Don't miss the opportunity to learn rehabilitation techniques for the cats in your practice! Cats are considered family members, just like dogs, and they deserve the same level of care. But cats have not historically been frequent patients in the veterinary rehabilitation setting.

Join us for a special 1-hour webinar — But Cats Don't Swim! Rehabilitation Techniques for Feline Patients — on Wednesday, October 13 at 8:00 PM EDT. Dr. Kristin Kirkby Shaw will focus on what makes cats unique rehabilitation patients and will cover the natural behaviors of cats, orthopedic conditions, pain management, and modification of rehabilitation techniques.

Space is limited to 30 participants. Register today to reserve your seat!

Sign up for a 1-year subscription to the CRI Member Library, and earn more than 60 RACE-approved CE credits through our online courses in pain management, nutrition, and aquatic therapy. See our website for complete details.

CRI is excited to announce a new 3-Module Acupuncture Certification Package — with a $500 discount — for students in our Acupuncture Program. We will now be offering our three acupuncture modules twice each year, with one set in the spring and one set in the fall. To encourage students to complete the three modules in the most effective way with the best retention of material, we will provide a $500 discount for anyone who registers for and attends all three modules in sequence.

To receive the $500 discount, register for a 3-Module Acupuncture Certification Package starting with the October 2021 to March 2022 modules. Please see the Acupuncture Program page for complete details.

Students who have already registered for Introduction to Veterinary Medical Acupuncture (Module 1) on October 22-24 also will receive the $500 discount if they complete Module 2 in January 2022 and Module 3 in March 2022.

Acupuncture modules are held in person in Littleton, Colorado, with small group sizes. The following modules are open for registration as a 3-Module Acupuncture Certification Package and as individual modules:

Remember, save $500 when you register for all three modules in our new 3-Module Acupuncture Certification Package. Please see the Course Schedule on our website for the dates of other 2022 modules.

Still not sure about enrolling in our Acupuncture Program? Students who completed Acupuncture Module 3 in September gave the program another round of outstanding reviews!

"This course is one of the top courses I have ever attended. I have walked away a much better practitioner than when I started. I have been using Acupuncture in my practice since starting this course two years ago. The instructors were all fantastic and I learned different techniques/ways of approaching cases from each of them. The smaller groups ensured that I participated in order to retain the knowledge being presented. If any colleague is interested in Acupuncture, they will be referred to your group hands down."

Acupuncture Modules 1-3 are RACE approved by the AAVSB for 40 credit hours each. Visit our website to learn more, and register today to reserve your seat!

– Jennifer Hennessey, DVM, CVJ, CCRP, CVAT, Cypress, Texas

Veterinary students: You are eligible to enroll in our Acupuncture modules after your first year of veterinary school. Please see our Veterinary Student Certification page for information about our 20% student discount.

Already certified? If you are already certified in acupuncture, be sure to check out our accelerated program for more hands-on training and increased knowledge of neurophysiology-based acupuncture. In the accelerated program, students watch the online videos for two of the three modules, and then attend one live module (either Module 2 or 3) for additional hands-on training. For the live module, we strongly recommend students attend Veterinary Medical Acupuncture for Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Patients (Module 2). Students must watch the videos from Introduction to Veterinary Medical Acupuncture (Module 1) before taking the in-person module.

CRI's Certified Veterinary Acupuncture Therapist Program is recognized by the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, the U.S. affiliate of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. Those enrolled in our program can sign up at AAVA.org as active members. Upon successful completion of the CVAT program, graduates can notify AAVA, and their status will be changed to credentialed members of AAVA.

We are excited to announce that CRI's promotional piece for our Public TV program was shown nationally on Fox Business News on September 2, and our longer video segment is now being shown on 400 Public TV networks across the country. To see it, check your local programming for Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid.

To see CRI's full-length video (just over 8 minutes long), visit the News page on our website.

"I liked that all of the instructors are so knowledgeable but still very approachable and easy to ask for feedback or questions. I really enjoyed the class [Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation] and look forward to the next one!"

– Antonietta Mansfield, DPT, Chicago, Illinois

Our March 2022 Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation module in Coral Springs, Florida is filling up fast! If you are interested in taking this class, register today to reserve your seat!

Veterinary technicians/nurses: Registration is now open for our next Canine Rehabilitation Veterinary Nurse module in April 2022! This course will include a Zoom session on April 16 and an in-person session on April 23-25 in Littleton, Colorado (not Coral Springs, Florida, as previously mentioned). Register now to guarantee your seat!

