Shackleton - Veterinary Physiotherapy

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Shackleton - Veterinary Physiotherapy

Expert Veterinary Physiotherapy for pets, zoos, and professionals. Based in Chester, we offer premium recovery programmes for dogs, cats, and rabbits.

We provide industry-leading CPD, university lecturing and specialist zoo consultancy worldwide. 🐶🦁🎓

01/05/2026

They told us to say goodbye. Stan had other plans. 🐾

At 11 years old, Stan’s world changed in an instant when he suffered an FCE (a spinal stroke). It was a heartbreaking time, and his owners were faced with the toughest advice: many friends and family suggested it might be time to put him to sleep. 💔

But Stan and his family weren’t ready to give up.

Through sheer determination, a lot of hard work, and a dedicated physiotherapy regime, Stan recovered. Today, he’s back on his paws, finding his feet, and showing us all exactly what resilience looks like. 🦴✨

Recovery isn't always a straight line, but Stan is proof that with the right support, even the most daunting days can be overcome.

We want to hear from you:
❤️ Drop a heart in the comments to send Stan some love for his incredible recovery!
💬 Have you ever navigated a difficult diagnosis with your pet? Share your stories below to inspire others in the same boat.

Need support for your pet?
If your dog is struggling with mobility or recovering from an injury, don't go it alone. We specialise in helping pets like Stan find their strength again.
📩 DM us today or click the link in our bio to book a physiotherapy consultation.

28/04/2026

This is Riesen the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, who our Vet Physio, Louise, saw for a sporting dog MOT in Chester. 🐾

Notice the deep relaxation? That’s the result of releasing chronic tension in the forelimbs. ☁️

Many dogs carry extra weight on their front legs due to leaning forwards, leading to incredibly tight shoulders (the ‘scapula’ area). By using manual therapy such as massage, PROM (passive range of motion), stretches, and scapula glides, we can help restore the fluid movement they used to have. ✨

Riesen went from ‘tight and restricted’ to ‘deep relaxation’ in just one session. The look on her face at the end says it all! 😂

Do you have a senior dog who seems a bit stiff in the mornings? Let’s get them moving comfortably again. 🦴

📍 Based in Chester and the Wirral.
🔗 Tap the link in our bio to book a free discovery call.

23/04/2026

From Chester to Melbourne! ✈️🇦🇺

Matt recently travelled across the world to to deliver two specialist Functional Enrichment workshops. One session was tailored specifically for the zoo's dedicated staff, and the second was for attendees of the 50th Anniversary Conference.

At Shackleton Vet Physio, we look at enrichment through a clinical lens. It isn’t just about encouraging natural behaviour; it’s about supporting fitness, physiology, and long-term musculoskeletal health. 🧬🐾

By understanding how devices and protocols impact gait and inflammation, we can help keepers support animals with age-related challenges or osteoarthritis, ensuring their activity is always a win for their welfare.

Our goal is always to bridge the gap between physio and zookeeping. It was brilliant to hear this from one of our Melbourne delegates:

💬"Really great event … the information provided gave me a better understanding of degenerative diseases at a fundamental level, but also how to spot them even when subtle, cater to them, and work to alleviate and repair damage. I would strongly recommend the workshop to everyone in the industry, but especially anyone who has animals with ongoing mobility issues. Thank you Matt, would love to have you out again."

Are you looking to level up your collection's enrichment strategy? Drop us a message to find out more about our workshops.

05/04/2026

Happy Easter to all our clients and followers.

22/03/2026

What an absolute pleasure it's been running our enrichment workshop for the ASZK, and delivering a keynote talk on pain, lameness and management. Met so many passionate people and talked about a lot of interesting cases.

21/03/2026

One of my absolute highlights. I've been busy giving a keynote talk, running workshops and consulting in Australian, but finally seeing a number of Australian species has been an absolute pleasure.

18/03/2026

Is your dog just a lazy sitter, or are they actually in pain?

One of the first things we look for during a clinical assessment is how a dog transitions into and out of a sit, and where they place their weight once they are there.

A comfortable, pain-free dog should be able to sit squarely. This means their back legs are tucked neatly underneath them, with their hocks (ankles) pointing straight back and their stifles (knees) pointing forward.

When a dog sits asymmetrically, they are usually offloading weight between areas. This happens for a few specific clinical reasons:

🦵 Avoiding flexion:
If a dog has arthritis/osteoarthritis in the hock or stifle, or a cruciate ligament injury, bending that joint deeply into a square sit is painful. Splaying the leg out lets them keep the joint straighter.

⚖️ Shifting the centre of gravity:
If one hip or one side of the lower back is sore, they will shift their weight onto the good side. This creates that classic slanted look where one hip is dropped to the floor.

⚡ Nerve irritation:
Dogs with lower back pain often find a tight, square sit puts too much tension on the nerves in their spine. Sitting to the side provides instant slack and relief.

Watch out for these three red flags:

➡️ The lazy or side-sit: Dropping their weight onto one hip with their legs out to the side.

🐸 The frog-sit: Splaying both back legs wide apart.

🐾 The shuffle: Constantly shifting their weight because they cannot get comfortable.

If your dog has a signature lazy sit, it is usually a compensation for a physical restriction elsewhere in the body.

How does your dog usually sit? Let me know in the comments if they are a square-sitter or if you have noticed them leaning to one side!

