VetRehab

03/09/2026

Is your best buddy starting to get a bit wobbly?

As we get older, our body systems don’t work as well as they used to. (Ask me how my knees feel when I get up off the floor these days!).

One thing that often happens in our older dogs is that their nervous system doesn’t function as well. This usually affects the nerves in their hind legs first. They can look a bit wobbly, especially when turning a tight corner or walking on slippery floors. They can also drag their toes or knuckle a foot over.

What can we do about it?

While we can’t always get the affected nerves to start working perfectly again, we CAN do a few other things:

1. Stimulate the nerves to help keep the rest of the nervous system functioning as best we can, and slow further deterioration.

2. Do gentle, appropriate exercises to promote strength and balance.

3. Help the rest of the body to cope with the compensations of wobbliness (they usually get pretty tight in the front end).

If your dog is getting the wobbles, or is tripping over their toes, give me a shout so we can help them.

31/08/2026

Here’s a mythbuster. If your dog hesitates before jumping onto the couch, it’s probably not because they just don’t want to any more.

Sometimes we think ‘they don’t want to’ when they’re actually saying ‘I’m not sure I can’, or ‘I could, but I know it’ll hurt’.

Dogs that struggle to jump up or down often have pain in their legs or back. It’s easy to spot when they just flat out say no, and we have to help them. The earlier signs are when they just wait a moment or two, or stop and bark at you, or fidget before they try.

Have you seen this in your dog?

27/08/2026

If your dog could book their own appointment, where would they choose to go?

Easy - they’d come to rehab!

I have it on good authority that this is what dogs think of rehab:

It’s fun - dogs that love attention get loads of it. They get excited turning down my road on the way here.

It’s tasty - dogs that love treats get to choose the yummiest ones.

It’s relaxing - does your dog like to channel day spa? Rehab visits are the ones for them.

It’s relieving - those tight, achy joints and muscles are soothed and softened at rehab.

It’s reassuring - rehab is much less scary than your average vet visit. We have more time to chill, and keep the stress levels low.

If that sounds like the choice your dog would make, book them in with me!

24/08/2026

Wouldn’t it all be so much easier if our dogs could just tell us how they feel?

One big misconception about animals is that they can’t tell us what’s wrong.

Dogs don’t talk, but they DO communicate!

My dog Louis has arthritic elbows. A new thing he’s started doing is lying down while I make his dinner. He’s a labrador, he’s usually full on standing there wagging his whole behind and drooling while he waits.

It’s one wee signal that he’s not as comfortable as he used to be.

Another thing is that he hesitates, just for a micro-second, before going down steps.

These are quiet signals that his elbows are bothering him a little. They’re things I monitor every day, so that I can change up his management plan when I need to.

Have you noticed your dog doing things that they didn’t used to? Let me know!

20/08/2026

You know how they say it takes a village to raise a child?

There are times when we also need a village to care for our dog’s health.

Your general practice (GP) vet is usually your first port of call. They’ll do your annual health checks and vaccinations, dental care, and see you through most illnesses and accidents.

If something a bit more serious or tricky has happened, you might need to see a specialist. In the vet world we can only be called specialists if we have quite specific extra qualifications. They’re pretty hard-earned, and we all worship the specialists!

In between your GP vet and specialists are vets like me. We’re vets who have a particular interest in our chosen aspect of veterinary medicine, and have done extra study in that area. Some of us don’t do GP practice any more, but only see pets who need the kind of help we’re focused on. That’s me, in my VetRehab practice.

I’ve been rehabbing animals for about 18 years, and have qualifications that range from animal chiropractic and osteopathy, to veterinary acupuncture and canine rehabilitation. On top of my vet degree, that gives me a very comprehensive knowledge base and skillset that I can use to help your dog.

So which pets do I see? Mostly ones who need help with muscle, bone, joint, spine and nerve issues. If you had the same issues as your dog (or cat, or rabbit, or horse, or sheep, or any pet!), would you have gone to a physio, osteopath or chiropractor? If that’s a yes, then bringing your dog to see me would be a great idea!

Your dog’s best healthcare village is a team of people who’ll work together to help and support your dog to have the best life they can have. If you’d like to add me to your team, just send me a message and we’ll make it happen.

17/08/2026

You’d be barking mad not to!

There are LOADS of supplements for dogs on the market. Some are good, some are not so good. It can be really hard to know which ones are the best.

One way you can save money is to read the ingredients list on your dog’s supplements. Some products will add vitamins and minerals, and sell these as being great for your dog’s energy, vitality etc.

Well, vits and mins ARE necessary – but they’re most likely already in your dog’s diet. Check the label of their food and see what you’re inadvertently doubling up on. If your dog’s food meets AAFCO standards (it’ll be written somewhere on the bag) they’ll be getting the vitamins and minerals they need already. You don’t usually need to add more, and in some cases too much is bad for them.

When dogs need support for their joints, I look for products that have only the ingredients in them that my dogs actually need. Omega fatty acids (from fish or green-lipped mussels) have the best research behind them at the moment.

Have a go at reading the fine print. Let me know what you find out!

13/08/2026

Even small changes matter.

Sometimes I don’t get to see senior dogs until they’re already struggling quite a bit with joint pain. Sometimes they’re already on all of the heavy-hitting meds, the vets have run out of tools, and their owners don’t know else they can do.

That’s tough. There aren’t any magic pills, and I don’t have any wonder treatments that will make everything go away.

However, there ARE always things we can do to help your dog feel more comfortable. Gentle hands-on techniques help to ease joint and muscle pain, and if you like, I can show you how to do them at home.

My clients tell me they feel better once they know what they can do to help, and when they know they’ve tried everything they can.

No matter where your dog is at, I can help and support both them and you. Just send me a message to book a time.

10/08/2026

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?

06/08/2026

03/08/2026

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.