Frontier Vet Physio

27/07/2023

It is summer, which unfortunately for our four-legged friends means intolerable heat and discomfort.

The condition where someone's body temperature reaches above 40 degrees Celcius is called heat stroke. This can be fatal for our pets! Heat stroke is best prevented by keeping your pets out of the sunshine during the hottest parts of the day, preventing intense exercise in high temperatures, and ensuring your pet has plenty to drink. However, if the worst does happen, its important to know what to do!

The RVC has published new information on heat-stroke treatment in dogs, with evidence showing that the old advice of slowly cooling your pet with wet towels is not adequate. Instead, pets with heat stroke should be rapidly cooled with immersion in water or by evaporation cooling, which is where the animal is cooled by wetting their coat and then using a fan to create air flow. The animal should be cooled before transport to your local vet hospital!

Remember - cool first, transport second.

This lovely infographic by the Kennel Club shows the signs to look for in your dogs during hot temperatures that may indicate heat stroke. Remember, if in doubt, call your vet!

21/03/2023

Massage Therapy with Frontier!

As part of her physio qualification, Emma is able to provide massage therapies to pets!
Massage is a relaxing, hands-on physical tool that is used to relieve tension in the muscles. Massage works by using friction, pressure and movement to release tension in the muscle, which can feel like knots or sore areas. It is excellent for helping to correct muscle overuse, to stimulate underused muscles, to relieve 'trigger points' (which are areas where the muscle fibres have contracted) and to improve blood flow in the area.
Some techniques that are used in massage include:
-Effleurage - stroking patterns across the skin or fur that increase the blood flow and stimulate the area for warm-ups
- Petrissage - movement of the area with increased pressure, using movements such as kneading or rolling the skin
- Percussive - gentle striking actions with cupped hands or the sides of hands to stimulate an area, or to break down fluid
- Compression - high pressure, stationary technique that allows blood flow to an area

Massage therapy is offered as part of our physiotherapy sessions! Why not inquire if you want to know more?
Contact Emma on +44 7507 440783 for more information on Frontier's services!

20/03/2023

This is a great video from Linda Ryan talking about playing with cats!

Playing with your cat can not only build a bond with your pet, but you can also help your cat to develop their muscles with play?

Or, if your cat is older, did you know that watching a toy is still mentally rewarding for your cat? This can be great for your senior cats who might not be so enthusiastic about pouncing, climbing or jumping about so often!

Why not try playing with your cat today?

20/03/2023

Scentwork is an excellent way to give your pup a workout without a long walk!

Not only is scentwork a brain workout for your dog, it is also an important part of their behaviour and letting them sniff leaves your dog feeling great! Scentwork can be as simple as hiding some treats for your dog around the house, or using things tea towels for them to dig under.

If you are trying to cut down your dog's walking time, or if your dog is on limited activity, scentwork can be a good way to tire them out without exerting themselves. Whilst you are on your walk, why not shorten your route and allow your dog the time to smell their surroundings instead?

Credit to Mighty Dog Graphics for the infographic.

With such beautiful weather at the moment why not make the most of it with a 'sniffari' walk- although our walks are limited in distance that doesn't mean they need to be limited in fun!

06/03/2023

Snow and ice is on the way, which means that our arthritic friends are likely to be more sore and stiff than usual.

Arthritis tends to worsen in cold weather, as its thought that cold weather heighens pain perception. This means our friends with arthritis hurt more when its cold. Therefore its important that our furry friends are kept warm in the snow and ice!

Here are some tips to help alleviate some of that extra stiffness in the cold:
- Get your dog a well fitting coat. Coats are good ways to keep the cold and wet away from your pet, and add an extra layer of insulation to the body.
- Use a heat pack to warm up the affected areas. Heat packs should be wrapped in a towel to protect the skin, and only applied for 10-15 minutes. This should warm up the area and reduce the pain.
- Massage sore or stiff areas before your walk or exercise to prepare the area before you go out.
- Restrict tiled areas. Many arthritic animals like to lie on tiled surfaces because its cold - but this can worsen the stiffness they feel in cold weather! A nice comfy bed is much better for them.
- Try some mental stimulation indoors! Trick training, rehabilitative exercise, or even sniff-mats with treats are all excellent ways to keep your pet stimulated and active even without a long walk, which may be more manageable for your pet.

