Oak Vets Hydrotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre

Oak Vets Hydrotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre A veterinary-led aquatic treadmill for hydrotherapy. Starting a pet hydrotherapy centre in Pembrokeshire has been a labour of love over the last few years.

A comprehensive and caring small animal rehabilitation service in the heart of Pembrokeshire, offering hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, laser therapy, acupuncture and much more

To find out more, please get in touch with our team who would be happy to help From going away to receive suitable training, to finding a premises and the right treadmill for our patients - but in February 2018 it all came tog

ether. Aquatic treadmill therapy has so many benefits for our four legged patients - improving muscle tone, improving joint function, assisting with pain relief and much more. It's particularly useful for those patients suffering with arthritis, or starting to 'go off their legs', but is equally beneficial for toning and conditioning athletic/working dogs, or as part of a weight management programme.

24/03/2026

MYTH:
My dog isn’t overweight because they don’t look fat.

Fact:
Fluffy coats and gradual weight gain can hide excess fat. Feeling the ribs and checking the waistline is a better way to assess body condition.

23/03/2026

Postural changes don’t happen randomly.

They follow anatomy.

When spinal extensors fatigue, when hip stabilisers stop doing their job, or when the thoracic sling loses efficiency, the body reorganises itself to stay upright and moving.

You’ll often see:
👉 increased tension through the topline
👉 collapse through the shoulder girdle
👉 asymmetric pelvic loading
👉 shortened stride behind
👉 forward weight shift

These aren’t isolated findings.
They’re part of a whole-body strategy to protect vulnerable structures.

And here’s the key:
If we only treat the painful area - without addressing the postural pattern driving it - we miss the real story.

Learning to recognise these patterns allows us to intervene earlier, guide more appropriate exercise choices, and create rehab plans that actually support long-term change.

💬 Comment CCV1 to access CuraCore Vet's free mini-course on how to see posture, movement, and compensation more clearly in dogs and cats.

Y is for... Yielding exercises (eccentric strengthening exercises)🦵Yielding exercises are types of strengthening exercis...
09/03/2026

Y is for... Yielding exercises (eccentric strengthening exercises)🦵

Yielding exercises are types of strengthening exercises where a muscle contracts while slowly lengthening to control movement. They help animals build strength while protecting their joints during recovery ❤️🐾

You may notice your dog moving awkwardly navigating downhill or steps down, or "flopping" rather than controlled sitting or laying...

Benefits of Yielding Exercises:

💪 Muscle strength
🦴 Joint stability
🤸‍♂️ Movement control
🐕 Overall mobility

Examples for dogs:

🐾 Controlled sit-to-stand lowering
⬇️ Slow downhill walking
🪜 Step-down exercises from a low platform

With professional guidance, yielding exercises help pets regain strength, confidence, and comfort in movement 💚

09/03/2026

Registered Veterinary Nurse, Practice Nurse The Oak Veterinary Group, Haverfordwest Up to £32,344 DOE Welcome Bonus £1,000 plus Relocation Allowance up to £2,000 Full-time 37.5 hours per week, flexible options considered Join a supportive team in beautiful Pembrokeshire We are looking for a fun, ...

02/03/2026

X is for... X-ray 🩻

Veterinary physiotherapy sometimes identifies when a case would benefit from further discussion with the vet 🐾 or additional investigation... 🔍

Referral back may be suggested when:

• Lameness persists despite appropriate rehab 🐕‍🦺
• Pain increases rather than improves ⚠️
• Progress plateaus unexpectedly ⏸️
• Clinical signs don’t match the original diagnosis ❓
• New neurological signs appear (e.g., weakness, altered coordination) 🧠
• Findings could change exercise, loading, or prognosis 📋

X-rays focus on the bone and joint structures and do not show soft tissue problems as clearly! Remember: not every case requires X-rays, as it may not change the management strategy at the other end, so referral for imaging is not always automatic.

