Mend Veterinary Rehabilitation

20/08/2025

It's that time of year again! 🐶💪🏆

Summer bodies are made in winter...or something like that! It's that time of year when (despite the wet, cold and windy conditions...burr❄🥶) all of the committed athletic dog owners are out training their dogs in preparation for the fast-approaching competition season.

But how will you know your dog is ready??

The short answer is that it can be challenging! That's where our Sport Fit Checks can help. But what is a Sport Fit Check?

🌟 Complete and thorough musculoskeletal exam performed by a qualified Sports Medicine Veterinarian.
🌟 Identify any hidden areas of tension and discomfort, or early injuries that aren't showing (BEFORE they refuse that jump!).
🌟 If they have recently competed and didn't perform as expected (maybe they did refuse that jump🫣) a Sport Fit Check can be useful for making sure an injury isn't part of the cause.
🌟 Quick chat about current condition levels.
🌟 Laser treatment - our new Class 4 laser offers super quick treatment times with phenomenal results. (Please note treatment will only be performed if indicated and time allows).

What's the difference between this and a normal consult?

Sport Fit Checks are not a full assessment and are intended for sound dogs. Because of this they are limited to 30 minutes, and do not include any treatments, rehabilitation, conditioning or home exercise programmes. If your dog has a known injury, or if something is picked up during the Sport Fit Check that you would like additional treatment for, we can book you in for a standard consultation.

Message or contact us to book in your dog's check 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 [email protected]
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

14/08/2025

🌟EXCITING NEWS! 🌟

We've got ourselves some wonderful new equipment and therapies to offer at Mend! Introducing our new Laser and NMES treatment options...

🌟 Laser: Laser activates the body’s natural repair systems, improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and easing pain. It penetrates deep into the tissues, allowing treatment at the level of the injury.

🌟 NMES: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) delivers gentle electrical impulses to contract muscles, supporting recovery in neurological patients. Our machine also offers TENS pain therapy, giving us flexible options for each patient’s needs.

These treatments are included in our consultation costs. We do offer appointments solely for TENS or Laser therapy, contact us for more information.

Message or contact us to book in your dog's assessment 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 [email protected]
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

11/08/2025

I know we've been a bit quiet recently!

One of the more important but less spoken about aspects of Veterinary Science is collegiality, and I've spent the past few weeks travelling and really leaning into this wonderful part of being a vet.

Key highlights of time away:

🌟Attending the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists annual conference in Gold Coast Australia - the weather was warm, the coffee ☕ was strong, the learnings were great, but best of all - heartwarming bonds were forged with my wonderful rehab colleagues 🤍

🌟Visiting the awesome team at in Christchurch - it's hard to beat learning and sharing experiences with other professionals who share the same passion as you 🤍

I want to say thanks to my wonderful clients who've put up with me squeezing appointments into my small gaps between trips away. I'm happy to say that Mend is back to business as usual, and there are some exciting updates coming soon...watch this space!

Message or contact us to book in your dog's assessment 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 [email protected]
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

25/06/2025

🎉🎉Exciting Announcement!🎉🎉

We want to do more to look after your canine athletes, so that's why we're launching our new service - Sport Fit Checks.

Aimed at keeping sporting dogs performing at their peak, these assessments are ideal for:

🐾 Making sure your sporting dog is injury free prior to competition, or checking they're still sound and comfortable after competition
🐾 Checking your athlete is moving their best, without hidden tension or soreness
🐾 Giving yourself peace of mind

Message or contact us to book in your dog's assessment 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 [email protected]
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

21/05/2025

🌟Trey's Journey - Part II🌟

Dr Lauren got to see Trey for her first assessment after she was discharged from Massey Vet Hospital and safely back home in Wellington. Trey had already improved so much, she was able to sit up on her own (a big milestone!).

On assessment Trey was noted to have a very ataxic (wobbly and uncoordinated) gait which was worse on her right side. Her right front leg would often cross over in front of her left, and she would often try to walk on the top of her foot (or simply drag it behind her). Her hindlegs had a very wide-based position when standing, and when walking she struggled to initiate her legs in the proper order and required support. Trey was able to take a few very uncoordinated steps, but without assistance her right front leg would collapse and she would fall.

