VetRehab

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?

10/09/2026

07/09/2026

What if your dog isn’t waking you up at night because they want to p*e?

Has your senior dog stopped sleeping through the night as they’ve gotten older? It’s not necessarily because they need to p*e. Here are 5 reasons why our dogs might be restless:

1. They’re sore. You know how when you’re in pain, it can wake you up in the night? Same for our dogs.

2. They’re struggling with temperature regulation. As they get older, it can be harder for them to keep themselves at the right temperature. Are they too hot or too cold?

3. They’re developing CCD – canine cognitive dysfunction, or dog dementia. Do they sometimes seem confused about their world?

4. Something in the environment is bothering them. Is it noisy? Dogs with pain or anxiety can start reacting to noises that didn’t used to bother them. Is their bed comfy? It might be time for a new, cushy one to support older joints and keep them warm.

5. They need to p*e! Perhaps they can’t hold on as well as they used to. However, they can also develop illnesses that make them drink more and p*e more, or they could have an infection making them want to p*e more often.

If your dog keeps waking you up, it might be time for a visit to your favourite vet clinic (and rehab vet!) to give them an all-over health check and make a management plan.

How many times has your dog woken you up this week? What do you think it was for?

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!