Avonside Canine Hydrotherapy, Stratford-on-Avon

07/06/2026

🚑Up to date with Canine First Aid🌟
To comply with NARCH certification and good practice I need to refresh my canine first aid certificate every two years.

Hydrotherapy is an unregulated industry at the moment to ensure your dog is getting the best care make sure the centre/ pool is registered with CHA, NARCH or IVAMP.

03/06/2026

🎉Happy 14th Birthday H***h!!🎉
At 11 years old H***h broke his elbow, after surgical complications it was decided that he would have a better recovery if the whole leg and shoulder were removed.
A brave operation except someone forgot to tell H***h he was a three legged dog!
I used to be very careful swimming him, not wanting to overwork him and tire him until I went on a walk one day with him, we got to the river he was the first one in and happily swam round for the next ten minutes before happily hopping home! Not wanting to be left out he’s been seen beating a (easy) drive in the local shoot and is defiantly in charge of his brothers. Carefully managed with 5🌟 care, medication and therapies.
A true legend H***h have a great day 🎂🐾🐾

30/05/2026

🌟True🌟

CAM QUIZ!

Play along by writing your answer in the comments, and we will give you the correct answer next week!

Here's the answer to last week's quiz question:
Assessing your dog 12 to 24 hours after a walk to see if they are stiff or unsettled is an example of the 'Reflective' stage of the PRR framework.

Answer: True
The reflective stage involves monitoring delayed responses to exercise to adjust and improve future activity plans.

23/05/2026

🌞Suns here!🌞

The hydro centre is nice and cool, the water is at therapeutic temperature but feels nice and fresh with air temperature higher, a great way to exercise your dogs in this weather 😀

I have available appointments, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Make sure your car is cool enough for the dogs to travel. Existing clients only sorry (as vet forms required).

Message for availability 07974748961 🌞🐾🌞

20/05/2026

**Teddy and Millie**
9 year old Teddy has to conserve his energy ready for his turn while his sister Millie is swimming!!
Unfortunately Both dogs have previously shown intermittent lameness, caused by cruciate injuries and consequence weight shifting onto other limbs.
Careful management, vet advice, pain management and rest at the right time and ongoing swimming, laser therapy and supplements have meant both dogs have avoided any operations.
It’s hard work looking after our pets 💙 these guys are lucky they have a great team of “staff” (😂😂) looking after them 🐾😀🐾

16/05/2026

5 Subtle Signs of Pain Owners Often Miss

pain in dogs doesn’t always look dramatic.

Many dogs don’t cry out or limp, instead they show small changes in behaviour or movement.

Here are some early signs to watch for:

1. Reluctance to jump
Hesitating before jumping onto the sofa, bed, or into the car can be an early sign of discomfort.

2. Slower movement or stiffness
Dogs with pain may move more cautiously or appear stiff when getting up.

3. An arched back posture
Some dogs will hold their back slightly rounded to protect the spine or offset weight bearing.

4. Shaking or trembling
Pain can cause subtle trembling even when the dog is otherwise calm.

5. Reduced enthusiasm for walks
Lagging behind, stopping frequently, or not wanting to go as far can sometimes indicate discomfort.

Dogs are very good at adapting and compensating. Often these changes appear long before more serious signs develop.

If you notice changes in your dog’s movement or behaviour, it’s always worth discussing them with your vet.

Early recognition can make a big difference. Hydrotherapy and laser therapy can help strengthen the whole body, reduce inflammation and soothe painful muscles making dogs stronger and happier💦 🐾

07/05/2026

**Brinkley**
Believe it or not this pup is 9 years old.
He’s very active but his owners just noticed him slowing down a bit on walks and being a bit stiff after longer walks.
A trip to the vets diagnosed pain in his carple joints possible soft tissue injury and arthritis.
He came to Avonside and completed 10 weekly swimming sessions with some added red light laser therapy on his Carples.
He’s now back to his old self full of energy and cheekiness.
Good observations from is owners meant that we could get on top of what’s was bothering him before it became to serious.
He now comes monthly for check ups and because he loves it! 😀💦💙🐾🐾

06/05/2026

31/03/2026

❤️❤️

🟢 Why Treat Pain? Because Doing Nothing Is Still a Decision

This is something I feel incredibly passionate about—especially this past week.

My own dog experienced a sudden collapse and hind limb paralysis, leaving her immobile and in a lot of pain.
It was heartbreaking to witness.

With the right adjustments to her pain management plan and treatment approach, she is now moving again.

Without addressing her pain… this simply would not have been possible. Please read ⬇️⬇️⬇️

“I don’t want to medicate my dog.”

This is something I hear often—and I genuinely understand that concern.

But I ask you to reflect:

We take medication ourselves.
We treat our own pain.
Yet we hesitate when it comes to our dogs.

If you would take pain relief to improve your comfort, mobility, and quality of life, why wouldn’t your dog deserve the same?

🟢 Untreated Pain Is Not Harmless

Chronic pain drives:

• Compensation
• Altered gait patterns
• Muscle overload
• Myofascial restriction
• Reduced mobility
• Behavioural changes

Over time, localised pain doesn’t stay local.

It spreads, as the body adapts… but not in a good way.

Persistent pain input can lead to:

• Hyperalgesia – an exaggerated pain response
• Allodynia – pain from normally non-painful stimuli
• Central sensitisation – amplification of pain within the nervous system

These processes are well documented in veterinary pain science (Epstein et al., 2015; Woolf, 2011).

🟢 Why Treating Pain Matters

Pain left untreated:

• Reduces quality of life
• Worsens compensation patterns
• Delays rehabilitation
• Increases risk of recurrence
• Impacts emotional wellbeing

🟢 What Does Good Pain Management Look Like?

The gold standard is a multimodal approach, which may include:

✔ Veterinary-led analgesia where appropriate
✔ Weight and load management
✔ Structured, appropriate exercise
✔ Environmental modification
✔ Supportive therapies such as:
– Clinical canine massage
– Physiotherapy
– Myofascial therapy
– Ostropathy
– Acupuncture
– McTimoney
– Hydrotherapy

Working collaboratively with your vet allows pain to be addressed both medically and mechanically—and that’s where meaningful, lasting progress happens.

🟢 Final Thought

Pain management is not about over-medicating.

It’s about welfare.
It’s about compassion.
It’s about preventing long-term deterioration.

Dogs cannot tell us they are in pain.
But they show us—if we’re willing to see it.

📩 If you’re concerned about your dog’s comfort, mobility, or behaviour, speak to your vet. They can help guide you toward the most appropriate pain management plan. I would alongside your veterinary team and offer musculoskeletal pain clinics

26/02/2026

So me every time I get up from lasering a dog 😂 the dog leaps up btw 😂😂