Canine Physiotherapy (Dog Physiotherapy)

Physiotherapy in dogs is important in preventing, curing, or restoring many conditions found in dogs. This is becoming a fast-growing and recognized tool in canine healing and prevention. Here's a quick introduction to canine physiotherapy or dog physiotherapy.

Sometimes, your dog encounters soft tissue injuries, undergoes surgery, or suffers from other age-related diseases. With the help of dog physiotherapy, your furry friend may well be able to recover more quickly and more comprehensively. Particularly for older dogs, canine physiotherapy can help to increase your dog's quality of life.

Some conditions that may require physiotherapy are osteoarthritis, back pain, tendon injuries, wounds, joint and ligament injuries, muscle atrophy, hip and elbow dysplasia, and paralysis. Your dog needs to be diagnosed first before starting the right course of physiotherapy. Diagnosis is important so that the vet will know what the right treatment for the dog is. Without the right diagnosis, physiotherapy will likely not be able to continue.

There are many techniques involved in canine physiotherapy. Physiotherapy includes both the hands of the therapist and the modern techniques such as the following: acupressure, hydrotherapy, thermotherapy, soft tissue mobilization, simulated laser, ultrasound, joint mobilization, neuromuscular stimulators, specific exercises, and pulsed magnetic field therapy. Treatment may involve more than one of these techniques.

The aim of the treatment is to reduce the pain, improve mobility, return to a healthy state, and prevention of an injury from recurring.

There are many advantages of physiotherapy for dogs. If you have a sporty or working dog, physiotherapy can help prevent a range of common injuries and pain. This will enable your dog to achieve goals in working and sporting activities more effectively.

If your dog is already injured, physiotherapy can help in the rehabilitation of fractures or injuries that your dog may have suffered. Muscular and ligament injury can also be treated with physiotherapy. Together with the vet, physiotherapy can help reduce the pain that your dog is experiencing, promote healing and get your dog back to its usual movement.

Your dog may also suffer from hip or elbow dysplasia. These are common diseases can cause your dog a lot of pain. There is also a loss of function involved which can lower and reduce your dog's quality of life. As a dog owner, you do not want that to happen. With physiotherapy, pain is managed and programs are set to improve and maintain the functioning of your dog.

Dogs can also suffer from neurological problems such as a spinal disc disease. Physiotherapy can decrease the pain and improve movement in these circumstances too.

Sometime after surgery, physiotherapy is used to help the dog recover and prevent complications. If you are looking for the right physiotherapist for your dog, you have to first have your dog diagnosed with your vet.

After that, you should discuss with your vet on what treatments are available for your dog. This can include canine physiotherapy as one of your options. It is best to talk to your vet about the benefits that this can give your dog and whether this is one alternative you have in improving the quality of life of your dog.

On the other hand, if you know a qualified therapist, all you have to do is to let your vet know about this. Tell your vet that you are planning to get the services of that particular therapist. If your vet thinks that this can help, they should be able to refer you.