VetRehab

11/05/2026

We’ve all grown up knowing that we yawn when we’re tired or bored.

Did you know that yawning in dogs can also be a sign of stress? They might be anxious, worried or uncomfortable, and they might also be in pain.

If I want to understand what it means when my dogs yawn, I have to think about the situation. When they’re at home and it’s around their normal nap time (yep, that’s a lot of the time!), I know they’re probably just tired. If we’ve gone somewhere new and there’s something they might not like, it tells me they might be upset. If they’re chilled at home and it’s not nap time but there’s yawning, I’d be wondering why.

What was your dog doing last time you saw them yawning?

07/05/2026

Rehab isn’t your normal vet visit. Here’s 3 reasons why rehab rocks!

1 – When I’m working with you and your dog, we use the time to focus in on musculoskeletal issues.

2 - As well as doing hands-on treatments, I cover other things that affect mobility, like targeted exercise, your home environment, nutrition, weight management and supplements.

3 – Teamwork makes the dream work. Your GP vet is essential to your dog’s healthcare, but having a rehab vet on your team adds another dimension. Rehab can help reduce the need for pain medication, as well as improving mobility, strength and balance.

Bring your dog to a rehab vet for their most fun vet visit ever!

04/05/2026

Here’s an easy way to check your dog’s joints.

One of the things I do when examining a dog is to bend and straighten every joint. There are several things I’m looking for when I do it, and I’ve developed a very good sense of feel over the years. But one thing you can try doing at home is gently bending each of your dog’s legs up, snug against their body.

You should be able to bend most of the joints all in one go – wrist, elbow and shoulder for each of the front legs, and hock, knee and hip in each of the back legs. It’s easiest to try it when they’re lying on their side (probably asleep!).

If your dog won’t let you do this, it might be because it squeezes a sore joint that’s uncomfortable. Can you get their leg completely bent up gently against their body without them resisting or showing any signs of discomfort?

Don’t try and force it – if they don’t like it, they could use a vet check.

How did it go? Post a video or comment if you’re not sure and I’ll help you out.

30/04/2026

The struggle is real.

There are times when we all feel our age. I’m not exactly leaping out of bed in the morning ready to attack the day like I used to 20(+) years ago! But yes, there ARE things we can do to feel better – and ways I can help your older dog feel better too.

I have lots of tools in my toolbox, which means no matter how old your dog is, I can choose something to help them feel more comfortable. Rehab isn’t all pushups and poses!

We can’t turn back time, but we can make things a bit easier going forward. Give me a shout and we’ll work together to help your dog with any creaky joints or sore muscles.

27/04/2026

Here are three reasons why I take my arthritic dog for a short walk every day instead of one big weekend warrior workout.

1. Pain and inflammation go DOWN with gentle activity.

2. A wee bit of exercise creates healthier joints and keeps muscles stronger.

3. Keeping up his muscle strength will help him to get into the car when we go out.

And there's a bonus, he thinks I’m the bestest hooman on the planet every time I take him out!

Who else rearranges their life around their dog?

23/04/2026

If I want to achieve the best results for your dog, we start with a longer session (45 mins) so we have plenty of time.

I’ll have a chat with you about your dog’s life, and thoroughly check their musculoskeletal system.

Then we’ll work together to make the best plan for both of you. I have lots of ways I can help your dog, so we’ll choose what we think will work best. Rehab, physio techniques, exercises, osteopathy, laser, acupuncture… there’s a long list of possibilities. What we do will be unique and tailored for you.

How many sessions your dog needs will depend on where they’re starting from. We’ll get together as often as you need so you have help along the way for as long as you need it.

Get in touch and we’ll give your dog a more comfortable life!

20/04/2026

Mythbuster!

"The vet said the xrays are fine, so my dog isn’t in pain."

I've heard a few people say that.

Xrays are a useful tool. They mostly show bony changes and help us look for things like fractures, dislocations, bone spurs, arthritis and cancers, to name just a few.

They’re not the best at showing problems in tissues like cartilage, muscles, ligaments and tendons.

So, you could have a dog with pretty good xrays, who still has pain from other tissues in their body.

But wait, there’s more! We know that what we see on an xray DOESN’T equal the pain your dog is in, even if there ARE bony changes.

So, one dog could have a teeny tiny bone spur that’s giving him gyp, while another could have lots of wear and tear but not seem at all bothered by it. That’s true for people and other animals, too.

We treat the animal, not the xray – but the xray is an important tool to help us understand what’s going on, and to rule out nasties.

Have you heard of anything else that you think might be a myth?

16/04/2026

I lost my last dog, Polly, when she was 13. She was my bestest good girl.

In the last few years of her life, she used to get shaky legs. At first I thought she had some trigger points – like little knots in her muscles. But then I realized it was actually a sign of joint pain.

I mostly used acupuncture and supplements to help her. That was ok – she went from walking slowly along behind me to trotting out in front again when we went walking.

But when I look back now, I wish I’d known more then. There were lots of other things I could have done, and things I’d have done differently right from when she was young. There’s a very good reason I don’t recommend ball chasing for dogs!

I think every animal we care for teaches us, and we become better, wiser guardians each time. We look more carefully, know the more subtle signs, and start acting sooner.

Plus, scientific knowledge improves, and things evolve. That’s as true in vet med as it is in human healthcare. All vets have to do ongoing education, and I do mine in rehab topics every year.

If you think your dog should get to take advantage of all the things I know now (years of study and experience later!) send me a message and we’ll get started.

13/04/2026

Just gimme the pills (said not many dogs, ever!)

Pain medications are a really important part of managing arthritis and other conditions that older dogs get. But they’re not the only option, and ideally they’re part of a broader management plan.

Here’s 5 reasons why pain meds are ideally used WITH other rehab options:

1. All medications have potential side effects. Some dogs are more affected than others.

2. Our bodies have to break down medications, often in our liver or kidneys, and we might not want to give them extra work to do if those organs are already compromised – common in older animals.

3. Pain meds make our dogs feel better, but don’t make the body heal. They can help with inflammation, but cutting down the pain doesn’t mean that the problem CAUSING the pain has been fixed.

4. Adding in rehab options like physical therapies, targeted exercises, weight/nutrition/supplement management, and things like laser or acupuncture, can allow us to keep pain meds for when they’re really needed.

5. Rehab supports the body to stay stronger, have better balance, and can reduce pain, too!

What things are you already doing to help your dog?

09/04/2026

06/04/2026

Although rehab is becoming more accepted, it’s a relatively young field. That means most vets haven’t been taught about it when they were in vet school, so they don’t always know what rehab involves.

It’s a lot more than exercises, and we only start doing exercises when the time is right for your dog.

Rehab is one of the fastest-growing veterinary fields worldwide as we learn more about how much it benefits our animals (just the same as it does for us).

Whether your dog is just slowing down a bit or has had a major surgery, there are still things we can do in rehab that help them to get better. Here are 5 great reasons to go to rehab:

1. Rehab helps the rest of your dog’s body to cope with the compensations of pain.

2. In rehab, we adjust activities according to what your dog needs and is able to do.

3. Rehab includes options for additional pain relief that don’t involve medications.

4. Rehab is responsive to the needs of each dog and their owner.

5. Rehab helps to keep their minds active even if their bodies can’t keep up.

Rehab vets are always happy to work with your GP vet, too.

If you’re not sure whether rehab is right for your dog or not, get in touch and we can have a chat about it.