Rehabilitation center brings new hope for old dogs

By Linette Page

For Maja Wichtowski, her dog Tsavo was more than just a pet. He was her heart, her son, and her guide to the career she was meant to pursue.

When Tsavo was diagnosed with cancer at six, Wichtowski conducted extensive research and opted for alternatives such as acupuncture and Chinese herbs instead of radiation and chemotherapy. At 10, he suffered from degenerative hip disease, and she again chose a path of massage, stretching, and diet changes over conventional pain medication.

Tsavo passed at 14, cancer-free, and having run at the beach the previous day. His life inspired Wichtowski to open Tsavo's Canine Rehabilitation Center for ailing dogs.

Wichtowski's location at All Creatures Hospital, a respected veterinary practice just outside Del Mar, signifies her strong belief that western medicine and alternative techniques need to work hand-in-hand to provide the best possible pet care. This is not about choosing one or the other — it is about doing the best thing for the animal.

"I believe in both and have been in the traditional vet world for 12 years," said Maja Wichtowski, RVT, CCRT and owner. "Sometimes a combination is best — a time and a place for everything. I look at the big picture and see how the dog can benefit from each." In fact, Wichtowski only sees dogs by vet referral. These referrals provide information on the dog's overall health, the conclusiveness of a diagnosis, and current medications.

In her first year, Wichtowski treated over 150 dogs of all breeds. "Eighty percent of my patients are older dogs and I love it," said Wichtowski. "A lot of them come to me as a last resort. Often a client comes with great trepidation about what I do, but after seeing the result, can't stop talking about it. I love helping older dogs do what they love — going to the beach, chasing a ball, climbing stairs."

Her most rewarding moments are from six dogs essentially paralyzed in the hind-end that walked again, including Gray Socks, a 15-year old lab mix who suddenly lost use of his rear legs and was scheduled to be put down. Wichtowski treated him two-hours before the dreaded event. After 45-minutes, he stood up and was able to bear weight. His owners knew they had to try rehabilitation. "All the chips were down and in those 45 minutes she performed magic," said Susie and Rob Lankford, Gray Socks' owners. "As prepared as we were, he'd had a long life, but Maja saw something else. This old boy was running, going up stairs and happy until we lost him to renal failure. It was really difficult for Maja. These animals mean a lot to her."

The rehabilitation process starts with an initial two-hour consult where Wichtowski seeks to understand a day in the dog's life, their diet, and favorite activities no longer possible. Next is a full head to toe exam, including an assessment of the pet's range of motion and spinal health. Recommendations can include additional treatments, diet and exercise changes, natural supplements and vet visits for issues such as thyroid or tumors.

"It's a whole dog approach — that's what's key to what I do and why I'm different," said Wichtowski. "I don't charge a lot, I don't sell things, and I educate owners so they can manage their pet's quality of life over time. These are my children, not just my patients."

Follow-up treatments focus on bodywork — different types of massage, stretching, joint mobilization, electrical stimulation for muscle atrophy and cold laser therapy to reduce pain and inflammation and speed-up the recovery process.

Wichtowski's goal is to correct the problem and teach pet owners how to be more self-reliant and informed. Most see an improvement in three treatments, but sometimes it takes longer. In one case, the pet didn't improve and surgery was the only option.

"It took about six weeks before we saw results, but now she's the best that she's been," said Nancy Spiker, owner of Bailey, a 9-year old golden with arthritic front paws. "We learned the right way to exercise her and how to massage and manipulate her paws — you can actually hear the crunching as the calcium breaks down."

Owners play a critical role in pet recovery and receive instructions for exercises to do at home to improve flexibility, strength, or endurance. They are simple to do and many materials can be purchased at Home Depot.

"The progress an animal makes is as dependent on the owner as me," said Wichtowski. "If they'll spend 10-15 minutes a day exercising the dog, it makes a huge difference. The two most important things in an animal's life are diet and exercise — just like humans."

Wichtowski graduated from Cornell in 1997 with a degree in Wildlife Biology and hopes of working in Africa. After discovering 3,500 applicants for every job, she moved to San Diego to pursue opportunities at the Zoo and Wild Animal Park. To pay bills in the meantime, she did the next best thing and worked at area vet clinics. In 2002, she started at All Creatures, first as a vet technician, then as a manager. Her interest in treatment alternatives grew and she spent two years working at a rehabilitation center before attending the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in Florida, one of two accredited facilities in the United States, open only to vets, vet techs, and physical therapists.

Wichtowski is one of three licensed canine rehabilitation technicians in the county. With such a new discipline, comes the challenge of education and awareness. It mirrors human medicine where practices such as physical therapy are growing, but not pervasive.

It takes pet owners asking, "What else can I do" to start opening doors. Kris Panikowski, owner of Cricket, a 13-year old lab, was referred to Wichtowski after her vet prescribed Deramax for pain and she expressed concern about the side effects. "After four weekly visits, Cricket was back playing at the beach," said Panikowski. "After ten weeks she was completely off Deramax and taking natural products. We feel so fortunate that Maja started the clinic when she did and that we found her."

Wichtowski's business has grown largely from client referral — one friend telling another. In the future, she hopes to partner with pharmaceutical companies to educate vets on the power of using rehabilitation and medication side-by-side to treat animals.

Life is good for Wichtowski with a successful practice, and two newly adopted family members — a pit bull and a Great Dane mix she describes as an "orthopedic nightmare." "Now I have two juvenile delinquents who I love to death," said Wichtowski. "I absolutely adore what I do and can work 14 hours a day and not get tired — and I have."

For more information call (619) 846-9531

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