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FAQs

FAQs

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See the answers to the most common queries we receive at Apollo Animal Physiotherapy in Broadstairs. For any other queries, contact us directly. We cover a wide area that includes Tonbridge, Hastings, Dover, Rochester, Maidstone and surrounding areas.
Will physiotherapy services be covered by my insurance?
Most animal insurance companies provide cover for veterinary physiotherapy. They require a referral from your vet prior to the commencement of treatment. It is your responsibility to contact your animal’s insurance company prior to commencing treatment to confirm what benefit is available to your animal as each policy is different.
Arrange a consultation with your vet. Following examination of your animal, ask if physiotherapy is appropriate. If so, please fill out our application form. We will then arrange consent with your vet & inform you that you are now able to book with us.
During our comprehensive evaluation, we will review the patient’s history. We will do a general exam, a musculo-skeletal exam (where we check each muscle and joint from toes to shoulder, toes to hip and then down the back), and a neurological exam. We will also evaluate range of motion, gait, weight bearing and muscle tone. Each of the examinations is a single piece of a larger puzzle. Following the exams, we will integrate all the information (i.e. put the puzzle together) and develop a comprehensive therapy plan. Our therapy plan will be developed from a combination of therapist recommendations, your goals for rehabilitation (i.e. return to the agility circuit vs. being able to get up on the couch), your input and any other considerations you may have.

1) Please be sure to bring any photos or videos that demonstrate any issues your pet may be having.

2) Please bring any favourite treats or toys which may help to make your dog feel comfortable & enthusiastic

3) For hydrotherapy: Please bring a towel & something to keep your dog warm afterward as they will be damp after being towel-dried.

4) For hydrotherapy: Please ensure there are no products on your dog’s hair such as conditioners, and allow at least 72 hours after application of flea products before their treatment.

Each individual requires specific services, depending on the results of the assessment. We have a variety of treatment options available, including hydrotherapy, laser therapy, core conditioning and soft tissue manipulation. After we evaluate your pet, we’ll assess the benefit of each modality, consider all factors and develop a customised program for your pet. Even for the same injury to two different animals, no two treatment plans are identical.
Not only are you allowed to be with your pet, we highly encourage it. When a pet is in pain, the encouragement and concern the owner shows toward their pet is critical to their rehabilitation.

This depends enormously on what your animal has been referred for. Each animal is assessed and treated as an individual and treatment is provided according to that animal’s specific assessment findings and the owner’s requirements i.e. what level of performance they need to be rehabilitated back to.

At your first appointment, your pet’s physiotherapist will assess your animal carefully. At the end of this appointment, your physiotherapist will discuss these findings and advise on the most suitable course of action. The frequency of treatment will depend on whether your animal requires hands on physiotherapy, whether this needs to be aggressive or just maintenance, or just the progression of a home exercise programme. An estimate will be made of the number of sessions and the frequency so that a treatment plan can be agreed with yourself.

Should this change during the course of the plan, your physiotherapist will discuss this with you and advise you accordingly.

Sometimes there is an immediate notable improvement. Sometimes it can take a few sessions depending on what is wrong with your pet and how long the problems have been going on for. Unless the primary issue is a direct trauma or accident, the majority of soft tissue issues are accumulative which can result in a longer, more intense physiotherapy programme before they improve. We use video evidence at the initial consultation, and regularly reassess this to compare and note improvements objectively.

Unlike people, animals are not usually vocal when in pain. Therefore, without careful observation, owners often fail to recognise that their pet is in pain.

Signs to watch for which indicate mild pain include:

  • Less activity
  • Going upstairs or downstairs less often
  • A slightly abnormal gait

Signs to watch for which indicate moderate pain include:

  • Unwillingness to go upstairs or downstairs or hesitating before going upstairs or downstairs
  • Difficulty getting up
  • Stumbling
  • Sleeping more than normal during the day
  • Obvious abnormal gait (bunny-hopping, limping, etc.)
  • Excessive panting
  • A specific area of the body that’s sensitive to the touch
  • Irritable disposition

Signs to watch for which indicate severe pain include:

  • Severe abnormal gait (little to no weight on a limb, constant weight shifting, head bobs when walking, etc.)
  • Decreased appetite
  • Restless at night
  • Sleeping excessively during the day
  • Severe sensitivity to the touch, sometimes leading to aggressive response

Contact Us
  • 07300 020 514
  • bookings@apolloanimalphysio.com
  • apolloanimalphysio@gmail.com
  • Apollo Animal Physiotherapy, Old Haine Road, Ramsgate, CT12 5AG

Apollo Animal Physio
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