Lancashire Vet Physio

16/08/2024

Re-post from a while back - don't forget to make use of this discount code for all your natural treat needs 😋

All natural dog products sells natural dog chews, natural treats, training treats and supplements for Dogs.

14/08/2024

The tallest patient to date - Drummer the Shire 😲

A couple of weeks ago we visited Ark Education Barn to treat a couple of the horses on site. Drummer is probably the largest horse on our books - requiring tip toes, on the tallest part of the box... might need to get the step ladders out next time!

We also couldn't resist a quick hello with the goats to round off the morning 😀

12/08/2024

Horses are smart and perform better when there is reward involved? Who knew! 😉

Positive reinforcement and force free training will always be the side of the fence that we sit on, and can only hope that the whole industry soon follows 🐴

Team hopes findings will help improve equine welfare after showing cognitive abilities include being ‘goal-directed’

05/08/2024

She also discovers many similarities between how the mind of the Collie works with the autistic human, leading her to pose the question: does an autistic spectrum exist in the bree

04/08/2024

Animal Chiropractor and McTimoney Chiropractic - What is it?

One of the treatments we offer is McTimoney Chiropractic. McTimoney is a type of Chiropractic treatment that was developed from existing and "traditional" Chiropractic adjustments, by John McTimoney in the 1950's, then was layer adapted for use in animals due to its gentle, non-invasive nature.

The technique uses high velocity (fast) and low amplitude (light) adjustments using only the hands, to improve alignment of the skeletal system, and optimise function of the associated muscular and neurological systems of the body.

We work predominantly on the axial skeleton - which is made up of the neck, back and pelvis. The axial skeleton of horses and dogs has the ability to move, rotate, flex and extend within biological limits, to allow for correct and efficient locomotion. The spinal cord runs through a channel within the vertebrae (spinal bones), and between the gaps of each vertebral joint peripheral nerves originate, which then go on to provide both sensory and motor control to the body. Every structure within the body is connected, whether that be by joints, fascia, muscles or connective tissue.

So, if one area of the axial skeleton is restricted or not functioning at its best, there can be a "knock on effect" throughout the entire body... we refer to these as compensatory issues.

McTimoney Animal Chiropractors look for 'misalignments' - this is where a component of the axial skeleton has become asymmetric, out of balance, or restricted. This may look like the pelvis being 'rotated or tilted' on one side, or vertebrae of the spine deviating to the left or right. This can occur due to a range of factors - the two most common being either traumatic/acute (e.g. a fall, slip or rotational injury) or chronic (compensations due to dysfunction or weakness elsewhere).

The adjustments used by McTimoney Animal Chiropractors aim to address 'misalignment' and therefore promote optimal function, comfort and wellbeing.

The treatment is very gentle, and readily accepted by most animals - the response and effects are extremely good.

03/08/2024

📢 Call to followers 📢

Did you know we are also on Instagram? If you don't already, please head over and give us a follow:

https://www.instagram.com/lancashirevetphysio?igsh=ZHQycHRtbWNlcWF4

If your animal has benefited from our services, it would be hugely appreciated if you could leave us a review on our page. Reviews and recommendations form the building blocks of this little business, which has grown to a full diary with more exciting changes coming. Every little help doesn't go unnoticed 😄

Picture of Juno and Topaz (my mum's dog, who stays with us sometimes) deep in contemplation. What do you think they are discussing 🧐

31/07/2024

Really interesting post 🧐

29/07/2024

The power of therapeutic trimming 👌

This little lady had rotational laminitis on her fores, an abscess and one high and one low hoof when I first met her - a lot going on. Her owner is excellent and had asked for her bloods to be tested to see if she had PPID (often referred to as cushings) even though she wasn't in the age category people typically associate with the condition. Her ACTH levels were very very high and she was given medication which helped in her recovery, alongside appropriate diet, and trimming. She had little hoof boots for a short time, but has been pretty comfortable on most surfaces since the second trim in. 9 months later she has much more symmetrical hooves and only a tiny bit of stretch left to grow out, and is still super cute at around 7hh 😀

26/07/2024

You may remember that last week I posted a picture of Precious, the cat currently in foster care with Kitty Rescue Bury. Last week, Precious was unable to walk or move her legs much, and look at her today! This improvement is incredible in a short space of time 😍

25/07/2024

21/07/2024

⭐️ Out of Office 21st -28th July ⭐️

I will be away from tomorrow until next weekend, for a much needed trip up to Scotland with friends. All messages, emails and enquiries will be followed up after 28th July :)

Tilly x

19/07/2024

Today I saw the lovely Precious, who is currently in foster care with Kitty Rescue Bury. Precious was found with hindlimb paresis, and after extensive investigations at the veterinary specialist, was diagnosed with Polymyositis.

