Advance Veterinary Physiotherapy

11/08/2025

Yes, cats can also do physiotherapy!!

03/08/2025

July has been a whirlwind 🐕🐴

Between moving my horses to their new home, getting a new car, going on holiday, and juggling my business, it has been non-stop and incredibly rewarding.

Enjoying discovering some new hacking and a giant cup of coffee ☕ before August takes over. It is already promising to be a very busy one!

28/07/2025

I had the most heartwarming day at the NAWT Animal Human Bond event yesterday! 💛

It was such a lovely experience meeting so many wonderful people and their equally lovely dogs. The bond between humans and animals truly is something special, and yesterday was a beautiful reminder of that.

Big thanks to National Animal Welfare Trust Berkshire for organizing such a meaningful event. Can’t wait for the next one! 🐶✨

24/07/2025

New noseband study just released.

A tight noseband has such significant effects and still we can see it daily. Often it is owners not knowing rather than consciously tightening it to be cruel.

Read about some of the findings below:
📉 Stride length reduced by 24cm
💥 Pressure increased by 338% between standard noseband settings
😱 Levels of pressure that in other species would cause pain and tissue damage.

Please check your noseband before your next ride. This is such an easy, low effort way to increase your horse's comfort levels and welfare and contact a bridle fitter if needed!

A new scientific study co-authored by Animalweb’s own Dr David Marlin in conjuction with Anglia Ruskin University students Emily Hopkins and Stacie Whitrod and ARU Writtle Associate Professor of Animal Biomechanics and Sports Medicine and School Research Lead Dr Roberta Blake, has found that tight...

21/07/2025

I am so excited to be part of this amazing event with StreetVet on Sunday, 27th July! 🐾 It’s going to be a fantastic day full of fun, community spirit, and a shared passion for animal welfare. 💚

Come down, say hello, and help us celebrate the incredible bond between people and their pets — all while supporting a great cause. 🐶🐱

We’re so excited to have some fantastic stalls joining us at our event with StreetVet on Sunday, 27th July — including Kiara, from AVP!

Kiara will be here offering advice and free basic demonstrations on how to help your animals with their physio needs, discussing pain management and more! Alongside that, they’ll be happy to chat and give helpful advice.

Best of all, entry to the event and all talks is completely free! (Some stalls may have a cost for products or services, so please note this is a cash preferred event.) This event will be a great chance to enjoy a day celebrating the special bond between people and animals while supporting pets in need. There’s so much to enjoy, from a fun dog show and pet stalls to community support for pet owners. It’s a day full of exciting activities you won’t want to miss! For more details, click here 👉 https://fb.me/e/3saeTHT6N

26/06/2025

Stability exercises using balance pads - Simple, Effective and one of my go-to tools!

Whether I am working with dogs or horses (or even cats), balance pads are amazing additions to many physio sessions!
I use these to:
✅ Improve core strength and activation
✅ Activate stability muscles
✅ Improve proprioception and balance
✅ Improve posture

They are easy to use but deliver big results. Ideal for animals in rehab or to keep them in top shape.

21/06/2025

🔆 Cooling advice 🥵

No cold/wet towel, no rinsing off the paws but Continuous cooling with cold water for dogs with heat stroke!!!

Help prevent the spread of misinformation!

🐕HEATSTROKE IN DOGS🐕

We've been banging on about this for years! HEATSTROKE is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY! Fortunately, now more and more professionals are communicating the same message!

Whilst the need for rapid cooling with COLD water (1-15°C) has been recognised for decades in equestrian and human medicine, the dog world has lagged behind, and very poor information still circulates. e.g. "cool the paws", "cover with wet towels", "avoid cold water as it will cause shock"

THE KEY MESSAGES ARE............

💦"WET THEN VET"💦

💦"COLD WATER IMMERSION" (1-15°C)💦
(If you can't immerse, keep pouring ANYTHING COLD over the dog - hose, soft drinks, milk, etc)

💦Dogs die of heatstroke because they were NOT COOLED QUICKLY ENOUGH, NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE COOLED!

♨️RISK FACTORS FOR HEATSTROKE IN HOT WEATHER♨️

♨️Large dogs
♨️DOUBLE-COATED breeds
♨️Brachycephalic breeds
♨️June, July, August (UK)
♨️Exercise, being outdoors, left in cars

EDIT: - If a dog is PANTING, it's struggling to control its body TEMPERATURE! 💦HOSE IT TO COOL IT DOWN!💦

❤️PLEASE SHARE - Spread accurate information; potentially save a dogs life!❤️

CHECK OUT FREE RESOURCES HERE: https://askanimalweb.com/managing-dogs-in-hot-weather/

Welfare in the Heat: https://askanimalweb.com/heat-welfare/

If you don't believe me, look at the research: Beard S, Hall EJ, Bradbury J, Carter AJ, Gilbert S, O'Neill DG. Epidemiology of heat-related illness in dogs under UK emergency veterinary care in 2022. Vet Rec. 2024;e4153. https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/vetr.4153

16/06/2025

Quick Monday Pop Quiz: Pain or No Pain?

In practice, we frequently rely on equine facial expressions to identify areas of discomfort and assess whether a treatment technique is well tolerated. But context is everything—we always interpret these expressions in combination with what we feel under our hands and the horse’s overall body language.

Yesterday, I performed a commonly used treatment technique on my own horse—one I often give clients as part of their homework. This was his response. 👇

What do you see in his face? Drop your thoughts in the comments—pain or no pain?

(Hint: It's not always as straightforward as it looks!).

Check out the comments for the unedited video.

09/06/2025

Physiotherapy is so much more than rehabilitation!

Physiotherapy is often only considered after injury or surgery, but the benefits of physio are so much more.

Both horses and dogs, whether they compete or not, are exposed to repeated mechanical loads which could lead to microtraumas and subtle dysfunctions. If left unchecked, these could develop into more serious problems.

Early detection is key! Subtle signs of dysfunctions could be detected in the body by physiotherapy and addressed before they become an issue.

Get your beloved pet checked now, get in touch for a musculoskeletal health check.

✉️info@advancevp.co.uk
🌐www.advancevp.co.uk
📞07365 803669

19/05/2025

Love this representation of physio for dogs!

Proud to be part of ACPAT!

15/05/2025

When an animal is post-op or on strict rest, the road to recovery can feel overwhelming. You're confining them to a small area, constantly watching to make sure they don’t undo the progress by jumping, twisting, or even just doing too much too soon. Every sound makes you worry they've re-injured themselves. 😓

It's not just about exercises and treatment sessions — it's managing their energy, their frustration, and sometimes even your own. The guilt when they look at you, wanting to go back to normal, is real.

Rehab takes time. Patience. And a lot of love.

So if you’re in the thick of it right now — you’re not alone. You're doing an amazing job, even when it feels like a 24/7 responsibility. ❤️

13/04/2025

Day 2 Newbury.

Another day of meeting lovely people and their amazing dogs 💗🐕

Thank you again to everyone who stopped by to have a chat. You all helped in creating an unforgettable weekend.

We are tired but loved every minute of it. We will definitely be back next year!

Please do tag us if you spotted us, met us or send a picture of your pouch enjoying their treats.