Refer a Patient

DVM Referrals

Thanks for considering CROC for your patient's Physical Rehabilitation.

Please read below to learn how to get your patient started, how you can prepare your clients, and why we're the best at what we do.

How to Refer a Patient & FAQ's

Is a DVM referral required?

Veterinarian referral is appreciated but not required for a patient to begin therapy at CROC. We do require the patient’s medical records prior to the initial Consultation appointment. When a client schedules a Consultation with us, they are asked to provide the name of every Veterinary facility that has seen their pet within the last 12 months. We then request medical records and all imaging from those facilities, as well as the best email or fax number so we can share our findings once we have evaluated the patient. There’s a common misconception that Rehab only exists to treat the presenting complaint, but the truth is that a complete picture of your patient’s overall condition is imperative for effective therapy. For example, if we have a patient that needs to rebuild muscle, but isn’t progressing as expected: Are they receiving adequate nutrition to support muscle growth? Do they have significant periodontal disease that is affecting their ability to intake the nutrition required to build muscle? Should we be looking for cancer or another systemic condition that is reducing the body’s ability to respond to therapy? If they have comorbidities, are we able to continue therapy safely given appropriate adjustments to their treatment plan or does this patient need more in-depth evaluation before continuing therapy? If you would like to expedite the process for your patient, feel free to send your SOAP notes along with any imaging to CROCrecords@gmail.com. When referring your patient to CROC, you are welcome to share any thoughts, questions, or concerns you would like to have addressed. In addition, please let us know if we should expect this client to contact us or if you would like us to reach out to them. Since Veterinarian referrals are not required, you can also just give your client our information and we can get started as soon as they contact us.

Does CROC perform diagnostics or prescribe medications?

We are pleased to share that our practice exclusively offers Canine Physical Rehabilitation. We do not prescribe medications nor do we have any diagnostic or imaging equipment. We do not perform surgeries of any kind. We don't even perform minor services such as nail trims and the like. Why? Physical Rehabilitation is most effective when our patients trust that they are safe with us; that we will handle them with care and not cause any further pain. Often, they have recently been to their primary Veterinarian and any number of specialists before coming to us and they can have their guard up pretty high. We have to teach them to relax so we can heal their hurt and once they realize that Rehab feels good, we can do more and more with them each visit. Radiographs, while integral information for your patient's recovery, can be scary and painful for some patients and if we performed services like this, we would damage our relationship with your patient. By only offering Rehab services, we can preserve the relationship we have with your patient and avoid the "white coat syndrome" that is commonly experienced in Veterinary Hospitals. Patients in need of these services are referred back to their primary Veterinarian or to a Board Certified Veterinary Specialist as appropriate. This means that you can comfortably refer your patients to us knowing that they will come back to you for anything outside of Physical Rehabilitation services.

How should I prepare my patient for Rehab?

CROC does not prescribe any medications and we do not perform any imaging or diagnostics. Ideally, your patient would already be on any medications necessary to keep them comfortable by the time they come to see us. Please remind your clients to give all medications as prescribed on the day of their consultation, as many will assume that they should withhold pain medications. We strongly recommend that appropriate imaging be performed before you refer your patient to us so that we will have a complete record of your patient’s condition, thus enabling us to customize their Rehab Treatment Plan for maximum benefit. Since we do not perform any imaging, we will refer your client back to you for these services.

Do I need to specify which treatment modality I am referring for?

Please do not tell your client to request specific modalities. CROC’s team is composed of Veterinary Professionals that have specialized in Physical Rehabilitation Therapy, so we ask that you please trust in our many years of education and experience to choose the safest and most effective treatments for your patient. While very popular, Hydrotherapy isn’t always the best modality and we have had clients get upset when we tell them that their pet should not participate in this exercise. In addition, optimal recovery is achieved with a combination of modalities such as Electrostimulation Therapy, Thermotherapy, Stretching, Massage, Therapeutic Ultrasound and exercises to improve Balance, Stamina, and Proprioception. Skipping these aspects of therapy can delay or even be detrimental to your patient’s recovery. You can trust that we create customized Treatment Plans for our patients using clinically proven modalities which are performed by Licensed Veterinary Professionals. We offer flat fee pricing to ensure that an owner’s budget doesn’t take away from a patient’s optimal Treatment Plan. CROC does not allow clients to pick from a menu of modalities. We do not offer Chiropractic, Aquapractic, Ozone Therapy, or any other modality that is lacking peer-reviewed evidence of its safety and efficacy.

How do you decide which therapy modalities to offer?

