Mend Veterinary Rehabilitation

23/02/2026

Check out gorgeous Pickle - her mum is Katy, the owner of Pupper Hutt Hydrotherapy Clinic. Pickle was recently diagnosed with hip dysplasia, and Katy and I are collaborating on her care to ensure she's as comfy and fit as she can be. This industry is all about caring, and that includes the patients who really aren't sure they want our help (like Pickle!). That's okay, Pickle, the love on my end is guaranteed 🩷

Next move for us was to engage with the wonderful Dr Lauren Bleaken at . Lauren is a fully qualified vet specialising in rehabilitation and she has given Pickle an individualised rehab plan consisting of stretches, exercises, getting Pickle moving safely and strengthening her muscles and her body overall. 🐾🐾

04/02/2026

Hey Kapiti and Northern Wellington friends! Did you know that we offer a Kapiti clinic day once weekly at the stunning Animal Orthopaedics Wellington clinic? It's a beautiful clinic full of smiling faces with separate dog waiting areas. Come in and say hello, we'd love to see you 🐾🤍

11/01/2026

Mend will be on site at the DAWG Agility show this upcoming weekend (17/18th Jan), and I'd love for you to pop in and say hi!

I'll be available from 11:00am - 2:00pm on Saturday and Sunday, so if you're worried about anything or just want the 'all clear', stop in to see me!

Offering:
🐾 Sport Fit Checks and Full Assessments
🐾 Laser therapy - fast and effective class 4
🐾 Massage and manual techniques

Can't wait to see you all out there 🤍

12/10/2025

We are GOING AHEAD! For those of who reached out, I am very pleased to announce that our agility clinic has gotten enough interest for us to go ahead.

As you all likely know, I'm a bit mad about agility and sporting dogs. These dogs give their all, so what better way to show them our appreciation than to make sure they're feeling great and are in tip-top condition!

THE DETAILS:
Date: this Thursday, 16th October
Time: onsite from 4pm onwards, schedule an appointment or head on by.
Location: DAWG

The fine print:
🐾 Each booking will get a maximum of 30 minutes for a complete musculoskeletal examination with a registered veterinarian with qualifications in veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation (me!)
🐾 Cost: $110 per dog
🐾 Treatment: Includes laser and manual therapy and massage as time allows. Home exercise/conditioning programmes not included.
🐾This clinic isn't intended for dogs with known injuries, as it will be difficult to give them the care they require in this sort of environment. If you're not sure if this is the right option for your dog, reach out and we can have a chat about it!

Comment below, send a DM or contact us to book a slot 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 info@mendvetrehab.co.nz
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

25/09/2025

🎉AGILITY CLINIC 🎉

As you all likely know, I'm a bit mad about agility and sporting dogs, which is why I'm hoping to host a rehab clinic for Wellington Agility dogs next month. These dogs give their all, so what better way to show them our appreciation than to make sure they're feeling great and are in tip-top condition!

Register now to express your interest, event TBC pending enough interest!

THE DETAILS - TBC:
Date: Thursday 16th October
Time: from 4pm
Location: DAWG

The fine print:
🐾 Each booking will get a maximum of 30 minutes for a complete musculoskeletal examination with a registered veterinarian with qualifications in veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation (me!)
🐾 Cost: $110 per dog
🐾 Treatment: Includes laser and manual therapy and massage as time allows. Home exercise/conditioning programmes not included.
🐾This clinic isn't intended for dogs with known injuries, as it will be difficult to give them the care they require in this sort of environment. If you're not sure if this is the right option for your dog, reach out and we can have a chat about it!

Comment below, send a DM or contact us to register your interest 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 info@mendvetrehab.co.nz
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

17/09/2025

Mend will be on site at the Upper Hutt Agility show this weekend, and I'd love for you to pop in and say hi!

I'll be available from 11:00am on Saturday ONLY, so if you're worried about anything or just want the 'all clear', stop in to see me!

Offering:
🐾 Sport Fit Checks and Full Assessments
🐾 Laser therapy - fast and effective class 4
🐾 Massage and manual techniques

Can't wait to see you all out there 🤍

01/09/2025

Such an important message from our friends at Animal Orthopaedics Wellington! There are lots of much safer ways to exercise our pets. If you're not sure how, reach out!

20/08/2025

It's that time of year again! 🐶💪🏆

Summer bodies are made in winter...or something like that! It's that time of year when (despite the wet, cold and windy conditions...burr❄🥶) all of the committed athletic dog owners are out training their dogs in preparation for the fast-approaching competition season.

But how will you know your dog is ready??

The short answer is that it can be challenging! That's where our Sport Fit Checks can help. But what is a Sport Fit Check?

