Specialized canine rehabilitation clinic giving hope to pets and their owners

CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's heartbreaking to watch your dog having mobility issues, especially later in life. A specialized canine physical therapy center on the North Side is giving hope to ailing pets and their owners.

At age 14, Little is on the move again thanks to a lot of help from K9PT owner Francisco Maia.

"I'm going to have her lay down on this PEMF – pulsed electromagnetic field bed – and then while we do that treatment, I'm also going to do some laser therapy along her back and along her neck," Maia said.

The canine rehabilitation and wellness clinic in the Mayfair neighborhood works with dogs of all ages.

Maia, who started his career practicing physical therapy on humans, discovered the vast need to help dogs and hasn't looked back.

"Basically, the framework of what we do with the dogs is the same of what I did with my human patients," he said.

For Little, it's been a challenging life. Rescued eight years ago from a hoarding situation, her new owner, Melissa Wilhelm, said Little was extremely overweight. She also suffered an accidental fall down a full flight of stairs, leaving her unable to move.

"We thought she'd never be able to walk again, and it's just miraculous. Now she's in the best shape of her life, actually. It's tremendous. And she weighs 15 pounds compared to 33 at the beginning," Wilhelm said. "Francisco even taught her sit on her own, and he built up the muscles in her back legs so she could sit for treats. It's been pretty incredible."

"We just started doing a lot things to stop her decrease any pain, discomfort, and inflammation; and gradually get her to start putting weight on her legs; and then two or three weeks later, she started taking her first steps," Maia said.

With consistent rehab at home and at K9PT, Little avoided surgery.

"She's doing extremely well right now," Maia said.

K9PT is designed as a stress-free environment for dogs, with separate rooms to accommodate reactive or nervous pets. Their approach has helped hundreds of dogs recover their mobility.

As for Little, she's enjoying her loving family to the fullest, and is proof that, with the right care, even the toughest obstacles can be overcome.

Maia works closely with veterinarians, and said it is possible to teach old dogs new tricks.

His advice for older dogs is to keep them moving. If, for example, they can no longer go for a 30-minute walk, instead take three 10-minute walks.

Consistency is key. For more information on the the clinic's pricing and hours, head to their website, thek9pt.com.