Latest News

Dr. Tari Kern, Medical Director for Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine, was interviewed for the American Kennel Club expert advice article "Hydrotherapy for Dogs: A Growing Trend in Canine Physical Therapy".  Exercising in water can be incredibly beneficial for pets, similar to its uses for people.  Underwater treadmill can be used to safely provide a comfortable way for geriatric pets with arthritis to exercise, but it can also be used to specifically challenge top competing athletes as they train for their sports.  Swimming is wonderful exercise too, but may not be for everyone and could be detrimental if started too early in a post-operative situation.  Check out the article for the full scoop before diving into the deep end!

The full article is available here.  Please check it out!  https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/hydrotherapy-for-dogs-growing-trend-in-canine-physical-therapy/

Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine is proud to announce the opening of our newly expanded facility, featuring a 20 ft x 50 ft athletic arena!  Our new space also provides additional exam rooms to better accommodate our growing client base.  We are so excited to have 4,550 sq ft exclusively dedicated to rehabilitation care, sports medicine and conditioning, integrative therapies and pain management for companion animals. 

Check out the PSRSM Expansion Photo Album on our Facebook page, which shows the timeline of our little project!  Please come by and visit us soon!

https://www.facebook.com/pg/PawsitiveStepsRehab/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2826720364019482

Dr. Kern contributed to PetMD article about boating safety tips for dogs.  Summer brings lots of fun activities and many families include their dogs in the excitement.  Nothing spoils the fun like injuries, so safety first is the rule.  The complete article, Dog Safety Tips for Taking Your Best Friend Boating, is available here:  https://www.petmd.com/dog/dog-safety-tips-taking-your-best-friend-boating

Dr. Kern was happy to help when PetMD.com reached out to Pawsitive Steps Rehab for information about the benefits of water therapy for pets.  The final article "How Hydrotherapy and Swimming Can Benefit Dogs" is up online and can be read here: http://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/how-hydrotherapy-and-swimming-can-benefit-dogs

The Troy-Somerset Gazette explored the world of veterinary physical medicine and rehabilitation in their August 17th issue with an article about Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets.  Check out the story here! /userfiles/2015 PS Article in Troy-Somerset Gazette - 17Aug2015, pg8.pdf

Brunhilda is an amazing little trooper, who we met through the Michigan Humane Society's efforts to help her through tragedy. MHS responded to a tip about a stray cat who couldn't walk in January 2015 and the found a little kitty with a big heart. She had some major injuries and would need a lot of help, but she purred and kneaded as they tended to her. Ultimately, Brunhilda lost her R rear leg because she had an old open fracture (bones out through the skin) that couldn't be fixed. She also had damage to her L rear paw (a dislocation healed in place and tendon damage resulting in severely curled toes). After a few surgeries at the MHS and prosthesis planning and casting with Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & therapy for Pets, Brunhilda was fitted with her "house slipper prosthesis" to help her be a fully functioning 3 legged cat.  She was featured in the Detroit Free Press on July 10, 2015, as the MHS was starting to take applications for adoption for Brunhilda.  Check out her news story and the wonderful video that the Michigan Humane Society made tracking her progress!

Update - Brunhilda was adopted!  To view the updated video from MHS with her story, follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/michiganhumane/videos/10153085217992849/

Our patient, Miss Daisy, a 10 month old miniature donkey was fitted for her R rear limb prosthesis on June 26, 2015, and Channel 7 WXYZ-TV came to the office to cover the big day!  Miss Daisy is the 1st donkey in Michigan to get a prosthesis and she took everything in stride.  She loved the camera and made some new friends as she took her 1st steps in her new prosthetic device.  You can see the news story if you follow this link:  https://www.wxyz.com/news/pet-donkey-receives-prosthetic-leg

Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets is now also called OrthoPets Michigan!  In June 2014, Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets became a proud veterinary practice partner with OrthoPets, a world leader in veterinary orthotics manufacturing, located in Denver, Colorado. Our unique relationship with them, as OrthoPets Michigan, allows us to help provide individualized orthotic and prosthetic device options for more complicated cases. Through careful planning, measurements, development and rehabilitation care after the device is built, successful veterinary orthotic and prosthetic outcomes are possible.  For more information about veterinary orthotic, prosthestic and assistive devices and their benefits for animal, please visit https://www.pawsitivestepsrehab.com/services/orthotic-devices.html

Miss Daisy, our miniature donkey patient, and Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation &Therapy for Pets made the front page of the Oakland Press on June 6, 2015!   Miss Daisy, is a 10 month old, miniature donkey. Although, our usual patients are small animals here at Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitaiton & Therapy for Pets, Miss Daisy has a unique problem. She had a wound near her hoof line on her right rear limb, which worsened despite the best care. Sadly, she lost her hoof on that limb and also her lowest 2 bones. Her folks and her regular veterinarian, Dr. Austen Epp (Michigan Equine Surgical Associates) brought Miss Daisy in to see if a prosthesis might be an option for her. We have been consulting with our friends at OrthoPets to see about helping this young lady out! They have worked with many different species to create orthotics and prosthetics for them and Miss Daisy looks like a great candidate!  Can't wait to get her prosthetic device back from OrthoPets!

Read the whole story here and check out the video made by Springfield-Independence Video detailing a laser appointment here at the office with Miss Daisy:

https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/nation-world-news/independence-twp-couple-getting-prosthetic-hind-leg-for-pet-donkey/article_a87c2199-b39f-5ccf-b261-0f6e3d372db6.html

A follow-up story after her prosthesis was fitted was also published:  https://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20150707/miss-daisy-donkey-fitted-with-prosthesis

Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets is looking forward to the upcoming 2015 Dog Walk season!  Spring brings flowers, warmer weather and dog walks for great causes and other wonderful events.  Hercules and Team Pawsitive Steps will be proudly walking to support many local charities again this year.  Everyone is welcome to join us in the fun.  Please check our events calendar website page for the complete listing and details of the upcoming activities!

