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Dr Debbie Prattley BVSc MOst CCRP PhD | Keeping your animals happy, mobile and healthy using hands-on therapies - when you need more than medications

Whether it’s older animals who need help to improve their mobility and settle sore joints and muscles, sporting or working dogs or horses needing to get back to 100% performance, or pets recovering from surgery, there are ways I can help. I like to be practical, down to earth and effective, working with you to find the best way to help your animals. I have many years of experience and tons of qualifications to back it up. I graduated from the Massey University vet school (last century) with an interest in physiotherapy, despite not really knowing what it was. Rehabilitation wasn’t a thing then! After locuming in the UK and doing government vet work for a while, I came back to New Zealand and found myself a nice wee lifestyle block to live on with horses, dogs and some sheep. When my lovely mare started being grumpy and pinning her ears back when I rode, like any owner would I tried to help her. I tried a few approaches, but it was a vet colleague with expertise in chiropractic and acupuncture who got us on the right path. While I was hugely grateful, I also felt frustrated by not being able to help Suse myself. Realising that other horse and pet owners might be having problems that our normal vet skills didn’t cater for, I starting training—and I haven’t stopped since, because there’s always so much more to learn. That list of qualifications…

BVSc – Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Distinction), Massey University

MRes – Master of Research, Glasgow University

MOst – Master of Osteopathy, Unitec

PhD – Doctor of Philosophy (Veterinary Science), Massey University

PGDipAnChiro – Postgraduate Diploma in Animal Chiropractic (Distinction), RMIT

CVA – Certificate in Veterinary Acupuncture, IVAS

CCRP – Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, University of Tennessee

Other courses

Veterinary Behaviour, Centre for Veterinary Education, University of Sydney

Behaviour Analysis paper, University of Waikato

Biodynamic Osteopathy Phases 1 & 2; Power for Change

CranioSacral Therapy 1 & 2, Upledger Institute

Zero Balancing 1

Canine V Elective – Canine Sports Medicine Course, University of Tennessee

FDSA Canine Fitness Trainer (Bronze course)

Accredited Saddle Fitters of Australasia Saddle Fitting Course

Introductory Saddle Fitting, Society of Master Saddlers UK

Saddle Reflocking, Cumbria School of Saddlery, UK

Equine Athletics and Functional Assessment, Animal Rehab Institute, Florida

Equine Touch Levels 1-3

Lecturer, British Equestrian Trade Association Introduction to Saddle Fitting Course, Auckland 2018; Introductory and Intermediate courses, Auckland 2019

15/10/2026

Is age a disease?

We can’t change the fact that the days go by (far faster than seems necessary!), and most of us get some wear and tear as we get older. BUT that doesn’t mean we have to suffer from it.

I can help you to recognize the early signs of joint and muscle pain in your dog, and then we can plan how best to help them.

Growing old gracefully doesn’t have to mean spending life doing nothing but decorating a couch!

Give me a call (actually a message or email is better) to find out how to help your dog keep moving more in their senior years.

12/10/2026

Just gimme the pills (said not many dogs, ever!)

Pain medications are a really important part of managing arthritis and other conditions that older dogs get. But they’re not the only option, and ideally they’re part of a broader management plan.

Here’s 5 reasons why pain meds are ideally used WITH other rehab options:

1. All medications have potential side effects. Some dogs are more affected than others.

2. Our bodies have to break down medications, often in our liver or kidneys, and we might not want to give them extra work to do if those organs are already compromised – common in older animals.

3. Pain meds make our dogs feel better, but don’t make the body heal. They can help with inflammation, but cutting down the pain doesn’t mean that the problem CAUSING the pain has been fixed.

4. Adding in rehab options like physical therapies, targeted exercises, weight/nutrition/supplement management, and things like laser or acupuncture, can allow us to keep pain meds for when they’re really needed.

5. Rehab supports the body to stay stronger, have better balance, and can reduce pain, too!

What things are you already doing to help your dog?

08/10/2026

Rehab isn’t your normal vet visit. Here’s 3 reasons why rehab rocks!

1 – When I’m working with you and your dog, we use the time to focus in on musculoskeletal issues.

2 - As well as doing hands-on treatments, I cover other things that affect mobility, like targeted exercise, your home environment, nutrition, weight management and supplements.

3 – Teamwork makes the dream work. Your GP vet is essential to your dog’s healthcare, but having a rehab vet on your team adds another dimension. Rehab can help reduce the need for pain medication, as well as improving mobility, strength and balance.

Bring your dog to a rehab vet for their most fun vet visit ever!

05/10/2026

Although rehab is becoming more accepted, it’s a relatively young field. That means most vets haven’t been taught about it when they were in vet school, so they don’t always know what rehab involves.

It’s a lot more than exercises, and we only start doing exercises when the time is right for your dog.

Rehab is one of the fastest-growing veterinary fields worldwide as we learn more about how much it benefits our animals (just the same as it does for us).

