Today we’d like to introduce you to Douglas Stramel.
Douglas, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2005, I realized the need for a specialty practice that could deal specifically with painful pets and post-op rehabilitation. At that point in time, I focused all my time and energy to gain education and knowledge in the advanced treatment of pain and rehab.
In 2009, I became the first (and at this point in time the only) Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner through International Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM). This opened many doors and opportunities for me including: Educating general practitioners in the DFW area on pain management and rehab by directly visiting their practice and educating through hands on wet-labs as well as lectures; I have become a national and inter-national lecturer on pain management; I have been involved in three FDA clinical trials to advance the medications we use in pain management; I opened Advanced Care Veterinary Services, a state of the art facility dedicated to pain management and rehab of veterinary patients. I have taken Rehabilitation courses through University of Tennessee, am certified in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture through Colorado State University and received training in Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy through MyoPain Seminars. Dogs and cats are not my only patients, I have also treated rabbits, horses and even chickens.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Overall, this adventure has been smooth with a few bumps. Advanced pain management in the veterinary field has rapidly changed and will continue to evolve at a rapid pace. It takes a lot of time to stay current on what medications and modalities actually work (research driven) and which ones have little to no effect. This area of veterinary medicine is undergoing a huge paradigm shift. It is no longer the day of “here, just give your dog this pill and that is all we can do for you.”. Trying to get the message out to not only the public but also to general practitioners can be a little challenging. IVAPM has answered that challenge by declaring September as “Pet Pain Awareness” month to coincide with “Pain Awareness” month in humans.
Advanced Care Veterinary Services – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
This canine rehabilitation center is the first of its kind in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex! Services include orthopedic surgery including cranial cruciate ligament (ccl) repair, rehabilitation and physical therapy, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, low level laser therapy, orthosis & prosthesis, aqua-therapy, intra-muscular dry needling, stem cell therapy, platelet rich plasma (prp) therapy, intra-articular (joint) injections, shockwave therapy and therapeutic exercise/activities. Multi-modal pain management services include cutting edge protocols to treat osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc disease, cancer, etc. We offer obesity/weight management, geriatric and sport conditioning programs. We also treat performance horses and other large animals in North Texas.
There is currently no other facility in North Texas that is dedicated strictly to pain management and rehabilitation to that end we are quite unique and set apart from all other veterinary facilities. We are dedicated to helping hurting pets feel better and have better quality lives.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To quote John Maxwell “Successful people have learned to do what does not come naturally. Nothing worth achieving comes easily. The only way to fail forward and achieve your dreams is to cultivate tenacity and persistence.” Failure is simply giving up on your dreams. I have had some stumbles and setbacks along the way, however I used them as stepping stones to keep going forward. Success is a dynamic ever-changing goal that you continue to do everything in your power to achieve and when you do that, you re-adjust your goal and continue to move forward. If you want a concrete example of success, you should meet Natalie, a dachshund that came to us through DFW Dachshund Rescue that was paralyzed. Through the use of acupuncture and rehabilitation we succeeded in helping Natalie re-gain her ability to walk. The smile on Natalie’s dad’s face when she started to walk again was the ultimate definition of success. Helping hurting pets have a better quality of life is the goal, having a happy client is the success we see.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stoppetpain.com
- Phone: 214-488-8500
- Email: stoppetpain@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedCareVeterinaryServices/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/advanced-care-veterinary-services-lewisville
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