Bellarine Animal Physiotherapy

02/08/2026

This week we switched things up for Gus’ rehab program 🐾

We added a step exercise to bring in a little more resistance and challenge. By approaching the step from different angles and adding in a tight turn, Gus is working through a more dynamic movement pattern — helping to strengthen not only the main muscle groups, but also those important accessory muscles (like the gluteals) that support stability and control.

25/07/2026

Home is where many pets feel safest—and that’s exactly why I offer mobile animal physiotherapy.

Home visits are perfect for:
• Cats who prefer the comfort of home
• Dogs recovering from injury or surgery
• Larger dogs that are difficult to transport
• Senior or unwell pets who find travel stressful

Being treated in a familiar environment often means your pet is more relaxed, allowing for a calmer and more comfortable physiotherapy session.

📍Servicing Geelong, the Bellarine & Surf Coast.
📩 Get in touch to see if a home visit is right for your pet

26/06/2026

At first glance, Molly looked like she had a simple left hind leg lameness…

But as is often the case, the story was much bigger than that.

Molly has a painful left cruciate injury, but she’s also been living with a chronic luxating patella in her right hind leg. With both back legs affected, she’d started relying heavily on her front end to get around.

One of the biggest clues? She was reluctant to sit (see the first video). Sitting is something most dogs do without thinking—but when both hind limbs are uncomfortable, even this simple movement becomes difficult.

So rather than just treating the sore knee, we looked at how her whole body was coping.

✨ Releasing overworked neck muscles that had been carrying more weight than they should.
✨ Massaging tight inner thigh (medial quadriceps) muscles that had become overactive as they tried to stabilise both hind limbs.
✨ Stretching the shoulders to ease the tension created by months of compensation.

We also worked through targeted strengthening exercises to encourage better weight-bearing through her hind limbs and put together a walking program for home.

The best part? Just two weeks later, Molly’s owners have already noticed a meaningful improvement in her comfort and mobility.

It’s a great reminder that dogs rarely read the textbook. The painful area is often just one piece of the puzzle, and successful rehabilitation means treating the whole dog—not just the injured leg. 💙🐾

01/06/2026

Meet Ginny, who is taking us through part of her home exercise program. These simple-looking step exercises are doing a lot more than meets the eye—challenging her hip strength, core stability, balance, coordination, and body awareness all at once.

The best part? Many rehabilitation exercises can be performed at home with everyday items, making it easier to keep the momentum going between appointments.

⚠️ A quick reminder: not all exercises are suitable for every dog or injury. Step height, exercise selection, and repetitions are carefully prescribed based on each patient’s condition, goals, and stage of recovery.

Ginny has been completing her program three times a week, and her hard work is paying off. Her strength, confidence, and movement quality have all come a long way, and we’re so proud of her progress! 💪🐶

Drop a ❤️ below for Ginny and all the dogs putting in the hard work behind the scenes

29/05/2026

Not all lameness presents as obvious limping 👀

Floyd presented with left hind limb lameness. One of the most striking findings on assessment was the visible asymmetry through his hindquarters — with reduced muscle bulk creating a “hollow” appearance on the affected side compared with the fuller opposite limb.

Muscle loss like this can develop when a limb is not being loaded efficiently due to pain, weakness or joint dysfunction.

During Floyd’s hands-on physiotherapy assessment, I was able to consistently feel the patella (kneecap) luxating during stifle (knee) extension. Patella luxation occurs when the kneecap moves out of its normal groove and, over time, can contribute to altered movement patterns, muscle loss and increased stress on surrounding structures.

This is why Physiotherapy assessments look beyond the obvious limp. Gait, posture, muscle tone, joint motion and movement strategies all help build the bigger picture.

Floyd has started with hands-on therapy, confidence-building exercises and a progressive walking plan to improve strength and support better limb loading 💪🐾

03/05/2026

24/04/2026

IVDD surgery is only the first step — physiotherapy is what helps dogs rebuild strength, mobility, and confidence. With the right rehab plan, most dogs make incredible progress and return to a happy, active life.

10/04/2026

We’re excited to announce that Help Em Up Harness are now in stock

If your dog struggles with mobility, recovering from surgery, or just needs a little extra support getting around, these harnesses can make a world of difference. 💛

06/03/2026

Rafa has been undergoing physiotherapy management for elbow dysplasia over the past month and has shown excellent progress.

In the initial stages of rehabilitation, his exercise load was reduced to allow symptoms to settle and to minimise excessive joint stress. His walking volume has since been gradually increased with close monitoring for any signs of pain or discomfort.

A key component of Rafa’s rehabilitation program has been strengthening the musculature surrounding the shoulder. Improved shoulder stability and strength can assist with better limb control and help reduce the load transmitted distally to the elbow joint.

The exercise demonstrated here is an advanced progression of a three-leg stance. By elevating the hind limbs and introducing controlled head movements, the demand placed on the stabilising muscles of the shoulder increases significantly. This challenges neuromuscular control and promotes improved strength and limb stability.

Exercises such as this are carefully progressed within a rehabilitation program to safely build strength, coordination and functional limb support.

05/03/2026

Such a great day at Gaws for Paws 🐾

Loved meeting so many passionate pet owners, chatting about animal physiotherapy, and seeing some pups give the rehab equipment a go!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello. 🐶