13/03/2026

Rosie’s Journey 🐾

We often see owners who are frustrated because their dog is intermittently lame. One day they seem fine; the next, they are struggling to settle or acting grumpy.

That was Rosie. Behind her gorgeous Golden Retriever smile, she was dealing with significant nerve irritation in her lower back due to suspected sacroiliac/sciatic impingement.

It wasn't just a limp: it was affecting her ability to play, her posture, and her overall quality of life.

This video shows Rosie at the start and end of our Premium 8-Week Rehabilitation Programme.

To get these results, we focused on:

💊 Targeted pain management:
Working alongside her vet to dampen down that wind-up nerve pain.

🧬 Neural gliding:
Specialised movements designed to move the nerves through the tissues, reducing that zingy irritation and improving mobility.

🧠 Proprioception and poles:
Using focused exercises—like the poles in the video—to retrain her brain’s awareness of where her limbs are in space.

⚖️ Weight management:
Losing 6kg was a game-changer, taking significant mechanical pressure off her spine and joints.

🏠 Home adaptations:
Small changes to her environment to prevent slipping and further tweaks to her back.

The result:

Watch to the end to see Rosie enjoying a cold day with her brother, Angus. She’s not just moving better; she’s happier and back to being her true self.

How to help your own dog:

Nerve discomfort is notoriously hard to spot because it doesn't always look like a limp. We’ve put together a clinical checklist of the hidden signs we look for: from skin twitching and local sensitivity (hyperaesthesia) to sudden pain.

💬 Comment ROSIE below, and we’ll send that checklist to you ASAP.

📞 Ready for professional help? Send us a message with the word CALL to book a free discovery chat with our specialist team.

11/03/2026

Why we always start with your vet 🩺🐾

We often get asked if a pet owner can just skip the vet and come straight to us because their dog is looking a bit stiff or seems painful. While this would be faster, the best approach for effective treatment is always a collaborative one. Here is why:

🩺 Diagnosis first
Lameness is a symptom, not a condition. It could be osteoarthritis, but it could also be a ligament tear, a neurological issue, or even a systemic infection. Only your vet can provide that definitive diagnosis.

⚖️ Legalities and ethics
In the UK, it is a legal requirement for an animal physiotherapist to have veterinary consent before treating an animal. It is there to protect your pet and ensure we have their full medical history before we begin.

🧐 The expert eye
Our job is not to replace your vet; it is to be the movement specialist on their team. We take the diagnosis your vet provides and turn it into a high-level, tailored physical recovery programme.

Think of it like this: your vet is the surgeon or GP; we are the physiotherapists or sports rehab specialists. We work together to ensure your pet does not just get by, but actually thrives.

Already have a diagnosis or noticed your senior pet is slowing down? Send us a DM today to find out how we can work with your vet to get them moving again 📥

10/03/2026

Meet the team behind Shackleton Veterinary Physiotherapy 🐾

Our mission is simple: to deliver a personal approach for every animal, owner, and environment. We know that no two patients are alike, which is why we don't just offer one-off appointments: we provide comprehensive clinical support.

Swipe through to meet our founders and see why our approach is different.

🎓 Clinical expertise
Our treatment plans are built on years of domestic experience and advanced university teaching. We stay at the forefront of the industry by delivering accredited CPD and providing specialist consultancy for zoo species. We bring that same elite level of care to every dog and cat we see.

✨ The programme difference
We don't just see your pet for an hour and leave you to it. We provide a thorough, supported programme that covers everything from clinical treatment to lifestyle adjustments and home-care coaching. We are with you every step of the way.

🤝 Built on trust
We work closely with your vet through a formal referral process. This ensures our physiotherapy seamlessly supports your animal’s existing medical care and history.

🌿 Individualised care
Following a thorough review of your pet's health, environment, and activity levels, we tailor a unique rehabilitation or prevention plan. We focus on results that suit both your needs and your animal’s lifestyle.

🐾 A calm approach
With a strong foundation in animal behaviour, we prioritise calm, positive reinforcement techniques. This is a major benefit for anxious pets who might find clinical environments stressful.

Whether your pet is recovering from injury or simply slowing down with age, we are here to provide the expert support you both need.

Have you noticed your pet acting differently? We would love to help. Send us a DM to find out more about our assessment process or visit the link in our bio. 📥

04/03/2026

🐾 Is your pet just slowing down, or are they experiencing discomfort? 🐾

It’s easy to write off a slow start in the morning or a lack of interest in play as just getting older. But often, these are signs of chronic low-grade pain that impacts their personality and quality of life.

Whether it's a split-second hesitation before jumping or a change in how they groom themselves, catching these signs early makes a world of difference.

Don’t wait until they limp to take action.

🐾👇 Check out the slides for what to look for, and comment if your pet struggles with their mobility 🐾👇

10/02/2026

'This was an incredible experience run by people who really care about and love their craft.'

'This was so interesting and so well planned out and delivered.'

We'd like to thank and for having us to deliver our lameness workshop at the zoo (attended by UoC student and Keepers from the zoo). We looked at assessing lameness in different taxonomic groups, common pathologies, pain & behaviour and the importance of the keepers role in long-term health and recovery.

Our lameness workshop is available to book for Zoological and educational organisation both in house and within Zoological collections. Get in touch for more details.

eaza

Address

Chester
CH21HE

Telephone

+447534412517

Website

https://www.shackletonvetphysio.com/

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