Dog Physiotherapy North West

12/10/2025

Today is World Arthritis Day, a disease that affects humans and dogs alike. While it is an ailment that affects older dogs, that is not only the case. A study in North America found numbers ranging from 20% in dogs older than one year, up to 80% in dogs older than eight years, based on x-rays and information from vet visits. This can range from affecting many joints to one. If your dog has had a previous injury to a joint or surgery then that joint will become arthritic at a later date. If you have an ex racing greyhound, consider that they may have some joint pain due to arthritis due to previous injury/ies.

If you think your dog is slowing down, or not wanting to jump onto the settee like before, please don't just put it down to 'old age'. It may be they have developed arthritis and doing extended exercise or jumping may be difficult for them. Instead of a physical sign, you may see a change in behaviour, they may become reactive to things they were not previously, or changes in sleep patterns, panting a lot. Please visit your vet as there are many different types of pain relief that may be appropriate for your dog, remember each dog is an individual, so what worked for your friend's dog may not work so well or at all for your dog.

What else can you do? here are three top tips to help your arthritic dog:
🐾 Rather than one long walk a day, which can be too much, do two shorter walks. It is important to keep moving, as arthritic joints get stiffer and more painful with inactivity, but it has to be at a level that is comfortable for them.

🐾Use a coat in the rain. A dog's coat can remain damp for hours once wet, so to avoid this, have them wear a raincoat.

🐾 Non Slip Rugs, I thought for a change I wouldn't put this at the top of my recommendations. If you have laminate or wooden floors, these can be really difficult for dogs to grip on. Add into this sore joints and the fear of pain and falling it can mean your dog doesn't get up and about as often as they normally would because they are worried. Imagine if you had to walk on ice all day, how your muscles would be tense and it would change your posture. This happens to our dogs, not forgetting the constant fear of falling and hurting yourself, your dog feels that too. Create at least a pathway around the house in non slip rugs. Put rugs around their beds so they can get out easily, by their water bowls, to the door. Ensure the pathway is wide enough that they can turn around easily on it too.

These are just three of many ways you can make your home more arthritic dog friendly. If you would like further help in dogifying your home, please get in touch. Helping an arthritic dog is a team effort, you, your vet and a physiotherapist who can also help with pain relief, exercises to increase muscle tone, balance and other activities to maintain mental and physical well being.
Contact me for further guidance and help for your arthritic dog.

26/08/2025

Happy International Dog Day❤️❤️

09/06/2025

Did you know you can contact me via WhatsApp?

If you have a question about physiotherapy for your dog, cat or rabbit, get in touch with me to find out more.

21/08/2024

One important aspect of my role as a veterinary physiotherapist is dealing with pain and helping dog guardians, firstly to recognise what pain looks like and then give them ways to help their dog at home while we continue to treat the physical problems.

Chronic Pain in Dogs: Understanding the Impact

What is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain, also known as maladaptive pain, is a persistent type of pain often linked to long-term conditions like osteoarthritis (OA). Unlike acute pain, which is temporary and subsides as the injury heals, chronic pain lingers even after tissues have healed and can last beyond 3 to 6 months. It puts your dog under constant stress, affecting both their physical and emotional well-being.

Chronic Pain is More than Prolonged Acute Pain
It’s important to understand that chronic pain isn’t just acute pain stretched over a longer period—it causes significant changes throughout the body. It alters the nervous system from the peripheral nociceptors (pain receptors) to the cerebral cortex, leading to hypersensitivity. This means your dog may become super sensitive to even light touches, so comfort is a big.

Consider This: How Often Do We Touch Our Dogs?
Every day, we engage with our dogs in ways that could aggravate their pain without us even realizing it:
• Stroking them
• Picking them up
• Putting on collars, harnesses, or leads
• Grooming
• Play
• Moving them in and out of the car
If your dog has a condition like osteoarthritis, the injury and inflammation are constant, meaning their brain is bombarded with pain signals regularly. Over time, these signals become embedded in their nervous system, like a painful memory that can persist even when no direct stimulus is present.

The Impact of Chronic Pain: More Than Just Physical Discomfort
Without proper management, chronic pain can worsen, affecting not just the painful area but potentially spreading across the body. It can lead to a range of problems, including:
🐾 Anxiety and depression
🐾 Changes in appetite and weight—some dogs may gain weight due to inactivity
🐾 Uncharacteristic behaviour, such as irritability, less tolerant or becoming reactive to dogs, humans or other animals when they have previously been more so.

In fact, a 2018 study found that dogs who show fear or anxiety in response to loud noises should be routinely assessed for pain.
(Lopes Fagundes et al., 2018, Frontiers in Veterinary Science)
Managing Chronic Pain: Don’t Give Up on Finding the Right Solution!

Finding the right pain relief can take time. You may not see results with the first medication your vet prescribes, but don’t be discouraged! Go back to your vet, discuss other options, adjust doses, or try a combination of treatments. There’s always hope for your dog to live a more comfortable life.

Physical Support Matters
Chronic conditions like osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia or luxating patella benefit from targeted physical therapy, which strengthens muscles and supports affected joints. Consider therapies such as physiotherapy and Tellington TTouch, which can create better communication between you and your dog while helping them relax.

