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Kirsten Smith Veterinary Physiotherapy

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Kirsten Smith Veterinary Physiotherapy

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Kirsten Smith Veterinary Physiotherapy, Kirsten Smith Veterinary Physiotherapy, Packet Lane, Penzance.

🐾Canine Rehabilitation, Post Surgery to Arthritis

🏡 Home clinic: Rosudgeon, Penzance
🐶 Bodmin clinics: Vets4Pets Bodmin

Vet approved techniques to support healing, comfort & long-term wellbeing in small animals

08/01/2026

Strong wind forcast! Owners, your dogs will be fine if they miss this evenings walk 🍃

07/01/2026

🐾 CANINE HOME VISITS – ST AGNES / PERRANPORTH AREA 🐾

I’m planning canine physiotherapy home visits in the St Agnes & Perranporth area 🏡🐶

I already have two dogs booked in, so I’m opening this up to see if any other local owners would like to join the route.

Home visits are ideal if your dog:
✔️ Is recovering from surgery
✔️ Is a senior dog or has arthritis
✔️ Has lameness or ongoing injuries
✔️ Needs rehab, conditioning or mobility support
✔️ Finds travelling stressful or difficult

Each visit includes:
• Full gait and musculoskeletal assessment
• Tailored treatment and rehab plan
• Clear recommendations and home support guidance

📍 St Agnes / Perranporth area
📅 Dates to be confirmed (based on interest)

If you think your dog could benefit, or you’d like more information, feel free to comment, message me directly, or visit my website:

👉 www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

Please feel free to share with anyone local who might find this helpful 💙

01/01/2026

✨ Happy New Year 2026! ✨

Happy New Year to all my past and present clients, I hope you’ve had a wonderful festive period filled with rest, walks, and cuddles 🐾

2025 brought some truly interesting and rewarding cases my way, and it was also the start of my Bodmin clinics at Vets4Pets Bodmin 🐶💛. I’m incredibly grateful for the support from the whole team there.

Alongside this, I’ve had the pleasure of working with amazing vets, dedicated owners, and other canine professionals, and I’m incredibly grateful for the collaboration and shared goal of helping dogs feel their best!🐕

As I look ahead to 2026, I’m excited to continue growing my little business and helping even more animals (and their humans!) along the way.

Since the start one thing has become very clear to me. Massage alone is often not enough. That’s why I truly believe in a full body approach with a strong focus on neuromuscular re-education, which forms the foundation of most cases I see. Supporting how the body moves, not just how it feels, is key to long term results.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to another year of learning, collaboration, and helping dogs move comfortably! 🐾

16/12/2025

This is Jet, who had a sudden lameness. After some detective work it stemmed from his neck! 🕵🏻 Another case solved ✅

Jet had a sudden forelimb lameness for around two months and had undergone lots of xrays of his limb, which were reviewed by specialists and found to be unremarkable, and the source of his lameness unable to be located!

He had been trialled on anti-inflammatories and restricted rest and lameness got worse. When exercise was increased, he improved for 4 days before the lameness returned.

Jet is a very sensitive and anxious boy, so we took things slowly and calmly. He has been working with Ruths Pet Behaviour Services who recommend a little visit to me!

Over the sessions I managed to do a full body assessment! On assessment of his neck revealed a massive reduction in range of motion when bending his neck to the right!

Once gentle treatment focused on his neck and his owners completed some exercises at home Jet’s forelimb lameness resolved insanely quickly almost instantly and his neck range of motion improved!✨

He has since been moving comfortably, running smoothly, and enjoying life again. He occasionally shows mild stiffness in the mornings or evenings, but overall his improvement has been significant 🐾

This case is a great reminder that lameness doesn’t always originate from the limb itself. In Jet’s case, the primary restriction was coming from his neck.

Six sessions across five months, Jet has gone from unexplained forelimb lameness to moving comfortably again 🥹 which will also help with his training in the big world 🌍

At one stage, his owners were preparing to book a full CT scan due to the lack of answers! Something that would have been extremely stressful for Jet, who also finds vet visits very challenging.

🎥 The videos show Jet before and after! A brilliant example of how targeted physiotherapy can make a real difference.