🌟 Complete and thorough musculoskeletal exam performed by a qualified Sports Medicine Veterinarian.
🌟 Identify any hidden areas of tension and discomfort, or early injuries that aren't showing (BEFORE they refuse that jump!).
🌟 If they have recently competed and didn't perform as expected (maybe they did refuse that jump🫣) a Sport Fit Check can be useful for making sure an injury isn't part of the cause.
🌟 Quick chat about current condition levels.
🌟 Laser treatment - our new Class 4 laser offers super quick treatment times with phenomenal results. (Please note treatment will only be performed if indicated and time allows).

What's the difference between this and a normal consult?

Sport Fit Checks are not a full assessment and are intended for sound dogs. Because of this they are limited to 30 minutes, and do not include any treatments, rehabilitation, conditioning or home exercise programmes. If your dog has a known injury, or if something is picked up during the Sport Fit Check that you would like additional treatment for, we can book you in for a standard consultation.

Message or contact us to book in your dog's check 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 info@mendvetrehab.co.nz
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

14/08/2025

🌟EXCITING NEWS! 🌟

We've got ourselves some wonderful new equipment and therapies to offer at Mend! Introducing our new Laser and NMES treatment options...

🌟 Laser: Laser activates the body’s natural repair systems, improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and easing pain. It penetrates deep into the tissues, allowing treatment at the level of the injury.

🌟 NMES: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) delivers gentle electrical impulses to contract muscles, supporting recovery in neurological patients. Our machine also offers TENS pain therapy, giving us flexible options for each patient’s needs.

These treatments are included in our consultation costs. We do offer appointments solely for TENS or Laser therapy, contact us for more information.

Message or contact us to book in your dog's assessment 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 info@mendvetrehab.co.nz
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

11/08/2025

I know we've been a bit quiet recently!

One of the more important but less spoken about aspects of Veterinary Science is collegiality, and I've spent the past few weeks travelling and really leaning into this wonderful part of being a vet.

Key highlights of time away:

🌟Attending the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists annual conference in Gold Coast Australia - the weather was warm, the coffee ☕ was strong, the learnings were great, but best of all - heartwarming bonds were forged with my wonderful rehab colleagues 🤍

🌟Visiting the awesome team at in Christchurch - it's hard to beat learning and sharing experiences with other professionals who share the same passion as you 🤍

I want to say thanks to my wonderful clients who've put up with me squeezing appointments into my small gaps between trips away. I'm happy to say that Mend is back to business as usual, and there are some exciting updates coming soon...watch this space!

Message or contact us to book in your dog's assessment 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 info@mendvetrehab.co.nz
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

25/06/2025

🎉🎉Exciting Announcement!🎉🎉

We want to do more to look after your canine athletes, so that's why we're launching our new service - Sport Fit Checks.

Aimed at keeping sporting dogs performing at their peak, these assessments are ideal for:

🐾 Making sure your sporting dog is injury free prior to competition, or checking they're still sound and comfortable after competition
🐾 Checking your athlete is moving their best, without hidden tension or soreness
🐾 Giving yourself peace of mind

Message or contact us to book in your dog's assessment 🤍
📞022 023 2088
📩 info@mendvetrehab.co.nz
🖱www.mendvetrehab.co.nz

21/05/2025

🌟Trey's Journey - Part II🌟

Dr Lauren got to see Trey for her first assessment after she was discharged from Massey Vet Hospital and safely back home in Wellington. Trey had already improved so much, she was able to sit up on her own (a big milestone!).

On assessment Trey was noted to have a very ataxic (wobbly and uncoordinated) gait which was worse on her right side. Her right front leg would often cross over in front of her left, and she would often try to walk on the top of her foot (or simply drag it behind her). Her hindlegs had a very wide-based position when standing, and when walking she struggled to initiate her legs in the proper order and required support. Trey was able to take a few very uncoordinated steps, but without assistance her right front leg would collapse and she would fall.

Trey was making leaps and bounds with her progress and wanted to do so so much (she was so keen to be up and running again!). Unfortunately for Trey, the research shows us that when rehabilitating a spinal injury it's very important to walk before you can run...or in Trey's case, sit before you can stand! Trey's early rehabilitation focused on getting her spinal cord to engage in a coordinated manner with her limbs by doing exercises focused on sitting and standing. We targeted small movements that tap into the reflex patterns and help rebuild the neurological pathways. Trey also received hydrotherapy three times per week in addition to her physical rehab

After just one week of rehabilitation, Trey was able to stand on her own and began predominantly sitting up most of the time rather than laying down. If walking slowly she could mostly keep her right front foot the correct way up, and was she able to walk a short distance unassisted. Such huge progress, ka pai Trey!

Stay tuned for Trey's next update 🐾🤍