Physio for Pets

05/06/2026

Does anyone else have 2 full time jobs?

Their day job and the other job which is to scratch their hounds butt……

04/06/2026

28/05/2026

Crate rest for dogs with injuries.

Agree or disagree and what are the issues that result from crate rest or jail time as I call it.

23/05/2026

Episode 65
Podcast - Paws the Pain - How corns tell you a story

My podcast is now available for all listeners through the Free the Hounds - Talking Couch Potato podcast.

If you want to know why corns occur and what you can do to help your greyhounds , this is the podcast for YOU.

It’s also for those onwers who are on the fence about whether or not to proceed with flexor tenotomy. I would say please pause and listen to this before making any rushed decisions around surgery.

Enjoy………

18/05/2026

How do your dogs or cats communicate their discomfort or pain?

01/05/2026

I am deeply concerned about the growing trend of canine physiotherapists using wobble cushions online. A quick search of Tiktok or Instagram and you’ll see dogs jumping straight onto unstable equipment because it looks fun and eye-catching.

Starting a dog on unstable surfaces too early is not good conditioning or rehab.

Without a solid foundation of strength, control and body awareness, dogs will overcompensate. Instead of activating the correct muscles, dogs often shift weight and brace through the wrong areas just to stay upright. This reinforces poor movement patterns, whether the dog is recovering from injury or simply training. The sudden shift of a wobble cushion can cause unnecessary strain on joints and soft tissue injuries.

No 20-second viral video is going to teach a skill that requires proper training. You need to build foundations, work on proprioception, and then start to challenge balance.

Wobble cushions have their place in physiotherapy, but they’re not a toy and shouldn’t be a trend.

28/04/2026

Ever wondered how YOU can help make a difference in the lives of other pets ?

I often hear owners say that they saw a dog limping or a cat not being able to move properly during a grooming session or rider’s horse bucking under saddle ……. and the list goes on.

Rather than feeling like you CAN’T do anything to help that animal because they DON’T belong to you.

Your act of kindness may be as simple as sharing your STORY. There are many ways you can do that.

Sharing your journey -

1. Talking to the other pet owner

2. Writing a testimonial on google review

3. Video testimonial

4. Writing a Facebook post sharing your journey.

Stories and stories about how animals recover from pain / trauma/ surgery etc always resonate with other owners and it may be the difference between doing NOTHING or doing SOMETHING to help - even when you may have been told that there is no hope………

Stories are powerful.

Below is this little dude, 4 months after amputation after half his leg got bitten off by a dog. Look at him now.

So share the story of your physiotherapy journey and help another pet!!!!!

26/04/2026

When your dog sustains a cruciate ligament rupture/ tear - should you pursue surgery or try conservative treatment ?

There are a lot of factors to consider when making this decision for your dog and I will outline some of these factors below.

1. Finances - surgery is expensive in the short term, but in the long term is probably cheaper than a life with ongoing medication and therapy.

2. Age - a younger dog may be able to cope with surgery whereas an older dog may have other health issues which may lead to complications after surgery.

An older dog may be able to manage better with physio and bracing if their health issues do not allow them to be candidates for surgery.

3. Degree of cruciate ligament tear

Partial tears do respond well to conservative treatment whereas I would say full tears do better with surgery and rehab afterwards.

It’s often difficult to tell owners the severity of tear in partial cruciate ligament injuries as you may have a few fibres torn or it may just be holding on by a thread.

4. Size of the dog

Large dogs which have a bigger mass and hence higher load onto their stifle joints would do better with surgery. Whereas a small dog may cope with conservative or less invasive type surgeries like extra capsular repair which buys time for the joint to scar up.

I believe that you need to consider all these factors before making the decision on which road you want to pursue for your dog. There isn’t a set answer and each case is usually assessed on case by case basis.

I have had 2 dogs this week, both 10yo and both with ruptured ligaments.

Owner 1 - pursued surgery because her dog is high energy and fit. She also had the attitude that as an owner we are responsible for providing the best care and best pain management for her dog so she could have a good QOL.

Owner 2 - tried medication for a month and rest. Dog is still lame. Just started physio rehab and we have outlined what is involved but also educated on the need for external support via hinge brace otherwise it will be very painful ongoing for the dog.

Please factor these points in when making your decision for your animals.