Arthritis can feel like a big thing, but it can be managed effectively. For more information on how physiotherapy can help your pawly pet, contact Emma on messenger or visit our website: www.frontiervetphysio.co.uk

22/02/2023

Worming Reminder!

I have had a report from a local vet that there has been an increase in lungworm cases in the area recently. Lungworm is a parasite that is passed on to your pet when they eat slugs or snails and their slime trails. Lungworm cases can sadly be fatal, so it is really important to stay on top of their flea and worming treatments especially as the warmer months near.

Additionally, check that your wormer covers lungworm as some over-the-counter brands do not kill lungworm. For more information ask your vet about wormers!!

Don't forget to worm your pet!!

14/02/2023

With Valentine's Day and Easter comes chocolate, and with chocolate comes chocolate poisoning. Unfortunately for our furry friends, chocolate is poisonous, and can leave our best friends very poorly indeed. It is important to keep any chocolate far out of reach of any curious noses and always contact a vet if you suspect your beloved pet might have gotten into your Valentine's stash!

In the picture are signs of chocolate poisoning kindly created by the Kennel Club. For more information please see their post or go to thekennelclub.org.uk/chocolate

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It's usually a day full of love... and chocolate. Chocolate is poisonous to our four-legged friends and can give them a worryingly fast heart rate. On and around Valentine’s Day, make sure to keep all boxes of chocolates out of paw's reach of any dogs.

Find out more about chocolate poisoning: thekennelclub.org.uk/chocolate.

14/02/2023

Happy Valentine's Day to all our pet parents and lovely clients!

How will you be sharing your special day with your beautiful pets?

27/01/2023

This is an excellent post from Canine Conditioning Coach on the East-West angular limb deformity and how conditioning and rehabilitative exercise can be beneficial for these animals.

Canine conditioning should only be done through a custom program with a qualified canine conditioning coach, such as physiotherapists and canine conditioning coaches.

What exactly is "East West"? Does your dog have it? And which conditioning exercises can help?

In dogs, East West is an umbrella term that refers to any external rotation of the thoracic limb that results in the toes facing outward. Nebulous… My favorite🙄🤦‍♀️. Given that there are several distinct postural deviations that cause the toes to face outward, I wanted to cover each, and discuss…

1. Where in the canine anatomy the East West / lateral rotation is stemming from.
2. Help you identify which one your pup might have.
3. Discuss what might be done to improve this postural deviation.

⭐️(Link to the full post, including more descriptive images, and links to exercise tutorials at the bottom go the post)⭐️

1️⃣TYPE 1: TRUE East West / External Shoulder Rotation

In dogs, this East West deviation is sometimes referred to as ‘elbows turned in’ or ‘loose elbows’. But this postural deviation is not technically related to the elbow at all. The elbow is a hinge joint. It does not rotate. Instead, this East West deviation comes from a lateral or outward rotation of the humerus at the level of the shoulder joint. As the proximal humerus rotates laterally, the distal humerus and antebrachium rotate medially. As a result, this postural deviation can be easily identified by a narrowness between the elbows and antebrachium.

2️⃣TYPE 2: Carpal Valgus

Carpal valgus is a lateral deviation of the paw, from the line of the radius / ulna at the level of the wrist (carpal abduction). Dogs with carpal valgus do not display the external shoulder rotation and resulting narrowness as described above, or the dwarf mutation / angular limb deformity covered below. Instead this East West deviation is localized to the level of the dog’s carpus or wrist joint. There are several progressive degrees of this deviation ranging from mild to severe.

3️⃣TYPE 3: Angular Limb Deformity

All chondrodystrophic or dwarf breeds are all affected by some degree of angular limb deformity. This is the result of intentionally breeding the genetic mutation that produces short limbs… which create the breeds’ unique look and function. These genetics cause a premature closure of the distal ulnar growth plate, and a length discrepancy between the radius and ulna, resulting in the East West appearance through the forelimbs of dwarf breeds. As with any genetic trait, this postural deviation can be seen with more mild or more severe characteristics.