Polymyositis is a fairly rare finding, in which chronic inflammation causes damage to muscle tissue, and effects the way the nerves function and interact with the muscles, leading to weakness and wastage. Causes may be unknown, in Precious' case the vets suspect it has happened secondary to another infection, but will need further tests to confirm this.

Although it's impossible to give a definite prognosis, Precious is showing positive signs so far, and she is very happy, so we are hopeful that rehabilitation can help her 🐈

Precious update.
Precious has had her professional physio session today with Lancashire Vet Physio .She shared with us the good news thar she has pretty much normal feeling in her legs and can pull them away , that's very positive. She can also move her legs slightly when being scratched under the chin, as though trying to scratch herself. There is quite a significant loss of muscle on her back legs, but her muscles were able to contract when tilly stimulated them. So this is all positive. There is lots of hope for precious if we continue with her daily physio and vet treatment. We have been given a few more exercises to do with precious as well.

We can't thank Tilly enough for her support with precious if anyone needs physio for their pet we would highly recommend Tilly 💗

Here she is after her physio session, loving her donated bed from ginger cat crafts through their takeyourbed campaign. This was donated by one of our lovely supporters in memory of her beloved Persian, Douglas. Precious loves it, thank you.

19/07/2024

A little extra selection of some of the beautiful pictures taken by on our business photo shoot a few weeks ago 😍

I can highly recommend Carolyn for all of your animal photography needs - in just an hour she had captured so many amazing shots, and we are so pleased with them all.

New website is under construction 🤩 so there will be plenty more to see soon.

15/07/2024

Gorgeous Mist striking a pose during her combined physio/chiro treatment last week, in preparation for her agility competition at the weekend.

Mist must have been feeling on top form, as she progressed to Grade 6 over the weekend 😍 looks like there will be more rosettes to add to her collection soon!

29/06/2024

The team took the opportunity to say hi to Dr Scott Miller from ITV’s This Morning, at the fabulous first day of Dogs Direct UK festival in Southport! 📺🤩🐕

27/06/2024

There are a small handful of appointments that have become available in the next couple of weeks (rare short notice appointments, following this next availability is towards end of July) so if anyone is interested (both new or existing clients) please feel free to get in touch :)

Thursday 11th July at 3pm (Preston and surrounding areas)

Tuesday 16th July at 3.30pm (Chorley and surrounding areas)

Thursday 18th July at 10.30am (Preston and surrounding areas)

Both equine or canine appointments available 🐴 🐶

25/06/2024

Really interesting and important post for those who like to do long distance hikes and take on difficult terrain with their dog. If the dog is not conditioned to hard ground/rough terrain, then damage to the pads such as this is possible - imagine you spend your life walking around on soft carpet and grass, then attempt to walk up a mountain barefoot! If you have access to rocky ground/hard surfaces, conditioning your dog to walking across this terrain will help to harden the pads over time and reduce the risk of injuries such as this. If your dog can comfortably wear well fitting boots, this is also a good option to protect their feet.

Another point to note in a case like the one below, is your dogs fitness level. If your regular exercise regime consists of two daily 45minute walks around fields, then the dog is NOT fit enough to take on a day long mountain hike - this is likely to lead to muscle fatigue, soreness and potentially injury.

Long distance or rough terrain hikes must be built up gradually, and appropriately... and it's always worth keeping your canine first aid skills up to date, with a kit in your bag!

24/06/2024

A couple of before and after pictures from the lovely Feller's initial assessment today, utilising a combined vet physio and McTimoney treatment approach.

Chronic compensatory patterns following a stifle meniscus tear, alongside a list of other events (young horses! 🤦🏻‍♀️) have led to this whopping display of misalignment through the spine and pelvis. Following just one treatment, Feller is looking much more aligned and balanced through his body, so now it is time to start rebuilding his strength through a targeted rehabilitation programme, alongside follown up treatments to ensure his body is remaining comfortable and balanced.
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22/06/2024

If you're looking for something fun to do next weekend, have a look at Dogs Direct UK festival in Southport - I will be there with Canine Therapies as the main sponsors of the event, where we will have a stand, swimming pool and a Guest Speaker spot to tell you all about the benefits of Hydrotherapy 😁 come along and say Hi to us!

Summer Dog Festival - Southport

18/06/2024

Out of Office 18th - 20th June

Myself and Rex are off on our annual short break, with my sister and Hans. This year its a cabin in North Wales, where we shall be enjoying long walks, eating cheese, drinking wine and hopefully enjoying a bit of sunshine (send your prayers for dry weather) 🌞

All calls, emails and messages will be picked up on Friday.

