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Doggies Receive Therapy For All Ailments

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Oct 5, 2007 5:55 pm US/Eastern

Doggies Receive Therapy For All Ailments

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MIAMI (CBS4) ― You could say modern medicine has gone to dogs, that's because pets are now starting to receive expensive procedures and treatments that before only humans enjoyed.

You'd be hard pressed to find a human undergoing an underwater treadmill treatment, but that is part of the weekly rehab for a 12-year-old Obie who injured his hind legs last year.

"He was not a mobile at all," said Nancy Mangold, Obie's owner. "He was favoring his right hind quarter and had torn tendons.

Along with massage and weight loss, the veterinarian also prescribed Obie water walks.

"Obie couldn't walk on land at all so the buoyancy of the water took the weight off him," said veterinary, Renee Shumway.

It's part of a growing trend since many dog owner are willing to plunk down big bucks to save their best friend, animal hospitals are now offering treatments that were once reserved for humans.

There's heart surgery, chemotherapy and even medications for doggie depression. At some specialty hospitals you can find dermatology departments and acupuncture as well.

To help dogs fight the battle of the bulge there are doggie gyms, doggie diet books and this year Pfizer introduced a weight loss pill just for dogs.

Now animal doctors are developing cancer vaccines including one for lymphoma.

"You can literally see on x-rays and tests that cancer actually disappears," said veterinarian Deirdre Chiaramonte.

For Obie modern medicine has him back on the move.

"Today he is walking and he is happy and almost running," says Mangold.

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