❓So what can we do to help dogs with East West Deviation?

The first step is identifying which specific deviation your pup is displaying, and getting checked out by a rehab professional or sports medicine vet to ensure the postural deviation is not the result of a past or current injury. True East West / External Shoulder Rotation and Carpal Valgus deviations are likely to be improved by targeted strengthening exercises.

💪Exercises for East West: External Shoulder Rotation

The following exercises help to address the strength and mobility discrepancy between the muscles in the rotator cuff. In all of these exercises, we are looking for the upper and lower forelimb to demonstrate less external rotation over time. These exercises may have prerequisites, all of which are listed at the bottom of each video tutorial.

📌Fold Back Down
📌Ipsilateral Foot Target
📌Manual Leg Lift
📌Bow

🤌Exercises for East West: Carpal Valgus

The following exercises help to strengthen the musculature on the medial aspect of the carpus. These exercises may have prerequisites, all of which are listed at the bottom of each video tutorial.

📌The Dig Dig exercise activates the caudal thoracic chain which runs along the back portion of the thoracic limb. These muscles have a primary action of carpal flexion, but also support the medial aspect of the carpus and assist in carpal adduction.

In the following exercise, we will leverage the shape of the PawPod to create a carpal bias, which re-aligns the paw, allowing the medial carpal stabilizers to work and strengthen.

📌PawPod Carpal Bias
📌Manual leg lift on Paw Pods

🛑Running in sand or gravel, or feeding from an elevated feeder are often suggested activities to help ‘fix” carpal valgus. And while there may be some mild positive changes attributed to these methods, this is not the best approach. We know from human physical therapy and fitness modalities, that implementing targeted exercise that produces neuromuscular re-education is far superior, faster and more effective long term. Teaching the dog to properly engage the deep and superficial digital flexors is the actual solution to the problem, and carries much less risk than running a dog repeatedly on gravel. For more on this topic, check out my blog post on neuromuscular re-education.

‼️Exercises for East West: Angular Limb Deformity

Dogs with Angular Limb Deformity will also benefit from targeted conditioning exercises, but require a more customized approach, and will see best results by working with a credentialed fitness professional (CPCFT, CCFT, CSCC) or a credentialed rehab professional (CCRP, CCRT) to build a Custom Program.

https://canineconditioningcoach.com/what-is-east-west-in-dogs-and-does-my-dog-have-that/

27/01/2023

Happy Friday everyone!

Its the last Friday of January already! Hasn't it just flown by! On the 5th of February Frontier will be celebrating 2 months of trading. Hasn't that gone quick?

What have you and your pets achieved throughout the month of January? Did you try a new walk? Did you master that tricky obstacle at Agility? Did you gain a new time at flyball? Why not let Frontier know in the comments!

23/01/2023

Core Exercise and the Bow-and-String Theory
You probably know that strengthening your dog's core muscles as part of your exercise regime is super important - but do you know why?
Its called the bow-and-string theory.
Think of a wooden longbow. You have the wooden handle and the string. The wooden handle can be likened to the spine of your dog. The wooden handle is where the power of the bow comes from. Its strong, flexible and doesn't break when pressure is applied. However, the bow does not form the classic shape if pressure is not applied.
The string is likened to the stomach muscles. When pressure is applied to the string of the bow, the wooden handle flexes and forms the power it needs to fire the arrow. This is exactly what happens when the core muscles are activated. The muscles flex the spine, giving it the power it needs to lift the weight of the body and support itself. It prevents the spine from bending towards the ground and becoming weak and painful.

The core muscles are also super important for balance! If your dog is struggling with walking on unstable or thin surfaces, core conditioning might be the best thing to look at.

For more information on core muscle strengthening, why not book a fitness session with Emma? Find out more at www.frontiervetphysio.co.uk

16/01/2023

Personal Time Off

This is just a reminder that Emma will be on annual leave from the 1st February and is returning for bookings on the 6th. Any messages will be responded to after this time. If you have an urgent message please leave her a message on Whatsapp and she will respond as soon as she can.

Thank you!

