PAWS Canine Myotherapy Care

24/11/2024

Dear little Orry has been a patient at PAWS for many years following surgery for IVDD - Intervertebral Disc Disease.

A couple of weeks ago his owners noticed he was experiencing issues after eating a fish skin.

The team at Vale - his veterinary care providers, were able to react quickly, using specialist equipment, and Orry was able to go home later the same day.

When I saw Orry yesterday for his monthly myotherapy session - to support his musculoskeletal health - he was full of beans!

Great work from all the team at Vale Vets.

See comments for a photo of Orry yesterday.

16/09/2024

What a pain!

Osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders are commonly associated with the presence of chronic pain.

Pain is a multidimensional sensory and emotional phenomenon. It can be unpredictable and transient in nature, making it tricky to manage.

Have you noticed any subtle changes in your pet recently?

The presence of pain can affect:
Appetite and ability to access food and drink.
Mobility and exercise tolerance
Stance and gait
Navigation of the home and garden environment.
Social interactions with humans and other animals
Mental state
Sleep quality

The good news is that we can do a lot to support your pet, manage their pain state and promote functional and pain free mobility. Physical therapy and therapeutic exercise form part of a proactive mobility management plan.

I am a Registered Veterinary Nurse with 32 years experience, and a qualified Clinical Myotherapist.

I accept veterinary referrals and work under the consent of your pet’s veterinary care provider in accordance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons regulations.

15/09/2024

Good Morning

A very big PAWS welcome to all of my new clients this week. Looking forward to working with you to support your pets musculoskeletal health.

It’s been another busy week and as always it’s such a privilege to be able to support these beauties.

Here are just a few of this weeks superstars

24/08/2024

Education is a key part of my work I do in both the veterinary profession and with my clients.

Osteoarthritis can affect animals of any age. No longer it is only associated with old age!

Data is suggestive that an increasing number of dogs and cats particularly, are being diagnosed much earlier in their life journey.

It’s not uncommon now for dogs to be diagnosed with osteoarthritic changes before the age of 1 year!
Cats are also impacted but often diagnosed at a later stage in the disease process - we all know how good cats are at masking symptoms.

Why does it matter that we pro-actively manage osteoarthritis?

*We can slow down disease progression through early intervention and targeted management

*Educate to minimise preventable risk factors

*Ensure pain is managed appropriately

*Improve and maintain quality of life

24/08/2024

Receiving patient updates makes all the hours of hard work and dedication so worthwhile.

I have been a Registered Veterinary Nurse for 32 years and provided dedicated rehabilitation services for the past 6 years.

Supporting patients with their musculoskeletal health and mobility is so important for welfare and quality of life.

09/07/2024

Therapeutic exercises are often prescribed as part of an Osteoarthritis treatment plan.

These exercises will be designed to target specific muscle groups, and to relieve tension or areas of compromise through the Myofascial kinetic lines.

Functional mobility is crucial for maintaining musculoskeletal health and well-being.

Physical activity stimulates the production of synovial fluid (lubricating fluid) which is essential for healthy joints, promoting functional mobility.

Motion is lotion, so let’s keep them moving!

16/06/2024

The very delightful Soleil bringing some sunshine to my weekend clinic.

For those of you who don’t know me, I am a Registered Veterinary Nurse. I have over 30 years industry experience, with additional qualifications in rehabilitation.

I have a career long interest in senior patient care, chronic pain, musculoskeletal health, mobility and osteoarthritis management.

I can offer a scaffold of support around your pet, by working collaboratively with my colleagues in the veterinary profession, to provide an appropriate and coordinated treatment plan for your pet.

05/06/2024

Delighted to be able to support Spud

She’s a star 🌟

A trip to one of my favourite places today Pool4Paws for Spudoody to see Auntie Carly. 🖤

Spudoody had a bit of a mechanical MOT a few weeks ago and was found to be out of balance.. did you know doggos should put 30% of their weight bearing through each front leg and 20% through each back one? Spudoody was showing only 16% on her front left and 42% front right, 16% back left and 26% back right, with some muscle loss on her front left shoulder and other muscular imbalances.

She’s had Myotherapy treatment with Kirsty PAWS Canine Myotherapy Care with some homework for Mum to do and has been having weekly water treadmill and seems to be improving!

We think this is all down to when she was 10mths old and developed a spinal
Clot which left her completely paralysed on her left hand side for 48hrs 😕 She recovered well but has always had some weakness on her back left and this has had a knock on effect over the years with the rest of the body compensating, not enough to cause any lameness or anything overly obvious, just subtle body positioning changes.

02/06/2024

As a Registered Veterinary Nurse and clinical myotherapist I will often attend conferences to top up my knowledge and also share my experience of managing OA with vets, nurse and therapists - all of whom might be involved in a multimodal treatment plan for your pet.

Recently I had the honour of presenting multiple sessions at the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance conference.

As professionals we are always seeking the best ways to support your pet’s welfare and health journey.

On-going education is an important part of this.

We never stop learning

19/05/2024

This pair are a joy to work with and are actually very good at their exercises. Although they’d have us believe otherwise!

Well done Dougray & Orry

18/05/2024

It’s been a busy first week back after my annual leave. Here are some of the beautiful faces I have got to meet so far this week.

Note the steps as a lifestyle adaptation allowing little Rexie to safely access the sofa. Lifestyle adaptations are an essential part of any OA management plan.

05/05/2024

What I love about working in the veterinary profession.

Canine Arthritis ManagementBVNA (The British Veterinary Nursing Association)

03/05/2024

Weight management and mobility

02/05/2024

19/04/2024

PAWS Myotherapy - Choice led, fear free rehabilitation.



Here are just a few of the awesome dogs I’ve worked with recently. Big PAWS welcome to Millie and Voo

16/04/2024

I’ve been a registered veterinary nurse for 32 years and a clinical myotherapist for over 6 years.

To ensure I keep up to date with the very latest advances in the management of osteoarthritis and chronic pain, I regularly invest my time in continued professional development and education.

This enables me to offer the most appropriate and evidence based treatment options for your pets.

I recently attended this virtual 3 day symposium offering 14 hrs of learning every day.

29/03/2024

This beautiful boy is Buster.

Buster is currently undergoing targeted prehabilitation ahead of a planned orthopaedic procedure in April.

Prehabilitation will prepare Buster for surgery and his subsequent recovery and rehabilitation

We are working collaboratively with Pool4Paws hydrotherapy to maximise Buster’s musculoskeletal health ahead of the procedure.

Buster is the most delightful and honest boy, and an absolute pleasure to support.

29/03/2024

Truly privileged to work with these beautiful souls.

Tam, Honey, Rocky, Bruce, Willow, Dougray, Orry