The Essex Animal Physiotherapy Centre

The Essex Animal Physiotherapy Centre Based in Felsted, Dunmow, The Essex Animal Physiotherapy Centre is run by Veterinary Physiotherapist
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING ILLNESSI have already sent this out in my monthly newsletter but, for those who missed ...
08/08/2025

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING ILLNESS

I have already sent this out in my monthly newsletter but, for those who missed it, I’m sharing it here as well to make you all aware.

As many of my clients will already know, I’ve been struggling with my health for the last 18 months and have recently been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. I’ve now been put on two different immunosuppressants to try to manage the disease better while I wait for an appointment to discuss surgery later in the year. As a result, my immune system is now weakened and I’m more susceptible to illness and infections. Please can I ask that if you are unwell with anything that may be contagious that you contact me to reschedule your dog’s appointment. Alternatively, should you still wish for your dog to be treated, you are welcome to drop them off for me to treat without you. I appreciate that most of you will already reschedule if you’re not well, but I just wanted to make everyone aware to take extra care.

Please note that I am still working as normal and this shouldn’t affect the day-to-day running of the clinic. Thank you all for your understanding as always!

Some of you may find it interesting to see which breeds I see most commonly for physiotherapy and/or hydrotherapy. I cre...
02/08/2025

Some of you may find it interesting to see which breeds I see most commonly for physiotherapy and/or hydrotherapy. I created this pie chart using data from all of the dogs I currently have actively registered on my system, excluding the sporting and working dogs I see for maintenance purposes. Labradors come out on top as the most commonly treated breed, closely followed by Miniature Dachshunds and then mixed breeds (excluding, Cockapoos, Cavapoos and Labradoodles).

Why are these breeds seen most frequently? For starters, Labradors and Dachshunds are very commonly owned dogs, so it stands to reason that their numbers would be higher than less commonly owned breeds, such as Bernese Mountain dogs for example. However, breed popularity can also lead to poorer breeding practices, with increased incidences of breeding for profit over health and welfare. Therefore health problems can start to crop up more frequently in these breeds. Labradors are commonly prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, while Dachshunds are prone to IVDD.

Mixed breeds have always been traditionally thought of as healthier than pedigree dogs. However, this isn’t always the case. These dogs are less likely to have come from selectively bred, health-tested lines and they can inherit a predisposition to health conditions that affect each of the breeds in their DNA, potentially making them susceptible to a wider variety of health problems.

Any breed of dog can of course develop health problems and this is just a snapshot of my current client base - other physiotherapists’ may look completely different to this!

If you’d like to sign up to our mailing list, follow the link below! Current and past clients will have already been rec...
08/07/2025

If you’d like to sign up to our mailing list, follow the link below! Current and past clients will have already been receiving our monthly newsletters, but if you’re not already on the list and would like to receive them then please feel free to sign up. Newsletters are full of business updates, useful information on health problems that might affect your dog and how to help them, discount codes and more.

No need to worry about your inbox getting spammed if you sign up - I just about manage to find the time to prepare and send the one email a month!

http://eepurl.com/i7fiOA

Fantastic photo showing the progress border collie Prudence has made in her confidence being in the clinic. Prudence fir...
04/07/2025

Fantastic photo showing the progress border collie Prudence has made in her confidence being in the clinic. Prudence first came to see me over 2 months ago at just 5 months old following a traumatic hock/ligament injury and was initially quite anxious, particularly if I went anywhere near her previously injured leg. We have worked hard to build her confidence and teach her that nothing bad happens in the clinic and now she absolutely loves coming to see me. This week she had her first hydrotherapy session to help strengthen her hindlimb and she actually enjoyed it - if anything a little too much! 🤣 I don’t think we would have had quite the same reaction had I not taken the time to build her trust and confidence with me first.

I am always happy to work with anxious dogs, reactive dogs, or dogs with any other behavioural issues. Some are less happy to tolerate a lot of hands on work, but there’s always plenty we can work on with less touching.

I am also currently in the process of completing a Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Canine Behaviour, which will allow me to further help dogs with behavioural issues. This is an area I’m particularly passionate about as pain and behaviour are often so closely interlinked.

We’ve invested in an air conditioning unit so the clinic is now nice and cool for your dogs. Now is the perfect time to ...
01/07/2025

We’ve invested in an air conditioning unit so the clinic is now nice and cool for your dogs. Now is the perfect time to treat them to a massage or get them some exercise without the risk of overheating in our underwater treadmill.

