VetRehab

18/06/2026

Did your dog ever eat your homework? 💩

When it comes to rehab, dogs are usually eating while DOING their homework!

There are lots of things that affect how well your dog copes with their joint or muscle pain. Exercise, weight, nutrition and your home environment are some of them.

I’ll go over the ones that are relevant for your dog, and help you to work out solutions to put in place at home.

And while I love homework, I also know that life happens, so we’ll figure out the easiest way for you to achieve what your dog needs given your schedule and commitments.

Book now if you want to aim for an A+!

11/06/2026

Getting good results is important to me.

The results we get for your dog will be individual to them – it’ll depend on what problems they’re starting with. Everyone is different, and some dogs don’t read the textbooks.

I’ll talk you through the treatment options and likely outcomes. I’m honest and practical while aiming for the best result.

Most dogs are feeling better by the time they walk out the door, though it can take a few sessions to get them as good as they can be.

If they’ve got an ongoing condition, our aim might be to slow down the progression and keep them going comfortably for longer.

There’s only one way to find out how much better YOUR dog will get – send me a message and we’ll arrange a time.

08/06/2026

What if your dog isn’t waking you up at night because they want to p*e?

Has your senior dog stopped sleeping through the night as they’ve gotten older? It’s not necessarily because they need to p*e. Here are 5 reasons why our dogs might be restless:

1. They’re sore. You know how when you’re in pain, it can wake you up in the night? Same for our dogs.

2. They’re struggling with temperature regulation. As they get older, it can be harder for them to keep themselves at the right temperature. Are they too hot or too cold?

3. They’re developing CCD – canine cognitive dysfunction, or dog dementia. Do they sometimes seem confused about their world?

4. Something in the environment is bothering them. Is it noisy? Dogs with pain or anxiety can start reacting to noises that didn’t used to bother them. Is their bed comfy? It might be time for a new, cushy one to support older joints and keep them warm.

5. They need to p*e! Perhaps they can’t hold on as well as they used to. However, they can also develop illnesses that make them drink more and p*e more, or they could have an infection making them want to p*e more often.

If your dog keeps waking you up, it might be time for a visit to your favourite vet clinic (and rehab vet!) to give them an all-over health check and make a management plan.

How many times has your dog woken you up this week? What do you think it was for?

04/06/2026

Here’s how I decide which treatments to use.

First, I have to weigh up all the information you and your dog have given me –their background, their medical history, the problems they’ve been having, and how they are today.

I consider your dog’s behaviour – are they relaxed and chilled, or a bit worried? How much pain are they in?

Next, I think about the treatment options, and how effective I think they’ll be for your dog. It could be anything from veterinary osteopathy, physical therapies or targeted exercise, to acupuncture or laser treatment.

The treatment not only needs to be effective, but it has to be something your dog will like.

If I think more investigation is needed, I’ll explain that too, and can work in with your GP vet or specialists if necessary.

We’ll discuss the ins and outs, make a plan and make a start.

You can see why “It depends” is my favourite phrase!

Treat your dog to some rehab treatment – personalised for them and you. Send me a message!

01/06/2026

Here’s a mythbuster. If your dog hesitates before jumping onto the couch, it’s probably not because they just don’t want to any more.

Sometimes we think ‘they don’t want to’ when they’re actually saying ‘I’m not sure I can’, or ‘I could, but I know it’ll hurt’.

Dogs that struggle to jump up or down often have pain in their legs or back. It’s easy to spot when they just flat out say no, and we have to help them. The earlier signs are when they just wait a moment or two, or stop and bark at you, or fidget before they try.

Have you seen this in your dog?

28/05/2026

Here are 5 things I do in a rehab assessment:

1. Find out what’s been going on in your dog’s life. Learning their history helps set the scene for me and gives me necessary background information.

2. Assess your dog’s movement and posture. My 25+ years of vet and rehab experience help me to pick up stiffness, lameness, nervous system problems, pain behaviours and more.

3. I’ll do a hands-on check of your dog’s joints and muscles. I’ll individually check as many of them as I can touch!

4. I’ll tell you what I’ve found, we’ll discuss the treatment options and do what we decide is the best fit. I can choose from hands-on therapies (osteopathy, physiotherapy techniques and chiropractic), use acupuncture or laser, and targeted exercises.

5. We’ll talk about the plan moving forward, including things you can do to help at home.

Sound ok?

Let’s make a plan, Stan. No need to be coy, just hop on the bus, and come and see me!

(Well, there might not be a bus, but it was in the song 😊)

27/05/2026

Looking forward to this on Saturday!

It’s all happening this Saturday rain or shine

It simply wouldn’t be happening without Nightrave Greyhounds New Zealand being the experts in Greyhound Adoption, thankyou so much.

A massive thankyou to ….
Steve from Petware NZ ( www.petware.co.nz ) for the donation of sooooooo many toys and treats that go home with every adopted dog

Sarah and Sam from Impact4dogs ( www.impact4dogs.co.nz ) for the generous donation of dog rolls so every dog adopted leaves with a delicious fresh dog roll

Jenny The Shoe Box Appeal for the very special coats for the very special dogs available this weekend

Dr deb from VetRehab , Come along and talk to her about all types of rehabilitation and doggie care ( plus she can help you with your aches and pains )

25/05/2026

Wouldn’t it all be so much easier if our dogs could just tell us how they feel?

One big misconception about animals is that they can’t tell us what’s wrong.

Dogs don’t talk, but they DO communicate!

My dog Louis has arthritic elbows. A new thing he’s started doing is lying down while I make his dinner. He’s a labrador, he’s usually full on standing there wagging his whole behind and drooling while he waits.

It’s one wee signal that he’s not as comfortable as he used to be.

Another thing is that he hesitates, just for a micro-second, before going down steps.

These are quiet signals that his elbows are bothering him a little. They’re things I monitor every day, so that I can change up his management plan when I need to.

Have you noticed your dog doing things that they didn’t used to? Let me know!

21/05/2026

18/05/2026

You’d be barking mad not to!

There are LOADS of supplements for dogs on the market. Some are good, some are not so good. It can be really hard to know which ones are the best.

One way you can save money is to read the ingredients list on your dog’s supplements. Some products will add vitamins and minerals, and sell these as being great for your dog’s energy, vitality etc.

Well, vits and mins ARE necessary – but they’re most likely already in your dog’s diet. Check the label of their food and see what you’re inadvertently doubling up on. If your dog’s food meets AAFCO standards (it’ll be written somewhere on the bag) they’ll be getting the vitamins and minerals they need already. You don’t usually need to add more, and in some cases too much is bad for them.

When dogs need support for their joints, I look for products that have only the ingredients in them that my dogs actually need. Omega fatty acids (from fish or green-lipped mussels) have the best research behind them at the moment.

Have a go at reading the fine print. Let me know what you find out!