East Midlands Clinical Canine Massage & Rehabilitation Therapies

05/11/2024

Do you know what to look for when it comes to Omega 3 supplements for your dog?

Omega 3 is one of the few nutraceuticals with evidence based science suggesting that supplementation can be a natural method of decreasing inflammation and pain associated with arthritis for your dog.

DHA & EPA are the best sources of omega 3’s (not found in veggies & seed oil)
🙏 Dr. Karen Becker for your great post

Remember if using,or about to use, always speak to your Vet to check if it’s ok for your dog and that there’s no drug interactions.

Remember, when shopping for a good source of omega-3’s (DHA & EPA), you won’t find them in vegetable🥥🌽🫒 & seed🥜🌰 oils. And that’s because your pets' can’t convert plant sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) efficiently enough to DHA or EPA to meet their daily requirements.

These fatty acids, DHA & EPA, which are the preferred form of omega-3 fatty acids for dogs and often are derived from fish or a marine, ocean-­ sourced oil (salmon, krill, squid, mussels, etc.), have been shown to reduce inflammation and boost brain regeneration (including increasing canine BDNF). The real superheroes are the substances contained in the marine oils, the resolvins. These compounds block inflammation from occurring and resolve existing inflammation. Other types of healthy oils and fats (including h**p, chia, and flax oil) do not contain resolvins or DHA and EPA.

04/11/2024

November is 𝗣𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵,

The month aims to raise awareness of pet cancer, including its signs, prevention, and treatment

To learn about the relationship between cancer and pain access our webinar 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 see this webinar

www.zeropainphilosophy.com/webinars

For further info Q&A’s

https://bsava.com/article/cancer-in-pets-qa/ #:~:text=1%20November%202023,with%20cancer%20in%20their%20lifetime.

🙏The Zero Pain Philosophy

November is 𝗣𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵, highlighting what is a common and varied disease. “𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.” (2023, Cancer in Pets- Q&A, BSAVA) Advancements in treatment options mean more animals have the potential to live longer.

What are the impacts of cancer pain? Pain resulting directly from the malignancy worsens as the disease advances. However, pain can also result from the modalities used to treat the disease. Pain management is an essential part of any treatment plan.

Pain impacts our patients' quality of life. So, whether the treatment intention is curative or palliative, we must ensure that our patients receive adequate analgesia throughout.

To learn about the relationship between cancer and pain access our webinar 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 presented by Louise Clark BVMS CertVA DipECVAA MSc (Clinical Management of Pain) FRCVS EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia & Analgesia RCVS Recognised Specialist. In this webinar, Louise shares with us the mechanisms driving cancer pain and the impacts of pain on human cancer patients. She also discusses how this evidence can translate to our veterinary patients.

www.zeropainphilosophy.com/webinars

04/11/2024

💥 Fireworks & Noise Phobia- links with pain 💥

🎧Did you know? Noise phobia also has strong links with chronic pain!

Dog noise anxiety can happen in response to any type of loud noise including fireworks, thunderstorms, gunshots, sirens, alarms, electronic noises, car horns, vacuum cleaners, and more.

The level of fear a dog feels/shows can vary from mild nervousness to outright panic... and everything in between.

Dogs may have so-called “inhibited signs” such as:
* whining
* trembling
* panting
* salivating
* clinginess
* cowering
* refusing to eat
Other dogs may be more reactive, showing signs such as:
* pacing
* barking
* hiding
* running
* escaping
* destructive behaviour
* aggression
* over grooming

Dogs which show fear or anxiety when faced with loud or sudden noises should be routinely assessed for pain by veterinarians, a study by
Professor Daniel Mills from the University of Lincoln's School of Life Sciences has found (Mills 2018).

Researchers believe that pain, which is often undiagnosed, could be exacerbated when a noise makes the dogs tense up which puts extra stress on muscles or joints which are already inflamed, leading to your dog associating a loud or startling noise with pain.

If you have a dog that is showing signs of reactive behaviour to noise, especially in later life, It is worth considering get them checked over by your vet or musculoskeletal therapist. They possibly could have an issue. (Ana Luisa Lopes Fagundes et al., 2018)

References:-
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323154339_Noise_Sensitivities_in_Dogs_An_Exploration_of_Signs_in_Dogs_with_and_without_Musculoskeletal_Pain_Using_Qualitative_Content_Analysis/fulltext/5a83960ea6fdcc6f3eb29289/Noise-Sensitivities-in-Dogs-An-Exploration-of-Signs-in-Dogs-with-and-without-Musculoskeletal-Pain-Using-Qualitative-Content-Analysis.pdf?origin=publication_detail

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180320100719.htm

04/11/2024

Always consider pain.

