By Brittany Pomales When you sprain your ankle, you reach into the freezer for some ice or maybe you head to your nearest pharmacy to pick up a cold pack. But what happens when your pet has a painf…
By Brittany Pomales
When you sprain your ankle, you reach into the freezer for some ice or maybe you head to your nearest pharmacy to pick up a cold pack. But what happens when your pet has a painful joint? The medical technology available to man’s best friend now parallels that of human medicine, and although you may not be able to find them at your local pharmacy (yet!) pet therapy packs do exist
Caldera International, Inc specializes in pet therapy wraps, a non-pharmaceutical form of pain relief. Daniel Godfrey, President of Caldera International, Inc., founded the Portland, Oregon, based company in 1999. He started out by visiting every small-town pharmacy and general store across Oregon and convincing them to stock the Caldera human therapy wraps. With Daniels’ commitment and core value of improving lives through Caldera products, the use of human therapy wraps spread across the country.
The task of icing a pet’s limb often turns into a wrestling match: trying to get your pet into a lying position, keeping the animal still, and applying the pack for the directed 20 minutes – it’s an experience that often leaves both pet and owner pretty stressed.
In 2015, a large veterinary specialty center approached Daniel to make a functional line of hot and cold therapy wraps for dogs. In a little more than two years, and with the aid of their rehabilitation department, several animal surgeons, and technicians, Caldera introduced a line of Hot & Cold Pet Therapy Wraps. The wraps went through an extensive design and development process including a wear test program using a variety of dogs. The result was 16 veterinarian-endorsed products that are revolutionizing injury prevention and recovery for pets.
The easy-to-use system of Velcro™ secured wraps and quick release buckles creates a reliable and custom fit. Designed with a dog’s anatomy in mind, they provide comfort and pet mobility.
In the case of slobber and doggy drool, the wraps are made with antibacterial fabric and are machine washable. Designed for every size and breed, they are tailored to target the carpal, shoulder, elbow, hip, stifle, and tarsal areas. Easy to handle gel pack fit into the wraps. The gel packs are freezer and microwave safe and made in the USA.
When cold, the wraps help with the care of soft tissue injuries by minimizing swelling, inflammation, and pain. When hot, they help open blood vessels and increase blood flow, which can reduce recovery time after surgery. There is an easy to use guide on the Caldera website, with illustrations on how to apply the wraps.
In 2017, Caldera introduced a whole-body solution to provide both cooling relief to an over-heated pet, or soothing warmth to a chilled, or arthritic pet, the Hot and Cold Pet Bed. The bed comes in three sizes. The same, non-toxic gel packs, made with food grade materials, slide into reinforced, chew resistant, and scratch resistant pockets. This is an important feature for those pet owners whose pets are chewers. In addition to helping pets in pain, the bed comes in handy during Arizona’s hotter months. It’s a great way to soothe footpads after a walk or to provide overall cooling relief to an over-heated pet. For pets located up north or in colder weather, the warmth of heated gel packs will help keep the chill at bay. Made in the USA, the gel packs are freezer and microwave safe. Always supervise your pet while using the wraps. As with any medical product, they should be used as part of your pet’s treatment plan as directed by a veterinary professional, who would advise which temperature would be best for your pet’s specific needs.
Caldera’s products are sold in retail stores across the United States as well as online. To see their line of products or learn more about Caldera International, Inc. visit www.calderaintl.com
A version of this article originally appeared in our July/August 2018 issue.