Can Veterinary Physiotherapy Help My Pet?

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The primary aims of physiotherapy for animals are to reduce pain, improve mobility, performance and strength, and facilitate and aid healing. However, that does not mean that animals suffering from pathology, injury, or requiring post-operative care are the only ones that can benefit from physio. Especially considering that lots of our pets won't let us know that they're in pain. Animals have developed a beneficial evolutionary trait to mask and hide signs of pain, in the wild improving their chance of survival, however, this trait is also preserved through our pets. Therefore, often the subtle signs of discomfort can go unnoticed.

Eventually, when the pain becomes more severe, more obvious signs can be seen. Such as in dogs, aggression towards other dogs, children, and people, obvious lameness, and reluctance to jump and play. In horses, laziness, rearing, bucking, and aggression. This is why it is so important to recognise the early signs of pain, to prevent the escalation of injury and disease.

Understandably, these signs are not easy to spot. This is where your veterinary physiotherapist comes in! Vet physios are specifically trained to recognise clinical symptoms through thorough assessment and observation. This means that we can get your pet referred to a vet if required, resulting in early diagnosis and a reduced amount of time spent in pain. Ultimately improving your pet's quality of life.

Physio is still so important for dogs and horses in recovery from injury or illness. However, you've likely heard the saying "prevention is better than cure" and that couldn't be more true for veterinary physiotherapy. Between you, your pet, and your physio, there is a partnership. By establishing clear goals together and the formation of appropriate at-home exercises to continue between sessions, as well as the treatment provided by your physio. We can help to prevent potential future injury/disease or slow the progression of longer-term conditions such as osteoarthritis. Therefore, regular physiotherapy checks are just as important, perhaps it can be seen as similar to getting your MOT on your car.

The bottom line is...veterinary physiotherapy can benefit all animals. Each pet is an individual, and that's how we look at them. We provide holistic treatments, observing the animal in front of us from all angles, ensuring that physiotherapy will benefit their specific needs. Whether it be a dachshund learning to walk again, or a collie competing in agility. An old horse requiring some TLC or a top-level eventer. Veterinary physiotherapy can aid all animals and their owners to reach their goals, reduce pain, and improve their quality of life.