“NO ONE can rule out another being’s PAIN.
NO ONE. Not me. Not you. Not a Doctor. Not a Vet”

Dogs are very stoic animals and hide their pain very well, so it’s important to learn to recognise even the most subtle signs of pain. We need to get to get away from this myth that if your dog is not crying whimpering or whining that they are not in pain.

A patient’s verbal report of pain is the single reliable indicator of pain (Yildirim et al., 2015).

Human healthcare KNOWS we are reliant on verbal description for true understanding of another person’s pain.

Dogs cannot speak to us to let us know when they are in pain, so its up to us to understand the signs and behaviour changes they show us instead.

We are the our dog's voices - let's advocate for them as much as we can!

03/11/2024

Thank you for all those that shared the importance of harness wearing and potential neck injuries caused by collars.

For those that asked here’s some excellent research by Anne Carter and colleagues at Nottingham Trent University, they looked at the potential impact of pulling on the lead and the related pressure on the neck, using a variety of collar-types and styles.

“Canine collars: an investigation of collar type and the forces applied to a simulated neck model”
Carter, A. J., McNally, D. and Roshier, A.L. 2020. Canine collars: an investigation of collar type and the forces applied to a simulated neck model. Veterinary Record.
Copyright © British Veterinary Association 2020
Available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.105681

For your interest
⬇️

https://heatstroke.dog/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/final-canine-collars-an-investigation-of-collar-type-and-the-forces-applied-to-a-simulated-neck-model.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2kfmxGfQKGIRi0Co8M41jJapgVjkrM1j8nsMwO7aq1JyBDR5zcfj52WxM_aem_ZeT30IRKiNLQdZEezYsaLA

03/11/2024

✨Impact of stairs on your dogs muscles & joints✨

🤔So how many times a day does your dog run up and down the stairs ?
What speed do they go at?

😢 Allowing your dog to repetitively go up & down the stairs at speed could be doing harm to your dogs muscles, joints & ligaments.

⬆️What goes up
Ascending the stairs puts extra stress on your dogs hind limbs
-hip
-stifle
-tarsal joints

⬇️Must come down
Descending the stairs puts extra stress on your dogs forelimbs
-Shoulder
-Elbow & Carpal joints

Now stairs aren’t all bad, the movement of going up and down stairs can provide some dogs with exercise to strengthen the muscles of their body (hind limbs and forelimbs), but should be done under control, without speed and moderately.

So please consider
~restricting access to the stairs with a stair gate (especially for dogs with orthopaedic conditions, & young puppies).
~limiting the speed and frequency of stair use

It’s the little things we can do to help our dogs have a pain free happy life!

No dogs were harmed in the photo 🤣

For more info
https://caninearthritis.co.uk

02/11/2024

🥳Excited as today is the first Saturday of the month and this can only mean one thing, YES! It’s the Musculoskeletal PAIN Awareness Clinic at East Midlands Clinical Canine Massage & Rehabilitation Therapies

Please remember PAIN is a perception and the only one who is feeling that sensation, at whatever sensitivity is the dog. Until dogs can speak, we have no idea how they are perceiving it.
We just have to watch for the subtle signs.
Possible Signs of Pain:-
- Constant licking
- Panting
- Pacing
- Nibbling at certain areas of the body,
- Persistent itching in a concentrated area,
- Anxious or depressed behaviour
- Aggressive/grumpy behaviour
- Inappropriate toileting behaviour
- Lethargy
- Can’t settle , esp at night
- Unusual vocalisation/yelping
- Limping,
- Abnormal gait/walking behaviour
- Stiffness,
- Skin dysfunction,
- Gut dysfunction.

and many more ……….

If you would like to learn more about pain or worried your dog may be experiencing musculoskeletal pain, I’m here to help and advise, my details are below. ⬇️

📧 [email protected]
📞 07418 082 240

02/11/2024

Drakey here last week for his maintenance session

🌟Maintenance Clinical Massage Sessions🌟

👩🏻‍🎓Maintenance sessions are useful to keep your dog mobile and are recommended to help manage chronic pain. It is an effective treatment for dogs with arthritis, orthopaedic and neurological conditions, senior dogs, over-weight dogs, as well as an ideal pre & post season treatment for performance and working dogs; keeping them in great shape.