12/01/2023

Conditioning for Cats!

That's right, you can do exercises with your cats, and the great part about it is that its mostly just playtime!

This is Apollo, a 4 year old mixed breed tomcat, who is owned by Emma. Apollo is fit and healthy, and regularly goes outside.

In the video, Emma is playing with Apollo using a simple kicker toy, and encouraging him to stretch across the platforms, up and down the different levels, and onto different platforms. Because Apollo is a big cat, and due to the design of the cat tower, these platforms can be quite wobbly for Apollo - this instability means Apollo is using his core muscles and improving them, too!

Its important to keep our cats happy and healthy too. For more bespoke and tailored advice, contact Frontier on Facebook or Whatsapp.

11/01/2023

January is National Dog Walking Month!
Dog walking is one of the best ways to keep your dog healthy, as well as allowing you to bond?
Walks can be a great low-impact exercise for your pup, and are best kept to 30 minutes to an hour.
To make sure you're getting the most out of your walks, make sure you add a warm-up and cool-down to your walk by keeping your dog on their lead for the first and last 10 minutes.
Why not try playing some games whilst you walk as well? Something as simple as tossing a few treats along their path to sniff out and enjoy is a great way to encourage them to use their nose which will help make their walk exciting too!
Walking can be a great method of exercise, but for more comprehensive advice or a training regime, why not book a Fitness session with us? 1 hour of 1-to-1 time with a fully qualified vet physio who comes to YOU. Find out more at www.frontiervetphysio.co.uk or contact us on Whatsapp!

09/01/2023

Stretching For Beginners!
Stretching is a super important part of your fitness routine as it improves your pet's flexibility through its motion. This is great as it can help elongate your pet's strides, which will improve performance.
Frontier has put together some helpful tips to help you stretch with your pet. For more in-depth advice, contact us through Whatsapp or our website: www.frontiervetphysio.co.uk

06/01/2023

Exercise Focus: Sit-To-Stands

Sit-to-stands are a super common exercise that will be prescribed to help strengthen your dog's hind limbs! This exercise is great for targeting the hamstring and quadriceps muscle groups, which are essential to giving your dog speed and control.

Sit-to-stands should be controlled movements by your dog. Ideally, they should not need to move their feet at all to complete the movement, and will simply push up with their back legs to return to a standing position. Some dogs, especially those who have lost muscle in their back legs due to conditions such as arthritis, will have trouble with this. You can help them by placing your hands under the backs of their thighs, and gently help them lift up into a standing position.

Remember this will tire out your dog - so don't do too many in one go! 3-5 per session is usually a good amount (although this will depend on the individual) and you will notice your dog might be struggling a little towards the end! Over time and repetition your dog will find it easier and will soon be completing the exercises easily!

Sit-to-stands are common for exercise programs such as the ones Frontier designs. For more information, contact us using Whatsapp or Messenger and get your pet working better than ever!

05/01/2023

Warm Ups in Exercise!

Warming up is very important before you exercise - even if you are just having a walk! Warming up is shown to prevent injury and its a great way to prep yourself psychologically for the upcoming exercise or sport.

A warm-up's aim is to increase heartrate and circulation, and ensure the muscles are ready for work. When warming up your dog, you want to aim for your dog to be breathing faster, but not completely exhausted or out of breath, and you will be able to feel their warmth through their coat. Warming up will take longer on cold days, and will be faster on hot days. Take care not to overdo it at this stage - you don't want to completely exhaust your dog before you've had a chance to move on to your main sport!

Some ideas to get you started:
- A ten minute on-lead walk. This is useful for ALL exercise, including your daily walks.
- Tug-of-war. A great way to get your dog's hind legs working and active. You can encourage them to move side to side (keep their head and neck level) to warm up their core and get them ready to bend (great for weaving poles!)
- Backing up. Get your pet to move backwards away from you, moving one paw at a time (rather than shuffling or hopping backwards) several steps, and then reward them with a treat. To make this harder you can add in a small step as a target for them to place their feet onto.
- A massage! Massage can be a great way of warming up the muscle and loosening them up. Vigorous and strong hand movements over the body until a gentle warmth can be felt through the coat is an effective warm up.