CROC only offers treatment modalities that have been clinically-proven to be safe and effective. You will not see modalities like Chiropractic or Ozone Therapy, among others, offered at CROC until substantial, peer-reviewed evidence is published stating that treatments such as these are medically helpful and safe when utilized appropriately. We are always keeping an eye out for any potentially helpful modalities to add to our available treatments but we are extremely careful about bringing in new therapies. We’re also extremely careful about what therapies are prescribed for each patient. For example, swimming would be contraindicated for an IVDD patient but beneficial for the Swimmer Syndrome puppy. Therapeutic Laser is wonderful for relieving pain and inflammation, but can also encourage neoplastic growth or cause premature closure of growth plates. Our team of Veterinary Physical Rehabilitation specialists will prescribe treatments aiming to address your patient’s insufficiencies as efficiently as possible, but with safety as our primary concern. Your patient’s Rehab Treatment Plan will be prescribed by our team of Veterinarians and Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioners who have completed additional training to become specialized in Veterinary Physical Rehabilitation. Passion for animals is great, but formal education and experience is best.

Will I be updated on my patient's progress?

Yes. Every time your patient is examined by one of our Veterinarians, you will receive a summary letter with our findings and recommendations. Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for 12-16 therapy sessions to pass between Progress Exams. We do not send summaries for each therapy session. We ask that you also share any updates on our mutual patient so that we can adjust their Rehab Treatment Plan if needed.

Can I refer my patient to you for a Wheelchair/Cart?

Yes, however not all patients are good candidates for a cart. The senior patient struggling with osteoarthritis and muscle atrophy may not have the strength to safely or adequately use a cart and should instead be referred for Physical Rehabilitation Therapy. The paraparetic patient has a better chance at achieving functional mobility by initiating therapy as soon as safely possible after the incident, but if the patient remains non-ambulatory 4-6 months out from the incident, a cart may be a good option providing that the dog is otherwise physically sound. If the injury to the spinal cord only occurred a few weeks ago, contrary to popular belief, the use of a cart is more likely hinder your patient’s chances of returning to functional ambulation and should be avoided until it is clear that the patient will remain non-ambulatory. End stage Degenerative Myelopathy patients often enjoy cart use, but Physical Rehabilitation Therapy has been clinically proven to be the most effective treatment to slow down progression of the disease. This, combined with the fact that most cart-using patients require some level of physical conditioning to be able to comfortably use their cart, is why we recommend that your patient begin with a Rehab Consult rather than jumping straight to a cart. Pre-made carts are easily available for purchase online and often at a lower price point than a custom-built cart, but frequently lack the ergonomics required for safe and comfortable long term cart use and can even cause further pain and injury if they are ill fitting.

When should my patient begin Rehab?

Tissues have Timelines & Timing is Everything! No, really – check out our article here: https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202401/index.php#/p/18 where we discuss the importance of beginning Rehab Therapy at precisely the right time to give your patient the very best chances of maximum recovery. To summarize our article, some conditions, such as severe FCE’s or Swimmer Syndrome neonates, should begin Rehab as soon as possible for optimal results. Others will need to wait until adequate bone healing takes place or inflammation has sufficiently resolved before we can safely proceed. Our team has many years of experience treating a wide range of conditions and will be able to weigh in on the appropriate time to begin therapy once we have more information on your patient’s case. When in doubt, it’s better for your client to call us too soon and book a little farther out than to call and find out that therapy should have begun two months ago.

Why doesn't CROC have a pool?

Contrary to popular belief, swimming is not the best modality for most of the conditions we treat. Conditions such as IVDD, CCL tears, post-op FHO’s & TPLO’s, FCE, MPL, among many others, attain better results using an Underwater Treadmill. In fact, swimming can make some of these conditions worse! In an Underwater Treadmill, the patient’s use of all limbs is slow and deliberate and involve the muscular loading/unloading cycles created by weight bearing ambulation that is required to improve musculature. By contrast, swimming involves spastic paddling of the thoracic limbs, minimal pelvic limb involvement, as well as increased twisting movements and strain of the patient’s neck and back. Not only is an Underwater Treadmill a safer and more effective tool for Hydrotherapy; it’s also significantly more sanitary for our patients. Because of the time, effort, and cost involved in draining and scrubbing, then refilling with fresh water, pools are only “cleaned” using chemicals and filters. Our Underwater Treadmills are drained and disinfected multiple times a day in addition to our filtration system and frequent replacement of the water in our reservoir tanks. Given that so many Rehab patients suffer from some form of incontinence, the ability to thoroughly sanitize our equipment is of utmost importance. Lastly, we also have more control to fine tune the patient’s Hydrotherapy session by using an Underwater Treadmill. We can control the temperature and depth of the water, the speed of the treadmill belt, and the incline of the treadmill. This in turn gives us a wider range of exercises we can have a patient participate in and we can make Hydrotherapy safer for patients with respiratory compromise, such as those suffering from LarPar. In the event that swimming is the hydrotherapy of choice for a patient’s condition, we can just fill the Underwater Treadmill until the water is deep enough for that patient to swim.

