It’s not uncommon for a rehabilitation appointment at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center to feel like a visit with friends. 

The routine and intimate nature of the work means technician Kim Colvard gets to know her patients and their families very well. 

“They know that we're doing our best to make their pet better, and in return, we're building relationships and trust,” Colvard says. “I love that about what I do.”

So when the Rehabilitation Service needed another water treadmill to replace an older model that no longer worked, patient families came together and gifted funds to cover a portion of the equipment cost, which made the purchase of a new treadmill possible. 

Among them were Kevin and Erin Iverson, whose 11.5-year-old Labrador, Caye, attends one-hour weekly sessions to help manage hind limb weakness caused by a neurological condition called geriatric-onset laryngeal paralysis polyneuropathy. 

“They’ve given so much to Caye, so we were happy to give back to them,” Erin says. 

The new treadmill increases the rehab team’s capacity to serve patients. When the service had one treadmill, Colvard and fellow rehab technician Mackenzie Scott had to stagger appointments. Now, they can run water therapy appointments simultaneously. 

“We're incredibly grateful for people who want to donate to the service to help provide more things—better things—to help us be successful in our adventures,” Colvard says. 

The new treadmill was installed earlier this year and joins an older model that was custom-built to accommodate the service’s giant-breed patients. A standard-size water treadmill isn’t quite long enough to fit the robust strides of dogs such as Great Danes, Irish wolfhounds, St. Bernards and mastiffs. 

Now, both treadmills help patients of all sizes.  

“From the little dogs to the big dogs, we use every inch of that treadmill belt,” Colvard says.

Often using the treadmill are patients who are recovering from knee injuries, particularly cranial cruciate ligament injuries—the dog equivalent of an ACL tear in humans—or dislocated kneecaps, known as patellar luxation. 

Other common conditions include hip and elbow dysplasia, osteoarthritis, back injuries, and neurological conditions such as degenerative myelopathy, a spinal cord disease that causes painless hind-end weakness, loss of coordination, and eventual paralysis. 

Each water treadmill session is tailored to the patient and their needs. For example, a dog with a neurological condition would walk through a higher water level that adds more support for their body than a dog using the treadmill for conditioning and strength-building.

In some cases, patients require assistance to complete their exercise in the treadmill tank, so Colvard or Scott pull on fishing waders and join them in the water to provide that support. 

“If they are unable to move their hind legs, front legs or all legs, we're able to get into the water and assist them in getting that correct placement, so they can build up strength,” Colvard says. 

Working so closely with patients and their families has been the highlight of the job for Colvard, who joined the service in 2008. 

“I love the relationships that I get to build,” she says. “It’s a piece that had been missing from past jobs. So I love that about what I do, and that's what keeps me here.”