The Rehab Vet

27/01/2026

💜Do you know someone who's caring for a dog with severe IVDD? Or another back injury, or late stage degenerative myelopathy? Here's a new video for at-home therapy. Sensory touch techniques that work towards recovering their normal skin sensation and helping them feel better💜

Huge thanks to Lulu and Hetty who feature in the video, and for Saffy who's posing on the thumbnail! 🥰🐾🐶

The techniques in this video are particularly helpful for dogs that can't walk and have reduced skin sensation.
https://youtu.be/DovJJhldJxg

We're just getting started with this video channel, so please like and share. Thank you!!! 😁🥳🐶🌟

📘 The IVDD Handbook: Find out how best to help your dog through IVDD and other back and neck problems. See https://therehabvet.com/the-ivdd-handbook/Dr Mari...

18/01/2026

New today!!! The Rehab Vet YouTube channel is now live, and this is the first video 😁🥳🌟

Please take a look, subscribe, and let me know what you think.
This one is an introduction to basic massage and hind leg range of movement. These techniques are suitable for most dogs recovering from back or neck problems including IVDD.

📘 The IVDD Handbook: Find out how best to help your dog through IVDD and other back and neck problems. See https://therehabvet.com/the-ivdd-handbook/Dr Mari...

26/12/2025

Does your IVDD dog have one hind leg weaker than the other? Use a lead, and try walking more on their WEAKER side. Day by day, this will help them to get stronger and straighter 💜🐶🐾

For more home advice for owners of dogs with back and neck issues, see The IVDD Handbook. It's available via the following links:

USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Italy: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Spain: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Netherlands: http://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Sweden: https://www.amazon.se/dp/B0BFTWP9H5

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17/12/2025

This lovely border terrier is Arwen. As you'll see here, Arwen has an unusual gait and stiff muscles that sometimes cause her to get into strange sitting and resting positions.

Arwen had some signs of IVDD (disc protrusions) show up on MRI in her neck. But this turned out not to be the main cause of her mobility issues. Instead, after some bloodwork, Arwen has ended up with quite an unusual diagnosis: myotonia caused by a hormonal condition, pituitary-dependent Cushings disease.

I'm sharing here as a reminder that coming up with a diagnosis is not always straightforward. We need to consider all of the patient's needs/problems instead of acting purely on the basis of an MRI result. 'Treat the patient, not the scan!'

Arwen is currently kept comfortable on medication to manage the Cushings disease, plus painkillers and muscle relaxants. And lots of TLC from her very caring owner: Arwen has heat therapy over her tight muscles - very useful for myotonia. Encouragement to move about regularly within sensible limits. Hydrotherapy. And some gentle touchwork. The next step in her treatment is likely to be an operation to remove the hormone-releasing tumour from her pituitary gland.

We all wish Arwen well with her ongoing recovery 🥰💜

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12/12/2025

Delighted to receive a 'thank you' message from this little cutie, Tristan the dachshund 😁🐾😍

Many thanks to Elena who has been caring for Tristan. She wrote that Tristan...

'started showing signs from IVDD when he was about 7 years old....I purchased your book online and it has been a life-changer.
Whenever our doggie has a flare-up, I consult your book as the IVDD Bible!'

It's great to hear that Tristan is on the mend now 🥰💚

The IVDD Handbook ships worldwide and is available directly from the following links:

USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Italy: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Spain: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Netherlands: http://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Sweden: https://www.amazon.se/dp/B0BFTWP9H5

There's also more information about it here on my website:
https://therehabvet.com/the-ivdd-handbook/

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03/12/2025

Celebrating lovely Bonnie who is now an amazing twenty years and eight months old! With lots of care from her very devoted human, Bonnie is still enjoying life 🥰🐾😁

Non-slip floor mats, raised food and water bowls, floor beds with space to stretch out, and a balance harness are all helpful for older dogs.

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10/11/2025

How would you know if your cat had osteoarthritis? Many cats have this joint issue, but it can be tricky to identify! Cats don't tend to make much fuss about any joint discomfort. Instead, you might find that:

😿they're less graceful at jumping than they used to be, and they can no longer leap up to kitchen countertop height in one leap
😿they find it more difficult to groom themselves. Perhaps their coat is starting to look a bit unkempt
😿they're less playful than usual
😿they get up and lie down in a rather more ungainly manner.

There can be other causes of all the above, so check with your vet if you're concerned.

Cats affected by osteoarthritis also start to move and stand in a different way. The image here is one taken from the MI-CAT(V) scoring sheet, a questionnaire designed for vets in assessing cat joint comfort. The cats on the right side of the diagram represent those with weakness or discomfort due to osteoarthritis. Those on the left are healthy cats.

The MI-CAT(V) also includes images of affected and unaffected cats jumping, moving under obstacles, and walking.
MI-CAT(V) stands for Montreal Instrument for Cat Arthritis Testing.

