Vita Vitalis Animal Physiotherapy

27/10/2024

Day 1 of The Elephant Osteopathy Workshop in Thailand. A morning session of Comparative Anatomy and Physiology then Observation and Treatments Techniques. In the afternoon a Walk with the Giants. 🐘🐘 Today we had Chock Petch, a 5 year old male and his guardian and Matriarch, Beau, 48 years old. A glimpse of the Bull Elephant and the Water Buffalo, Tuk, doing what Water buffalo’s do best!

26/09/2024

Today is National Animal Therapist Day
🐕🐈‍⬛🐇🐎🫏🦙🐑🐄🐖🦆🦝🦨🦔🦦🐘🦣🦤🦖…
This is a day to celebrate and be thankful for the hard and passionate work of all animal therapists.
Massage therapists, physiotherapists, osteopaths and other specialist complimentary therapists who work hard to keep our pets and working animals fit and healthy alongside owners and veterinarians - internationally.
A multidisciplinary team for the benefit of our beloved animal friends. 💝
Photo is me on the beautiful Petunia in Wyoming. She has her wings, but she was a super horse 🖤

31/08/2024

Never stop learning. 🤓 🐕 🐈‍⬛ 🐎 🐘

25/06/2024

A timely message from Dr David Marlin

🐎🐕SUMMER, HEAT, HORSES & DOGS!🐎🐕

With the promise of summer finally arriving in the UK early next week, we’ll be posting regularly with advice about how to keep your animals 🐕🐎safe and comfortable in the hot weather, but in the meantime, you can check out the website for these FREE RESOURCES

🐕 https://drdavidmarlin.com/managing-dogs-in-hot-weather/
🐎 https://drdavidmarlin.com/best-practice-for-horses-in-a-heatwave/
☀️ https://drdavidmarlin.com/heatwave-poster-print-and-share/

Below is a little graphic to get the ball rolling! Many people are still under the misapprehension that a thick coat can keep an animal such as a dog insulated from the heat! That could only be true if the animal in question wasn't producing any heat, i.e. it was dead! Animals continually produce heat at rest (let alone exercise) and have to get rid of it continually to avoid overheating. The main route they get rid of heat is at their BODY SURFACE! The process of heat loss through this route is known as CONVECTION & EVAPORATION (if sweat is being produced). They can also lose heat by CONDUCTION if they lay down on a surface cooler than their skin/hair surface. If the body surface is covered in hair, then this acts as insulation and slows down the release of heat! The more/thicker the hair, the slower the heat loss.

Many people seem to believe a dog's coat has magical properties and keeps dogs cool in the heat. (Interestingly, horse owners don't believe this about horses) It doesn't. Hair is dead, not living. It obeys the laws of physics. It traps air in the same way human clothing does and slows down heat loss. The only instance where hair helps keep an animal cool is when the air temperature is higher than the body temperature. Under these conditions, the animal must rely or sweating and panting to lose heat.

Physics is physics! Physiology is physiology! :)

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST!

24/06/2024

https://drdavidmarlin.com/managing-dogs-in-hot-weather/

Dr David Marlin’s top tips to help you manage your dog in the heat – a few simple principles can help you keep your pet/s comfortable and safe in the hottest summer months. AVOIDING the heat is the best approach. Some basics are: Walk in the early morning or late evening Reduce activity e.g. kee...

15/05/2024

Princess is making astonishing progress and this is 100% down to the dedication of her human slaves ensuring she completes her daily therapeutic exercises! Here she is rocking the Canine Rebalance paw bars - with a little help from some cheese! 🧀

11/05/2024

A very interesting post written by Holly Barker at SportDog Nutrition regarding solar storms and the geomagnetic effects on dogs - especially working dogs and epileptic dogs.
I would be interested to know if you have seen differences in your dogs behaviour over the past few days of high solar activity? 🐕

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Mk2h7JSb2nWuHbV3/

Solar storms and how it may impact your dogs.

Scientific studies have repeatedly demonstrated that dogs are sensitive to geomagnetic changes.

Currently the earth is experiencing a powerful solar storm. It's effects on our dogs should not be underestimated. Especially our sensitive working dogs who are bred to have a heightened sense of direction. Dogs who are anxious or nervous may experience exacerbated symptoms. Dogs are sensitive to even small changes in the earth's magnetic field, this current storm is big and disruptive.

Epileptic dogs and people may be affected. There is a huge body of evidence relating to solar storms and seizures, have a little Google, there's too many relevant bits of literature to post here.

What can you do? Dogs are at increased risk of becoming disorientated in new environments, keep them on lead, in sight, have a heightened awareness of where they are. For dogs who rely on their sense of direction for work such as sheepdogs working hills, search and rescue dogs, tracking dogs, hunting dogs and trail dogs, it might be worth evaluating putting off any work where a dog may get lost. This is not me being a f***y either, I've already heard of a couple of normally savvy dogs becoming lost and disoriented in the north of Scotland, out of character for them.

In humans existing mental health conditions can worsen temporarily, particularly conditions caused by or associated with trauma, where your integral ability to orientate becomes distrupted and makes you feel unsafe, increasing anxiety and hypervigilance. This change in your presentation can also impact your dogs.

Just something to be aware of. As much as it sounds like hippy woo woo nonsense, I can assure you, it's a thing.