Does CROC offer overnight or in-home Rehab?

No. CROC is not equipped for overnight care and we do not offer house calls. We encourage you to check out the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians for a list of other Rehab specialists near you that might offer these services.

Our Qualifications

In addition to our talented team of Registered Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Assistants, and Patient Care Coordinators, the following CROC team members have completed additional formal education and certification pertaining to Veterinary Physical Rehabilitation.

Lauryn Harker

North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Certified Companion Animal Rehabilitation Therapist - 2024

University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine

Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner - 2014
Certification in Companion Animal Pain Management - 2013

Professional Veterinary Assistant School

California Registered Veterinary Technician - 2008

Membership & Associations

American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians
California Veterinary Medical Association

Alongside Dr. Tara Haddad and Dr. Rebecca Ringwald, Lauryn opened her Veterinary Rehab practice in 2014, Vet's House Veterinary Rehabilitation, after a local specialty hospital closed their Physical Rehabilitation department. Her goal as a Veterinary Professional has always been to help keep pets with their families for as long as possible while maintaining good quality of life. Loss of mobility being an extremely common reason for euthanasia, she knew that there was a need for Physical Rehabilitation and she jumped at the opportunity to provide the medical therapies Orange County's pets needed. Since 2014, Lauryn has been dedicated to sharing the power of Rehab with as many people as possible, owners and Veterinary professionals alike. In 2017, the practice was renamed Canine Rehabilitation of Orange County when Lauryn became the sole owner of the practice. Her talent for healing incited ever growing demand for her work and in 2020, CROC moved to it's current 4,000sqft facility to accommodate the thousands of patients in need. Since 2014, Lauryn has given countless families extra years with their best friends and at the end of that day, that is the entire reason that CROC exists.

Heidi Tschauner

North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Certified Companion Animal Rehabilitation Therapist - 2023

Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine - 1991

Membership & Associations

American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians

American Veterinary Medical Association

Southern California Veterinary Medical Association

California Veterinary Medical Association

After more than 30 years as a Small Animal Veterinarian, Heidi shifted her focus to Rehabilitative medicine to improve recovery and quality of life for animals experiencing mobility issues. Her vast experience and knowledge is an invaluable asset to the practice, ensuring that CROC's patients get the very best medicine with perfectly curated Treatment Plans. As the primary Veterinarian at CROC, Heidi is an invaluable member of the team and she has only continued to demonstrate her dedication to our patients. In 2023, Heidi completed the CCAT program and with that formal education in Physical Rehabilitation therapy, she has become Orange County's best Rehab Veterinarian!

Giuliana Troutman

University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine

Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner - 2022

Medaille University

Veterinary Technology - 2019

Giuliana brought a new dynamic to the team when she moved to Orange County from the east coast, giving us an even more well-rounded approach for our patients. Her drive and passion for Veterinary Medicine showed right away as she completed her education to become a Licensed Technician, then almost immediately went on to become a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner. CROC is lucky to have her on the team and though her certification in Rehab is fairly new, she demonstrates her talent daily and continues to impress!

What Can Your Client Expect?

CROC puts patients first. Always.

Rehab isn't always the answer. We can't fix everything and as much as we wish it were, the Underwater Treadmill isn't a fountain of youth. Transparency is of utmost importance to us so when we find that a patient's condition isn't something we can help or maybe it's one that requires surgical correction first, we give your clients the honest truth. We know this allows them to use their resources in the most efficient way possible allowing your patient the best chance at recovery. In the event that a patient is too debilitated to participate in Rehab, we will not offer in-clinic therapy and instead provide them with resources to keep their pet comfortable and discuss their pet’s quality of life. *If your practice does not offer the services that would best serve your patient, we will provide your client with contact information for local board certified specialists.

CROC offers Closed Rehab - What does this mean?

Closed Rehab means that clients are not present for their pet’s therapy. CROC elected this method because it has been clinically proven to result in better patient outcomes, in fewer sessions than Open Rehab, in which clients are present. We will meet with your client and patient during the Consultation, but will then ask your client to drop their pet off with us for about an hour during which time we will perform our evaluation, create a custom Home Care Program, and (as long as it is safe to do so) perform your patient’s first therapy treatments. We will meet with your client once again at the end of this hour to share our findings and recommendations. Future Rehab sessions are drop-off appointments only.

