Daily Inspiration: Meet Daniel Walters

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Walters.

Hi Daniel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. It was a great place to grow up. We experienced a massive increase in population over 15 years in the metro area, similar to what Denver is experiencing now. I’ve always been a very active person. Vigorous exercise and physical activity have long been my preferred outlet – it’s the best thing I’ve found to deal with the stressors of life. Having experienced all the positive effects of physical activity and fitness, I decided that Physical Therapy was a career path that fit my personality and interests well.

I attended the University of Georgia for my undergraduate degree and then earned my Doctor of Physical Therapy from Emory University. Emory had one of the nation’s top-ranked programs at the time. After working in the Atlanta area for many years, I decided it was time for a change of pace, so I moved to Florida and tried my best to become a beach bum. I ended up meeting a girl who had better ideas, and we eventually made the move to Colorado in 2018. A few months after landing in Colorado, we adopted a quirky German Shepherd mix and named her Kona.

In 2019, Kona suffered a leg injury and needed TPLO surgery. This particular surgery is essentially the equivalent of a human ACL surgery. Knowing that we start physical therapy post-op day one for ACL surgeries, I asked Kona’s surgeon if rehab for animals was a thing…and sure enough, it was! That’s how I discovered that licensed Physical Therapists could work with animals here in Colorado. Kona had a great experience with an Animal Physical Therapist at the place I now work.

Talk about a full-circle moment! I had a feeling that working with animals would be a great fit for me after seeing my dog go through the process. It then became a matter of time, money, and dedication to get the additional training needed to obtain my Animal Physical Therapy license. When Covid hit, it allowed me to finally pursue this particular niche specialization. I even went back to school, something I never thought I’d say, and obtained my CCRP (Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner) designation from The University of Tennessee.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In Veterinary medicine, I’ve felt the weight of compassion fatigue much more than when I was working in human healthcare. One of the ways I find the most success is by establishing strong bonds with the animals and their owners. At the same time, this often means I experience a range of emotions each day; from the incredible joy of helping a once paralyzed dog start to use its hind limbs again to the sadness of learning that one of my patients with cancer has passed away. This can be difficult to regulate at times.

Covid was another struggle for me and many other healthcare providers I worked with. I will just say this: please be kind to your healthcare providers, both human and veterinary. The human healthcare industry can be challenging in general. Every year, there are regulatory or reimbursement changes that impact the way care is delivered. This also means that every year clinicians and businesses can be faced with threats of financial or job instability. The Physical Therapy profession is fairly unique in that we have to defend our profession against other types of healthcare providers who also claim to provide Physical Therapy.

This presents challenges with advocacy, and access and can also influence the general public. It’s true that some of our tools for treatment overlap with other healthcare professionals, but that doesn’t account for the entirety of our knowledge base, training, and clinical decision-making. A good way to think about it is this: just because a plumber may use electrical tape, it doesn’t make them master electricians unless they’ve undergone the extensive training needed and passed the tests to obtain appropriate licensure or designations. The same goes with Physical Therapy. Anyone who has not had the appropriate schooling, and training and obtained their Physical Therapy license should not claim to offer Physical Therapy services.

One last struggle to mention. Emory University was a great program, albeit very expensive, and I am very well trained. At the same time, student loans from PT school have been a real struggle in my personal life. Unfortunately, most financial aid offices aren’t going to tell you about the impact that student loans have on your ability to save for retirement, buy a house, pick a more desirable job, or start a business.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in providing Physical Therapy for animals. From pet fancy rats to dogs to cats and even a pig, I’ve worked with most domesticated animals. My work ranges from helping working dogs such as narcotics and apprehension K-9s return to full duty after an injury to helping older dogs work through joint pain and deal with arthritis.

My most rewarding case thus far was a French bulldog named Vinny. Vinny had a spinal cord injury and was unable to use his hind limbs. His chances of walking normally again were very low given the location and severity of his injury. I saw Vinny consistently twice a week for six months, and I’m so glad to say he defied the odds and recovered his ability to walk, jump, run, and play! My most unique case was Pip the fancy rat. Pip had a condition known as metabolic bone disease, it’s like osteoporosis in humans.

On two separate occasions, Pip suffered a front limb fracture and a hind limb fracture; I was able to work with Pip weekly for almost a year (fancy rats have a lifespan of 2 years) to rehab these injuries. It was amazing to see how Pip’s mobility improved; I learned so much about fancy rat behavior, how they communicate, and even express affection to know that we were helping Pip live her best life!

There aren’t many of us Animal Physical Therapists around, and it’s still relatively unknown to the general public that Physical Therapists can work with animals. I’ve discovered that helping animals recover and live out their best life is incredibly rewarding! I would say I’m most proud of my ability to connect with my patients and their owners. Having a strong therapist-patient bond makes a big difference in the recovery process for both animals and humans! I hope I’m best known for my clinical decision-making and the quality of care I provide.

Veterinary medicine functions quite differently than human healthcare in many ways, but the one thing that should remain constant is clinical decision-making and quality of care. I think what sets me apart is the entirety of my training and clinical experience. I’ve seen it all and heard it all, I’ve had good employers and bad ones, and I’ve been a good cultural fit and a bad one. Having all of these experiences, both good and bad, has shaped who I am professionally and personally, and this enables me to deliver the most effective care I can.

And, before working with animals full-time, I was a Geriatric Clinical Specialist for humans. I would also travel frequently to teach the latest geriatric rehab trends to other healthcare professionals.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m a competitive road cyclist!

I compete in road races called criteriums or “crits”, they are like Nascar-style races for cyclists. I didn’t get into it until 2 years ago, and after my second season of racing, I’m ranked 5th in the state of Colorado for my age group and category, which I’m pretty proud of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://animalcarectr.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepetpt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/animalcarecentercastlepines\