JP Veterinary Physiotherapy

07/08/2024

📌Out of office!📌

Just a notice that from tomorrow I will be out of office and not answering emails until the 16th, and will be taking appointments again from the 20th 🐶🐴

21/05/2024

Had a wonderful time updating my canine first aid qualification with the amazing Allwinds Dog First Aid and K9 Hydrotherapy Tavistock last Sunday. It's important as an animal professional to keep refreshed and updated on these skills to be able to use in emergencies but also provide advice to clients with. I would highly recommend to anyone from owners to professionals! 🐶

29/03/2024

Look at all those yawns 🥱

Yawning in horses can be a sign of relaxation as well as a release of muscle tension, it is one of the signs I look for that ensure what I am doing is working! Other signs can include lowering the head, licking and chewing, and closing the eyes 😴

30/11/2023

Smoothing out some lumps and bumps for a lovely boy today! Changes in the muscle and hair lie can be caused by muscular and fascial tightness, a spot of light massage and fascia release softened him right out 🐴

29/11/2023

13/10/2023

Bit starstruck! Got to meet the amazing Gillian Higgins at the Horses Inside Out demonstration in Totnes last night, such an incredible experience 🐎

Check out her page for an insight as to how our horses work and how we can help them and their movement!

09/10/2023

Monday motivation with Pebbles 💪🏻

Pebbles is a spunky little Jack Russell Terrier who is 12 weeks into her rehabilitation journey after 2 spinal surgeries, but she doesn't let that stop her! We are working on hindlimb proprioception and strength with the wobble cushion to keep her stable on her feet. With some determination (and a whole lot is peanut butter 🥜) she is making amazing progress! Go Pebbles!

25/09/2023

Pain management - Electrotherapies⚡️

In my physio toolbox I hold my Photizo infra-red light and TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machines which have varying benefits within my practice.

Infra-red light uses photons and a gentle thermal effect to increase blood flow to the area and reduce pain in the patient, it is also shown to influence and encourage cell repair, making it useful for wound healing in the acute stages of injury.

TENS uses electrical current to reduce pain by blocking pain signals from firing, it is a more intense therapy than infra-red and is usually used for back pain in my equine clients. It creates a twitching motion in the muscle and creates a relaxant effect.

21/09/2023

As your dog retrieves the first...second...third...maybe fifth or sixth ball, his muscles start to tire and soon they reach overload, where they no longer can fully control and support your dog's movements. Now, when your dog does those amazing athletic maneuvers to snag the ball, soft tissues like the cranial cruciate ligament, iliopsoas muscle and tendon, and the muscles and ligaments that support the vertebrae are overstretching. Minor tears are occurring. Now the ball is thrown 10, 12 times or more and ultimately your dog lies down, exhausted.

That period between when your dog's muscles are in overload, and when your dog lies down exhausted, is the injury zone (Figure 1). But remember, with all that adrenaline, your dog doesn't feel the injuries happening, so you have no idea that the tissues are being used beyond their capacity.

When this game is repeated day after day, month after month, the small tissue tears become large ones, and suddenly it becomes evident that your dog is in pain and has an injury. Of course, it hasn't been sudden at all-what seemed sudden is just the final result of repeated stress and strain until the tissues gave way.

Chris Zink DVM
Discovering Your Dog

17/09/2023

Pain management - Massage 💆‍♀️

Massage is the bread and butter of a physiotherapist, a gentle manual therapy that provides pain relief, mental relaxation and muscular release, but how does it do this?

🩸Increased blood flow bring nutrients to the muscles and takes away any waste products
🔥This in turn warms the muscles and loosens them, allowing freer movement
❤️ Releases endorphins, the happy hormone!

The benefits of massage apply to many conditions including arthritis, hip and elbow dysplasia, kissing spine and spinal pain, and more

11/09/2023

September is animal pain awareness month! Animals are masters at masking their pain so it's up to us to decode their behaviour and put the pieces together.