Trey was making leaps and bounds with her progress and wanted to do so so much (she was so keen to be up and running again!). Unfortunately for Trey, the research shows us that when rehabilitating a spinal injury it's very important to walk before you can run...or in Trey's case, sit before you can stand! Trey's early rehabilitation focused on getting her spinal cord to engage in a coordinated manner with her limbs by doing exercises focused on sitting and standing. We targeted small movements that tap into the reflex patterns and help rebuild the neurological pathways. Trey also received hydrotherapy three times per week in addition to her physical rehab

After just one week of rehabilitation, Trey was able to stand on her own and began predominantly sitting up most of the time rather than laying down. If walking slowly she could mostly keep her right front foot the correct way up, and was she able to walk a short distance unassisted. Such huge progress, ka pai Trey!

Stay tuned for Trey's next update 🐾🤍

14/05/2025

🌟 Meet Trey 🌟

Trey is a 10 year old female border collie, and simply the most gorgeous girl you will every meet ❤️

In early April Trey was out for a walk when she had a terrible accident. Trey was running in a field on a walk with her owner in the early morning, when she took a shortcut and cut across a playground. A trick of the light made the metal mesh of one of the play structures nearly invisible, and she ran into it at full speed.

Trey collapsed and her owner rushed her to the vet clinic. She was initially tetraparetic (unable to use all 4 legs to stand), and was quickly referred to Massey Vet Hospital. After a CT scan Trey was diagnosed with a subdural haematoma (bleed in her brain) as well as a fractured C6 vertebrae.

Trey was given lots of fantastic care and rehab at Massey during her 2 week stay. By the time she was discharged she could stand and take a few (very wobbly!) steps with assistance, though her right front leg was the most severely affected and would often drag behind her.

Trey is happily back at home and being given so much love and support by her family.

Trey is now a patient of Dr Lauren with us here at Mend - follow along for updates on Trey's progress 🐾🤍

01/04/2025

We get asked this question a lot, and that's okay!

Veterinary Rehabilitation is a new and growing field of Veterinarians who've undertaken secondary qualifications in order to offer physical rehabilitation (or physio) to our patients.

Because we are first trained as vets, we have the ability to assess and understand your pet from an anatomical and physiological perspective, including any underlying medical conditions or diseases.

Which secondary training your vet rehaber will have undertaken will vary, but our very own Dr Lauren has completed a Membership Examination with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. This qualification makes Mend experts in all things related your dog's mobility and physical fitness.

When should you consider vet rehab for your pet?

🐾 Post-operative and post-injury recovery.
Through targeted therapies and exercises, dogs can regain their range of motion and improve overall function, which is especially important after orthopedic or soft tissue surgeries. By beginning rehab immediately after surgery or injury, we often find better patient outcomes and quicker recovery times.

🐾 Geriatric and arthritic pets.
For older dogs or those with mobility issues, rehab can maintain or even improve mobility, helping them stay active and comfortable.

🐾 All dogs!
Studies have shown that dogs who engage in regular fitness routines develop improved coordination, flexibility and balance which are key for preventing strains, sprains, or overuse injuries.

Interested or unsure if rehab is right for your dog? Reach out to us today at [email protected] or call us on +64 022 0232 088.

Mend is a bespoke mobile clinic for our canine companions, run by a registered Veterinarian with qualifications in Physical Rehabilitation. We offer comprehensive individualised assessment, tailored treatment and custom recovery and home-exercise plans.

19/03/2025

Somehow, things always feel more official once you have a website! We are very pleased to announce we have officially launched our very own website, for anyone wanting to know a little more about us. For our vet friends, the website now has a vet-referral form to make those referrals quicker and easier to submit.

🤍🐕🐾🩺🤍

MENDVeterinary Rehabilitation Hands with Heart Our Services Comprehensive Assessments Post-Surgical and Post-Injury Rehabilitation Strengthening and Fitness Training How Can We Help? Mend Veterinary Rehabilitation is a mobile clinic with the goal of restoring mobility and reducing pain all while bui...

22/02/2025

Check out this great video from Meet The Chows showing how and why to do cookie stretches with your dog 🐕 🍪 Small moments like these can really make a difference for our canines.

10/02/2025

We're excited to announce that you can now find our very own Dr Lauren based out of the Black Dog Physio Tawa clinic 1-2 days per week. Working with the amazing team at Black Dog enables us to offer Laser, TENS, hydrotherapy and a broader range of therapeutic options. We are still offering home-visits and personalised assessments and treatments as per usual, so don't hesitate to reach out to book in your pet. Contact us today on 022 0232 088.