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David Levine needs to momentarily stop the interview to respond to a colleague’s text.
“She was letting me know that the cat’s brace was held up in customs,” he says. “It was coming from Poland, which is crazy. It’s a custom 3D-printed one.”
Just another day in the world of animal physical therapy research, where cutting-edge technology meets compassionate care.
Levine is a professor and the Walter M. Cline Chair of Excellence in Physical Therapy at UT Chattanooga, an adjunct professor at UT College of Veterinary Medicine and works closely with UTCVM’s Small Animal Physical Rehabilitation and the Equine Performance and Rehabilitation Center.
Animal physical therapy research, he explains, focuses on investigating therapeutic techniques and modalities aimed at improving the physical health and well-being of animals. It encompasses studies that explore various aspects of rehabilitation, pain management and mobility enhancement for a wide range of animal species, including domestic pets, working animals—think service dogs and police dogs—and horses.
Levine, who came to UTC in 1990, has been on a mission to research and revolutionize animal rehabilitation techniques. His work gives pets a second chance at a healthy, active life after injuries and surgeries.
“My focus has been on researching the types of interventions we use for rehabilitation in animals to help validate what we do. What’s the best method of rehabilitating X, Y or Z in dogs or horses?” he explains.
The research is rigorous and objective.
“You might look at force plates or 3D motion or function,” he says. “In terms of the actual rehab, it is a little different in animals than in people because we can just tell a person what to do. Animals, a lot of it is exercise-driven.
“Specific exercises that we do—for example, post-op knee surgery; that is a lot of what our research is on—is looking at what helps build those muscles the most.”
The evolution of the field over the past 30-plus years has been remarkable, he says. The widespread use of aquatic therapy and the development of wheelchairs for paralyzed dogs are prime examples of this research.
“We now probably have 500 underwater treadmills for dogs around the country,” Levine says. “We use technology like electromyography on muscles. We fit a lot of paralyzed dogs—who in the past would have been immobile and likely euthanized—with wheelchairs.”
One of the most rewarding experiences, he says, is the connection he makes with the animals.
“When animals come in, they’re generally more reserved, maybe in pain,” he says. “But when they have come back a few times, they are more familiar with the facility; they’re excited to see you and much more engaged in rehabilitation.”
Levine’s journey into animal rehabilitation began with a serendipitous visit to UTCVM in 1993. What started as a casual conversation with an administrator turned into a career-long collaboration with Darryl Millis, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the UT Vet School.
Their partnership has produced over 60 research papers and multiple influential books on animal rehabilitation, including Canine Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy and Essential Facts of Physiotherapy in Dogs and Cats.
The cooperative approach between Levine and Millis has been crucial in advancing the field. They have taught courses together all over Europe, Japan and Australia, and they collaborate weekly.
“In terms of rehab after a significant injury, getting an animal back to a more normal life and allowing them to work, sport or just getting them back to where the owners can enjoy being with that pet again, that’s a lot more important than publishing papers.”
“Whether it’s education, whether it’s research, whether it’s teaching, we’ve always approached it from a collaborative point of view because we all have different skill sets. We have different things to contribute,” Millis says.
“He’ll bounce cases off me and say, ‘Hey, I got a new one that I haven’t seen before,’ and I’ll bounce some things off of him, too. It’s neat to have that network and to be able to get a different sense of what might be going on in different experiences.”
Levine estimates he’s worked with thousands of animals over the years—from pot-bellied pigs to pygmy goats and everyday house pets. In recent years, horses have become an area of focus, and he has worked closely with Clinical Assistant Professor Tena Ursini and the UTVCM Equine Performance and Rehabilitation Center.
“Over the years, his support has been nothing short of incredible,” says Ursini.
Through the years, Levine has facilitated week-long research projects that have allowed the field to take large steps forward.
“The best part about Dave is he doesn’t step away from any point in a project. If he’s on your team, he’s all in. From clipping and bathing horses, instrumenting for data collection, problem-solving and writing the manuscript, Dave is always there to help. So many collaborators only want to help with the fun parts, but Dave is all in at every level,” Ursini says.
In addition to his teaching and research, he sees cases for rehab each week at Veterinary Care and Specialty Group in Chattanooga.
“A lot of those are post-op; some have had back or neck surgery, things like disc herniations,” he explains. “The goal is getting them back to optimal recovery as quickly and completely as possible.”
Levine’s work has been about helping animals recover and also about making animal rehabilitation a scientifically backed field. In 30 years, he has witnessed a change in perception.
“In the beginning, animal rehabilitation was looked at as a curiosity,” he says. “Now, we lecture and collaborate on research all over the world.”
That research has elevated the field. But the work means more than that to Levine.
“In terms of rehab after a significant injury, getting an animal back to a more normal life and allowing them to work, sport or just getting them back to where the owners can enjoy being with that pet again, that’s a lot more important than publishing papers,” he says.
