How can physiotherapy help my dog?
Physiotherapy can benefit dogs of all ages, breeds, lifestyles, and types of work ultimately aiming to maximise fitness, function and quality of life. Physiotherapy can help your dog recover from injury or surgery, reduce pain, improve joint mobility, improve muscle power and performance, and manage lifelong degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis.
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Some of the most common conditions treated by The Animal Physiotherapist are;
- Pain
- Lameness
- Post-surgical rehabilitation for orthopaedic or neurological conditions
- Conservative (non-surgical) management of orthopaedic or neurological conditions
- Neurological conditions including intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), peripheral neuropathy.
- Soft tissue injuries including tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries
- Osteoarthritis
- Lack of fitness and obesity
- Wound healing
If your dog is showing any of these signs, physiotherapy may be of benefit;
- Reduced performance in competitions
- Reluctance to jump or change in technique in agility or flyball
- Reluctance to go for usual walk, exercise, or play
- Difficulty jumping onto sofa or getting in and out of car
- Difficulty getting up and down stairs
- Change in behaviour or not wanting to be touched
- Scuffing toes while walking
- Difficulty getting up from sitting or lying
- Not acting like his/her normal self
- Excessive licking or chewing of an area of the body or limbs
Sports dogs (agility, flyball, racing) and working dogs (police, gun, sheep, search and rescue) benefit from physiotherapy to enhance fitness and performance or following illness or injury. Regular physiotherapy for these dogs helps to maintain their musculoskeletal system in peak condition. This helps to prevent injury and identify any potential problems before they develop into performance issues.
Older dogs can show signs of muscle wasting (atrophy), stiffness and reduced mobility which makes it harder for them to move and do the things they enjoy. Physiotherapy can help the older dog enjoy the best quality of life, aiming to keep them more mobile and comfortable for longer.
Dogs are treated by The Animal Physiotherapist, following vet referral, at various locations with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. Please see the ‘Terms and Conditions’ section for further details.
Please see the Pricing page for current appointment fees which are payable at the time of the appointment. Further details can be found on the ‘What happens during an appointment’ and ‘Treatment’ pages of the website.
Please get in touch to discuss how physiotherapy could help your dog. A 15-minute virtual consultation is offered free of charge.