Well done Jet and his owners💛🐾

04/12/2025

Taking on referrals in bodmin! From post op dogs to senior dogs 🐾

www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

27/11/2025

🐾 From IVDD in Dachshunds, to TPLO, arthritis, dysplasia, and building strength. Post operative and mobility rehabilitation are some of my absolute favourite things to work on!

Physiotherapy plays a huge role in helping dogs move better, feel better, and regain confidence by focusing on:

1️⃣ Releasing dysfunction
2️⃣Postural re-education and alignment
3️⃣ Improving strength, control and engagement
4️⃣Functional movement retraining

As an Independent Veterinary Physiotherapist, I use veterinary approved treatments to improve mobility and quality of life. Supporting everything from post op recovery to senior comfort.

Resetting posture and movement through tissue release + exercise

🐕‍🦺 Sessions are held in Bodmin and at my home clinic near Penzance.

✨ Every appointment includes:
– Full gait & musculoskeletal assessment
– Hands-on treatment
– Advanced therapies (Laser, Ultrasound & TECAR/Radiofrequency where needed)
– A personalised home exercise plan tailored to your dog’s specific needs

Physio helps dogs move their best at every age and every stage ❤️

www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

25/11/2025

⭐ 5 Things I’ll ALWAYS Do for My Future Dog as a Veterinary Physiotherapist 🐾⬇️

1️⃣ Lift them in and out of the car
Jumping puts a big impact through their hips, spine, and shoulders. I’ll always lift them instead

2️⃣ Start functional strengthening early, especially for a working dog
Building good strength when they’re young is far easier than trying to rebuild it later. Targeted exercises are key
Just like humans starting functional movement at 25 vs 70 makes a big difference!

3️⃣ Keep the fur between their paw pads trimmed
Overgrown hair reduces grip and increases slipping, which can lead to strain and compensation. A simple trim helps with stability and confidence in movement.

4️⃣ Avoid ball throwing
The sprint stop twist pattern is a big injury risks
There are far safer and more joint friendly ways to play.

5️⃣ Warm up & cool down before fast off lead exercise
Just like athletes, dogs benefit hugely from a proper warm up to prepare their joints and muscles, and a cool down to reduce stiffness and aid recovery.

🐾 These small habits make a big long term difference.

If you’d like tailored advice for your dog, you’re always welcome to message me 💛

www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

05/11/2025

My work recently! Cases I have been working on the past few weeks and a Xray of hip dysplasia (right worse than left)

⭐️Newfoundland x Poodle with bad Hip Dysplasia who had some help whilst waiting for specialist referral
⭐️Two TPLOS who are walking really well 2 weeks post op!
⭐️One TPLO who was referred due to not walking very well 5 week post surgery
⭐️Three IVDD cases, 2 post surgery and one conservative management
⭐️Help with a referral to a specialist surgeon for a Bulldog who has bilateral hip dysplasia and bilateral cructiate disease.

Many dogs and owners seek physio during challenging times, post surgery, senior changes, or managing pain. It’s awesome to be able to help in these times! ❤️

✨ I am also on holiday in Egypt! Calls will be responded to 12th November or do WhatsApp me instead 🛫

13/10/2025

💬 “I’m not being stubborn, I’m uncomfortable.” Pain and behaviour in dogs 🐾

Sometimes what looks like stubbornness,or “bad behaviour” is actually your dog’s way of saying, “I’m in pain.”

Pain doesn’t always show up as a limp or a cry and that can make it hard for owners to realise their dog is uncomfortable.

In clinic, I often see dogs showing subtle avoidance behaviours when they’re in pain. 😢Things like sniffing the floor, walking away from an exercise, or ignoring cues they’d normally respond to.

A recent example: A lovely dog was asked to step over some poles for their TPLO rehabilitation, a simple task, well within their ability. Instead, they began avoiding the poles, looking away, and showing clear signs of discomfort. Their behaviour wasn’t defiance, it was communication.

Recently, three reactive dogs were referred to me for assessment, and in each case, signs of musculoskeletal discomfort appeared. The owners were unaware pain could even be the issue. After discussing my findings, each case has been referred back to their vets for further investigation and management.

