's Wheels cart for, enjoying and exploring the backyard!

07/09/2025

There are over 50 original blog articles on my website under Pet PT Pit Stop. You can scroll through or type in key words for certain topics to come up, etc. Top searches are on Vestibular conditions and what to do at home. If you have a particular topic of interest, I suggest checking a topic and downloading a copy of the article (s) before my website deactivates. I will have next month's article up the first week of August and the topic is Best Practices after your Pet's Surgery. Thanks, Dr. Sue

07/07/2025

New blog post: Part 3 of IVDD and Pet Owner Prevention tips!https://joycareonsite.com/pet-pt-pit-stop-blog/f/ivdd-part-3-what-you-can-do-at-home-to-prevent-pet-disc-injury

07/02/2025

A letter I wrote to APTA for the July 2025 issue of PT Magazine is published. It is in response to an article on student debt included in an earlier edition. As I prepare to part with this organization and profession I've belonged to since 1977, it is good to leave behind an important message. I appreciate the editor's decision to publish it. Bittersweet.

06/30/2025

This FB page will remain active through the end of September, but will deactivate shortly after.For anyone wanting to stay connected, my email address will be slightly different: [email protected]. (instead of joycareonsite). Feel free to make the email address change now or anytime before Labor Day as the new email is active currently and both are running parallel. I also have a new website and FB/Instagram site and brand that will have some animal content: under Joycare Living. Thanks, Dr. Sue

06/27/2025

A video from my You'Tube channel from a few years ago, showing the technique I developed and researched for patellar luxation: 3D Manual Patellar Repositioning technique. This was designed not just for veterinary professionals but pet owners too. Yesterday I completed some back and forth messages from a cat owner in a different part of the country that used this technique successfully and her cat has had lots of improvement. It pleases me so much that through the power of social media, my technique can help her cat!

Technique Developed by Dr. Susan E. Davis, PT, DPT

06/25/2025

Speaking with a pet owner yesterday about her GSD having fibrotic myopathy of the gracilis muscle, somewhat common in this breed. She said she thought her dog needed laser and stretching exercises. First off, it's always better to let the therapist examine the patient and determine what needs to be done. Laser is not a modality that you use for every single thing. With fibrosis there are micro-adhesions that need to be broken down and the best modality for this is either extra corporeal Shockwave or pulsed acoustic/pulsed therapeutic ultrasound, followed by cross fiber massage and certain forms of stretching. Though I am not taking any new patients at this stage, I am still there for people that have some queries and need information as well as referrals to other places. One thing that concerns me is there aren't many PTs in my area doing work with animals and if you go to a veterinarian certified in canine Rehabilitation they may or may not use some of these manual skills. I am hoping that they do however because nothing can be the intricacies provided by a trained set of hands. TY, Dr. Sue

06/20/2025

I am jumping out of skin with pride for my fellow doctoral classmate from RFUMS Class of 2020, Dr. Laura B Friedman !!! She is a pioneer in a super niche of acute care PT: that of Critical Care. Laura worked all through the covid pandemic with many patients on ventilators and ECMO, likely saving many lives though she probably won't admit it. She also saw a lot of lives lost and did her best, I'm sure, to help people have them best chance possible make it through. There are so many patients and families that are grateful to her. Rockstar PT !!! Laura B Friedman