Physiotherapy + Rehabilitation

Physiotherapy is all about boosting quality of life. Using different manual treatments and movements, it aims to restore movement and function to the highest attainable level for that particular individual. This covers a broad range of scenarios arising from illness, injury and disability. For example supporting a patient to regain movement after an accident, or managing a patient with a chronic condition such as osteoarthritis.

Physiotherapy can help a wide variety of dogs and cats, including for example:

  • Improving mobility and reducing discomfort in animals with long-term joint disorders
  • Speeding recovery following surgery and other traumatic events (rehabilitation)
  • Preparing animals for surgical procedures (prehabilitation)
  • Maintaining muscle mass and joint mobility in recumbent patients
  • Helping animals suffering from breathing and heart conditions
  • Maintaining and improving performance in working dogs and athletes

The most common conditions we treat tend to be orthopaedic (bone-related) or neurological (nerve-related) by origin. This includes conditions like osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc (spinal, back) disease (both conservative and post-operative management), cranial cruciate ligament disease (in the knee), and degenerative myelopathy, amongst others.

The Ralph Physiotherapy + Rehabilitation Service

At The Ralph, our Physiotherapy + Rehabilitation Service, delivered by Kim Sheader, Charlotte Barton and Brinna Hayes is available to both in- and out-patients. This means we care for both those animals staying with us, for example after having had an operation, as well as those patients who pop in specifically for physiotherapy and rehabilitation appointments. The service works closely with our other departments to deliver the holistic and compassionate care each and every patient deserves.

As well as physical assessments and exercises, our service provides advice on lifestyle, activity and exercise, both for prevention of problems and to rehabilitate existing ones. We have got a hugely experienced team, and so there is lots we can all learn from them.

Our Physiotherapy Treatment Room is equipped with a variety of tools as well as a ceiling-mounted hoist and laser therapy. Next door, our Hydrotherapy Room contains an underwater treadmill with a ceiling-mounted hoist. We are able to provide physical therapy to patients of all shapes and sizes.

An underwater treadmill is particularly beneficial for patients who are limited with land-based exercise. Performing exercise in water provides patients with buoyancy and support increasing their mobility.  Our underwater treadmill has an extra-long platform so even the tallest and biggest dogs will benefit. Our ceiling-mounted hoists support patients who are unable to bear their own weight properly so that they too can benefit from both physiotherapy and hydrotherapy.