Some of our core rehabilitation courses will be held in a hybrid format with Zoom online learning sessions and small, in-person lab sessions. Space is limited, so we encourage you to register now, or contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com if you are interested in attending these upcoming courses.

Please check our website for the most up-to-date course schedule.

Remember that we also offer discounted 2-course packages for either (1) Clinical Skills plus Clinical Applications or (2) Canine Rehabilitation Veterinary Nurse plus Canine Sports Medicine. We also offer a discounted 3-module package for our Acupuncture modules. Please see our Registration page for more details. If you are not sure when you plan to take a course, you may choose the option of a "Future" class. "Future" registrations may be subject to tuition increases. (Learn more.)

If you have previously registered for a "Future" course and wish to attend a class that is now open for registration, be sure to contact CRI and tell us which course you would like to attend. This is the only way to guarantee you have a seat in the course.

Register today, and reserve your seats in these classes!

We were very pleased to hold our Introduction to Ultrasound Techniques / Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound course in late August at Sound's Academy of Veterinary Imaging in Arlington, Texas. Thank you to our friends at Sound for all their work to make this course possible!

– Kevin Kunkel, DVM, DACVS-SA, Newberry, South Carolina

"The instructors were friendly, helpful and fun which made learning less intimidating."

– Heather Owen, DVM, MAV, CCRP, CCFT, MT, Tulsa, Oklahoma

We are planning to offer the course again in early 2022. Please contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com if you are interested in attending.

If you are interested in our upcoming 2022 courses, visit our website to register, or contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com to add your name to our interest list.

Congratulations to Chandler Bruening, DVM, who was selected as the lucky winner of our drawing at the Virtual VMX Expo! Dr. Bruening will receive $500 off tuition to Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation. Congratulations, Dr. Bruening — we look forward to seeing you in class soon!

Please visit our Course Schedule page for an up-to-date list of upcoming courses. If you are interested in taking a course, please register or contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com to join our interest list.

We have sent our "Mentor Minute" newsletter to all current internship mentors. If you are a mentor and did not receive it or if your practice would like to join our internship team, please contact internship@caninerehabinstitute.com.

Our CRI Member Library is now open to all veterinarians! During this time when it is difficult to get CE credits due to travel restrictions, the CRI Member Library is a great way to fulfill most states' current continuing education requirements!

For $795, students can have unlimited access for one year to our CRI Member Library! The CRI Member Library includes 60+ hours of RACE-approved online courses taught by our expert faculty - and content continues to grow! Our Current Techniques in Canine Pain Management course has just been updated and is now available again in the CRI Member Library.

Already have a subscription to the CRI Member Library? Renew your annual subscription for a $250 renewal fee! We have added hours of continuing education content this year and will continue to add more online content in early 2021.

All veterinarians can subscribe to the CRI Member Library. Physical therapists and veterinary technicians/nurses that have successfully completed Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation (including the exam) can subscribe. CCRPs are also welcome to subscribe. Veterinary technicians/nurses need to submit a valid Employment Agreement Letter.

See the CRI Member Library page on our website to learn more and sign up today! Be sure to indicate in the Checkout process that you have completed Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation or are a CCRP.

Subscriptions are now available to our CRI Acupuncture Member Library, a separate online library just for acupuncture content! For $150, students can have unlimited access for one year to our CRI Acupuncture Member Library with recordings of six acupuncture webinars. Keep expanding your knowledge and skills by learning from our expert faculty!

Please note that the six acupuncture webinars are also included in our main CRI Member Library. If you subscribe to the CRI Member Library, you do not need a separate subscription to the CRI Acupuncture Member Library.

The CRI Acupuncture Member Library is available to veterinarians who have completed CRI's Introduction to Veterinary Medical Acupuncture (Module 1) and veterinarians who have been certified in acupuncture through CRI or another program can subscribe. During the registration process, please be sure you indicate that you have completed Introduction to Veterinary Medical Acupuncture (Module 1) or have been certified in acupuncture.

Please see our CRI Acupuncture Member Library page for complete details and a link to subscribe.

Are you an intern or resident who needs to complete a research project? Our comprehensive Introduction to Veterinary Clinical Research course can take you from "How to write a hypothesis" to launching your pilot study.

We are planning to offer this course in 2022. Please contact us to add your name to our interest list. This online course, led by faculty member Dr. Chris Zink, includes 10 live discussions held once a week and is limited to 15 students to allow ample time for interaction.

