Lucy Walsh Veterinary Physiotherapy

22/06/2025

🐾 Is Your Dog’s Coat Telling You Something? 🐾

Did you know that changes in your dog’s coat — like hair standing up, thinning, or unusual patterns along the spine — can be a subtle sign of back discomfort or pain?

These coat changes may be linked to muscle tension, nerve irritation, or compensatory movement patterns, especially in the thoracolumbar region (mid to lower back).

✨ What to Look Out For:
🔸 Hair sticking up in a strip along the spine
🔸 Uneven coat texture, zigzagging patterns or thinning in specific areas
🔸 Twitchy skin when touched
🔸 Sensitivity or reactivity when stroked or brushed
🔸 Reluctance to jump, twist, or turn

These signs can be easy to overlook, but they’re your dog’s way of saying: “Something doesn’t feel quite right.”

👐 How Physio Can Help:

🐶 Gentle manual therapies to release muscle tension
🐶 Targeted exercises to support spinal mobility and strength
🐶 Laser therapy to reduce inflammation and pain
🐶 Tailored home plans to support long-term comfort

📩 If you’ve noticed any of these coat changes, it’s worth getting them assessed — even if your dog seems otherwise fine. Early intervention can make a big difference.

Albert is an 8 year old French Bulldog - here’s his coat before and after 2 physio sessions. What a difference!

15/06/2025

10/06/2025

🌟 Transformation Tuesday! 🌟

Check out Daisy’s 3 month glow-up! 🐴 After a diagnosis of kissing spines and back injections from the vet, we started physiotherapy alongside a groundwork exercise plan… the results speak for themselves 😍 The top image (green arrows) shows HUGE improvement from the bottom image (red arrows) — let’s break it down:

🔴 Bottom image:
• The red arrows show lack of engagement behind, a hollow back, and a head position that’s high and disconnected, indicating tension and imbalance.
• The hindleg is trailing, meaning the horse isn’t stepping under and activating its core effectively.

✅ Top image:
• The green arrows show a rounder topline, with the horse reaching into the contact more softly.
• There’s better hindlimb engagement, as shown by the green arrow pointing forward under the body.
• The back is lifting, the neck is stretching, and the whole frame looks more relaxed and biomechanically correct.

All this leads to better strength, posture, and long-term soundness. The power of consistent groundwork, correct equipment use, and patience 🙌

01/06/2025

🌴 Out of Office 🌴
I’m am now away 🇬🇷 and will be back to work 10th June. Replies during this time will be slow. Thanks for your patience! 💚

31/05/2025

I’m so grateful to work with amazing clients like this one! Your kind words truly motivate me to keep doing what I love — helping your animals feel their best through veterinary physiotherapy. 🐾💚

31/05/2025

Dynamic Mobilisation Exercise: Chin-to-Carpus Carrot Stretch 🥕

This controlled stretch encourages the horse to bring its head between the forelimbs, promoting core engagement, thoracic sling activation, and improved postural awareness.

🔍 Why it’s beneficial:
✅ Encourages correct weight shift and balance
✅ Strengthens the muscles that support the spine and shoulders
✅ Improves flexibility and range of motion through the neck and forehand
✅ Supports long-term postural stability and performance

These exercises are especially helpful for horses with a history of poor posture, compensation patterns, or asymmetry. When performed correctly and regularly, they can significantly improve a horse’s way of going and comfort under saddle.

📌 Always ensure the horse is warmed up and relaxed, and that stretches are pain-free, slow, and controlled.

19/05/2025

Sunny Hampshire countryside physio days 😍 Good for the soul ☀️ Lovely boys Denver and Finn enjoyed their physio 🥰

11/05/2025

Horses are sensitive animals. There have been a few occasions this week whereby the multi-modal approach has been needed. In fact, I believe all owners should try to provide a multi modal approach to their horse’s health and wellbeing. It’s so important to get your “team” right.

🐴 The Owner
You know your horse best.
Your observations, consistency, and communication are the foundation of successful rehab and long-term wellbeing.

🩺 The Vet
The vet leads on diagnosis and medical care.
They work with the physio to make sure treatment is safe, suitable, and supports any underlying conditions.

🐎 The Farrier
Good movement starts from the ground up.
Foot balance affects posture, joint strain, and even muscle symmetry. Farriers and physios often collaborate closely.

🦷 The Dentist
Mouth pain affects more than eating.
Tension from dental discomfort can show up as resistance, head shaking, or back issues. Regular checks matter.

💆‍♀️ The Physio
Physios support comfort, movement, and recovery.
Through hands-on treatment, exercises, and rehab plans, they help your horse move and feel their best.

🏇 The Saddle Fitter
Saddle fit can make or break performance.
A poorly fitting saddle causes discomfort, compensations, and behaviour changes. Fit should be checked regularly.

🏇 The Bit Fitter
The right bit supports communication and comfort.
Bit fit affects everything from contact and relaxation to head carriage and straightness. Subtle changes can make a big difference.

🍏 The Nutritionist
Fuel matters for healing and performance.
Balanced nutrition supports muscle development, energy levels, and recovery. A nutritionist can tailor feeding plans to your horse’s needs.

🌟 The Takeaway 🌟
No single person holds all the answers.
The best results come when everyone works together — with your horse at the centre of the plan.

07/05/2025

🐶 This lovely little spaniel, Luna, is recovering from surgery for a luxating patella. She had a LASER therapy session to support healing, reduce inflammation, and help manage any post-surgical discomfort. She had a chew to keep her busy whilst I worked on her 😍

LASER therapy is a gentle, non-invasive way to support recovery — and Luna was an absolute star throughout.

29/04/2025

☀️Say hello to Sunny!☀️
This handsome chap enjoyed his physio treatment yesterday – focusing on his left side where he tends to get a bit tight. He’s always a pleasure to work with and definitely lives up to his name!

Keep shining, Sunny!

🐴✨

21/04/2025

Hope all my lovely clients had a wonderful Easter weekend! 🐣🌷🐾

Macey the Schnauzer came in this week for treatment to help with some neck pain – she was so calm and relaxed throughout, and finished her session with a little snooze on the mat 🐶💤

13/04/2025

Had to jump on the ChatGPT trend 😂
LWVP Vet Physio doll including LASER therapy, cavaletti poles and wobble cushion 🐶🐴