Does my pet need physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy can either be used for rehabilitation post injury or surgery, for maintenance of long-term conditions, or for improving general wellbeing. Signs your pet may need physiotherapy are as follows:
Change in behaviour
Reluctance to go far on a walk
Poor competition performance
Refusing jumps/knocking agility poles
Hollowed back
Guarding behaviours
Excessive panting
Skin flickering/flinching on petting
Muscle wastage
Dragging toes
Difficulty getting up
Leg weakness
Difficulty climbing stairs or furniture
If your pet is lame, you will need to make an appointment with your veterinarian; physiotherapy may only commence once the lameness has been diagnosed with permission from your vet.
How will physiotherapy help my pet?
Physiotherapy uses a combination of manual techniques, such as massage and stretching; electrotherapies including ultrasound, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, TENs, NMES, and laser; husbandry advice and exercise prescription. Together the modalities compliment each other in reducing pain whilst re-balancing muscle groups after compensatory gait patterns, to prevent the re-occurance of primary and thus secondary, compensatory pain.
Exercise programmes will also help target particular muscle groups which will improve competition performance and management of long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis.
What will I need to do?
A treatment plan may be formulated after the initial assessment. Depending on findings, you may be advised to follow a programme including exercises, hot/cold therapy, stretching, guidance on activity levels and environmental advice. If your pet has had a tendon or ligament injury or severe build up of scar tissue, ultrasound may be required 2-3 times a week which must be carried out by a qualified physiotherapist. There are electrotherapy only appointments available for this purpose. Hydrotherapy may also be recommended for your dog, as it can be extremely beneficial alongside a land exercise programme in rehabilitation.
Clinic Room
Canine clinics are run at K9 Aquacise & Hydrotherapy, Romsey. A spacious room opposite the pool and underwater treadmill. The refill shop and vegan café Lemon & Jinja is situated next door so you can treat yourself too!
Prices
Physiotherapy Assessment & Treatment (1-1.5 hours)
Home visit - £55
In clinic - £50
For appointments within a 10-mile radius of Romsey. There will be an additional charge of 60p per mile from 10-miles onwards. Discounts are available for multiple dogs.
Follow-up Treatment (45mins-1hour)
Home visit - £45
In clinic - £40
If your horse requires further treatments for the same episode of injury. There will be an additional charge of 60p per mile from 20-miles onwards.
Course of Ultrasound/Laser Treatment (15-20mins visits)
£150
For facilitating the healing of tendons, ligaments, and acute muscle tears; a course of ultrasound or laser may be recommended. The price is for either 7 sessions of therapeutic ultrasound, or 10 sessions of laser. Additional charges for over a 10-mile radius of Romsey at 60p per mile.
Kellie Payne
Poppy made everything easy for us when our dog, Burt, needed physio after requiring TPLO surgery on both hind legs, despite lockdown. She came to our home wearing a fresh, clean uniform & face mask, explained her Covid procedure then came in to greet her patient. She is very knowledgeable & compassionate, Burt loved her visits, especially the massage! Poppy gave us clear instructions on our "homework", making it clear that he would improve faster if we kept up the exercises. She left us an electro-magnet machine with us to help speed up the healing process as well as equipment needed for his exercises. Burt has healed well thanks to FlexiPets & I would recommend her highly for pets of all sizes & their humans.