These graphics list just a few important signs that our pets might be experiencing passion or discomfort in their bodies. Our animals can't speak, but we can listen 💙

Over the month I'll be posting various pain management strategies that we can use to help, watch this space!

05/09/2023

Check out that droopy lip! How lovely to see the relaxation that massage provides, especially with animals more on the nervous side. Betty was a star for her first session! 🌟

02/06/2023

Very excited for this Sunday where I will be at Home Farm judging the dog show for the day! 🐕 Pop along for a chilled out showing environment with the chance to win treatment vouchers from myself!

Top tip: I have a soft spot for bull breeds and sighthounds...

28/05/2023

What a week! I've been working with the wonderful people at The Retreat Hydrotherapy where I will be treating clients with them this summer in both the pool and underwater treadmill, the focus of my university dissertation!

Hydrotherapy perfectly complements physiotherapy treatment providing an environment that allows the muscles to work without the stress of weight bearing. The water temperature is curated to enhance blood and lymph flow, release endorphins and relax muscles, reducing pain in the body. Hydrotherapy has a wide range of applications, including:

🔹️arthritis
🔹️hip and elbow dysplasia
🔹️muscle atrophy
🔹️spinal conditions
🔹️post-operative recovery
🔹️fitness and fun

Looking forward to being a part of this team for the next few months! 🐕💦

16/05/2023

Transcutaneous electric nerves stimulation, known as TENS, is a therapy I offer to all species, but is most often used in horses. I most frequently use it to treat back pain and tension but it is a widely applicable therapy.

The primary effects of the therapy - reducing pain and muscle tension - lead to a variety of secondary effects as the pain/tension is relieved, allowing the surrounding joints and soft tissues to also relax.

If you think your horse could benefit from TENS therapy please get in contact!

📱: 07765044791
📧: [email protected]
🌐: www.jpvetphysio.com

Or DM me here!

13/05/2023

One for the diary! I will be judging the dog show at the wonderful Home Farm Shows on June 4th, come along for a gorgeous day out for all the family 🐕🐎

04/05/2023

Now registered as a Silver member in the wonderful Waggle Club, a Plymouth-based community of both dog owners and professionals! Head on over and give the page a follow to join a group sharing puppy love, advice and businesses 🐕

04/04/2023

I had a client this morning who said something that really stuck with me about her little old pony - "she owes me nothing, but I owe her everything".

I couldn't agree more with this. Naturally, horses are flight animals and prey, and to let us get on their backs and ask so much of them makes them just the most incredible companions and we owe it to them to keep them healthy and happy 💙 the little lady recieved a much deserved massage and stretching routine along with some turnout recommendations to keep her joints active and moving 🐎

24/03/2023

Something I hear on a regular basis from dog owners when hearing about veterinary physiotherapy for the first time is "there's nothing wrong with him/her, they don't need physiotherapy". But I beg to differ!

Compared to the equine world, physiotherapy is not very well known to dog owners unless they've been referred by a vet for rehabilitation, so it's not surprising that people are often unaware of the benefits for healthy dogs. A veterinary physiotherapist can identify issues that may have been missed by the untrained eye and prevent them from becoming larger issues. Not only that, your dogs quality and length of life can be extended by keeping the body in tip top shape, and delay the onset of conditions such as arthritis or other musculoskeletal disorders that your dog may be prone to.

Invest in your dogs health! Physiotherapy check ups are recommended every 6 months - when was your dog last looked over? Contact me with the details below:

📱: 07765044791
📧: [email protected]
🌐: www.jpvetphysio.com

Or DM me here!

20/03/2023

The power of physiotherapy! Here we have the stunning Spartacus who I have been working very closely with to build muscle mass and condition over the past few months 💪🏻

In the first image (October 2022) we can see a distinct lack of muscle - particularly in the topline, shoulder and neck - and the second image is him now, March 2023! We can see a significant development in global musculature, particularly in the back - note the straighter, less dipped topline 👀

This has been achieved through a personalised exercise plan including hacking, a recent introduction to schooling and lunging, therapeutic massage, and a stretching routine!

