Canine Veterinary Physiotherapy
Every dog deserves to live a happy, comfortable, and active life. Whether you are navigating distressing behavioural changes linked to musculoskeletal pain, guiding a pet through injury recovery, or striving to optimise the movement of your sporting and performance dogs, targeted veterinary physiotherapy makes all the difference. From agility competitors and working dogs aiming for peak athletic performance to beloved family pets needing relief from chronic discomfort, early intervention and tailored care help restore function, prevent long term compensatory issues, and keep your dog moving at their absolute best.
Conditions We Support
Musculoskeletal and Soft Tissue Issues: Osteoarthritis, Hip and Elbow Dysplasia, IVDD, Tendonitis, Luxating Patella, Spondylosis, Fractures, Scar Tissue, and Muscle Weakness.
Pain Driven Behavioural Changes: Sudden aggression or irritability, touch sensitivity, anxiety, reluctance to handle, or difficulty settling.
Mobility and Performance Decline: Abnormal gait, limping, obesity, reluctance to climb stairs or jump, and reduced athletic performance.
What to Expect During a Session
Comprehensive Assessment: We review your dog’s full medical and behavioural history, evaluate their posture through a static assessment, and analyze their movement through a dynamic assessment.
Hands On and Neurological Checks: We use targeted palpation to identify areas of tightness and soreness, alongside optional neurological checks to test reflexes and sensation where appropriate.
Targeted Clinical Treatment: Treatments combine hands on manual therapy including massage, myofascial release, and stretches alongside advanced electrotherapies like Laser, PMFT, TENS, and NMES.
Custom Rehabilitation Plan: You receive a tailored home exercise program using specialized equipment like poles, balance boards, and wobble cushions to support ongoing recovery.
Initial sessions are extended to introduce all equipment and therapies gently using positive reinforcement, ensuring your dog feels safe, relaxed, and comfortable throughout.
Here are a few common conditions aided by veterinary physiotherapy.
Muscle weakness
Osteoarthritis
Dysplasia (Hip, Elbow)
IVDD
Tendonitis
Luxating patella
Fractures
Spondylosis
Scar Tissue
Behavioural issues associated with pain
Obesity
Performance decline
Abnormal gait pattern
Limping/ Lameness
Mobility issues
Canine physiotherapy session will include as standard:
A thorough taking of your dogs veterinary and behavioural history.
Asking your main goals for veterinary physiotherapy treatment
Talking through concerns regarding the dogs ‘normal’ behaviour’ such as changes in the way the dog walks, reluctance to do any tasks such as go up stairs.
Static assessment of the dog, looking at the way the muscle is distributed, any abnormalities, conformational analysis and how the dog naturally holds themselves when stood, sat and lay down.
Dynamic assessment. Watching the dog in a straight line in walk and trot (if possible). Optional: A sit to stand, walking over poles or other exercises may be used. If you are a returning client we will always ask you to demonstrate your exercises for us.
Optional: A neurological assessment of deep pain, reflexes, paper slide test, knuckling response and other techniques where appropriate
Palpation assessment of muscle tone, areas of soreness and tightness.
Massage using myofascial release and specialised techniques to improve muscle tone
Electrotherapies: PMFT, Laser, TENS, NMES.
Stretches
Exercises using equipment where appropriate such as poles, balance board and wobble cushion.
Exercise and rehabilitation plan.
Our aims for the first session is for us to meet your dog, introduce the treatment and electrotherapies using positive reinforcement, take full clinical history and get to know you, the client. A longer session is usually required on our first meet, so that an appropriate plan can be made.
Check out our blog page to find out about some of the different conditions treated by physiotherapy
What can I offer to your dogs?
Every session is slightly different as it is tailored to the specific needs of that animal, however as a general rule I provide a full gait assessment including active range of motion exercises, a full range of motion assessment and a palpation assessment. I will also perform neurological testing if required. Following this I will provide the dog an appropriate treatment using a combination of of electrotherapies (LASER, PMFT, TENS, NMES etc.) and manual therapy (massage, myofascial release, stretching etc.) and I will then provide the dog with an appropriate exercise and rehabilitation plan.
Did you know that pain can make dogs more reactive and have behavioural changes?
Veterinary Physiotherapy has been scientifically proven to help reduce pain and improve a dogs quality of life. Using kind, gentle methods of handling and treatment to ensure all dogs have a positive experience. The results speak for themselves, with dogs having immediate relief from musculoskeletal pain. If your dog has behavioural concerns you would be better booking our behavioural pain assessment.
Regular veterinary physiotherapy has been scientifically proven to help post-surgical recovery, prevent future injury, improve muscle strength and reduce the severity of pain using alternative treatment especially from chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis. I truly believe that all dogs should be able to live pain free, and with dogs who have had trauma in their lives they often suffer from mental pain which can be reflected through their body.