Ruff Day Vet's Medicine

Trusting Relationships between Pets, Owners, Veterinarian and Staff

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." - Ernest Hemingway

Trust between pets, owners, veterinarians, and staff is crucial for effective care and positive outcomes. Building trust allows for better communication and collaboration, ensuring all parties are well-informed and aligned in their approach to the pet's health. A strong bedside manner, characterized by taking the necessary time to build relationships, is essential despite the industry's high patient loads. Integrative medicine benefits from diverse perspectives, including owners' insights, leading to a comprehensive understanding of the pet's needs. Additionally, providing coaching and support for pet owners helps address challenges both at home and at the vet, fostering a holistic approach to pet care.

Bedside Manner

Although most health practitioners know of the importance of building a trusting relationship with patients, many who work in the industry do not have the time or support to pursue these efforts on a regular basis. We intentionally limit our productivity in order to provide the time that is necessary to build and maintain relationships because practicing good bedside manner is incompatible with high patient loads. Being in our relaxed Pet Gym environment while actively learning and collaborating in the care of your pet enables better communication between all who are involved in the process. 

Shared Experiences

Our integrative medicine actively benefits from the involvement of all who participate in caretaking and connection with pets. Each individual adds to the diversity of knowledge and from observations taken from different points of view, contributing to our overall understanding of challenges in behavior, environment, and interaction. For many complex challenges that take place outside of controlled laboratory settings, only some of the things that go into healing benefit from the lenses of reduction and simplification.

No one knows your pet better than you, and your knowledge is instrumental in guiding our practice and planning - after all, it’s your goals, backed by your commitment, that informs the care we provide. 

Coaching and Advising for Pet Parents

Challenges at home can be more difficult to overcome than when similar challenges arise when you’re getting help at the Vet, if only because you have less support available. We work with owners and pets to help clarify these challenges and possible solutions, and provide support in overcoming them.

While at the gym, many owners choose to bring an outline of their challenges so we can talk them through, and provide possible solutions to try. As we further our collaboration, we can start to shift focus to look at fine adjustments, benefitting from upstream work we invest in.

Our Philosophy: Embracing Complexity in Veterinary Care

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

Theodore Roosevelt

At Ruff Day Vet, we aim to be a practice that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of pet owners, medical professionals, and the community.

Our approach is rooted in collaboration and resourcefulness, drawing upon a diverse information diet that spans various fields, cultures, and time. This extensive scope allows us to harness valuable insights not typically associated with veterinary science—from the hard and soft sciences to the arts, philosophy, and even the trades. While human nature tends to categorize and simplify to manage the vastness of available information, we find immense value in embracing complexity and a broad spectrum of knowledge.

We employ cognitive tools like skepticism to critically assess information along with simplification and reductivism to distill complex concepts into actionable insights.

Our use of these filters is not merely academic; they are crucial in navigating the practical challenges of veterinary care, where established conventional methods often intersect with novel and innovative approaches. For instance, while we rely on established medical protocols for routine and emergency care, we also advocate for holistic examinations that consider the patient’s environment and lifestyle, thereby embracing the complexity of real-world situations.

The scientific method—valued for its empirical rigor and the reproducibility of its findings—serves as our foundation, yet we recognize its limitations.

Real-life scenarios often introduce variables that laboratory settings cannot replicate, underscoring the importance of engaging with the inherent uncertainty of practice. This engagement is not a resignation to ambiguity but an active process of exploration and adaptation, acknowledging that what is considered scientific truth can evolve dramatically over time.

In recognizing cognitive biases and heuristics that color the lens of all of human perception, we understand that our perceptions and judgments are shaped by our experiences and the information we process.

This information is integrated into our stories and beliefs, some that we hold in common and many that are unique to each individual.

By fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, we challenge these biases, enriching our practice and enhancing the care we provide.

Our vision extends beyond the confines of traditional veterinary practice. We see ourselves at the nexus of innovation, where each pet and owner’s unique needs inform our evolving services. We are committed not only to providing exceptional care but also to educating and empowering our community.

Through this, we aim to foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, where skepticism is paired with curiosity and where the simplification of complex information serves practical ends without diminishing its inherent value.

We invite you to join us at Ruff Day Vet, where our commitment to these principles is integral to our mission. Help us redefine what is possible in veterinary care and business practice. Support our growth, engage with our community, and contribute to a movement that values the best of humanity. Together, we can shape a future where every interaction is an opportunity for learning, innovation, and compassionate care.

Learn more about the Focus of Ruff Day Vet’s Medicine

Ruff Day provides personalized and customized veterinary acupuncture and physical rehabilitation services in an environment that is healing, comfortable, and fun for you and your pet.

There are many tools and techniques we utilize in the treatment of patients, but one of our largest assets in providing high quality care is the unique healing environment our Pet Gym provides, combined with the time spent shared between pet, owner and practitioner. The resulting relationships we build with our clients and our patients allow us to develop a deeper understanding of each individual and to customize your pet’s plan based on your household’s goals, abilities and interests.   

Every Pet and Owner’s Situation is Different

"Some of our greatest historical and artistic treasures we place with curators in museums; others we take for walks." – Roger Caras

It is our privilege to work with pets and their owners, in providing care that prioritizes optimizing quality of life and supports making the most of shared experiences. We believe that pets make people better versions of themselves, and vice versa - we know that ours have made us more compassionate, more tuned in, and more able to cope with the stresses and challenges of life with a grace they help us to nurture and sustain.

Here’s an overview of Ruff Day Vet’s medicine focuses on:

Foundational Success

Foundational Success is about creating healthy lifestyle foundations for your dog, no matter their age or stage in life. Whether you have a new puppy, an adopted adult dog, or an older pet with chronic conditions, we can help maximize their quality of life through preventive physical medicine and fitness. We focus on building strong, healthy habits to ensure your dog enjoys a long, vibrant life.

Work, Play, Connection, and Flow

For Sporting Dogs, Working Dogs, Show Dogs, and Adventure Hounds

We celebrate the joy of shared activities that bring pets and their humans closer together, specifically for active dogs who perform with purpose. We focus on healthspan optimization and maintenance, ensuring pets at all life stages can enjoy an active, fulfilling life.

Navigating Rough Seas

Navigating Rough Seas focuses on managing serious medical conditions with compassion and expertise. From neurological diseases to chronic pain management and orthopedic injuries, we offer specialized therapies to improve your pet's quality of life.

The Learning Lab

The Learning Lab is where curiosity and collaboration meet to solve complex mobility challenges and other health issues. We work with clients who are eager to learn and explore new solutions, providing a space for open-minded, pragmatic problem-solving. From fitting wheelchairs for Frenchies to knee braces for Labradors, we help pets live their best lives despite mobility restrictions.