Kirsten Smith Veterinary Physiotherapy

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.

Veterinary Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

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

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

Aftermath of cruciate surgery (CCL) and a pretty cool photo!I’ve shared this photo to highlight some of the common thing...
26/03/2026

Aftermath of cruciate surgery (CCL) and a pretty cool photo!

I’ve shared this photo to highlight some of the common things i see after TPLO surgery and what changes happen to the body

🦴 Weight bearing
You can see the leg is being used, but not fully loaded, a really common protective pattern after surgery. Ideally, we want the limb stacked nicely under the body for even weight distribution.

💪 Muscle loss
There’s visible muscle wastage through the thigh, which is very typical both before and after surgery due to reduced use.

🔄 Compensation patterns
The leg is sitting slightly behind the body, helping to offload the knee. Dogs often shift weight elsewhere to protect the area while it’s weak and or painful

🐾Overall posture
You’ll often see a subtle weight shift onto the other limbs as the dog protects the operated leg. Which creates compensation and further issues through the good leg.

All of this is completely normal during recovery, but it’s also why targeted rehabilitation is so important early on. Helping rebuild strength, improve confidence, and get dogs back to moving as normally as possible.

I’ve had a couple of TPLO rehab packages booked in this week, which is always great to see! 💪🐾

One lovely dog is actually booked in before surgery in April, which is exactly the kind of forward planning that can make a huge difference to outcomes!

Rehab focuses on things like:
✔️ Improving weight bearing
✔️ Rebuilding muscle
✔️ Restoring balance and coordination
✔️ Encouraging correct movement patterns

🐾 If you’ve got a dog going in for TPLO surgery (or currently recovering), feel free to reach out I’m always happy to chat about how physiotherapy can help.

www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

Before and after! ✨ Rhonda is a 5 year old British Bulldog who had bilateral TPLO surgery back in February 2023. Her ow...
12/03/2026

Before and after! ✨ Rhonda is a 5 year old British Bulldog who had bilateral TPLO surgery back in February 2023. Her owners noticed she was intermittently lame and she was relying on pain medication to manage her discomfort.

Rhonda was thoroughly checked over with her vets at Vets4Pets St Austell Even after X-rays and a specialist consult, nothing obvious was found! In August 2025, Rhonda came to see me at Vets4Pets Bodmin and you can see from the photos just how uneven her posture was.

✨ Fast forward to today: Rhonda is standing so much more evenly, her walking is so much more together and stable and she’s off pain meds. Of course there is still some asymmetry there but she has come a very long way!

This was achieved by targeted exercises at home!

💪🐶

www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

📌 Updates! 🐾I’m really pleased to share that my new website is now live from Build My Service a new local business in Pe...
08/03/2026

📌 Updates! 🐾

I’m really pleased to share that my new website is now live from Build My Service a new local business in Penzance
🎉

📌 Important slight price change 📌

Alongside this, from 1st April there will be a small increase to the initial consultation price for new clients only. This reflects the work carried out behind the scenes before your appointment, including liaising with your vet for consent forms, reviewing your dog’s medical history, and completing detailed assessment notes and data input.

I’ve also introduced some new treatment packages to better support common rehabilitation needs:

• Post-surgery & injury rehabilitation package – ideal for dogs recovering from orthopaedic surgery or those being managed conservatively for injuries.

• Spinal rehabilitation package – designed for more complex spinal conditions such as IVDD, where a structured and more in depth physiotherapy plan is often needed.

These packages are designed to provide a clear treatment pathway and support the best possible recovery for your dog.

Existing clients will not be affected by the initial consultation price change.

🌟 A Favour to ask 🌟

If your dog has visited me for physiotherapy! I’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a review. Feedback from clients really helps small businesses like mine and also helps other owners feel confident when choosing physiotherapy for their dogs.

You can leave a review here:

https://kirstenvetphysio.co.uk/review

Thank you to everyone who continues to support my small business – and of course to all the wonderful dogs I get to work with! 🐶💙

You can now find more information about treatments, conditions I work with, and the services I offer here: www.kirstenvetphysio.co.uk

Very late notice but I have been a way for two weeks! ✈️ Back to work on Monday 9th March, any messages / calls will be ...
04/03/2026

Very late notice but I have been a way for two weeks! ✈️ Back to work on Monday 9th March, any messages / calls will be caught up when I’m home as I had to turn my sim off!

