Why take my animal to a veterinary physiotherapist?
Animals, such as dogs, cats, horses, are biologically similar to humans when it comes to muscles, bones and tendons. So, in the same way as you get joint pain, bad backs, strained muscles, sprained ankles or creaky knees your pets experience the same.
Taking your animal to a veterinary physiotherapist can help to identify any potential pain or injury your pet may have and then begin treatment to reduce pain, maintain mobility and regain function. This is particularly important if your pet has had any kind of surgery or significant injury. Veterinary physiotherapy treatment and exercises can help reduce discomfort, support the muscles and joints and reduce the risk of future injuries. Most insurance policies cover veterinary physiotherapy as complimentary therapies or as part of the main veterinary fees policy.
What to expect from my appointment
The first session is an initial assessment and treatment session which will take 1-2 hrs depending in your case and animals past history.
During this session:
- I will ask you questions about your animal’s history, assess your animal when stationary and when moving to look at how they move and what their body, joints and muscles feel like.
- I will then palpate your animals to feel for any muscle dysfunction, inflammation or asymmetries.
- From this I can identify any potential areas of weakness or injury. I will treat these areas with manual therapies (massage, myofascial release etc), electrotherapies (laser, TENs) and exercise (pole work, static and dynamic exercise) to start to regain optimal function and reduce any possible discomfort your animal might be in.
- I will discuss how many sessions your animal may need and create a therapy plan, working through and teaching you both any ongoing exercises they may need.
Follow up sessions will last 60-90 minutes and are more treatment focus.