CANINE PHYSIOTHERAPY

Physiotherapy can be used in dogs for an array of different reasons, whether to help with postoperative recovery, reduce discomfort in chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis or just as some general maintenance. Below are a list of some common conditions that physiotherapy can help with in your dog:

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• Osteoarthritis

• Hip dysplasia

• Elbow dysplasia

• Neurological injury

• Cruciate injury

• Patella luxation

• Post op rehabilitation

• Musculoskeletal pain/imbalance

• General well-being

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If your dog is suffering from a condition that you think physiotherapy will help with, here at Animotion your Physiotherapist will work alongside your vet to decide the best treatment plan for your dog. If your dog does not have a known condition and you still think they could benefit from some physiotherapy, here is a list of some common signs that you should look out for that could suggest they will benefit from seeing us: 

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• Muscle Asymmetry

• Change in movement

• Stiffness and altered gait

• Always sitting to one side

• Difficulty getting up and down

• Always lying down/sleeping

• Excess licking of one area

• Shortened stride length

• Change in behavior

• Sensitivity to a certain area

• Toe dragging

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Whats is included?

The session will include a thorough background on the history of the dog, followed by a static, dynamic and soft tissue assessment including palpation and range of motion. Treatment then consists of a combination of different manual therapy’s including massage, stretching, electrotherapies and remedial exercise’s depending on each individual case.

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Massage

When your dog has sore muscles they guard them causing reduced blood flow to the area and therefore result in a build up of toxins. Massage increases both blood flow and lymphatic flow to the area therefore increases the removal of these toxins, encouraging a rush of nutrients to the area and increasing healing rates. Not only does this help to increase healing and reduce tension but it also has many other benefits such as reducing scar tissue, pain and increasing flexibility and general mood. 

 

Stretching

Stretching will also increase circulation to the affected tissues and therefore help to reduce pain. However, it is also an effective way of helping to increase your Dog's muscle extensibility and range of motion while also promoting healing and the realignment of collagen fibres within the tissue. It is important that stretching is applied correctly, if applied incorrectly it can cause damage and this is why it is important to follow the  recommendations of your Veterinary Physiotherapist. 

 

Electrotherapies

We have three different types of electrotherapies that can be used on your dog at Animotion; Laser therapy, Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMFT) and Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENs) therapy. Each will work in different ways to promote healing, reduce pain and tension. Again it is very important that these machines are used by your qualified Veterinary Physiotherapists who is trained and insured.

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Remedial exercises

Compensation is very common no matter what kind of animal you are. If we are sore in one area we compensate and take the weight somewhere else. However, over time this repetitive overuse can cause injury and therefore as a Physiotherapist one of our main aims is to help reduce compensation. Many exercises can be used to help build muscle strength in areas that are atrophied in order to restore the correct muscle use, such as; static weight shifts, pole work and passive range of motion to name a few. At Animotion your Physiotherapist will recommend any exercises that will benefit your specific case.

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