My name is Emmylou Rivers and I am a veterinary nurse and have specialised in physical and behavioral rehabilitation for animals.
Physical rehabilitation focuses on the treatment of injury or chronic arthritis/disease to decrease pain and restore function. Rehabilitation is a very important part of the healing process. I treat every patient as an individual and give an individual therapy plan that offers the best opportunity for a successful outcome. I believe in multimodal management which looks at the entire animal and not just one area. I use therapies to strengthen muscle and prevent atrophy, decrease edema/swelling and improve range of motion.
I have also spent time working at an exotics (birds, reptiles, primates and anything else that isn’t a dog or cat) practice. I have also worked in a small animal (dog and cat) 24 hour specialist practice. I have always been fascinated by animals and their behaviour, and wanted to know why they do certain things. I have done intensive research on behaviour and animal husbandry.
I believe that any behaviour seen as problematic by the owner can be changed if they are willing to put in the effort. Far too many animals are unnecessarily euthanized each day as a result of behaviour problems and I would like to lessen this. With some work and understanding on the owner’s side almost any behaviour problem can be rectified.
I am a qualified Game Ranger and Veterinary Nurse; I have completed many behaviour courses including the Ethology Academy Avian Ethology course and the University of Pretoria Behavioural Medicine course. I have also been a keynote speaker on aggression in exotic animals at the South African Veterinary Association’s behavioural congress in 2013 and on Feather Plucking in 2014. I have held positions on the Veterinary Nurses Association of South Africa’ committee and have stood on the SAVA Animal Behavioural Information Group’s committee.
Physical and behavioral rehabilitation for animals