Remie patiently waiting for her massage! Did you know that massage provides many benefits to the body? These can include...
27/06/2025

Remie patiently waiting for her massage! Did you know that massage provides many benefits to the body? These can include:

➡️ Reducing muscle tension
➡️ Increasing blood circulation and lymphatic flow
➡️ Stimulating relaxation and reducing pain levels through the release of endorphins
➡️ Improving joint range of motion and flexibility
➡️ Improving muscle recovery following exercise

All physiotherapy sessions include some form of massage which is specifically targeted towards the areas your animal needs it.

This week is Rabbit awareness week! So I thought I’d do a quick post on how physiotherapy doesn’t just benefit dogs and ...
24/06/2025

This week is Rabbit awareness week! So I thought I’d do a quick post on how physiotherapy doesn’t just benefit dogs and cats…

Over the years, I have treated rabbits for osteoarthritis, IVDD and neurological deficits as a result of E. cuniculi. Snowy here was one notable case who came to me unable to get up from lying down but after just 6 weeks of physiotherapy, she made a full recovery and was back to hopping around the garden again.

Conditions like osteoarthritis in rabbits often go unnoticed as they aren’t walked like dogs and they don’t show pain in ways that are always obvious to owners. Some signs that your rabbit might be struggling and could be in need of some help include:

➡️ Difficulty jumping on and off surfaces and/or going up and down steps.
➡️ Struggling to groom themselves properly, particularly finding it hard to balance on their hind end and groom their face with their front paws.
➡️ Generally moving around more slowly and/or moving around noticeably less.

As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss booking your pet in for physiotherapy (rabbit or otherwise!), please feel free to get in touch.

Tracy and Flame are on a roll this season! Another win and a second place for Flame at Upanova Tigers agility show this ...
16/06/2025

Tracy and Flame are on a roll this season! Another win and a second place for Flame at Upanova Tigers agility show this weekend.

Competition season is in full swing now, so get in touch if you’re interested in some maintenance physiotherapy/hydrotherapy to keep your sporting dog in top condition this season.

Sponsored dog Flame continued her fantastic run of success last weekend with two first places at JDA agility show, winni...
30/05/2025

Sponsored dog Flame continued her fantastic run of success last weekend with two first places at JDA agility show, winning her up into grade 7! Huge congratulations to both her and her owner and handler Tracy. Can’t wait to see you both in champ!

Remie the Labrador x Toller feeling very relaxed during some laser treatment on her elbows! Remie has quite severe elbow...
26/05/2025

Remie the Labrador x Toller feeling very relaxed during some laser treatment on her elbows! Remie has quite severe elbow dysplasia and associated osteoarthritis and, alongside other treatment methods and a structured home exercise plan, laser really helps keep on top of her pain levels and maintain her at a more comfortable level.

Incredible result for sponsored dog Flame and her owner, Tracy, last weekend. Their first time competing at B level in o...
20/05/2025

Incredible result for sponsored dog Flame and her owner, Tracy, last weekend. Their first time competing at B level in obedience and they only went and won the class! Flame came in for her regular physiotherapy and hydrotherapy session last week and is currently looking in great form.

IVDDIVDD stands for Intervertebral Disc Disease. It occurs when the intervertebral disc(s) degenerate over time, resulti...
12/05/2025

IVDD

IVDD stands for Intervertebral Disc Disease. It occurs when the intervertebral disc(s) degenerate over time, resulting in reduced shock absorption capacity and eventual herniation of the affected disc(s) into the spinal cord. This compresses the spinal cord, causing pain and neurological symptoms. There are two types of IVDD:

Hansen type I - most commonly affects younger, small breeds and chondrodysplastic (long-backed) breeds, such as miniature dachshunds. Hansen type I IVDD is acute in onset and occurs when the soft inner contents of the disc become hard and brittle over time. This reduces the shock absorption of the disc, meaning that normal movements eventually put too much strain on the disc and the inner contents rupture out of the disc into the spinal cord. The velocity of this impact and the length of time the spinal cord is left compressed dictate the severity of the symptoms and the long-term prognosis of the patient.

Hansen type II - most commonly affects medium to large older, non-chondrodysplastic breeds. In Hansen type II IVDD, the outer part of the disc bulges into the spinal cord, causing compression similar to Hansen type I IVDD. This is usually acute in onset, but can sometimes occur progressively over time.

IVDD can be managed conservatively or surgically depending on the individual case. In both cases, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy are highly recommended to facilitate recovery and a return to as normal mobility and neurological function as possible.

Address

Keepers
Dunmow
CM63JP

Opening Hours

Tuesday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+447903423214

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