Our Introduction to Veterinary Clinical Research course has received great reviews from students!

Please contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com to add your name to our interest list for this class.

CRI is honored to have three faculty members and graduates selected for PulseVet's new Small Animal Advisory Board. Congratulations to CRI faculty members Dr. Janet Van Dyke and Dr. Leilani Alvarez, and CRI graduate Dr. Carolina Medina for their selection to this board. The PulseVet Small Animal Advisory Board includes well-recognized leaders in veterinary orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, and rehabilitation in both academia and private practice. Read more.

Dr. Janet Van Dyke, CRI's founder and CEO, was recently featured on Fueled: A Sporting Dog Podcast presented by Eukanuba™ and hosted by Dr. Joe Spoo. In this episode, Dr. Spoo and Dr. Van Dyke discuss canine rehabilitation — what it is and what training looks like. Listen to the podcast.

CRI's founder and CEO Janet Van Dyke, DVM, ACVSMR, MANZCVS, CCRT, serves as secretary of the chapter. Yoko Clinch, BSc BVMS (Hons), MANZCVS, CCRT, is the president, and Jane McNae, BVSc, MACVSc (Surg), MRCVS, PG Cert (Med Ed), FHEA, CCRT, is the sponsor liaison.

The chapter held its inaugural lecture track in July at this year’s ANZCVS Science Week, and CRI veteran faculty member Sasha Foster, MSPT, CCRT, was selected to be the keynote address presenter.

For more information, please visit the Chapter's website.

Research Update from Canine Home Exercises

Read the study from the American Journal of Veterinary Research 

The Study: The purpose of this study was to describe the maximum amount of flexion and extension of the carpal, tarsal, metacarpophalangeal, and metatarsophalangeal joints and the percentage duration of the stance and swing phases of the stride for horses walking on an underwater treadmill in various water depths. The ROM was greater for all evaluated joints in any amount of water versus ROM for joints in baseline conditions. The greatest ROM for carpal joints was detected in a tarsal joint water depth, for tarsal joints in a stifle joint water depth, and for metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints in metatarsophalangeal and tarsal joint water depths. As water depth increased, the percentage durations of the stance and swing phases of the stride significantly decreased and increased, respectively.

Study Limitations: Small sample size of healthy horses. Water height parameters may affect canines with orthopedic or neurological patients differently than described in this study.

Impact on Clinical Practice: Results of this study suggested that exercise on an underwater treadmill is useful for increasing the ROM of various joints of horses during rehabilitation and that the depth of water affects the amount of flexion and extension of joints.

CRI is pleased to be a sponsor of Canine Arthritis Resources and Education (CARE). Osteoarthritis is one of the most common conditions you will see in your practice, with at least 1 in 5 dogs developing the disease in their lifetime. As the leading cause of chronic pain, OA can have a significant impact on the quality of life for your patients, and for your clients who are caring for dogs in pain.

CARE was founded by CRI faculty member Kristin Kirkby Shaw, DVM, MS, PhD, CCRT, DACVS, DACVSMR, as a central resource to answer the most common questions about OA that she encounters from colleagues around the world. The website covers everything from diagnosing developmental orthopedic diseases to nutrition and weight loss, rehabilitation, pain management, lifestyle modifications, and more. There are resources to share with clients, as well as extensive, evidence-based content for dog owners to help them manage their dog's OA at home. Visit the CARE website to learn more.

For the Qualifiers, keep an eye on Facebook - on the 1st of October the group will launch and we will dive into discussions around research right from the start! Alternatively, sign up to get notified as soon as the group opens here: https://vetrehabsummit.com/#facebook

Attention, physical therapists and PT students! You can now register for CRI courses during your final year in PT school and start your certification as a canine rehabilitation therapist as soon as you have graduated and are licensed! We will NO LONGER require that you graduate before registering for courses. This will allow you to achieve your dream of working with animals much sooner!

Have questions? Contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com. We are very excited to continue helping more and more PTs along this exciting journey! 

Certification in Canine Rehabilitation (CCRT): Students can start their training by taking Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation any time after their first year. They can then take the second module, Clinical Skills, any time after their second year. After their third year, they can take the last module, Clinical Applications, followed by a 40-hour internship. Certification will be awarded when the students obtain their veterinary licenses.

Certification in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture (CVAT): Students can start their training by taking Introduction to Veterinary Medical Acupuncture any time after their first year. They can then take the second module, Veterinary Medical Acupuncture for Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Patients any time after their second year, and the last module, Canine and Feline Medical Acupuncture, any time after their third year. Certification will be awarded when the students obtain their veterinary licenses.