Tilly x

17/06/2024

A little sneak peek at something we've been working on today! We can't wait to see the rest of the pictures, watch this space 🤓

13/06/2024

Today I couldn't resist snapping a picture of these wonderful, healthy barefoot feet on the lovely Vinnie. Big, healthy Frog and supple, cushioning heels - feet doing what they are made to do 😍 though of course I can't take credit, it is the lovely work Cat Redwood Equine Podiatrist, whom I share a number of cases with.

The saying "no foot, no horse" is absolutely true - a lot of problems higher up in the body can stem from issues with foot balance and dysfunction. Although many ridden horses will require shoes for support (I've seen wonders from good remedial farriery), it is still lovely to see an equine hoof in its natural and healthy state.

29/05/2024

Message for existing clients

I am just in the process of properly setting up my new clinic/booking system, so you should now receive appointment confirmation and reminder emails via Cliniko. For those of you with appointments booked over the coming weeks, expect to receive an email soon with these confirmed. You can also now cancel appointments via this software, with 2 days notice required. For rearranging cancelled bookings, please still drop me a message on WhatsApp or Facebook messenger 😁

Tilly x

27/05/2024

Love this article! Napping is a common behavioural "problem" in horses, usually a result of fear, anxiety or pain.

Pain is always the first stop - if you're horse is napping, a physiotherapy/Chiropractic assessment is useful to identify any areas of pain or discomfort that you are unaware of. Speaking to your vet, dentist, farrier/foot trimmer and saddler are also extremely useful in identifying potential pain that may be causing the behaviour.

Once pain is ruled out (or treated), we can then look to the behavioural reasons. I love that in this article, it states that fighting your horse, using aversive methods (such as harsh riding or excessive whip use) or forcing them forward will NOT help the issue, in fact it is likely to make the napping worse, when your horse starts to anticipate a negative experience.

When approaching these situations, your horse needs to TRUST you - if they can't trust you, then how on earth can we expect them to go towards the scary thing, when there might be a predator lurking!?

Most horses respond to positive reinforcement rather than punishment. It might take time, but if this builds a trusting relationship then it's worth it.

So all in all... behavioural "problems" should have pain ruled out as a potential cause. Something I learned many years ago and still apply today, is that there are 3 main reasons why a horse "misbehaves" or is "naughty":

1) they do not understand what you are asking
2) they are not physically fit enough/capable of doing the thing you are asking
3) they are in pain

So with that all said, next time your horse acts up (and yes, I know and have first hand knowledge of horses that simply have cheeky personalities 🤣) have a think about those three points, and see if it may apply to your beasty.

Napping is a horse’s way of saying “NO!”, and it can be scary and dangerous behaviour to deal with. This expert advice will help

23/05/2024

Call to followers and clients - canine gait videos needed!

I am looking to gather videos of dogs walking and trotting, for educational purposes - these will not be posted anywhere publicly and will only be used for me to teach students to aid in detecting lameness/gait abnormalities.

So if you have or can get a video of your dog being walked and trotted on a lead, preferably from the front, behind and side on - I would be very appreciative if you were happy to share these with me 😁😁

In particular I am looking for dogs who have varying degrees of lameness, or any form of abnormality/weakness in their movement.

Thanks in advance!

Tilly x

23/05/2024

Within the equine industry, horses continue to be stereotyped as naughty, grumpy, resistant, mean, or a typical mare when they are in reality showing signs of pain. It is our responsibility as equine rehabilitation practitioners to quantify and recognize pain in our equine patients, and to educate owners to recognize pain in their animals.

Many markers can be measured and used to quantify pain in the equine, the most valuable of these is behaviour. With advances in research allowing us to identify specific pain behaviours, we can now use composite pain scales in equines to quantify and monitor pain in our patients. This allows an objective method of measuring pain and its progression, improving communication and compliance between members of the multi-disciplinary team.

Let’s discuss some of how we can quantify pain here: https://onlinepethealth.com/putting-a-number-on-pain/

22/05/2024

⭐️ Appointments and Availability ⭐️

Just a quick note to say that at the moment, I am fully booked for the next 4-5 weeks, with just a couple of mobile appointments available at the end of June. A few spaces remain at Canine Therapies on a Wednesday, again towards the end of June. You lot are keeping me busy! 😁

For new clients, please be aware that it is likely to be July before I am able to take bookings. For those that enquire with urgent cases, I will always do my best to point you in the direction of an appropriate practitioner.

It's almost as though I need a second therapist... watch this space 😉

21/05/2024

Fascinating post, and just goes to show that behavioural issues in horses are often caused by pain and underlying problems. This poor horse must have been in agony, yet was probably labelled as dangerous and poorly behaved.

Listen to what they are telling you - if we don't hear the whispers, they have no choice but to shout 🐴