Pain Relief Can Change Behaviour
Once your dog’s pain is properly managed, and they are physically more balanced, you might notice that their reactivity or other behavioural issues decrease—or even disappear altogether! Every dog is unique, and their reactions to chronic pain will differ, even with similar conditions. Always, always consider pain as a potential cause when you see a change in your dog’s behaviour.

Remember: Chronic pain is complex, but with the right support, your dog can live a happier, more comfortable life. 🧡🐾
Get in touch if you would like to learn more about how I can help you and your dogs. Rachel x

11/02/2023

Have you ever wondered what modalities are available to veterinary physiotherapists to help your dog!
Laser therapy is one of them. Comment below if you would like to know more about how laser therapy can help your companion animal (because it isn't just for dogs!) 🐶

Canine laser, photobiomodulation, cold laser therapy, low level laser therapy. It has so many names! Photobiomodulation is the most recent term that is used for laser therapy.

How does it work?
Phototherapy uses light waves which are then absorbed by the cells in the body. The effect is that the cells activity levels are optimised through absorption and conversion of light energy. Different types of light waves (visible red, infrared and blue) have different effects in the body and are effective at a variety of depths in the tissue.

May be used for:
• Wound repair
• pain relief
• scar tissue
• soft tissue injuries
• muscle tears
• osteoarthritis
• haematoma
• antibacterial effect on skin conditions and dirty wounds

How does it help?
• Relieves pain in joints and muscles
• Optimises conditions for the healing of wounds
• Kills bacteria in dirty wounds
• Remodels scar tissue to increase elasticity of tissue
• Application to specific points provides pain relief

I must say, I love my laser. It has been very well studied and is a highly effective piece of equipment. Many of my clients have benefitted from the laser as part of their treatment.

If your dog has any of the above issues, contact me to find out how I can help your dog feel better, move better and become fitter :-)

03/08/2022

Over the next few weeks, I will be explaining to you how physiotherapy can help your wonderful dogs. How physiotherapy can help your dog, the techniques I use and how I can help your dog feel better and be their best selves.

If you have any specific questions, either pop them below or send me a DM and I will include the information in my posts or send you a message, whichever you prefer.

19/07/2022

f you have always wanted to learn some TTouch techniques to help your dog or clients dogs, but not close enough to a practitioner to attend an in person course, or dates clash then this is for you. On 5 consecutive Monday evenings I will be providing support to the online videos, information which you have lifetime access to.
For more information read the event listing, or contact me if you have any questions.

24/02/2022

Question for you: what would you like to know about physiotherapy for dogs?

07/01/2022

Hello and welcome to Dog Physiotherapy North West. I started this page a while ago, but have not posted so thought it would a good time for me to officially introduce myself on here.

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Rachel and I am the founder and therapist of Well Balanced Animals. I am a veterinary physiotherapist and Tellington TTouch Method Instructor.

I live with my husband, Jay, and our three rescue dogs, a lurcher and two greyhounds, Idris, Amaya and Harrison. You will definitely hear more about them, as they are often the inspiration for my posts, as well as clients dogs. I have been working with dogs as a dog trainer using the Tellington TTouch method for 18 years and as a veterinary physiotherapist for the past 3 years. It was three years ago I set up Well Balanced Animals, however predominantly work with dogs.

I am hugely passionate about your dog's health, mobility and well-being. I have a special love of senior dogs and dogs with chronic health issues such as arthritis and hip dysplasia. My TTouch clients are frequently reactive and anxious dogs and I love being able to give these dogs a different view of life and happier days.

I set up this FB page to give dog guardians information about physiotherapy and how it can help your dogs be more mobile, have less pain, be happier and live a long life. Veterinary physiotherapy can help your dog in so many ways and it is not overly well known, I want to change that!

Please say hello below, I'd love to see the dogs you share your life with. so do share a photo below and keep in touch.
Love Rachel

04/10/2021

Schedule your appointment online Well Balanced Animals

24/09/2021

Did you know that September is Animal Pain Awareness Month? The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management IVAPM has announced September as Animal Pain Awareness Month to coincides with human medicine's Pain Awareness Month, as a way of highlighting how animals suffer pain the same way that people do.

Being able to spot the signs of pain in our dogs can be difficult. These changes can often be very subtle and dogs tend to hide pain as a way of staying safe and self preservation.

Our dogs often suffer pain in silence, they can't pop into the bathroom and get a couple of paracetamol and rest. Whether it is because of an injury or an underlying issue. There are some tell-tale signs that may give you a couple of clues, some of these are more obvious than others, they include:
~ difficulty going up and down stairs or jumping into the car
~ Excessive licking/grooming of a joint or area
~ Difficulty getting up after they have been lying down
~ Less active / not playing as much
~ Grumpy with other dogs

I gave a talk on exactly this topic a few weeks ago for the Empowered Dog Community - which has been uploaded to You Tube. If you would like to learn more, watch my masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm1360PuknE&t=8s
To book a personal and unique consultation to help your dog, contact me to discuss your needs and book an appointment: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21561259