🐕 A dog who suddenly refuses to get in the car or up the stairs isn’t being “difficult” — they may be struggling to flex painful joints.
🐕 A dog who reacts to others might be protecting themselves from being bumped or jostled by another dog, by reacting, this makes the dog stay away.

I’m lucky to work alongside brilliant trainers and behaviourists who recognise when behaviour changes might have a physical cause.

When we treat the pain, the behaviour can improves naturally.

That’s why a team approach by combining veterinary care, physiotherapy, and behavioural support works well to help find the cause!

✨ If you feel your dog might be in pain or discomfort, even if you’re not sure. Please speak to your vet, physio, or qualified canine professional.

04/10/2025

🐾IVDD Spinal Surgery: Dexter

🐶 Dexter, is a 9 year old Dachshund, who underwent surgery at Cave vets for an L1/2 right lateralised intervertebral disc extrusion, with multiple other protrusions identified on MRI.

When Dexter started physiotherapy nearly seven weeks post discharge, he was still reliant on a sling for walking, had significant pelvic limb weakness with a neurological gait pattern.

🐕 Early in his rehab, we made some sling adaptations to make it easier for him to use his body correctly during assisted walking.

A paraspinal (back) “hump” was also visible (photo below) A common compensatory change resulting from muscle tightness and altered posture as the spine adjusts post surgery, which in result affected the way he walked. With continued postural re-education and targeted core activation, posture can gradually normalise as the supporting muscles rebalance.

🦮 By setting Dexter correct targeted exercises our focus was on..

1️⃣ Postural re-education and correct standing alignment
2️⃣ Improving pelvic limb strength and control
3️⃣ Balance and proprioceptive training
4️⃣ Functional movement retraining

Alongside physiotherapy exercises, Dexters owners chose a course of radiofrequency therapy. Which supports tissue healing by promoting local circulation, reducing deep muscle tension, and modulating pain perception through mild thermal effects. His owners reported noticeable improvements in Dexter’s comfort and confidence following the very first session the next day!

🐕‍🦺 Dexter now walks independently without his sling, with a more coordinated gait pattern and much stronger hind limbs.

He still has lots of room for improvement, but his journey shows how targeted physiotherapy and patient owner teamwork can make such a difference in IVDD recovery.

www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

15/09/2025

💛 What a Week in Physio! 💛
It’s been my busiest week yet! 18 lovely animals, and such a brilliant mix of cases.
Some common, some more rare… all keeping me on my toes! 🐾🐴

Here’s a little snapshot of what’s been going on:

⭐️ 3 dogs on a course of Radiofrequency therapy, one IVDD (spinal) post surgery, one conservative IVDD and one soft tissue injury
⭐️ 3 dogs (one behavioural case) all referred back to their vets after abnormal gait and reactions during assessment
⭐️ 2 horses on a course of radiofrequency one for Tendon injury and one shoulder presumed soft tissue
⭐️ 5 patients at my Bodmin clinic (Vets4Pets Bodmin) — from end of life care to discussion about TPLO care.
⭐️ A rare bilateral tendon issue in a 2.5yr old Collie
⭐️ Achilles surgery, fixed plate for 6 weeks now removed — currently in post op rehab
⭐️ Senior maintenance sessions keeping our golden oldies moving comfortably
⭐️ A lovely boy who was told he would have to have two courses of Cartrophen, however now to the untrained eye you wouldn't know that he has a Patella surgery now signed off!
⭐️ Iliopsoas case now signed off!
⭐️ Lots of ongoing strengthening and mobility work for dogs at different stages of recovery for Hips and TPLO
⭐️ Lots of chats about concerned owners and their dogs post op and pre surgery

It’s been a busy one, but I love the challenge and seeing each dog make progress 💛

www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

13/08/2025

Excited to announce new small animals clinics in Bodmin at Vets4Pets Bodmin!

Every other Wednesday I will be working as an independent veterinary physiotherapist but using the base at Vets4pets in Bodmin! 🥰

This is for all clients not just those register at the Bodmin practice!

To book get hold of me or Bodmin Vets4pets!

Address

Kirsten Smith Veterinary Physiotherapy, Packet Lane
Penzance
TR209PU

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 6pm
Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	8am - 6pm
Friday	8am - 6pm

Telephone

+447510271832

Website

http://www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk/

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