Our Expectations of Your Client

CROC is a medical facility. We do not offer daycare, playtime, or doggie social hour. Patients are not permitted to interact with other patients. Pets must be reasonably clean for their therapy sessions. At the beginning of every therapy session, we will ask your client if there have been any changes in your patient’s comfort or mobility since their last visit, as well as any changes in their medical status and medications. We need to know if their pet has made progress, maintained status, or declined at home so that we can use that information in conjunction with the patient’s presentation to adjust their therapy session as appropriate. At pick-up, your client will be given a verbal summary of their pet’s session along with any recommendations for changes they should make at home. We Veterinary Professionals know how abusive and toxic our industry has become. We recognize that as demand for quality care has increased in our community, the strain on Veterinarians, Technicians, and support staff has resulted in wide spread burn out and as a result, talented professionals are leaving the field in record numbers. Many members of the CROC Team contemplated leaving our field prior to their employment with us. We deliberately structure our staffing, our schedule, and our practice policies to maximize the wellbeing of our patients and our team. We strive to maintain a safe and supportive environment for our team while they work so hard to heal our patients. Our team is simply the best. We could not do what we do without them. As part of that core value, CROC does not tolerate any abusive behavior from clients. We understand that emotions can run high when devoted pet parents become frustrated or scared and most misunderstandings can be rectified. However, clients are expected to treat our team with kindness. A mutually respectful and cooperative working relationship with the pet parent is required for our Rehabilitation work to be as successful as possible. Profane, hostile, derogatory, condescending, or threatening behaviors will not be tolerated. If there is a client you are considering sending to our facility that you suspect may not adhere to our policy, please let us know before hand.

How does my client get started?

Since DVM referral is not required, your client can schedule their consult at any time. It’s best for them to start out on our website so they can learn what the process is like, view our Pricing & Services, and complete their New Client & Patient Info forms. Once those forms are completed, we will call to schedule their pet as appropriate. Clients with questions not answered on our website are welcome to give us a call or send a text message to 949-444-2451 or email us at CROCrecords@gmail.com. We will always prioritize patients in our treatment room and clients in our lobby over answering phones, so we ask that clients leave a voicemail if we were unable to answer their call. We reply to voicemails, texts, and emails in the order in which they come in and at our soonest availability.

How many sessions does my patient need?

There is no “one size fits all” recovery in Rehab. Every patient is an individual and factors such as age, comorbidities, nutrition, behavior, home exercise routine, and when therapy is initiated will contribute to a patient’s response to therapy. At your patient’s Consultation, we will recommend an approximate number and frequency of therapy sessions to begin with, after which time a Progress Exam should be conducted to re-evaluate the patient and determine if the desired result has been achieved. If not, why? Is it likely that this patient will benefit from further Rehab with adjustments made to address their deficiencies? Your client’s adherence to the Treatment Plan will also directly contribute to your patient’s chances of successful rehabilitation. For example, if twice weekly therapy sessions were recommended, but a client only brings their pet every other week, that patient will not achieve maximum recovery. If a client fails to adhere to the Prescribed Home Care, but still brings their pet twice a week, that pet will make progress, but not as much or as quickly as they could be. If a client fails to adhere to the recommended frequency and Prescribed Home Care, it is unlikely that that pet will make any significant progress. Your client’s consistent participation in their pet’s recovery is pivotal to the patient’s outcome. This is true for any of the conditions that we treat, but for the neurologically deficient patient in particular, it could seal their fate as a non-ambulatory animal since measurable improvement is extremely unlikely to take place once approximately 6 months has passed since their injury. If your client cannot comply with their pet’s Prescribed Home Care for any reason, we recommend that they schedule more frequent in-clinic therapy sessions so that the CROC team can perform these vital activities with their pet, thus giving that patient a better chance at attaining maximum recovery.

What is the Prescribed Home Care?

Our custom Prescribed Home Care Plan is created for every new patient and directly influences your patient's outcome. This plan will consist of therapeutic massage, stretching, and target exercises that the patient should be doing on a daily basis along with any recommended home environment modifications, changes to their diet, and/or supplements. This plan is given to your client in writing and includes our exam findings and recommendations for any in-clinic therapies. Your client’s ability or failure to adhere to the Prescribed Home Care Plan will play an integral role in your patient’s Rehab results. Patients who do not receive home care as prescribed will not attain the best possible recovery, may take longer to achieve the desired result, or may struggle to make any progress at all.