We had a great time in May at our Canine Sports Medicine module in Belgium!

"Thank you very much for organising this wonderful course! I learned a lot and this new way of looking at sporting dogs is absolutely immediately practically applicable in my daily work in a referral clinic."

– Evelien Bogaerts, DVM, PhD, Belgium

We are offering Canine Sports Medicine in Colorado this summer too! Join us July 8-10 at CVSG in Littleton, Colorado. Register now to reserve your seat!

In this course, students will learn about the fast-growing world of canine sporting competitions and rehabilitation techniques that can be used to support both canine athletes and family pets. This course will be taught by CRI faculty member Chris Zink, DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVSMT, CVA, an internationally recognized expert in canine sports medicine.

We encourage nurses / technicians in our CCRVN program to take the July Canine Sports Medicine module. We believe this hands-on course is a great way for our students to earn their CCRVN! Please contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com with any questions.

"Everything [in the Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation module] was well taught, professional but personal. I think it has changed my overall opinion as a whole. Like Kara [Amstutz] said at the beginning of the course about compassion fatigue, etc., I was feeling compassion fatigue and burnout, but this course has brought a whole different perspective to me. Lunches were great. THANK YOU TO ALL THE INSTRUCTORS AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS! I hope to be back soon."

– Eric Burt, Veterinary Assistant, Arnprior, Ontario, Canada

If you are attending this event in person, be sure to visit CRI at the booth we are sharing with VetPrac and PawProsper! Say hello to Drs. Kara Amstutz and Janet Van Dyke, and register for our drawing to win a $500 discount on our Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation course when it is in Australia in 2023.

To learn more about the Veterinary Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Chapter Stream, see the event flier and visit the official registration website at https://events.anzcvs.org.au/science-week-2022/program.

Lock in 2022 pricing! We have a few seats available in our December 3-5 Clinical Skills module in Coral Springs, Florida. When you register for this module as part of a 2-course package, you will lock in 2022 pricing for the Clinical Applications module too. Our December Clinical Skills module is also a great opportunity for a winter getaway in sunny Florida!

Register for January 2023 modules! We have just opened registration for two January modules: Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation from January 6-9 and Clinical Applications from January 10-11, both held in Littleton, Colorado! Register today to reserve your space!

Veterinary technicians/nurses: We are offering a $350 discount for any nurses who take our Canine Sports Medicine module this year as their elective for CCRVN certification. Registration is now open for our July 8-10 module in Littleton, Colorado. Register today and make sure you have a seat!

Our core rehabilitation courses combine online coursework and 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!

Start making plans for 2023! We have just published the dates for our upcoming January to June 2023 courses, and registration is already open for our January courses. We will be holding our core rehabilitation and acupuncture courses in Littleton, Colorado, and we also will be offering The Business of Canine Rehabilitation as a live, online course on March 22, 29, and April 5.

We also are excited to announce that we will be holding our Introduction to Canine Rehabilitation module June 3-6 in Belgium and later in the year in Australia!

Check our website calendar and make plans to join us!

Our brand-new course in Alaska – Exercise Physiology for the Working Canine – attracted a long list of interested participants and sold out in three days!

This course will be held January 21-25, 2023, in Big Lake, Alaska, and will be taught by Michael S. Davis, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVSMR, the past president of ACVSMR.

Students in this course will learn about canine exercise physiology and gain hands-on experience with elite canine athletes — Alaskan Husky sled dogs! Attendees will learn how to drive a sled dog team and will have the opportunity to drive their own team in the vast wilderness of this area with stunning views of Denali. This is a great opportunity for residents preparing for boards, rehabilitation therapists who work with canine athletes, and anyone who would love to combine RACE-approved CE with a once-in-a-lifetime experience working with a world-famous sled dog trainer and his team.

If you are interested in being on the waiting list or attending this course in the future, please send your contact information to info@caninerehabinstitute.com.

Veterinarians: Interested in pursuing acupuncture training in Australia or Europe? We are planning to bring our Acupuncture Program to Australia and Europe in 2023. For more details, contact us at info@caninerehabinstitute.com.

Registration is now open for our 3-Module Acupuncture Certification Package (which includes a $500 discount) and individual spring and fall acupuncture modules! If you are thinking about acupuncture certification, sign up today before our modules are sold out!

We are now offering our three Acupuncture Program modules twice each year, with one set in the spring and one set in the fall. Students receive a $500 discount when registering for Acupuncture Modules 1, 2, and 3 together. Students may now combine spring and fall modules into one package. Modules must be taken in sequence and completed within 12 months. Please see the Acupuncture Program page for complete details.