For complete details, please see our Veterinary Student Certification page or contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com.

CRI is pleased to announce the creation of The Tayla Fund, in memory of Tayla, a long-time favorite demo dog and the beloved companion of Janessa Shine, an O.R. nurse at Coral Springs Animal Hospital.

Donations to The Tayla Fund are tax-deductible and will be used to pay for rehabilitation at Coral Springs Animal Hospital for clients who cannot afford it.

To make a tax-deductible donation, use the button below to donate to Coral Springs Animal Hospital's charitable fund through the Veterinary Care Charitable Fund. Please be sure to select Coral Springs Animal Hospital as the recipient and specify "The Tayla Fund" in the Donor Name(s) for Public Recognition section of the donation form.

In late August, we were pleased to welcome students to our Introduction to Ultrasound Techniques / Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound course in Arlington, Texas. In September, we were excited to host students for Canine and Feline Medical Acupuncture (Module 3), Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation, and Canine Sports Medicine, all held at Colorado Veterinary Specialty Group's new facility in Littleton, Colorado.

Congratulations to all our students — and especially our acupuncture students who completed their third module and became Certified Veterinary Acupuncture Therapists (CVATs)! We hope to see you all again soon!

Students and faculty paused for a class photo during our Introduction to Ultrasound Techniques / Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound course, held August 26-28 in Arlington, Texas.

Students, faculty, and cat professors took a class photo during Canine and Feline Medical Acupuncture (Module 3), held September 3-5 in Littleton, Colorado. Congratulations to all our new Certified Veterinary Acupuncture Therapists (CVATs)!

Students, faculty, and demo dogs posed for a class photo during the in-person session of Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation, held September 11-14 in Littleton, Colorado.

Students, faculty, and one demo dog gathered for a photo during Canine Sports Medicine, held September 16-18 in Littleton, Colorado.

CRI is offering a 10% discount on most continuing education courses to members of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society (VOS) and the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians (AARV), as well as CRI graduates (CCRTs, CCRVNs, and CCRAs).

Please visit our Continuing Education page for a list of eligible courses and our FAQ page for more details. Note that continuing education courses do not include core rehabilitation or acupuncture courses taken for certification.

Please check our Coral Springs, Florida Travel page and our Littleton, Colorado Travel page for more details about each hotel and reservation links!

Our Acupuncture Module 3, Canine and Feline Medical Acupuncture, spends one day focused on CATS so we would like to recognize our "cat professors" from Cat Team Redman as our September Breezie Demo Award Winners! Thank you to Dr. MJ Redman who is letting us enjoy her fabulous crew. What a fantastic opportunity they provide!

In recognition of this honor, Cat Team Redman will receive a $50 gift certificate from Chewy's. Congratulations, Izzy, Alexander, Walter Mittens, Minnie Purrl, Gus, and Willoughby, and enjoy your treats!

The Breezie Demo Winner of the Month Award is given in memory of Breezie, who was the lead demo dog for our Coral Springs courses for more than 9 years and helped to educate more than 800 veterinary and physical therapy professionals. She was such a great demo dog that our faculty would beg to have her in their small group sessions. Breezie's favorite holiday was Halloween when she was always the best dressed dog in Coral Springs!

Are you following CRI on Facebook? Be sure to stay connected for the most up-to-date news and photos from our courses. Tag your friends and colleagues and share our posts to spread the word about veterinary rehabilitation!

Have You Looked at CRI's Online Job Postings?  

If you are considering a new position in canine rehabilitation, be sure to check out the Jobs page on the CRI website, which has numerous listings. Recent postings include openings for rehabilitation veterinarians, physical therapists, and technicians/nurses in Washington, Nova Scotia, California, Florida, Texas, Colorado, Oregon, New York, Maryland, Tennessee, and New Jersey.

If you have a job opening that you would like to publicize, please use our online Job Posting Form to submit your listing.

CRI students and graduates, please remember that you may only use protected terms such as "physical therapy" and "veterinary medicine" in your advertising materials if you are licensed in these fields. We discuss protected terms during Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation, and we hope everyone continues to remember and follow the recommendations provided.

If you are a CRI graduate, please check your listing in the Find a Therapist online directory and make sure the contact information is correct. If you have any updates, please email Joyce Rudzitis, CRI's chief operating officer.

For more information, download the Sponsorship Opportunities flier or contact Emily Selbe.