VetRehab

26/07/2025

I’ve got Louis and Sam. Loulou and Samsam, usually – not all that creative!

What are your nicknames for your dog?

24/07/2025

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 😊)

21/07/2025

Mythbuster!

"The vet said the xrays are fine, so my dog isn’t in pain."

I've heard a few people say that.

Xrays are a useful tool. They mostly show bony changes and help us look for things like fractures, dislocations, bone spurs, arthritis and cancers, to name just a few.

They’re not the best at showing problems in tissues like cartilage, muscles, ligaments and tendons.

So, you could have a dog with pretty good xrays, who still has pain from other tissues in their body.

But wait, there’s more! We know that what we see on an xray DOESN’T equal the pain your dog is in, even if there ARE bony changes.

So, one dog could have a teeny tiny bone spur that’s giving him gyp, while another could have lots of wear and tear but not seem at all bothered by it. That’s true for people and other animals, too.

We treat the animal, not the xray – but the xray is an important tool to help us understand what’s going on, and to rule out nasties.

Have you heard of anything else that you think might be a myth?

19/07/2025

Louis is currently sound asleep. He’d probably ask me to turn the tv down and pull the woolly blanket further over him.

Sam is staying with a friend. She’d be flicking me a quick text telling me what a great time she’s having!

What message would you be getting?

17/07/2025

14/07/2025

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?

12/07/2025

Pick 3 words to describe your dog’s personality.

Mine are:
Louis - cruisy, devoted, strong
Sam - sporty, conscientious, fun

Who is your dog?

10/07/2025

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.

07/07/2025

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. No pressure.

05/07/2025

Does your dog prefer toys, treats, or cuddles?

Mine are mostly treats then toys then cuddles. Some treats are better than others, some toys are better than others, and sometimes it’s the right time for a cuddle and sometimes it’s not!

What does your dog like best?

03/07/2025

Rehab isn’t your normal vet visit. Here’s 3 reasons why rehab rocks!

1 – When I’m working with you and your dog, we use the time to focus in on musculoskeletal issues.

2 - As well as doing hands-on treatments, I cover other things that affect mobility, like targeted exercise, your home environment, nutrition, weight management and supplements.

3 – Teamwork makes the dream work. Your GP vet is essential to your dog’s healthcare, but having a rehab vet on your team adds another dimension. Rehab can help reduce the need for pain medication, as well as improving mobility, strength and balance.

Bring your dog to a rehab vet for their most fun vet visit ever!