For more tips and ideas that are tailored to you and your pet, why not book a fitness session with Frontier? 1 hour with a trained physiotherapist professional, and includes a bespoke exercise program just for you, for only £45 an hour. For more information visit www.frontiervetphysio.co.uk or message us on Whatsapp!

04/01/2023

January's Focus is on Sports and Fitness in prep for the upcoming season!
I have put together a poster for sports enthusiasts - whether agility or hoopers, flyball, or canicross! Hopefully these tips will help you to create something that elevates your fitness programme to the next level in 2023.
Frontier offers fitness and conditioning sessions - 1 hour with a trained professional who will put together an exercise programme tailored to you and your dog, with a focus on demoing exercises and stretches to ensure you understand and are comfortable with them.
For more information message Frontier on facebook or Whatsapp, or visit our website for more information at: www.frontiervetphysio.co.uk

03/01/2023

This is an excellent video explaining bunny hopping and why it is a problem.
Bunny hopping can be performed by the dog for a number of reasons, but it is a common method that a dog uses to lessen the strain on their back legs whilst running. This can be a sign of something going on with their back legs, and is definitely something that should be brought up to a vet or rehab professional.
The original post has some really wonderful information about it!

03/01/2023

Happy New Year everyone!

I realise that I haven't written much about myself here on the Frontier page, so I thought I would correct that today for our first post of 2023!

So, hello! My name is Emma, and I am the founder of Frontier, and a Veterinary Physiotherapist. I graduated from Harper Adams University with a Bachelor Degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy in 2022 and I created Frontier in October, 2022. Since graduating, I have qualified as a K-Laser operator, which means I can offer you Class IV laser therapy in your own home, and I am working on a hydrotherapy qualification.

I am also a member of the IRVAP (MIRVAP(VP)), which is a regulatory body for Veterinary Physiotherapists and other veterinary paraprofessionals. The IRVAP helps to protect both of us and the profession as a whole!

Outside of seeing all your lovely pets and animals, I love camping and outdoor sports, and I also have a long history of dance!

Is there anything else you would like to know about me? Let me know in the comments!

02/01/2023

This can also be really good mental stimulation for those pets that are struggling with more active lifestyles.
Mental stimulation can be just as healthy for your dog - 15 minutes of sniffing can be the same as an hour walk.
Why not try some of these methods with your pups? Let us know how it goes in the comments!

BOWLS ARE BORING
Observations show that many animals, including dogs will prefer to forage, hunt and actively seek out food rather than just having it freely available or presented in a bowl.
This behaviour is known as Contrafreeloading and is an occurrence where an animal will choose to put effort and work into seeking out food rather than eat food that is available for far less or no effort.
This may not make any sense to us – why go to all that effort when you could just have the food that is presented to you? Or why make my dog work for a basic need, you may ask? Surely that’s just not fair?
Foraging, hunting and seeking out food are natural, instinctive behaviours which are vital for the survival of any species. Even though our domesticated dogs don’t have to worry about this, this innate need for seeking is still a part of who they are.
In addition to this, seeking out food creates an increase in Dopamine – the feel-good hormone. It’s the pursuit of an opportunity, the excitement, the satisfaction and the sense of achievement and not the actual eating of the food that causes these feel-good emotions.
We control so much of our dog’s lives and in our modern lifestyles and environment many dogs have very little opportunity to engage in natural behaviours. Why not use food as an outlet to provide enrichment and allow them to engage in a very natural behaviour while increasing feel good hormones?
Contrafreeloading may not be true of all dogs. Dogs that are already provided with lots of opportunities to engage in natural behaviours may not gain any additional benefit as those needs are already being met. Some dogs may be really hungry or tired and prefer to have instant gratification. Every dog is an individual, but it’s worth considering the advantages of providing a simple outlet for this natural and instinctive behaviour. It will make your dog feel good!

01/01/2023

Happy new year to all our lovely followers!

I am so excited to enter the new year with you all and I'm so grateful for everyone who's already joined us.

To kick off the year, are there any topics you'd like to see covered through Facebook posts? Let us know in the comments!