If ever unsure, a referral back to the vet ensures a safe, evidence-based, team approach to your pet's rehab 💚

W is for... Weight Bearing & Weight Shifting 🐾When assessing your pet, we’re not just looking at whether they’re standin...
24/02/2026

W is for... Weight Bearing & Weight Shifting 🐾

When assessing your pet, we’re not just looking at whether they’re standing — we’re looking at how they’re standing 👀

After injury or surgery, it’s common for pets to move or stand in a way to try and protect sore areas or healing limbs 🦵

When a dog or cat is uncomfortable, they often try to “share the load” by moving weight off the painful limb — even if they’re still walking on it 🐶🐱

👀 What to keep an eye out for:

• Frequently lifting or lightly resting one limb while standing 🦵
• Leaning away from one leg ↔️
• Constantly repositioning their feet 👣
• Tucking a limb slightly forward 🔄
• Shifting weight backward off a front limb ⬅️
• Choosing to sit or lie down quickly or instead of standing 🛋️

Sometimes pets don’t show an obvious limp — they just don’t stand evenly ❌⚖️, and if persistent, can lead to muscle loss in the affected limb and extra strain on the opposite side 💪🔥

Today is National Love Your Pet Day! If you needed another excuse to give them an extra squeeze, walk or belly rub today...
20/02/2026

Today is National Love Your Pet Day!

If you needed another excuse to give them an extra squeeze, walk or belly rub today, here it is 🥰🐾

It's also an opportunity to remember our friends that we have loved dearly and lost 🤍

Here are some of our Oak team members with their beloved companions, we'd love to see some pictures of yours in the comments 💚

V is for… Valgus and Varus 🐶Often also known as angular limb deformities, these two terms describe limb alignment — and ...
16/02/2026

V is for… Valgus and Varus 🐶

Often also known as angular limb deformities, these two terms describe limb alignment — and they’re essentially opposites:

🦴 Valgus = the limb angles outward at the joint
(Think “knock-kneed” appearance.)

🦴 Varus = the limb angles inward at the joint
(Think “bow-legged” appearance.)

Both can be seen at joints like the carpus (wrist) or Tarsus (ankle). The conditions can be:

- Developmental (especially in rapidly growing puppies 📈)

- Breed-related, such as chondrodystrophic breeds (dachshunds, bulldogs, basset hounds & more)🐕

- Secondary to injury 🩹

While mild changes can sometimes be part of normal growth, more significant angulation can affect:
✨ Joint loading
✨ Movement
✨ Long-term comfort

Early assessment is always important — especially during those rapid growth stages 💚

If you’re unsure whether your pet’s limb alignment is normal, it’s always worth having it checked 🐾🩺

Another snoozy girl enjoying her physiotherapy session today... 🐾💤We absolutely love seeing our patients relax and fully...
13/02/2026

Another snoozy girl enjoying her physiotherapy session today... 🐾💤

We absolutely love seeing our patients relax and fully settle into their treatments when they feel safe, comfortable, and calm 💚

Nothing better than a peaceful pup soaking up all the benefits of their session. See you next time Bracken 🥰

Lovely Millie enjoying her towel-dry after hydro, ready for her physiotherapy treatment, during which she likes to have ...
11/02/2026

Lovely Millie enjoying her towel-dry after hydro, ready for her physiotherapy treatment, during which she likes to have a little snooze (every session 🤫💤)

U is for... Underwater Treadmill 💦🐾The underwater treadmill is a fantastic rehabilitation tool we use to help patients b...
09/02/2026

U is for... Underwater Treadmill 💦🐾

The underwater treadmill is a fantastic rehabilitation tool we use to help patients build strength, improve mobility, and move more comfortably 🐕✨

The water provides buoyancy but also resistance, reducing stress on joints while still allowing muscles to work hard to build strength and exercise tolerance 🌊

Walking in water also helps improve balance and coordination, making it especially useful for post-operative recovery, arthritis, neurological conditions 🧠, and weight management ⚖️🐶

Each session is carefully tailored to the individual patient, with adjustments to water depth, speed and incline/declines to ensure safe, effective exercise ⏱️

Address

Unit 10 Feidr Castell
Fishguard
SA659BB

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+441348874291

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Oak Vets Hydrotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Oak Vets Hydrotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre:

Shortcuts

Share

Category