The full score system isn't always practical in vet clinics or during vet home visits, as cats with any level of anxiety may be reluctant to move much. But I find the images helpful in spotting the typical postures and movement quality of affected cats.
Here's a link to the whole scoring sheet: sj-pdf-1-jfm-10.1177_1098612x251347999.pdf

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28/10/2025

Are you caring for a dog with a back or neck issue? A daily routine can help them recover. What to include in their routine depends on whether they're a:
💚Mover and improver
💚Learner dog
💚Leaky learner
💚Graduate
💚Wheeler
💚Walker dog

i.e. it depends on their stage of recovery and on what they can easily manage 🐾🐶☺
It's all explained in The IVDD Handbook, together with a suggested daily routine for each of the above. Simply adjust it to fit in with your own mealtimes and work hours.

For information about The IVDD Handbook, together with a link to buy it, see https://therehabvet.com/the-ivdd-handbook/

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Is your dog recovering from a leg, back or neck problem? During their rest period, remember that dogs are creatures of habit. Set up a routine during recovery so they know what to expect each day.

Include their mealtimes, outdoor time, and timings of any medication and prescribed exercises. This helps plan out their day and yours, and makes life easier for both of you.

For dogs with back and neck issues, there are suggested daily routines in The IVDD Handbook, in Appendix 1 (p217 to 224). They're designed to suit dogs with different needs. Pick one to best suit your own recovering dog.

For more information on The IVDD Handbook, including links to buy it, click here: https://therehabvet.com/the-ivdd-handbook/

26/10/2025

This is amazing! Physio for zoo animals from Matthew Shackleton at https://www.shackletonvetphysio.com/zooconsulting
Zookeeper turned animal physiotherapist, he gave a very interesting talk and workshop about his work at the IRVAP conference earlier this month.

I was pleased to see that one of the keys to his success is in looking at what each species really needs and advising on modifying their environment accordingly. This considers many factors including ground substrates (flooring), slopes/steps, temperature, level changes, places to hide, activities to include in the day, exactly where to position their food, amount of space for different activities, and so on. The workshop/discussion group focused on tapirs (pictured).

I have no plans to branch into tapir-care any time soon, but this environmental modification approach is already right up my street for dogs and cats!

26/10/2025

A really good intro to splinting, Phoenix Veterinary Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. I'm always so impressed by the splints that you make for dogs, Melanie. You make it look easy, but there's a lot to it!

11/10/2025

Tasty food rewards are a dog rehab essential. I use them to keep dogs motivated and to help position their head during their exercises.

After a recommendation from Olive the dachshund, we've recently switched to using pots of little treats from https://barkerandbarker.co.uk/
My patients have so far tried two flavours: liver treats and arctic fish treats, and they're going down great 😋😋🐶!

Here's what we like:
💜They're delicious (according to 18 out of 20 of my patients so far)
💜They're very low calorie. From just 0.3kcal each!
💜They're made from cooked ingredients, so are considered safer than freeze-dried treats for pets and handlers who have reduced immunity
💜They don't crumble or go stale during the day in a treat pouch
💜But they easily snap into very tiny pieces if needed - good for miniature breeds who need lots of rewards, e.g. to keep their head positioned for exercises.

The discount code RehabVet20 should give you a 20% discount on purchases from the Barker&Barker website at https://barkerandbarker.co.uk/

Here are some links:
small arctic fish treats -0.4kcal - https://barkerandbarker.co.uk/treats/arctic-fish-treats/small-arctic-fish-treats-pot-of-370

little liver treats - 0.3kcal - https://barkerandbarker.co.uk/treats/liver-treats/little-liver-treats-pot-of-500-treats

small fruit & veg (veggie option!)- 0.4kcal - https://barkerandbarker.co.uk/treats/shop-by-treat-size/small-fruit-and-veg-treats-pot-of-360

Barker&Barker also stock other flavours and size options.

Many thanks to lovely Hetty the wire-haired dachshund who is doing a great sit for a treat in the photo! This had been part of her non-surgical IVDD exercise plan, and I'm delighted to say that she's now just started to walk unsupported! 🎉 🥰🐶

09/10/2025

Is your dog on crate/pen rest? For their comfort and good welfare, check that they have enough space to lie comfortably, to turn around easily, and to eat and drink.

Depending on their condition, they might also need some standing room and space to play with food-dispensing toys.

The IVDD Handbook includes full details, together with pictures and a crate size breed chart. See https://therehabvet.com/the-ivdd-handbook/ for links to buy.

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Is your dog on crate rest? Perhaps they've had an injury or an operation?

✅The 'Early Rest' set-up is is good for close confinement and is suitable e.g. for some dogs during early recovery from IVDD.

✅The 'Late Rest' set-up is good for most other recovering dogs. For example, this is usually their best option after the first few weeks of IVDD, or from the start if they're recovering from a soft tissue or joint issue such as cruciate ligament injury.

Check first with your vet if you're not sure.

The small crate (pug picture) is no good as a recovery crate, because this dog doesn't have enough space to lie comfortably, to turn around easily, and to eat and drink.

For more details about choosing and setting up their crate or pen, take a look at The IVDD Handbook. Here are the links:

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Italy: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Spain: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Netherlands: http://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Sweden: https://www.amazon.se/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Italy: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Spain: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Netherlands: http://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0BFTWP9H5
Sweden: https://www.amazon.se/dp/B0BFTWP9H5

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