Whether your dog is just slowing down a bit or has had a major surgery, there are still things we can do in rehab that help them to get better. Here are 5 great reasons to go to rehab:

1. Rehab helps the rest of your dog’s body to cope with the compensations of pain.

2. In rehab, we adjust activities according to what your dog needs and is able to do.

3. Rehab includes options for additional pain relief that don’t involve medications.

4. Rehab is responsive to the needs of each dog and their owner.

5. Rehab helps to keep their minds active even if their bodies can’t keep up.

Rehab vets are always happy to work with your GP vet, too.

If you’re not sure whether rehab is right for your dog or not, get in touch and we can have a chat about it.

01/10/2026

The struggle is real.

There are times when we all feel our age. I’m not exactly leaping out of bed in the morning ready to attack the day like I used to 20(+) years ago! But yes, there ARE things we can do to feel better – and ways I can help your older dog feel better too.

I have lots of tools in my toolbox, which means no matter how old your dog is, I can choose something to help them feel more comfortable. Rehab isn’t all pushups and poses!

We can’t turn back time, but we can make things a bit easier going forward. Give me a shout and we’ll work together to help your dog with any creaky joints or sore muscles.

28/09/2026

I got sucked in!

My best boy has crunchy, arthritic elbows. He’s only 6 years old.

The first OBVIOUS thing I noticed was a few steps of stiffness after he got up from having a sleep.

But when I watch carefully, his body doesn’t move quite normally when he trots.

It’s subtle. It’s hard to see, because both front legs are affected. It would have been there and creeping up on him for a few years already, causing discomfort that I didn’t know about.

I feel bad for not having realized sooner, but now he’s on a great management plan that’s working really well for him, and he’s gone back to playing (no high speed zoomies allowed, though!).

Animals can’t talk to us about their pain, but if we know what to look out for we’ll see the signs.

What things have you noticed your dog doing now that are different from when they were younger?

24/09/2026

If I want to achieve the best results for your dog, we start with a longer session (45 mins) so we have plenty of time.

I’ll have a chat with you about your dog’s life, and thoroughly check their musculoskeletal system.

Then we’ll work together to make the best plan for both of you. I have lots of ways I can help your dog, so we’ll choose what we think will work best. Rehab, physio techniques, exercises, osteopathy, laser, acupuncture… there’s a long list of possibilities. What we do will be unique and tailored for you.

How many sessions your dog needs will depend on where they’re starting from. We’ll get together as often as you need so you have help along the way for as long as you need it.

Get in touch and we’ll give your dog a more comfortable life!

21/09/2026

Whats the best way to get long term results?

Start early!

Some dogs are born with joints that haven’t quite developed properly, and they can be affected by arthritis from a really young age. Other dogs will develop it as they get older, after a life well-lived. In the end, they can lose all of their joint cartilage and have bones rubbing on each other – ouch!

Thankfully there are a lot more options than medications when it comes to looking after your dog’s joints. It’s lifestyle-encompassing medicine! The sooner we start, the more likely they are to have an effect, or to prevent the damage from getting worse as fast as it otherwise would.

Share the love for dogs with joints!

17/09/2026

I lost my last dog, Polly, when she was 13. She was my bestest good girl.

In the last few years of her life, she used to get shaky legs. At first I thought she had some trigger points – like little knots in her muscles. But then I realized it was actually a sign of joint pain.

I mostly used acupuncture and supplements to help her. That was ok – she went from walking slowly along behind me to trotting out in front again when we went walking.

But when I look back now, I wish I’d known more then. There were lots of other things I could have done, and things I’d have done differently right from when she was young. There’s a very good reason I don’t recommend ball chasing for dogs!

I think every animal we care for teaches us, and we become better, wiser guardians each time. We look more carefully, know the more subtle signs, and start acting sooner.

Plus, scientific knowledge improves, and things evolve. That’s as true in vet med as it is in human healthcare. All vets have to do ongoing education, and I do mine in rehab topics every year.

If you think your dog should get to take advantage of all the things I know now (years of study and experience later!) send me a message and we’ll get started.

14/09/2026

Do you remember when your dog was a puppy and used to zoom around everywhere at a rate of knots?

There was probably no stopping them then!

But as we age (yes, this applies to people, too!) and get wear and tear in our joints, we stop moving as much, and our muscles weaken. Our nervous systems don’t work as quickly as they used to either, and we don’t keep our balance as well.

That means it’s harder for us to cope with tricky surfaces, like slippery floors or uneven ground. If your dog has started avoiding walking through the kitchen, it might be because they feel insecure and worried about slipping. If they do slip, they’re more likely to fall and injure themselves.

There are several ways we can help them to manage slippery floors, like putting down mats or rugs, using boots or applying pad grips.

We also have lots of options for rebuilding muscle, improving balance and strength, and managing pain.

Which is your dog’s favourite room in the house, and where DON’T they like to go?

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