Been in South Africa riding on horse back having a wonderful time! Riding in the bushes in Mauricedale game ranch and grassland of Knomazi private game reserve 🐆🐘🐒🦒☺️

Truly amazing seeing these wild animals on horseback and learning so much about them and deterring poachers!

05/02/2026

From non walking to walking!
My most favourite time is helping dogs post surgery, and Rosie’s IVDD journey impresses me each time I see her!

Rosie had a 2nd surgery for IVDD, a severe L3/L4 intervertebral disc extrusion in September 2025, losing all movement and feeling in her back legs. She also had IVDD spinal surgery in 2023!

Physiotherapy was recommended by her Vet at Luxstowe Vets and that’s where we began working together. Rosie comes to see me for her sessions at Vets4Pets Bodmin

At the start, Rosie had a very hunched posture following her surgeries and struggled to take weight through her hind limbs (video below). We worked slowly and carefully on correcting her body dysfunction, improving her awareness and ability to feel her back legs, and rebuilding strength and coordination.

With incredible commitment from her owners doing her exercises at home, we are now at a place where Rosie can be a dog again. Whilst she isn’t perfect, Rosie can now move unaided, which is a huge achievement considering the uncertainty of where she started.

Rosie also attends hydrotherapy at Duchy Canine Hydrotherapy using the support of buoyancy

Rosie has come such a long way since the beginning, and you can really see that progress in this video 💪

Recovery after spinal surgery is rarely linear, but Rosie is doing brilliantly, and her owners have been amazing with her home exercises and ongoing care.

🧡 Canine Arthritis & Home Life (free check list at the end)Arthritis isn’t just a joint problem.It’s a progressive, non ...
22/01/2026

🧡 Canine Arthritis & Home Life (free check list at the end)

Arthritis isn’t just a joint problem.
It’s a progressive, non curative condition, but one that can be managed well with the right approach.

As arthritis progresses, the body adapts and compensates, placing extra strain on joints, muscles, and soft tissues. And it’s not just physical, arthritis affects how a dog feels, thinks, and behaves.

🧠 Behaviour
Often the first signs owners notice aren’t limping, they’re changes in behaviour:

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Avoidance
• Withdrawal or aggression

Pain related behaviour is frequently misunderstood as “bad behaviour”.

🦴 Pain leads to:

• Off-loading painful areas
• Under using some muscles & over using others
• Muscle guarding
• Compensatory movement patterns

Over time this creates poor posture, muscle imbalance, fatigue, and widespread discomfort.

💪 Muscle Loss Happens Early
The first muscles to waste are postural stabilisers, the muscles needed for balance and endurance.

• Extensor muscles weaken faster
• Stability and function reduce
• Disuse causes muscle wasting

😔 Pain Is Emotional Too
Pain is both a sensory and emotional experience.

After pain, dogs learn to avoid what hurt them:
• Slippery floors
• Sudden movements
• Other dogs

This can lead to fear, anxiety, and defensive behaviour.
Even losing the ability to jump on the sofa or bed can have a real emotional impact.

💊 Medication vs Management
Medication is important — especially during flare-ups.
But arthritis continues to progress underneath.

🏡 Important Reminder for Owners
Judge your dog by how they are at home, not how they look on a walk. Dogs live in the moment. They may still chase a ball… even if they suffer for it later.

Small changes at home make a big difference. 🧡🐾 Please see the link for further info and easy changes you can make at home!

(Photo is tried with AI so not anatomically correct)

https://abounding-decision-928.notion.site/Canine-Arthritis-and-Home-Management-2ee3fb7e7f2e8000a51bd3993e831a95?pvs=73

Strong wind forcast! Owners, your dogs will be fine if they miss this evenings walk 🍃
08/01/2026

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

🐾 CANINE HOME VISITS – ST AGNES / PERRANPORTH AREA 🐾I’m planning canine physiotherapy home visits in the St Agnes & Perr...
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 💙

✨ Happy New Year 2026! ✨Happy New Year to all my past and present clients, I hope you’ve had a wonderful festive period ...
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💛🐾

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

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