👩🏻‍🎓 Clinical canine massage isn’t something you just ‘have’. It’s not just about fixing things, it’s about preventing things; a proactive approach rather than a reactive one.

🤔If you would like to book or discuss how Lisa can help your dog, my details are below. ⬇️

📧 [email protected]
📞 07418 082 240

🌍 Lisa is a musculoskeletal & rehabilitation therapist, and is based in Nottingham and has clients from the East Midlands; she covers Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, & Northampton.

All clinical canine sessions are delivered in the comfort of the purpose built clinic which is based in South Nottingham, and is designed specifically to cater for your dog’s treatment sessions, including equipment for Canine Postural/Gait Analysis, laser and tailored Canine Conditioning and Rehabilitation Programmes.

To find out more about the services Lisa has to offer, you can also visit her website;
🌐 https://www.emccm.co.uk

01/11/2024

Musculoskeletal Canine PAIN Clinic at East Midlands Clinical Canine Massage & Rehabilitation Therapies

These are run the first Saturday of the month by a Canine Arthritis Management Veterinary Practitioner to assess MSK pain in your dog and observation-based owner questionnaires and clinical measurement instruments (CMIs) to assess your dog’s pain.

❗️But my dog isn’t in pain❗️
Owners often tell me: -
* My dog isn’t in pain, I have just run 10 miles with them
* My dog isn’t in pain, they are not vocalising
* My dog isn’t in pain they are still playing and chasing the ball
* My dog isn’t in pain we’ve just spent the weekend competing in agility
* My dog isn’t in pain, they’ve been playing with the grandchildren all weekend.

And my favourite
* My dog isn’t in pain, they would tell me!!

And the list goes on!
Now I understand what you’re all saying really. How can my dog be in pain if they can do all these activities? Surely they wouldn’t? But Yes they would. Consider though your dog could be in pain? Dogs are very stoic animals and hide their pain very well, so it’s important to learn to recognise even the most subtle signs of pain. We need to get to get away from this myth that if your dog is not crying whimpering or whining that they are not in pain.

Now please don’t go away thinking that ALL dogs are in pain and that you must book a visit to your Vets straight away to get your dog checked, all I’m asking is to you to be aware of pain and look for subtle changes in your dogs such as:-

* Struggles when jumping on/off furniture, reshuffles to make the jump/ has near misses/ or is even unable to perform this jump)

* Gait Change (e.g. slower, stiffer, shorter strides, sways hips when walking, lameness, skip in a stride, bunny hopping, unsteadiness)

* Posture and Physical Appearance Change (e.g. losing weight of back end, pulls hind limbs under torso, saggy topline, roached back, overdeveloped shoulder and chest region)

* Capability Change (e.g. slowing down on walks, not able to perform daily tasks like they use to)

✨If you’re worried that your dog may have musculoskeletal pain and wish to book an assessment or want advice, I run a musculoskeletal pain assessment clinic the first Saturday of the month, my details are below. ⬇️
I’m here to help.

📧 [email protected]
📞 07418 082 240

31/10/2024

Enjoy your pumpkins 🎃
Thanks at CAM4animals

Pumpkins are nutrient rich & good for gut health. Birds love the seeds and the flesh can be buried for mini beasts. Keep away from hedgehogs.

29/10/2024

✨Today is National Cat Day✨

Today as it’s , I wanted to hi-light pain in CATS and to spread the word about feline osteoarthritis and to raise public awareness.
YES! Cats get osteoarthritis too. ⬇️

‼️80% of cats over the age 12 have osteoarthritis

‼️90% of cats of ALL ages have radiographic changes in at least one joint

‼️ 14% of OA in cats also obesity

‼️ 25% of cat have a neuropathic component to OA
(ref Mary Ellen Goldberg

https://bvna.org.uk/blog/a-look-at-chronic-pain-in-cats-by-mary-ellen-goldberg/)

Most cat owners will think their cat is just being naughty or stubborn but consider your cat could be in pain. Some obvious signs of arthritis and pain in cats are
-Dirty and matted coat- unable to groom
- Don’t use ior miss litter box
-Difficulty in walking
-Stiff gait
-Lameness in one or more legs
-Apparent lethargy
- Reluctance to jump
- Heavily clumsily landing jumping
- Inability or reluctance to climb or descend stairs
- Refusing to jump (most cats like to be positioned high)
- Unexpected aggression
- Sudden aversion to touch
- Swollen or stiff joints
- unwilling to go outside

If you’re worried that your cat has OA, please contact your vet, they will able to help with a diagnosis, treatment & management plan.

