Animal Physiotherapy (VetPhysioLife)

Kim is Chair of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT). They recently had their annual conference and general meeting. In this episode, we start by discussing what was covered. This leads Kim on to telling us about kinematics, kinetics and force plate analysis. We then discuss a couple of Kim's patients. The Golden retriever who has problems with both her knees that we have discussed previously. Last week Kim did swimming hydrotherapy with her. And the 14-15 kg (!) Maine Coon that Kim has been treating for a few years now after he injured his back at a young age jumping from his tall cat tree. Kim now checks on him every 6 months and he is happy to see her! Please get in touch. Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the website.

In this episode, we catch up on some of Kim's regular patients including the Coton de Tulear who needs bribing to go down the stairs, the Pug who is a bit wobblier than usual, and the Tibetan Spaniel who needs to spend time on a wobble cushion. We also talk about how good most pet carers are at getting stuck in with their pet's physiotherapy treatments and exercises. And how Kim approaches this to maximise the chances of success. Sorry for the variable sound quality in this episode but Kim was in transit to a conference so we had to make do. To get in touch: please email [email protected] or use the contact form on the website.

In this episode, we talk about Elbow Dysplasia including: What is it? Which dogs and cats does it tend to affect? What are the consequences and what signs might they show? How is it diagnosed? How is it managed? Click here to read the accompanying blog post. To get in touch with us: please email [email protected], or use the contact form on the website.

"I've had a good..busy week"! Kim updates us on the progress of her Weimaraner patient with lymphoedema from Episode 31. This week she also revisited a Springer Spaniel with hock osteoarthritis that she had last seen a couple of years ago. And we also hear about a black Labrador who has forelimb lameness. One of the things we touch on is how the behaviour of some dogs can vary depending on whether their carers are in the room or not! To get in touch: email [email protected] or use the contact form on the website.

This week was a busy week for Kim. In this episode, we catch up on some of her regular patients that she visited for the first time in the New Year. They include the Coton de Tulear who is back to full health now after the pancreatitis scare late last year; the ex-racing Greyhound who had neospora; and, the Whippet who had a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) some years ago. Kim also updates us on the recovery of a Tibetan Spaniel who had surgery for a spinal (intervertebral) disc problem in December. And the Weimaraner with lymphoedema from the last episode. We also hear about a new patient. A 6-year old Golden retriever who bunny hops on walks after having ruptured the cruciate ligament in both knees over the last couple of years. Kim is hopeful that strengthening exercises will help her. We round the episode off with some general discussions. Thanks as always for listening and look out for the next episode which will be on elbow dysplasia. To get in touch: comment below, email [email protected], or use the contact form on the website.

Happy New Year! This is our first episode back after the break and we start by discussing what Kim has found as she revisits some of her regular patients. There will be many more updates next week which is going to be a hectic one for Kim! Kim also tells us about a new patient. A 12-year-old Weimaraner who has a very slow-growing mass behind one of his knees. This is preventing proper drainage of blood from below the knee causing swelling (lymphoedema). Kim tells us about her assessment and treatment plan. This is an unusual condition in veterinary patients but apparently, there are physiotherapists who specialise in the treatment of lymphoedema in people! We end by talking about how physiotherapy is a discipline that is very focused on tailoring treatment to individual patients through the use of clinical reasoning. Please do get in touch. Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the website. Thanks as always for listening!

This episode is dedicated to Lumbosacral Disease. We discuss: What it is; Which animals are most affected; What the consequences are and what signs a dog or cat may show; How it is diagnosed; How it is managed; And, what it means for your pet's lifespan; There is an accompanying blog post here. Please get in touch. Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the website.

In this episode, we get an update on one of Kim's patients who we discussed in the last episode. He was unwell and had been admitted for treatment at his practice. He ended up being referred to a specialist centre but thankfully is on the mend and back home now. Kim tells about a new patient, an older Yorkshire Terrier. He has had 'slipped' kneecaps (luxating patellae) for a long time. This seems to have caused problems in his back which Kim has started to treat. This dog gets very anxious, especially when parted from his carer. We discuss how the presence of strangers and environment (e.g. vet practice vs. home) can affect patient behaviour - and even findings such as blood pressure. We end the episode by discussing the role of physiotherapy in treating patients with luxating patellae. Physiotherapy has a place in dogs being managed without surgery, in preparing dogs for surgery, and in rehabilitating dogs after surgery. Look out for the next episode which is dedicated to lumbosacral disease. Please get in touch with us. Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the website.

In this episode, we start off talking about Kim's regular patients. Firstly about how their care plan may change in colder weather. And then about the bond that Kim forms with her patients and the worry when they are not well. We then go on to talk about a couple of the new patients Kim has seen recently. An older chocolate Labrador with arthritis in his front legs. He fell asleep during Kim's treatment - and protested whenever Kim stopped to sip her tea! And a Collie who previously had one of his 'wrists' (carpus) fused after an injury. He developed an infection in the site after the procedure. We end by agreeing that in many things in medicine, a slow and steady gradual approach is best! **Apologies for the sometimes poor sound quality in this episode.** Please get in touch: email [email protected] or use the website contact form.

In this episode, we catch up on some of Kim's regular patients. They all seem to be doing well at the moment. Not least the Labradoodle who was run over by a car that we discussed in earlier episodes. He is doing so well now that Kim has discharged him from her care for the time being. We also ponder why quite a few of Kim's patients seem to fall asleep during their treatments! And talk about modern methods of communicating with clients. Look out for a future episode on Lumbosacral Disease as well. Later this week or for sure soon. Apologies for the less than great sound quality in this episode. Please get in touch. Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the website.