Starkie Vet Physio

23/12/2024

I am almost finished for Christmas! Thank you to all my wonderful clients that I have worked with over the last year, especially my dedicated regulars who are invested in what I can do for your animals long term 🥰

Merry Christmas from myself and Luna 🦴

(This wonderful picture was given to me as a surprise card from Luna's dog walker a few years ago and I've kept it for obvious reasons 😍🦌)

14/12/2024

( Taken from Oakington Dog Day Care Centre )
🎄Keep your dog safe at Christmas 🎄

Christmas is the season of overindulgence for most of us, and our pets are no exception! We all like to treat our doggies from time to time, but feeding them the wrong foods can have serious consequences and the potential to be fatal.


Harmful Foods for dogs:-

🍫Chocolate contains theobromine which is poisonous to dogs. Darker chocolate has a higher content, but it is also present in milk chocolate and white chocolate. Symptoms will include vomiting, diarrhoea, restlessness, hyperactivity and seizures and can occur between 4-24 hours after your dog has consumed chocolate and will vary depending on the amount and type of chocolate eaten by your dog.

🍇Grapes, Raisins, Currants and Sultanas can cause kidney failure, dogs that already have underlying health problems are at greatest risk and just one raisin can be severely toxic. As these are used in a variety of foods this season Mince Pies, Christmas Cake and Christmas Pudding are also poisonous to our doggies.

🦴Cooked bones can cause a dog to choke and they can also splinter causing internal injuries. So be very careful where you leave the turkey carcass to keep it out of your doggies reach and dispose of it carefully so that your doggy does not raid the kitchen bin when everyone has gone to sleep at night.

🍸Alcohol and foods that contain alcohol are significantly more toxic to our doggy friends. Even a small amount can be potentially fatal. Be careful where you put your glass to keep it out of your dog’s reach.

🌰It’s not known why Macadamia Nuts are poisonous to dogs, but they can cause your dog to experience weakness, become sleepy, sometimes wobbly on their feet or pain/stiffness when walking, vomiting and an increased body temperature. Macadamia nuts covered in chocolate pose a double risk to your doggy.

🧀Blue Cheeses contain a substance called roquefortine C and dogs appear sensitive to this and in more extreme cases can cause dogs to quickly develop muscle tremors and seizures.

🦠Mouldy Food – Be careful when feeding the birds your leftovers that your dog cannot eat these too as mouldy foods contain toxins that can make your doggy very ill.

🧅Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives can cause stomach and gut irritation. These plants contain a substance that can damage red blood cells and cause anaemia. Make sure that your doggy does not eat raw, cooked or dried versions of these vegetables or takeaways that include these veggies and herb.

🍰Xylitol an artificial sweetener is found in many sugar-free gums, sweets, cakes and foods. Even a very small quantity can be toxic to dogs, potentially leading to fatal hypoglycaemia (lowered sugar levels). Symptoms can include weakness, vomiting lethargy or they may collapse.

🥑Avocado contains a toxin called persin which can cause stomach and gut irritation. And the avocado stone is dangerous if consumed by your dog as it could block the gastrointestinal tract leaving your dog requiring surgery.

🥩The best advice of all to keep your dog safe is to keep them to their normal meals and treats, and make sure they don’t overeat, it is as important for them to look after their waistlines as it is ours.

As with anything concerning your dog’s health if you are at all worried contact your vet for advice.



🎄Household things to be aware of :-🎄

🪴Poisonous Plants like holly, ivy, mistletoe, lillies and poinsettia are all toxic to pets if they eat them. Keep them out of your pet’s reach.

🚥Always be cautious with fairy lights, baubles, tinsel and wrapping paper which can easily be chewed or swallowed and cause an obstruction in the stomach.

🍫 If you hang chocolate or sweeties on the tree keep them out of your dog’s reach. If your dog has eaten anything they shouldn’t have – contact your vet immediately for advice.

🌲Christmas trees, be aware that the sharp points of pine needles can cause damage internally if eaten.

🥕 Healthy treats for your dog 🥕

Carrots – a raw carrot is good for your dog to chew and helps keep their teeth clean too. Cut into slices or sticks make a nice easy to give treat too.

Cucumber – a few slices make a nice refreshing treat.

Fish skin chews – There are companies like Fish 4 Dogs, Skippers and Sea Treats that make tasty fish skin chews for your dog that are also low in fat.

12/12/2024

An excellent video which shows how the forelimb muscles are challenged in jumping and fast deceleration work.

Supraspinatus inflammation and supraspinatus tendinopathy (ST) is a common injury in sporting dogs that affects the shoulder joint and can cause lameness in the forelimb.

Causes
ST is often caused by repetitive strain from activities like agility, flyball, herding, and field trials. Other causes include trauma from falls or being pulled on a lead, or natural degeneration from aging.

Treatment
ST can be difficult to treat and often requires lengthy rehabilitation. Treatments include:
🦴Physiotherapy with a progressive exercise program
🦴Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy
🦴Surgery to remove calcification on the tendon

Complications
If left untreated, ST can lead to chronic lameness and pain, and can cause the tendon to mineralize and calcify. This can reduce the function of the joint and surrounding muscle tissue leaving dogs in a lot of chronic pain which will affect behaviour and ability to exercise.