"the idea that animals can detect Earth’s magnetic field has traveled the path from ridicule to well-established fact in little more than one generation. Dozens of experiments have now shown that diverse animal species, ranging from bees to salamanders to sea turtles to birds, have internal compasses. Some species use their compasses to navigate entire oceans, others to find better mud just a few inches away."

https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/article/61/3/29/413382/Magnetoreception-in-animalsDetermining-how-animals

(Google stock image)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259472878_Dogs_are_sensitive_to_small_variations_of_the_Earth's_magnetic_field

08/05/2024

This is Princess. 💕
Princess had a suspected intervertebral disc prolapse and was unable to walk. Just a couple of weeks later, she is up and about and making good strides. We are working on resolving the outstanding neurological deficits, strengthening her core, and enhancing proprioception and functional movement patterns.

29/03/2024

A few more photos of my experience learning osteopathic techniques on Asian Elephants at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF Helping Elephants) in Thailand. 🐘🐘

This was not just CPD, this was an experience I will never forget, and one which I intend to repeat as soon as possible. It brought me so much more than practical knowledge and experience as a physiotherapist, it also took me on an emotional journey where I started to rediscover happiness and peace. Something I thought I might never find again. The ligatures of grief have started to loosen and I need to continue that journey.

Elephants are extremely intelligent and emotional animals and this means you cannot approach them with any of your own emotional baggage. You must first calm your mind, free your thoughts and exist in that very moment. This gift of being in the presence of gentle giants, being guided by their needs, but never forgetting they have their own minds and issues, is beautiful and enormously fulfilling. In healing them, they can heal us too.

I cannot thank Tony Nevin, Emily King and the GTAEF enough. Looking forward to the next time. 🩶🐘🩶🐘🩶🐘🩶💛❤️

13/03/2024

By way of a happy coincidence, our first day here coincides with Thailands National Elephant Day. The Mahouts had gathered a feast of fruit and veg for their wards which, as you can see, the elephants were very excited about! 🩶

12/03/2024

Every year, as therapists, we have to prove our commitment to continuing professional development. This year, I’m going all out with a trip to Thailand to learn all about treating elephants 🐘🐘🐘
Please follow my Insta page for updates.

https://www.instagram.com/vita_vitalis_animal_physio?igsh=MWF5a2U1amE3NWpubw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

16/06/2023

14/06/2023

🥵Heat Stroke🥵
The best option is avoidance… Don’t walk your dog in this weather! However, even if you follow all advice, sometimes older animals, dogs with thicker coats and animals who are unwell may suffer despite best efforts.

Currently the best advice for treating heatstroke is cold water immersion (CWI). Cool them quickly, not slowly. Cold water means 10-20C, so from your hose is ideal and should avoid cold water shock. Move the animal to the shade, hose them down thoroughly and call a vet.

If symptoms diminish - panting subsides and lucidity improves - you can probably reduce the flow of water. Always consult a vet anyway to check core body temperature is returning to normal, and so they can assess any other potential consequences.

https://drdavidmarlin.com/managing-dogs-in-hot-weather/ #:~:text=HEATSTROKE%20is%20a%20MEDICAL%20EMERGENCY,temperature%20and%20call%20your%20vet!

Dr David Marlin’s top tips to help you manage your dog in the heat – a few simple principles can help you keep your pet/s comfortable and safe in the hottest summer months. AVOIDING the heat is the best approach. Some basics are: Walk in the early morning or late evening Reduce activity e.g. kee...

26/04/2023

And reeelaaaax… Julio enjoying his post treatment snooze. 💙

03/03/2023

How physio can help your arthritic pet 🐾

Following on from our post yesterday, if you suspect your dog or cat has arthritis and you do not already have a physio, head over to our website and search our directory for a professional near you!

Search our directory here: www.wellpethub.com

15/02/2023

I have just completed a short course regarding ongoing management of canine osteoarthritis - the CAMadvocate Level 1. 🤓

Dogs appear to have accelerated rates and timescales for developing osteoarthritis (OA) and it is the most common cause of chronic pain in dogs. It is also the leading cause of elective euthanasia 💔 OA affects 80% of dogs over the age of 8 years old, and potentially up to 35% of dogs of all ages.

Until it is determined why dogs suffer with this disease state so much, the best we can do is manage the treatment to provide comfort. Lame and grumpy is not just old age, it is suffering, and I can help you make life better for them. 💛🐾

01/02/2023

Golden Retrievers getting the short end of the stick again (4th most affected breed) 😕

In most cases, cranial cruciate ligament ruptures require surgical repair, however conservative management is also possible. There are a number of studies which show physical rehabilitation may be at least as important as surgical intervention in providing a functional outcome. Notwithstanding, the progression of osteoarthritis is often accelerated following CCL rupture. Physiotherapy can improve the outcome of both conditions. 💛

🐕 A new study from the RVC explores the reasons for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture in dogs in the UK, as well as the factors influencing how it is managed clinically. The research also identifies which breeds are most at risk of CCL, with this list including popular breeds such as Rottweilers, Bichon Frise and West Highland White Terriers.

➡️ Read more at: https://rvc.uk.com/rottweiler-ccl

12/11/2022

Never stop learning. Full day of CPD.