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.

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

– Appointments are scheduled so there should be no cross-over with other clients.

– I will temperature check myself every morning, and confirm I have had no covid-19 symptoms, and have not been in contact with anyone confirmed with covid-19 in the last 14 days.

– I will meet you outside the building. I will sanitise my hands prior to hand-over & will be wearing a mask. 

– The whole front of the treatment room is glass-panelled, so you can watch the whole session from outside if preferred (or you can wait in your car, since it is a bit cold!).

– By coming to the session, you are confirming that nobody in your household has had any symptoms, or come into contact with someone confirmed with having covid 19, in the last 14 days.

– Under new rules, an owner is able to come into the treatment room whilst wearing amask & keeping a 2 metre distance.