03/12/2024

Can you believe Dina is 9 tomorrow? 🦖🦕

She has been having physio to help with some neurological deficits she had due to a cyst on her spine. Luckily she is responding really well and is already much steadier on her feet and building muscle well. After some laser and massage she should be feeling great for her birthday 🎂 😁

Hats off to her owner who has been seriously dedicated to her home exercises program and it really shows in her progress 👏 😇

02/12/2024

🐤

Mickey 🐥

Mickey has bilateral patella luxation, a common condition that results in the kneecap moving out of the groove it is supposed to sit in. There are various grades of this condition with some luxations being mild, whilst others more severe. Hydrotherapy can help considerably to build the muscle groups that aid in patella stabilisation and our experienced therapists can apply the correct techniques needed to reduce luxation whilst moving in the water.

Here’s a photo of Mickey in his second session looking very cute with his new friend 🙈

30/11/2024

Such good advice for equestrians. Transitioning suddenly from a soft surface to a hard surface can cause catastrophic injuries to limbs when taken at a faster pace.

This includes badly maintained arenas with deep and hard areas, as well as the above mentioned frozen and thawed ground. Don't forget when riding on the beach to be vigilant to changes in sand consistency by walking the planned route first before galloping so there aren't any surprises. Keep your horse safe and sound.

🐎FROSTY MORNINGS - TOP TIP!🐎

🥶Sudden surface transitions, especially in trot, canter or gallop carry an increased risk for injury.

🥶If you have an arena that can be frozen and thawed at the same time, its a good idea to only transition between the areas when riding in walk to reduce the risk of injury. Same when out hacking. Same applies if you are out running yourself!

27/11/2024

Lottie was ready for a snooze after her first session with me yesterday.

Lottie is a rescue and isn't overly sure about being handled so after we established that her back and neck are stiff and uncomfortable we managed to do some infrared LASER therapy and some brief massage before moving on to some gentle stretches using treats as a lure.

By taking our time assessing Lottie we are ensuring we can build a positive relationship with her and prevent her having an unnecessary negative experience. Next time I will try to feel her joints in her limbs to find out if there's another reason contributing to her sore back which we can help with.

The infrared LASER therapy is great for hypertonic muscles as it increases circulation through the tissues and provides pain relief. Often dogs respond much like Lottie by having a deep restful sleep following treatment.

20/11/2024

After taking a while to get my paperwork in order I have finally had my application to RAMP-Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners approved.

RAMP is a voluntary industry regulatory body which maintains a competent national register of professionals who have signed up to take responsibility to attain and maintain gold standards of practice in animal musculoskeletal treatment.

The register is designed to help veterinary surgeons and animal owners choose competent professionals providing Chiropractic, Osteopathic and Physiotherapy techniques for the treatment of their animals.

18/11/2024

Lola was feeling so relaxed today for her LASER therapy session 😌

Lola recently had Platelet Rich Plasma therapy treatment into both her shoulders to help with some inflammation of her shoulder tissues. Secondary to this she also has got very tight through her back muscles and so we are using class IV infrared LASER therapy to increase circulation through these tissues to reduce inflammation, reduce pain and tension and promote healing.

To the dog is feels like someone is holding a warm hot water bottle to their skin and most dogs find this very soothing and relaxing once they get used to it. The effects of the LASER last around 12 hours meaning that her back will continue to relax through the evening.

If you would like to know if LASER therapy could help your dog please get in touch.

PawFit Veterinary Physiotherapy
Companion Animal Health
Eden Vets

10/11/2024

Every single one of these dogs has been referred to me for Veterinary Physiotherapy. Why?

Some have mild hip dysplasia or arthritis, one has some patella luxation, one has suffered a vestibular episode, but most of them see me for fitness and conditioning.

Keeping on top of your dogs physical health with physiotherapy can spot and target issues before your dog goes lame or develops painful compensatory problems.

One of these dogs is an assistance dog who needs to stay healthy for his owner.
One competes regularly in agility.
One works long days out in the field.
Two are super fit and active and enjoy long walks in the countryside.
Two are older dogs who will benefit from regular LASER and massage therapy to stay comfortable.

Get in touch if you would like to ensure your dog is in the best condition to enjoy life into their old age 👌

Ps. We all really enjoyed our Sunday morning group walk 🐾

07/11/2024

Back at my undergrad campus Myerscough College & University today for their Animal Welfare Research Conference.

Some excellent speakers including Dr David Marlin who has been asking some provoking questions surrounding welfare in the equine industry.

Also fascinating was Lucy Wilde of Ecology Dogs Gone Wilde talking about using detection dogs in ecology and conservation, an example being accurate location of invasive crayfish burrows so that traps can be set efficiently.

My undergraduate degree was in Equine Science and Management (Behaviour and Welfare) so anything giving an evidence base to animal welfare discussions is right up my street 👌

06/11/2024

Congratulations to Tucker who has finished his rehabilitation for a damaged knee!

Tucker was a challenging case because he is very reactive to humans due to anxiety so it took us a few sessions to figure out how to work with him safely and without pushing him too far. Tucker is under Behaviour Referrals Veterinary Practice who I worked with closely as they reduced his pain medication. Often behaviour and pain are closely related.

We used a combination of LASER therapy and conditioning exercises to reduce inflammation in Tuckers knee and strengthen the muscles to provide better stability and support.

Now his muscles are equal in both back legs and his back paw is facing forward instead of turning to the outside indicating that he is much happier to put weight through this limb.

The exercises were progressed via WhatsApp as Tucker struggled to try new things with me in the room, so I was more than happy to exchange videos instead. These are images from these videos and show his strengthening journey.

Congratulations Tucker 🏆🦴🐾

04/11/2024

The best way to offer your dog a pain-free life for as long as possible, is to use several different treatment options together. It is unlikely that one option on its own will be enough.


Pic credits: Keery Warge