Some of the upcoming events include:  Yappy Hour at Meadowbrook Hall (Michigan Animal Rescue League) - June 4, 2015;  Mutt March at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House (Michigan Humane Society) - June 7, 2015;  4 Paws 1 Heart Fun 5k Run/Walk at St. Clair Metro Park (4 Paws 1 Heart) - September 12, 2015;  MEGA March at Stony Creek MetroPark (Michigan Humane Society) - October 4, 2015.  We are sure that there will be others, so please check back often!

Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets was honored to be recognized the "Best of 2014" in the Veterinary Care category for Rochester Hills.  It was the 2nd year in a row that we received this award and are pawsitively thrilled about it!  As a relatively new business providing services in a new branch of veterinary medicine, it is incredible to receive recognition locally.  Hercules and the entire staff appreciate the acknowledgement of the special care that we provide to our patients and we look forward to continuing to serve the local community for many years to come!

The Midland Daily News recently featured an article about a "local girl", a Labrador Retriever, named Missy and her orthotic "shoes".  Missy has bilateral Achilles Tendon Insufficiency and wears orthotic supports on both rear limbs to help keep her hocks (or ankles) in a proper position to support her weight to walk.  Missy is a rehabilitation patient here at Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets and we were so excited when we learned of her celebrity status.  Her mom is very active with the Humane Society of Midland County and believes that people should know about all types of care options for pets...and we agree!  She made sure that the reporter spoke to Dr. Kern about Missy's rehabilitation therapy and also OrthoPets about her orthotics.

You can read the article at the following link:

https://www.ourmidland.com/accent/orthotics-help-local-dog-walk/article_64071018-7b77-51d4-b809-115d722cd13b.html

We were honored to be selected as the "Best of 2013" in the Veterinary Care category for Rochester Hills.  Hercules and the entire staff were so surprised and excited about the recognition.  Mostly, we are thrilled to be able to help make a difference in the lives of our patients and the families who love them!

Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets is excited to welcome in the 2014 Dog Walk season!  Spring brings flowers, warmer weather and dog walks for great causes and other wonderful events.  Hercules and Team Pawsitive Steps will be proudly walking to support many local charities again this year.  Everyone is welcome to join us in the fun.  Please check our events calendar website page for the complete listing and details of the upcoming activities!

Some of the next events include:  Bark for Life (American Cancer Society) - May 3, 2014;  Tail Wagger Two-Step (Michigan Animal Rescue League) - May 18, 2014;  Mutt March (Michigan Humane Society) - June 1, 2014;  Yappy Hour (Michigan Animal Rescue League) - June 5, 2014.  We are sure that there will be others, so please check back often!

On Friday, December 27, 2013, Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets was thrilled to have Kim Craig with WXYZ TV Channel 7 in Detroit come out to the office to interview us about veterinary prosthetics and orthotics. We were able to have Willow and her parents here for the interview. We also had a brand new patient here at the same time as we just finished her initial evaluation - Nema, an 8 week old Golden Retriever puppy with a right forelimb congenital deformity, who will also likely get a prosthetic device in a few months when she is bigger!

Please check out the video link:

https://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/oakland_county/puppy-with-deformed-limb-adopted-by-army-vet-now-getting-around-faster-with-new-prosthetic-leg

Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets has been a proud sponsor of several local animal rescues, shelters and fundraising events throughout 2013 and look forward to continuing participation in local events in 2014.  Some of the events we attended and sponsored walking teams included:

Mutt Strut (Dearborn Animal Shelter) - May 11, 2013;  Tail Wagger Two-Step (Michigan Animal Rescue League) - May 19, 2013;  Mutt March (Michigan Humane Society) - June 2, 2013;  Yappy Hour (Michigan Animal Rescue League) - June 6, 2013;  Bowling Night Fundraiser (4 Paws 1 Heart) - June 8, 2013;  Lure for the Cure (K9 Explorers fundraiser to benefit the Susan G. Komen 3-Day) - July 14, 2013;  Ties & Tails (Humane Society of Midland County) - October 12, 2013;  MEGA March for Animals (Michigan Humane Society) - October 6, 2013;  Cliome Collins Cancer Fund (Oakland Veterinary Referral Services) - October 18, 2013;  4th Annual Bowling Fundraiser (Tigerlily Cat Rescue) - November 8, 2013.

Dr. Kern was interviewed by Lee Cohen and Rick Pruess of the Mid Michigan Pet Expert Talk Show on AM 1320 WILS in Lansing.  Topics included veterinary medical acupuncture and rehabilitation therapy for animals. The audio segments aired on their morning program on Saturday, May 11, 2013.  The podcasts can be heard here (acupuncture interview link & rehab interview link).

Acupuncture Interview

Rehab Interview

Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets was featured in the Rochester-Rochester Hills Patch today (April 16, 2013)!  Hercules was more than happy to demonstrate all of his favorite exercise equipment again and the Patch put together a very nice video presentation to go with the article.  Please click the link here to check out the article and video:  https://rochester.patch.com/articles/pawsitive-steps-uses-physical-therapy-to-rehabilitate-pets#video-14018691

Our very own Hercules has launched a movie trailer of his progress through rehabilitation therapy last summer.  It is available now to view on the Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets YouTube channel.  Please feel free to like the video and share it with your family and friends!

Just click the following link to be directed to Hercules' Movie Trailer: https://youtu.be/UZlvumQVgXI