Do you have a horse that needs a helping hand coming back into work? Contact me for your own assessment and tailored exercise plan to get your horse feeling it's best 🐎

28/02/2023

⚡️TENS therapy⚡️

Now offering TENS therapy! But what is it? Transcutaneous electrical nerve simulation inhibits pain pathways using electrical signals delivered to the body via electrodes on the skin. The benefits include:

🔹️pain relief
🔹️reduced muscle tension
🔹️endorphin release (the happy hormones!)
🔹️increased motion and function

This therapy encourages a natural method of pain relief using the influence of nerve fibres and body chemicals, which is tolerated well by animals. It is commonly used to treat muscle spasm, arthritis, tense muscles and general joint pain. If you think your animal could benefit from TENS therapy please contact me using the details below:

📱: 07765044791
📧: [email protected]
🌐: www.jpvetphysio.com

Or DM me here!

15/01/2023

Hand grazing is most commonly utilised when a horse is in box rest, but can also be an invaluable tool in the winter when your horses are being kept in due to the weather. What benefits does it have?

🔹️Allowing the horse to move freely encourages flow of synovial fluid in the joints, which provides the bones and soft tissue with nutrients and protection against concussive forces
🔹️Encourages blood flow which allows the delivery of oxygen, lymphatic fluid and nutrients to the body
🔹️Mental simulation which can reduce the likelihood of stereotypical behaviours such as weaving or cribbing
🔹️Bonding time! Spending time on the ground with your horse can develop your trust and relationship

11/01/2023

What a brilliant idea! A chance to get dogs with limited mobility or undergoing rehabilitation to get into the great outdoors again!

So today is “Launch Day” for us! Our lives were changed with the purchase of a dog wagon for Max…. So we decided to create a small business renting and selling wagons to other people…. To allow them the freedom that we have found!

We are running a competition in January for a free week of rental of one of our wagons… to qualify, please share this post, like us and tag a friend who might be interested in trying a wagon… we will randomly draw somebody at the end of January to receive a free week of rental!

Thank you for supporting us!

Abi, Jon, Max and Jeff

03/01/2023

Have you noticed any niggles in the way your pet moves or behaves? Little things that aren't obvious to everyone but are always in the back of your mind?

Small changes in movement or attitude may come from discomfort or tension somewhere in their bodies. Animals can't talk to us but they can tell us everything when we look close enough! An assessment with a qualified veterinary physiotherapist can help to identify issues like this before they become a big problem.

Book your new year appointment by contacting me below:

📱: 07765044791
📧: [email protected]
🌐: www.jpvetphysio.com

Or DM me here!

30/12/2022

2022 you've been a blast 🙌🏻 in my first full year of business I've met some incredible clients and animals and cannot wait to continue the journey in 2023, thank you all so much 💙

25/12/2022

Wishing all my wonderful clients a very merry Christmas and a happy new year, for both you and your lovely animals 🐕🐎🎄

23/12/2022

This was a chilly one! Thank goodness for the rain coming and melting the ice 🌧

14/12/2022

11/12/2022

How can massage help your animal this winter? ☃️

The act of massage releases a number of chemicals and hormones within the body, one of these being histamine. The release of histamine increases permeability of the blood vessels resulting in vasodilation, which allows increased flow of blood and lymph. These carry all the wonderful natural mediators which lead to healing.
This also brings about a warming effect to the muscles and side tissues, which is much needed in these colder months!
The warming of surrounding musculature can encourage freer movement of the joints which would otherwise be restricted when it is cold.

If you'd like to treat your animal to a massage treatment this Christmas, get in contact!

📱: 07765044791
📧: [email protected]
🌐: www.jpvetphysio.com

Or DM me here! ❄