Remember, save $500 when you register for a 3-Module Acupuncture Certification Package. Please see the Course Schedule on our website for upcoming course dates.

Thinking about enrolling in our Acupuncture Program? Students give our acupuncture modules wonderful reviews!

"I really loved the instructors and how they approached the course."

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!

"Instructors are great; things I should have learned in vet school I’m learning now with good, practical applications."

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.

Our CRI Member Library is continuing to grow! We have just added our new 3-hour Feline Rehabilitation and Pain Management course and our recent webinar "Practical Application of Shock Wave Therapy in Canine Rehabilitation" to the CRI Member Library.

For $795, students can have unlimited access for one year to our CRI Member Library! The CRI Member Library now includes 80+ hours of RACE-approved online courses taught by our expert faculty — and content continues to grow! The CRI Member Library is a great way to fulfill most states' current continuing education requirements without needing to travel!

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 2022.

Veterinarians, 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.

After careful consideration, we have made the decision to update the Certified Canine Rehabilitation Veterinary Nurse (CCRVN) and Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant (CCRA) program for veterinary technicians / nurses for 2023.

Starting January 1, 2023, the modules for CCRVN / CCRA certification will be:

Students who complete Canine Rehabilitation Veterinary Nurse (Module 2) in 2022 may choose a Module 3 elective as outlined below.

From January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, the three modules for CCRVN / CCRA certification will be:

Note: During 2022, CCRVN / CCRA students that choose Canine Sports Medicine for their elective can take a $350 discount in the course fee.

Please see the CCRVN page for complete details.

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.

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.

Dr. Janet Van Dyke, CRI founder, 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 founder 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 2021 at 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 Veterinarni Medicina 

The Study: This retrospective study evaluated the clinical outcomes of dogs with ventral slot decompression for IVDH with and without rehabilitation therapy. Surgical decompression was performed in dogs with IVDH using the ventral slot procedure. A total of 58 dogs were selected from the hospital and included in two groups: rehabilitated group (n = 34) and non-rehabilitated group (n = 24). In the rehabilitation group, treatments consisted of a combination of electrotherapy, infrared therapy, and mechanical massage; treadmill exercise was started when the animal could stand up. Post-operative changes of both groups were evaluated and compared, including time until unassisted standing and walking after surgery and the success rate. Overall, 79.41% (27/34) of dogs had a successful neurologic outcome in the rehabilitation group, which was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the non-rehabilitation group group 62.50% (15/24).

Study Limitations: Retrospective study with limited controls.

Impact on Clinical Practice: The proposed rehabilitation therapy after surgical decompression of cervical IVDH can improve the success rate when the preoperative pathological condition is severe.

Did you know Canine Arthritis Resources and Education (CARE) has a wealth of FREE resources to help veterinary professionals and pet owners manage osteoarthritis (OA)?

Sign up for a free subscription today to gain access to CARE's extensive collection of resources to help your rehabilitation patients and clients. CRI is pleased to be a sponsor of CARE.

Tickets are available to each of these webinars to Vetrehabbers who are not yet Onlinepethealth members here: www.onlinepethealth.com.

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! 

In April and May, we were pleased to welcome acupuncture students to Veterinary Medical Acupuncture for Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Patients (Module 2) and Canine and Feline Medical Acupuncture (Module 3) in Littleton, Colorado. Congratulations to our students who completed the three modules of the Acupuncture Program and earned their certification as Certified Veterinary Acupuncture Therapists.

We also were excited to travel to Europe in May to hold our Canine Sports Medicine module at Het Waterhof in Velm, Belgium. We had a wonderful time in Belgium and very much enjoyed seeing our European colleagues once again!

Students, faculty, and demo dogs took a class photo during Veterinary Medical Acupuncture for Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Patients (Module 2), held April 29-May 1 in Littleton, Colorado.

Students, shown with faculty and demo cats, completed their acupuncture training and earned their certification as CVATs during Canine and Feline Medical Acupuncture, held May 27-29 in Littleton, Colorado.

Back in Europe! Students, faculty and demo dogs gathered for a class photo outside Het Waterhof during Canine Sports Medicine, held May 21-23 in Velm, Belgium.

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.

Our June Breezie Demo Dog Award Winner is Hippy, a Labrador retriever born January 30, 2021, who lives with CRI faculty member Ellen Martens at Het Waterhof in Velm, Belgium.

In recognition of this honor, Hippy will receive a $50 gift certificate from Jiminy's good for any of their treats or dog food. Congratulations, Hippy, and enjoy your yummy Jiminy's treats!

The Breezie Demo Dog 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!

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 Dwight Amstutz.