Why vet physio isn’t just for injured or sick dogs and horse's but for the fit and healthy ones too!
It’s often easy to think ‘I don’t need to worry about that yet’ or ‘my pets only young I’ll wait till they are older’. But what if later is too late?
I’m a firm believer that all pets should have regular health checks including vet physio to keep them fit and healthy just like we all go to the dentist each year to make sure our teeth stay healthy.
So what are the 3 telltale signs you need to book a session now?
Unsurprisingly if your pet has had a musculoskeletal injury or is recovering from surgery this is a clear sign that they would benefit from vet physio treatment. Here are a few of the conditions we commonly see:
Hip and elbow dysplasia- often seen in puppyhood- so never too early to get started with vet physio. These disorders occur as a the joints grow, and as they grow they no longer fit together perfectly like they should, this leads to the bones rubbing which means that al dogs with a joint dysplasia will also suffer arthritis to some degree.
Locking stifle- often seen in 2-3-year-old horse's just starting their ridden or working careers due to lack of quad strength… vet physio could have prevented this
Spinal and neurological conditions, there are many different spinal and neurological conditions that vet physios help with, the most common being kissing spines in horses where the vertebrae overlap and begin to rub against one another and in dogs, the most common conditions are FCE and IVDD both disc disorders that can lead to spinal cord damage.
Back pain.. I see this in almost every client.. Chances are your pet sufferers too you can find out more about back pain here
Luxating patella this occurs in dogs where the patella or knee cap doesn't sit snuggly in the groove of the knee and keeps dislocating leading to a characteristic hopping gait in small breed dogs like jack russells
Cruciate ligament ruptures these occur due to degeneration of the cruciate ligament over time as your pet ages or due to trauma such as a sudden twisting of the knee
Tendon and ligament injuries, these are most common in horses but can occur in dogs too. They have one of the longest recovery periods so definaly somthing you want to prevent.
Arthritis- almost all pets that have any of the above disorders will also develop OA
If you'd like to know more about how to manage these conditions check out our new collection in our online shop.
Your pet regularly trains or competes. Asking our pets to train in sports like agility, show jumping, endurance or any other sports for that matter puts a lot more pressure on our pet’s body than we give them credit for.
We normalise these extra pressures on our pets as we are so used to training and competing but our pets’ bodies are not designed for these extra pressures. This means that they are more likely to get injured but not only that they need a little extra help in the form of fitness and conditioning exercises to keep them on top form. This is where your vet physio comes in.
Your vet physio can assess your pets current fitness and conditioning and design you a bespoke plan to improve their weakness not only preventing them from becoming injured but also improving their performance. Win-win!
Perhaps you've noticed more knocked poles, lack of flexion in lateral movements or nothing at all. But there's always room for improvement in our pets fitness, which is why you should have a fitness plan which is constantly evolving to not only improve but maintain your pet's fitness.
Your pet hasn’t had their regular 6 monthly check-ups. It’s important not to miss a session as this is when micro-injuries become bigger noticeable injuries that disrupt your pet’s movement.
Regular sessions keep our pets fit and healthy and spot any signs of tension or changes in movement. Now you may be thinking ‘I’d notice a change like that then I can book an appointment but chances are you wouldn’t and by the time you did it would take much longer to rehabilitate.
These micro-injuries are very hard to notice that’s why your vet physio has had years of training to identify them, they are even often missed by vets! So trust me you need help here.
Keeping your regular appointments ensures nothing is missed, plus they are also an amazingly relaxing time for both you and your pet, helping to improve your bond and leave you both feeling, calm, confident and rearing to go.
So there you have it the 3 top signs that your pet needs a vet physio session booking-
Injury, pathology or surgery
Your pet regularly trains or competes
Your pet hasn’t had their regular 6 monthly check-up
Watch our Youtube video here to find out even more!- https://youtu.be/jDpjvhXi6ZY
Want more ways to help improve your pet's fitness and prevent injuries?
Check out our free webinar where you will learn the 3 ways to prevent injuries and improve your pet's consistency here: https://mailchi.mp/c2a8680651eb/webinar-2
So what do you reckon? Does your pet need a session?
Zoe at Fit-Pet Physio offers Vet physio for performance, fitness and rehabilitation in Huddersfield and surrounding West and South Yorkshire areas, book your session now.