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ER Vet Physio

Eleanor Robinson IMSc

I am a fully qualified (integrated master's) and insured mobile animal physiotherapist and a member of the National Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists (NAVP) and registered by the Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners (RAMP). Find out more here! When I do home visits, I work within a 15/20 mile radius of Stourbridge (DY8), West Midlands, as a general rule. I treat dogs, small animals, horses, and farm animals. On Tuesday afternoons I run a canine physiotherapy clinic at Bluewaters Canine Centre in Hartlebury, Worcestershire. Click Here for more information on the areas where I work and cover.

 

Please feel free to get in touch using any of our contact methods! You can email us at ERVetPhysio@gmail.com or phone/WhatsApp us at 07563 284558. We are also on Facebook (@ERVetPhysio) and Instagram (@ERVetPhysio).

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Scroll down further to find out what animal physiotherapy is and how to tell when your animals are struggling!

What is Animal/Veterinary Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is simply a way of restoring and maintaining an animal's function, mobility and wellbeing using treatments such as massage, stretching, LASER and Pulse Mag, to name a few. Why is this important? Like people, if we do not actively target, examples such as mobility (joint range of motion) they will decline, which is why the phrase use it or lose it, is so true! Why does this happen? When animals do not move their joints, the joint's lubricating fluid (synovial fluid) becomes thicker as less water is pushed into the fluid. Thicker fluid is less able to cover the inside of the joint, which offers less protection to the joint and makes it harder to allow smooth movement. Untargeted the joint's range of motion shrinks causing the movement to become more concentrated in a smaller area, increasing the damage to the joint which can potentially lead to arthritis!

Healthy Animals

Animals with no Health Diagnoses

Physiotherapy is not just for animals with diagnosed conditions, like humans animals have weaknesses as well! Think of physiotherapy as your animal's own personal PT, that can give you targeted exercises to make sure that they are using themselves correctly and comfortably! Muscle MOTs are also part of the service to help keep your animals as healthy as possible! Think how much you could save on vet bills in the long-term!

Surgery

Before and After Surgery

Physiotherapy used in combination with surgery is all about optimising the healing and functionality of your animals. Surgery is not just about fixing a problem; the other structures also have to heal when they are cut open. For example, skin, muscle, fascia, and bone that is cut in order to get to the required area. These essentially cause man-made muscle tears and man-made bone fractures, which is why it is so important to use physiotherapy to make sure everything lines up correctly and is properly targeted with the right treatments and exercises.

Treatments Without Surgery

Conservative Management

It is not always appropriate for animals to have surgery due to the risk factors being too high or the success rate (prognosis) is actually higher in those that only use physiotherapy. This is all based on evidence-based practice, in order to give your animals the best chance of being comfortable and happy! By using a physiotherapist you can feel confident that your animals are performing exercises that are safe and effective for your animal to have the best quality of life possible for them!

What are the Signs That Your Animal Could be Struggling?

Small Animals

Dogs and Cats

Behavioural

  • Grumpy

  • Not themselves (behavioural changes)

  • Aggressive 

  • Not wanting to jump up

  • Avoid areas e.g. slippery floors

  • Naughty

  • Does not like being touched

  • Sitting/lying down a lot 

  • Moving away from being touched

  • Sleeping more

  • Lower energy levels

  • More anxious/stressed 

 

Movement

  • Stiff

  • Bunny hopping

  • Skipping 

  • Toe dragging

  • Not lifting the legs much off the ground

  • Refusing to move

  • Lame (not able to weight-bear properly when moving)

  • Spinal swaying

  • Rushing (trying to use momentum more by avoiding walking)

 

Posture

  • Arching the back (kyphosis)

  • Poor posture

  • Not able to stand square

  • Uneven muscle build

  • Leaning more to one side

  • Putting more weight into the front or back end

Equines

Horses, Ponies and Donkeys

Behavioural

  • Grumpy

  • Not themselves (behavioural changes)

  • Aggressive e.g. kicking & biting

  • Not wanting to jump up

  • Avoid certain surfaces 

  • Naughty

  • Does not like being touched

  • Moves away when being tacked up

  • Moving away from being touched

  • Difficult to mount

 

Movement

  • Stiff

  • Bunny hopping

  • Skipping 

  • Toe dragging

  • Not lifting the legs much off the ground

  • Refusing to move

  • Disunited

  • Bucking and or rearing

  • Lame (not able to weight-bear properly when moving)

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Ridden

  • Resisting the contact

  • Hollowing the back

  • Refusing to jump

  • Lack of hind-end propulsion 

 

Posture

  • Dipped back (lordosis)

  • Poor posture

  • Not able to stand square

  • Uneven muscle build

  • Leaning more to one side

  • Putting more weight into the front or back end

Farm Animals

Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Et Cetera

Behavioural

  • Grumpy

  • Not themselves (behavioural changes)

  • Aggressive e.g. kicking & biting

  • Avoid areas e.g. slippery floors

  • Naughty

  • Does not like being touched

  • Lying down a lot 

  • Moving away from being touched

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Movement

  • Stiff

  • Bunny hopping

  • Toe dragging

  • Slower

  • Not lifting the legs much off the ground

  • Refusing to move

  • Disunited

  • Bucking and or rearing

  • Lame (not able to weight-bear properly when moving)

 

Posture

  • Arching the back (kyphosis)

  • Poor posture

  • Not able to stand square

  • Uneven muscle build

  • Leaning more to one side

  • Putting more weight into the front or back end

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