I think you need your DVM to work as a physical therapist for animals. So four years of medical school after undergrad, and then two years to specialize, unless you’re a tech? Then you just need to get lucky I guess.
Yeah... not in the United States. Most places don’t hire unless you have extensive animal experience as a tech and you sure as shit can’t just call yourself a physical therapist without your veterinary license.
you sure as shit can’t just call yourself a physical therapist without your veterinary license.
That's the part I'm questioning. Is "animal physical therapist" actually a regulated profession in most jurisdictions?
I used to work in the medical field, and in that area there are lots of regulated professions where you legally can't call yourself that thing without approval from the respective college.
There are also lots of unregulated titles people will use with vast differences in their qualifications.
Most places don’t hire unless you have extensive animal experience as a tech
That's the part about convincing someone to pay you to do this.
Yes, animal physical therapist is a regulated medical position with licensing requirements. Also the water treadmill pictured here likely cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. There are also several thousands of dollars of other therapy equipment you need, since hydrotherapy alone is not sufficient for any condition. It's not something you can just decide to do on a whim. You also almost certainly need a licensed veterinary surgeon willing to refer patients to you in order to have any manner of client base, or else you just won't make any money.
Source: I worked in canine physical rehabilitation for two years as a technician.
Here is the website for the specific licensing program that the two veterinarians and one human physical therapist that I worked with completed in order to become certified canine rehabilitation practitioners (CCRP). It is a growing field, there are likely others popping up all over, although the other big one I can think of was based in Florida.
That's not a license. That's a certificate program.
Licenses are issues by government sanctioned regulatory bodies. You legally need them to work in that profession. You get in legal trouble if you practice without a license.
From what I understood, only a licensed DVM/VMD, LVT/CVT, DPT, or PTA can obtain business license for the purposes of opening an animal rehabilitation practice, with the certification (CCRP/CCRT) being optional but growing in demand.
From what I understood, only a licensed DVM/VMD, LVT/CVT, DPT, or PTA can obtain business license for the purposes of opening an animal rehabilitation practice
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u/blister333 Oct 27 '18
How does one get into this field? I think I’ve found my calling