For more information please read:-

https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/orthopedics/diagnosis-and-management-of-feline-osteoarthritis/

27/10/2024

Had a wonderful run around Holme Pierrepont lake this morning, it was lovely to see so many of you out with your dogs, but I was saddened to see quite a few dogs running with their owners and being “pulled” around on a collar and lead. Two of the dogs were limping/lame. So I thought I’d share this post to hi light the reasons why.

Please please consider a harness if you’re running with your dog
Rant over , sorry!
I’m always here to offer FREE advice

✨Structures around your Dogs Neck ✨

Collar V Harness. Always a controversial subject, here’s the reason why I will always prefer a harness for your dog to protect those important structures around your dogs neck. Contrary to believe harnesses do NOT encourage your dog to pull, (always hearing this), lead pulling is often a training issue.

🤔 Did you know that if your dog pulls on a collar/ head collar/halti, you may be harming and causing damage to structures around your dog’s neck?
Please read …

~Muscles:- collar damage can cause contusions, strains, pain, injury to the muscles of the neck

~ Spinal cord & nerves:- collar damage may result in narrowing of the spinal canal,osteoarthritis and herniated discs, can also impinge the nerves causing pain and impaired neurological functions

- Nerves:-The vagus nerve is one of the most important structures of your dog’s nervous system. It originates at the neck level and it controls multiple life-essential organs such as the heart, lungs, stomach and the intestinal tract. Restricting the blood to this nerve may lead to dysfunction in these systems in your dog.

~Arteries & Veins:- collar damage may cause pressure on these blood vessels causing higher blood pressure in the brain and raised intra-ocular pressure, long-term effects may be impaired blood circulation in the brain.
Pulling on the neck increases pressure on the jugular vein. This can cause a build-up of pressure around the brain or can affect the flow of cerebral-spinal fluid, either of which can lead to epilepsy in pre-disposed dogs.

~Larynx & Oesophagus:- collar damage may cause difficulties in swallowing & choking and shortness of breath in your dog.

~Trachea:- collar damage may cause the cartilage rings to flatten or break, resulting in a narrower diameter and thus respiratory problems

-Hyoid apparatus:- a group of bones and cartilages that suspend the tongue and larynx. Trauma to these structures can cause damage and even fractures. (Thankfully very rare).

-Thyroid Gland. In a July 2015 Peter Dobias, DVM, notes the high rate of thyroid disease among large breeds of dogs who often pull strongly when on-leash
The thyroid gland is located in your dog's neck, where it produces thyroid hormones including thyroxine (T4), along with several other important thyroid hormones. When dogs pull, the thyroid gland can become inflamed and attacked/destroyed by the dog’s own immune system. This damage can cause a deficit of thyroid hormone and is termed “hypothyroidism”

-Structures around the eye. Scientists have found that pressure inside the eye was significantly increased when pressure was applied to a dog’s neck from its collar. Increased eye pressure can create additional problems for dogs already suffering from corneas, glaucoma, or eye injuries.

🙏 If you’re pulling the dog along by the collar or your dogs in front pulling you, please, please consider your dogs neck and the damage this can cause to your dog. Please consider a correctly fitted harness.

References:-

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4925585/

https://www.k9bridle.com/dogs-that-pull-on-the-lead/

https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2020/05/collars-risk-causing-neck-injuries-in-dogs,-study-shows

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/dog-collar-injuries-can-cause-thyroid-disease #:~:text=One%20cause%20of%20hypothyroidism%20that%20is%20often%20missed&text=Trauma%20to%20the%20thyroid%20gland,to%20injuries%20by%20dog%20collars.

-injuries
,
- -dogs

27/10/2024

ABSOLUTELY
Always consider pain. Dogs are very stoic animals and hide their pain very well, so it’s important to learn to recognise even the most subtle signs of pain. We need to get to get away from this myth that if your dog is not crying whimpering or whining that they are not in pain.
🙏 Dynamic Dog for this post. Especially love these powerful words
“NO ONE can rule out another being’s PAIN.
NO ONE. Not me. Not you. Not a Doctor. Not a Vet”

This is becoming a welfare issue!

Im tired of hearing “the vet says there is no pain” by a guardian after they have taken their dog to the vet. It leaves me deflated and frustrated and feeling so sorry for the dog.

Myth Bust:

PAIN CANNOT BE RULED OUT IN ANY ANIMAL (dog, cat, horse or hamster), by anyone!

