Patient Stories

Our dog, Lily, was diagnosed with a severe fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) when she was just a few months past her first birth day. No one could tell us how much mobility she might regain, and we started working with RMVR a few days later. She had almost no feeling in her hind legs and couldn’t even bend them – they were rigid and she was fully incontinent. After each RMVR session, Lily would make a little bit of progress! Dr. Fein was great about teaching us different PT treatments we could do at home based on where Lily was at in her recovery. We started small by getting Lily to have more feeling in her back toes. At that point in treatment, Lily could not go from a laying down/sitting position to standing on her own. Dr. Fein taught us how to position Lily’s back legs with the right posture to teach Lily how to stand up again. Lily went from having almost no mobility in her hind legs to being able to jog in our backyard like a normal dog again! Hands down, RMVR saved Lily’s life.

When Otis began physical therapy to treat biceps strains and arthritis, he was lethargic and depressed. We saw improvement in his mobility and attitude after just a few visits. After working with Dr. Fein and her staff consistently for several weeks, we were able to get Otis to a place where he was happy and active again. Otis is a senior, and the change in his quality of life for the better has been dramatic.

RMVR is in this field 100% for the dogs and their well being, and that shows with each visit I make. My dog Laverne had an FCE spinal stroke around six months ago that left her almost completely paralyzed leaving just some small movement in her front left arm and neck. I was told there was a relatively decent chance for her to recover but it would be a journey, I had no idea where to start. Dr. Fein and Karen have been amazing, patient, compassionate, genius, and so so helpful – I owe them more than I’ll ever be able to repay.
They showed me exercises and stretches to do with Laverne, helped me fit her into her wheelchair, given her laser therapy and acupuncture (and man does she try to dodge those needles), recommended equipment and herbs, referred me to other rehab centers when Laverne’s needs were beyond what they offer, and worked around my tight budget making sure Laverne sees whoever is most important at the time even if that’s not always them. Laverne is now walking without her wheelchair, granted it’s wobbly and short-lived, but she’s getting better every day. They both always tell me what a great job I’m doing with her, but the truth is I credit Laverne’s success to her own hard work and the help of Dr. Fein and Karen. I’m certain I wouldn’t have been able to do this without them, their kindness and expertise has been crucial to Laverne’s success and my sanity.

My 12 year old Husky-mix is pain free and living life again.

I took my fourteen year old Sheltie to Dr. Fein after being referred to her by my vet. My dog Callie was suffering from arthritis and stiff joints, which was making it hard for her to walk. Dr. Fein worked one-on-one with me to teach me different physical therapy techniques that I could do at home. She came up with treatment plans and recommended supplements that have helped Callie feel so much better. I have seen a major improvement in Callie’s health and happiness since working with Dr. Fein.

Over the course of a few months, Janet (age 15) had really slowed down on walks, but seemed fine otherwise: good energy overall, and still jumping on the couch for snuggles. Then she suffered a back muscle spasm, reacted poorly to pain medication, and ended up in the hospital. Upon discharge, she was weakened considerably. Enter Dr. Fein and RMVR: Over the course of a few months, using acupuncture, exercises, cold laser therapy, an Assisi Loop (and subsequently a PEMF bed), she was back to running on the trails in Breckenridge (albeit gently). When she was at her worst, we thought her zest for life might never return. It was hard to imagine that she could be restored to such good health. Dr. Fein and the RMVR team really helped strengthen her body and relieve her discomfort. Seeing her healthy and happy brings us joy every day.

Two years after Riley’s first knee surgery, a TTA, his other knee started to deteriorate and a second surgery was recommended. We didn’t want our aging pup to go through another round of surgery, so Dr. Russ from Jefferson Animal Clinic referred us to Dr. Fein for rehabilitation care. At RMVR, we were given a home exercise program to build strength and support around the injury, making surgery unnecessary. Through the next four years as Riley aged, Dr. Fein was also a great resource based on the many things we did through RMVR to keep him mobile and as pain-free as possible. He enjoyed his daily walks right up until the week before we had to say goodbye to him at age 14. I am grateful for all the care we received at RMVR. Riley’s quality of life was extended for years, and his family was so happy to have him live a long, happy, healthy life!

Dr. Fein so thoughtfully suggested an alternative to what would have been an extra-expensive and invasive neuter for my puppy, Pali, who had an un-descended testicle. I saved over $1000 by taking her recommendation to try an herbal supplement that encouraged his testicle to drop… and it worked! She carefully recommended dosage and followed up with both me and my regular vet along the two month treatment. When Pali went into our regular vet for the pre-op scan, the testicle was “found”, avoiding the cost and need for a much more invasive procedure. I felt better knowing I wasn’t putting my puppy through a more difficult surgery that would have taken longer to heal. Dr. Fein uses a practical approach and direct, effective communication to work with clients and our pets to find alternative medicines and solutions that may not be immediately recommended by traditional veterinarian medicine. We were so grateful for her help!

Our Black Lab Colby was showing signs that his stiff hips and possible arthritis were increasing when he was about 8 years old which is when we started seeing Dr. Fein back in 2016 after being referred by our vet, Tender Touch Animal Hospital. We began a treatment program that would last the next four years, undoubtedly offering Colby improved quality of life during this time and giving us the continued joy of having him as a healthy, happy member of our family! During our one-on-one clinical sessions with Dr. Fein we learned so much about Colby’s physical health, she performed many services on him over the years adapting to his changing needs as he aged including (but not limited to): Manual therapy, Therapeutic exercises, Dry needling and acupuncture, Therapeutic massage, Laser therapy, Electroacupuncture and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Fein developed at home exercise programs that complimented the work being performed during clinical sessions yet was easy enough for my husband and I to fit into our busy schedules allowing us to be consistent with his at home treatment plan. Colby absolutely loved his sessions with Dr. Fein, it was so heartwarming to see how excited he got every time he saw her! Colby’s rehabilitation treatment allowed him into his late years to continue going on walks and little hikes with us and enjoy some of his favorite activities like playing tug of war and ball in the yard or flopping down to roll around in the snow like he did as a young guy! The contrast of Colby’s physical abilities to other dogs of his age (12 yrs.) and size was just astonishing. So many senior dogs struggle with simple things like walking in their yards or chasing a ball just a few feet, but our Colby could run circles around them and I know it’s because of the years of rehabilitation treatment he received from Dr. Fein!

I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Fein and her team. Not only did Dr. Fein offer outstanding physical rehabilitation for many years she also consulted with us as Colby aged and battled cancer. She built a custom treatment plan that included Chinese Veterinary Medicine and acupuncture which absolutely improved his quality of life and in my opinion allowed him to be part of our family much longer than had we not incorporated it into his treatment plan. Dr. Karyn Fein is an extremely kind and compassionate person and a very knowledgeable veterinarian, always continuing to expand her knowledge and explore new technologies that can help your furry family member live a healthier, happier life!