25/12/2022

A very merry Christmas and Happy holidays from Frontier to all those who celebrate!

20/12/2022

Thank goodness its warmed up a bit and all that ice is gone!
Heres an excellent post by the BVA and the Met Office sharing some information about keeping your pet safe during the next cold snap.

Advice from the British Veterinary Association

16/12/2022

Christmas Hours
I am available throughout the coming Christmas period as normal, with the exception of the 21st and the 25th December where we are closed.
I am currently accepting clients and I am happy to take on emergency referrals over the christmas period as well, if the worst should happen and you need a physiotherapist quickly.
I am able to take emergency referrals from the Milton Keynes, Towcester, Onley and Leighton Buzzard areas.
Please note you will need veterinary consent/referral before I can go ahead and treat or assess, but these can be easily emailed to your vet and myself before your appointment.
Happy holidays everyone and have a happy new Year!

16/12/2022

This is a great video from the PDSA on how to create a tuggie toy for your dogs this christmas using nothing but an old tea towel!
Tug toys are a fabulous reward for your dog, and they are excellent physical and mental stimulation toys. They can also encourage your dog to use its hind leg muscles, which will help keep the muscles strong and healthy.
Mental stimulation is GREAT for pets that are unable to go out for long walks, and games are great for improving your relationship with your pet.
Have you ever made your pet their own toy? Would you like more information on mental stimulation games? Let us know in the comments below!

15/12/2022

With this cold weather, its important to know what to look out for. Here are the signs of hypothermia in pets, created by the PDSA, so that you know what to look out for in your animals.
Stay warm everyone!

Are our pets protected from the cold? 🤔❄️

Many people think that our pets are protected from the cold by all their fur, but this isn’t actually true. 🧊

Like us humans, our pets can also develop a dangerous and potentially deadly condition called hypothermia. Any pet can become seriously ill if the temperature of their body drops too low, and acting quickly and doing the right thing could save your pet’s life. If you suspect your pet may have hypothermia, it’s important to call your vet straight away and follow their advice. 👩‍⚕️⚠️

How to prevent hypothermia and what to do if your pet gets too cold; 👉 http://pdsa.me/3Ksd

14/12/2022

With temperatures set to plunge over the coming days, consider putting a coat on old dogs or dogs with thin fur to keep them warm during winter walks.

Take a look at other top tips to keep your pets safe from winter hazards. http://ow.ly/2lBU50HBfzB

14/12/2022

Here in Milton Keynes, we've had a lot of snow recently!
But did you know that the cold can affect your pet's arthritis?

Cold weather has been shown to increase the levels of pain felt within arthritis affected joints.

However, there are things you can do to combat this!

Applying a heat pad to your dog (such as a microwaveable wheat cushion wrapped in a tea towel) can help warm up stiff joints in the home and alleviate the pain that stiffness can bring. Dog jackets are also great ways of keeping your dog warm, especially when on a walk. You can even add a fleece jacket underneath their waterproof jacket to help lock in that warmth. Some dogs have naturally thick coats and so these aren't needed for these animals, but for those with thinner coats, it may be worth looking into.

Animals with arthritis tend to enjoy lying on cold floors, such as tiled floors. In colder weather, this can make things worse. By encouraging your pet to use a pet bed rather than the floor, this can help keep your pet warmer and reduce some of the stiffness they feel.

With cold weather comes ice. Ice is very slippery and unfortunately slips and trips can exacerbate symptoms. Placing rugs down in the home can help, but what about on walks? Doggie boots can not only help prevent slips, but it also prevents salt burns from the grit, keeping your pet much more comfortable.

Walks are super important, even with snow and ice on the ground! If you are able to take your pet out, make sure that yours walks are short and sweet - shorter, more frequent walks are much more managable for an arthritic pet than very long ones! For days where arthritis symptoms are likely to be exaggerated, such as snowy days, it is better to keep them on a lead so they do not overexert themselves. After your walk is done, make sure your pet is thoroughly dry and warm.

Enjoy some beautiful photos of our local park here in Frontier - yes, the canal is frozen over! Have you taken any beautiful photos out on your dog walks? Share them here!