* A quick palpation - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

WHY?

The dog may shut down due to environmental factors or dislike of a strange human touching them, they keep still to get it over with ASAP!

The dog may be over aroused or overwhelmed by the clinical environment (excited/scared etc) to the point that adrenaline is so high it blocks pain!

* Blood Tests - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

There is currently NO blood test that can detect pain.

* Diagnostic imaging - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

Yes they can pick up a variety of conditions, but even the GOLD standard MRI doesn’t pick up everything, but NONE of them can detect PAIN.

Just because a source cannot be found doesn’t mean there is no pain.

PAIN is subjective, it is whatever that being (human or animal) perceives it to be!

Pain can come in many different forms, it is extremely complex, and can effect the individual in many different ways. A dog may get injured, the injury may have healed, but the pain remains … this is known as maladaptive pain.

Behaviour can be a HUGE indicator for PAIN:

* There could be a change of behaviour that has been directly caused by PAIN.

* There could be a worsening of behaviour due to an increase or new presence of PAIN.

* There could be a lack of “normal” behaviour due to PAIN.

* There could be behaviours that are present but that the guardian/owner don’t deem to be problematic that are indicators of PAIN.

* The dog may have ALWAYS displayed behaviours that are indicators of PAIN, but they have been ignored and put down to “just the way they are”.

* There may be NO problematic behaviours at all …. And the dog might still be in PAIN!

* The dog might be energetic, always on the go … and still be in PAIN.

* The dog might be lazy … and still be in PAIN.

* The dog may zoom up and down stairs … and still be in PAIN.

Diagnosing PAIN is not simple and can be difficult to get on top of.

A PAIN relief trail can be great! But often only one type of analgesic is tried and sometimes this doesn’t get results leading to the ASSUMPTION that there is no PAIN!

Here’s why:

* The drug was only trialed for 2 weeks - when living with chronic pain it can take longer to relieve. 2 weeks is not enough.

* The drug used wasn’t targeted to the type of pain the animal is feeling; soft tissue, bone, nerve or a combination of all.

It might take a number of different medications or a combination OVER TIME to see a difference.

ALWAYS keep in mind, NO ONE can rule out another being’s PAIN.

NO ONE. Not me. Not you. Not a Doctor. Not a Vet.

26/10/2024

✨This is Lenny, smashing his rehab programme last week

Rehabilation Programmes East Midlands Clinical Canine Massage & Rehabilitation Therapies

The goal of physical rehab is to achieve the best quality of life with the highest level of function and independence possible while decreasing pain

There are a number of benefits to rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is essential for:-
(Sharp, 2008; Riviere, 2007):

-The most important is pain relief
-Increase and maintain muscle strength and flexibility
-Joint mobility
-Promote and restore normal movement patterns
-Increase cardiovascular fitness
-Combat acute and chronic inflammatory processes
-Improve blood perfusion and consequently tissue growth
-Prevent adhesions, fibrosis and tissue retraction
-Stimulate the nervous system and prevent neurapraxia
-Promote the healing process.

🤔If you would like to know more about rehabilitation or wish to discuss how I can help your dog, my details are below. ⬇️

📧 [email protected]
📞 07418 082 240

25/10/2024

Here I go again…. Myofascia Pain. A subject I’m so passionate about. So proud to be a Canine Massage Guild therapist trained in the Lenton Method® to treat muscular and myofascial conditions in dogs.
Please read and share to spread awareness of myofascia pain in dogs.

21/10/2024

It’s been a pleasure to have Penny at East Midlands Clinical Canine Massage & Rehabilitation Therapies for her assessment today
Such a sweat sensitive soul, I feel so honoured to be a part of your treatment regime. Look at those eyes ❤️

21/10/2024

✨The Power of Massage✨

I always say my hands are my “tools”.
As a canine musculoskeletal therapist, I can detect subtle changes in tones, texture, temperature & tenderness. As well as locating muscle strains, ligament sprains, trigger points etc.

There are a lot of mechanical electrotherapy devices marketed towards canine therapy and in fact I use some of them if clinically indicated in my Clinic; laser, PEMF, TENS & NMES. There’s plenty of evidence to indicate that they have a significant contribution in rehabilitation in the canine patient.

