The eagle eyed amongst you may notice Bambi is actually lame when she’s walking on my right 😭 This is because she has an injury in her left forearm limb and she is loading this more when she’s looking up at me to the left. Even small changes in our handling can have a big impact on our dog’s biomechanics. Feel free to share if you found this helpful!
So they’ve taken ball throwing that induces uncontrolled acceleration, deceleration and sharp direction change and made it more *erratic*……. Great 🙄
If you have one of these the safest way to throw it is in the bin 🗑️ trust me your dog will thank you!
Think older dogs can’t get stronger? Think again!
Strength training is one of the most effective treatment options we have for treating arthritis. Not only is increased muscle mass associated with slowing the progression of arthritis, it is also clinically proven to reduce the pain associated with arthritic joints.
You absolutely can teach an old dog new tricks, here are some of my lovely patients absolutely smashing their programs! 💪
Get in touch if you would like help keeping your dog active in their golden years!
🚀 Barney absolutely flying back to form🚀
After noticing significant behaviour change during agility Barney’s owner suspected pain was stoping him enjoying an activity he used to love. When his x-rays came back clear she contacted me for help.
On assessment I found:
😖Ilipsoas (hip flexor) pain
🦴 joint laxity
🧬compensatory muscle tension
🪫reduced hindlimb power
🩻 limited hip extension
A multifaceted presentation requires a holistic approach to treatment. Barney had both 1:1 treatment sessions and attended conditioning classes to rebuild strength and power.
After 15 weeks of rehab here he is displaying fantastic hip and spinal extension over jumps. He easily maintains balance on lead changes and is powerful and enthusiastic (just look how early he takes off over the first one 🫣).
Remember:
Behaviour is one of the limited ways our dogs can communicate with us- make sure you’re taking the time to listen!
Clear x-rays do not mean there are no problems. X-rays can show is the status of bones and joints only. Soft tissue issues account for a huge proportion of injuries and they will not just get better on their own!
If your dog is displaying unusual or avoidant behaviour and you’d like to rule out pain as a cause drop me a message today! (Waiting times for new patient appointments are currently 4 weeks).
Bam testing out the new kit from Big Bang Dog Training All new equipment arrived in record time ready for the next Strong Dog Squad conditioning class on Monday. Safety is always my number 1 priority and the dense rubber crumb on these blocks reduces joint impact and provides a stable, non-slip surface to train on.
Slow, simple movements can tell us SO MUCH about your dog’s biomechanics and imbalances.
Although head turns look basic they incorporate so many things:
Neck and spinal flexibility
Core stability
Ability to shift weight from different limbs.
Difficulty with any of these things with mean your dog will struggle to perform the exercise correctly.
Dogs will often fix their tail in specific positions to use those muscles to compensate for weakness elsewhere.
Getting the right set up is everything! These videos were taken within minutes of each other. Little tweaks can put our dogs in a position to EXCEL 💪
♿️ Udo update ♿️
When I see patients with spinal cord injuries the primary aim is often to get them back walking, sadly for Udo that is unlikely to happen.
However there are many other things that we can work on to keep him happy, healthy and comfortable in his wheels.
Working on his postural stability, range of movement, spinal mobility and strength are hugely valuable and Udo continues to make amazing progress in these areas.
I am always blown away by Udo’s unwavering optimism and his lovely owner’s steadfast determination to do her absolute best for her boy, they are both hugely inspiring to work with and a testament to what can be achieved with a bit of hard work and unwavering love.
Today marks a whole year since the first official South West Vet Physio appointment 🎂🥂🍾 Huge thank you to everyone who has supported me on the journey so far especially Active Agility Events and Fun Shows for allowing me to attend their events, Orchard Vets, Glastonbury where my clinic space is based, Anna Widget's Farm for providing a space for my conditioning classes, ACPAT - The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy for the mentorship, profession support and CPD, every single person who has recommended me to a friends- it is honestly invaluable. And finally to my clients who have trusted me with their pets- I understand exactly how much your dog’s mean to you and their care is my utmost priority. Here’s to many more years of caring for dogs 🥂If off to celebrate with a dog walk 🐶
Why do a warm up? Because warm tendons are flexible tendons! 🔥
