VetRehab

15/01/2026

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+!

12/01/2026

Just gimme the pills (said not many dogs, ever!)

Pain medications are a really important part of managing arthritis and other conditions that older dogs get. But they’re not the only option, and ideally they’re part of a broader management plan.

Here’s 5 reasons why pain meds are ideally used WITH other rehab options:

1. All medications have potential side effects. Some dogs are more affected than others.

2. Our bodies have to break down medications, often in our liver or kidneys, and we might not want to give them extra work to do if those organs are already compromised – common in older animals.

3. Pain meds make our dogs feel better, but don’t make the body heal. They can help with inflammation, but cutting down the pain doesn’t mean that the problem CAUSING the pain has been fixed.

4. Adding in rehab options like physical therapies, targeted exercises, weight/nutrition/supplement management, and things like laser or acupuncture, can allow us to keep pain meds for when they’re really needed.

5. Rehab supports the body to stay stronger, have better balance, and can reduce pain, too!

What things are you already doing to help your dog?

08/01/2026

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.

05/01/2026

Although rehab is becoming more accepted, it’s a relatively young field. That means most vets haven’t been taught about it when they were in vet school, so they don’t always know what rehab involves.

It’s a lot more than exercises, and we only start doing exercises when the time is right for your dog.

Rehab is one of the fastest-growing veterinary fields worldwide as we learn more about how much it benefits our animals (just the same as it does for us).

Whether your dog is just slowing down a bit or has had a major surgery, there are still things we can do in rehab that help them to get better. Here are 5 great reasons to go to rehab:

1. Rehab helps the rest of your dog’s body to cope with the compensations of pain.

2. In rehab, we adjust activities according to what your dog needs and is able to do.

3. Rehab includes options for additional pain relief that don’t involve medications.

4. Rehab is responsive to the needs of each dog and their owner.

5. Rehab helps to keep their minds active even if their bodies can’t keep up.

Rehab vets are always happy to work with your GP vet, too.

If you’re not sure whether rehab is right for your dog or not, get in touch and we can have a chat about it.

01/01/2026

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!

29/12/2025

I got sucked in!

My best boy has crunchy, arthritic elbows. He’s only 6 years old.

The first OBVIOUS thing I noticed was a few steps of stiffness after he got up from having a sleep.

But when I watch carefully, his body doesn’t move quite normally when he trots.

It’s subtle. It’s hard to see, because both front legs are affected. It would have been there and creeping up on him for a few years already, causing discomfort that I didn’t know about.

I feel bad for not having realized sooner, but now he’s on a great management plan that’s working really well for him, and he’s gone back to playing (no high sp*ed zoomies allowed, though!).

Animals can’t talk to us about their pain, but if we know what to look out for we’ll see the signs.

What things have you noticed your dog doing now that are different from when they were younger?

25/12/2025

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 😊)

22/12/2025

Whats the best way to get long term results?

Start early!

Some dogs are born with joints that haven’t quite developed properly, and they can be affected by arthritis from a really young age. Other dogs will develop it as they get older, after a life well-lived. In the end, they can lose all of their joint cartilage and have bones rubbing on each other – ouch!

Thankfully there are a lot more options than medications when it comes to looking after your dog’s joints. It’s lifestyle-encompassing medicine! The sooner we start, the more likely they are to have an effect, or to prevent the damage from getting worse as fast as it otherwise would.

Share the love for dogs with joints!

18/12/2025

15/12/2025

Do you remember when your dog was a puppy and used to zoom around everywhere at a rate of knots?

There was probably no stopping them then!

But as we age (yes, this applies to people, too!) and get wear and tear in our joints, we stop moving as much, and our muscles weaken. Our nervous systems don’t work as quickly as they used to either, and we don’t keep our balance as well.

That means it’s harder for us to cope with tricky surfaces, like slippery floors or uneven ground. If your dog has started avoiding walking through the kitchen, it might be because they feel insecure and worried about slipping. If they do slip, they’re more likely to fall and injure themselves.

There are several ways we can help them to manage slippery floors, like putting down mats or rugs, using boots or applying pad grips.

We also have lots of options for rebuilding muscle, improving balance and strength, and managing pain.

Which is your dog’s favourite room in the house, and where DON’T they like to go?

11/12/2025

Is age a disease?

We can’t change the fact that the days go by (far faster than seems necessary!), and most of us get some wear and tear as we get older. BUT that doesn’t mean we have to suffer from it.

I can help you to recognize the early signs of joint and muscle pain in your dog, and then we can plan how best to help them.

Growing old gracefully doesn’t have to mean spending life doing nothing but decorating a couch!

Give me a call (actually a message or email is better) to find out how to help your dog keep moving more in their senior years.

08/12/2025

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?