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Wendy Herlihy  DVM cVMA CCRT

Elevate

Animal Rehab

Patient-centered, custom rehab medicine

Is Elevate Animal Rehab a good fit for your dog or cat?

Yes!   If you desire personalized care that considers your pet’s personality, pain, mobility, as well as your goals, budget, and concerns.

Yes!   If you desire compassionate, timely and clear communication.

Yes!   If you want your pet to enjoy and look forward to vet visits, where they get to play and heal.

Yes!   If you want to optimize mobility, quality of life, sporting performance, and comfort.

New Location!

We now have a location with clinic rooms and comfortable care, right along I-70 in Golden.

3015 Youngfield St.
Golden, CO 80401

Come visit!

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Contact Me: 

Contact Info

Clinic Location: 3015 Youngfield St. Golden, CO 80401

720-295-1841

Appointment Hours

Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri: 9am-4pm

Thursdays: 9am-noon

Meet Wendy

Who I Am:

Dr. Wendy Herlihy graduated from Colorado State Veterinary School in 2013, Magna Cum Laude. She went on to complete a year long internship at the Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency and Rehabilitation Hospital. Afterwards, she continued on with the Fort Collins ER and Rehab Hospital as a rehabilitation practitioner. She also went on to practice emergency medicine with the Colorado Veterinary Specialist Group in Highlands Ranch, CO. As the years went on, Dr. Herlihy found herself working more and more in the field of rehabilitation, where her passion lay. She went on to practice rehabilitation and sports medicine full time at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat Ridge, CO.

After much time in the fast-paced rehabiliation world, Wendy decided to slow things down and open Elevate Animal Rehab, a place where both owners and patients are treated like family and the time is taken to compassionately care for all the needs of the patient/owner pair.

Prior to attending vet school, Wendy was an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), leading climbing and mountaineering expeditions.  She was also a professional sled dog racer, competing throughout the US and Canada.

 

Pain Management

Pain managment is crucial to quality of life and healing. Pain management techniques include pharaceuticals, acupuncture, manual therapy, and electrical therapies. For those looking for alternatives to pharmaceuticals, acupuncture, manual, and electrical therapies can often take the place of medication or at least minimize medication.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture can be used for pain management, post-operative healing, and for any type of neurologic dysfunction. It can also be used as an adjunct therapy for metabolic disease. Acupuncture is a very powerful tool that most patients enjoy receiving, even cats!

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy is the use of the practitioners hands to mobilize joints and soft tissues for pain relief and improved function. This type of therapy can be done very gently and can help ease nervous patients into receiving rehabilitation therapy. Manual therapuy can be used in conjunction with acupuncture, or on its own, for the treatment of joint, muscular, and neurologic dysfunction. 

Electrical Therapies

Electrical therapies (TENS and NMES) are used to decrease pain and to help strengthen weak muscles. Owners can be taught to use this modality at home, for ongoing therapy between doctor visits.

Therapeutic Exercises

Therapeutic exercises are used to improve balance, core strength, limb strength, endurance, sporting function and to minimize risk of future injury. Therapeutic  exercises are chosen based on your goals and needs of the patient to achieve those goals. Patients will go though exercises during their visit and you will be taught how to perform exercises on your own between visits. You will recieve ongoing coaching on your home exercise plan. Home exercise plans are designed at all levels, from sporting dogs to geriatric dogs. .

Supplements

Supplements can be a part of your pet’s recovery and life-style if you choose. Often, supplements will slow down disease progression or protect the body from future disease. At Elevate, an evidence-based approach to supplements is taken, and only those that have been proven to be effective and safe through research are recommended.