After suffering from two suspected spinal strokes (Fibrocartilaginous Embolisms, or FCEs) that affected his hindquarters, our Gunny is unfortunately no stranger to rehabilitation specialists. After his second occurrence, 6 years apart, we knew he needed help if he was ever going to walk again. We were put in contact with Dr. Staple.
After driving hundreds of miles seeing several specialists, and dealing with the debilitating effects of Gunny's spinal strokes, we felt there was nothing more Dr. Staple could tell us we didn't already know. Well, we were wrong! With her ability to assess our situation, make recommendations on nutrition and home exercises, along with her positive energy and timely responses to our questions and concerns -- our Gunny is walking!
Dr. Staple is by far the best we have ever had the pleasure of working with and has exceeded all our expectations. We highly recommend her.
Javier & Shawna S.
My Labrador, Lola, has been a really active dog her entire life – she was impossible to tire out as a young dog. When she was 4 she was diagnosed with arthritis in her back, elbows, shoulders, and knees, and later was diagnosed with the underlying cause of elbow dysplasia. As if that were not enough, in 2017 she had a bad landing after a jump into a swimming pool, and she ended up herniating discs in her back, which left her in incredible pain and nerve damage that couldn’t be repaired with surgery. She was already under the care of a veterinary acupuncturist to treat her arthritis at the time. I was so grateful when my vet shared a brochure regarding a veterinarian opening a new rehab practice in Los Osos. My girl started seeing Dr. Staple and was under her care until I relocated for a job.
Over the years, Lola has been to several other rehabilitation centers where the focus was on underwater treadmill therapy. Not only did Lola not like the water treadmills, but they seemed to make her more sore and traumatized. There wasn’t any of the in-office exercises offered by Dr. Staple, and they certainly didn’t offer the treatment programs that Dr. Staple prescribed and helped me learn to do at home so that Lola could receive ongoing care in between appointments. Since moving away, I have continued the acupuncture with a new veterinarian, and I continue the exercises and stretches originally prescribed by Dr. Staple. My girl has her bad days, but they are outweighed by her good days. Thank you, Dr. Staple, for providing "real" hands on therapy for Lola! I think the stretching and massage you provide is much more helpful to your clients that a water treadmill.
Tina (& Lola) O.
Dr. Staple treated our 14-year-old Belgian Malinois, Leo, who had developed back, hip, and leg issues due to being born with a deformed front left leg. He received acupuncture treatments which were a great help to his mobility as he continued to age. Dr. Staple also offered advice on diet, exercises, and things to help his mobility like harnesses and a custom wheelchair that were all great additions to help his quality of life.
We cannot thank Dr. Staple enough for her loving care of our Leo and all her knowledge that she shared with us. Although Leo passed just after his 15th birthday, we know that Dr. Staple's help offered him a great last year of his life. We highly recommend Dr. Staple and will definitely call her if we ever need help with our dogs again!