However I feel my hands are my main tools for clinical treatment and here’s why:-

Fingertips are supremely sensitive to touch, pressure and texture. This is due to a high density of specialised nerve endings called Meissner's corpuscles and Merkel cells, which are located in the skin of the fingertips. These nerve endings are highly responsive to changes
in pressure, texture, temperature and vibrations,
allowing me to detect fine details to adjust speed, pressure and technique as the tissue responds to my work. No device can do that.

But my main reason and I can never get this from electrotherapy equipment, is the immediate connection I get through touch with the canine patient. I can detect almost immediately if my treatment is beneficial and how my patient is responding to this. Is this too painful? is your dog experiencing central sentisation? This way I can give a more tailored therapeutic effect and can tailor my treatment to the area needed.

This is no more apparent than when undertaking trigger point and myofascial release techniques. The connection I get with your dog with these techniques is so powerful, I will often feel the emotional release from the canine patient as their tissues are remodeled, fascia mobilised and pain relinquished.

Massage can stimulate the release of growth factors like VEGF, FGF, and TGF-β, which promote new blood vessel formation, collagen synthesis, fibroblast activity, and cellular proliferation. These processes are important for repairing damaged tissues, building muscle, enhancing overall recovery, and supporting optimal physical development and performance.

Developing these bodywork techniques takes lots of skill and practice, I’ve still got so much to learn and still consider myself a student in these techniques. However I will continue to learn to enhance my techniques to support the canine patient.

20/10/2024

✨Is your dog in pain ✨
Your Dogs Posture -STAND -

Posture- this is how your dog holds their body in position in space.

When an injury occurs and/or if your dog is in PAIN, your dogs posture will change and adjust, this can be a useful indicator to see if your dog is in pain. Orthopaedic conditions such as arthritis, hip/elbow dysplasias, neurological issues and soft tissue injuries, these can all be common causes of pain and are likely to cause your dog to have an altered posture/gait.

As a musculoskeletal therapist, as part of your dog’s assessment, I regularly assess your dogs posture. Here are some of my dogs over the past few months that had a change in posture and were referred back to their vets to obtain a diagnosis and/or receive a pain medication regime.

So by assessing our dogs posture and how they STAND can be an earlier indicator to asses if your dog is in pain due to a musculoskeletal issues or from other aetiologies

Whilst a change in your dog’s posture alone is not diagnostic, it can be indicator that there’s an issue. If you suspect your dog is standing differently, seek a check up from your Vet or a MSK therapist.

19/10/2024

🌟Today is National Fetch Day⭐️

So today is National Fetch Day and I wanted to highlight the harm repetitive ball throwing can do to our dogs. Yes I know it’s the controversial question, should I play fetch with my dog?

🙏Please share this post to try and spread this information and prevent canine injuries.
Here goes everyone ....

Most dogs love to run out and fetch a ball or stick for their owner and some might even leap up for a Frisbee, but there are growing concerns about how damaging such games could be for your dog.

The scientific evidence for the perils of fetch is increasing and indicates that repetitively running after a ball, leaping into the air for a toy or chasing a stick can lead to joint problems or other injuries.

Now I’m often asked as a canine therapist, why can’t my dog play ball? My opinion is and always will be that there are more effective and safer ways to physically and mentally tire out your dog. I know I’m not going to persuade a majority of dogs owners to stop doing this with their dog, so If you absolutely have to play ball there are several ways to make it safer for your dog and that you can do to help prepare them for the physical demands of fetch.

🐾Warm your dog up before play. This will decrease the chances of injury.
🐾 Moderation. just a few times a week. Repetitive exercise does cause soft tissue and joint injuries.
🐾Check that the ground is even. Uneven ground will increase the likely hood of muscle, tendon and ligament injuries and even fractures and breaks in your dogs bones.
🐾Slow down. Try to throw the ball at a gentle-slow speed. More muscular injuries are caused when a dog is decelerating or slowing down. If the ball is thrown at a slower speed,your dog will have a even pace when chasing the ball, which will put less stress on the muscles fibres.
🐾NEVER throw the toy/ball high in the air for your dog to jump up. Increasing we’re seeing dogs with spinal issues from doing this.

If you’d like to know more please read this excellent blog from (McIntyre Canine Rehabilitation).

http://www.mcrehabilitation.com/blog/why-playing-fetch-with-your-dog-is-more-dangerous-than-you-think?fbclid=IwAR2a_r4YdYexpynOLR2yfHYMmgc2eaYpSZspBUWNpUSIstLPTbb0VSvPuzc

One of your dog’s favorite activities to do with you is also why I see a lot of dogs in my clinic. I’m talking about fetch and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be! Playing fetch with your dog...