APPOINTMENTS

Veterinary Physiotherapy utilizes both manual techniques and electrotherapies to support recovery after surgery or injury, to improve performance and to maintain mobility and comfort in later life. Through their knowledge in animal anatomy, muscle movement, conformation and gait, veterinary physiotherapists can identify early symptoms and compensations. Therefore, veterinary physiotherapy can also act as a preventative therapy, to limit the risk of injury and enhance performance in athletic animals.

- There is no definitive number of treatments required or ideal frequency of appointments. Each animal is an individual, meaning that they will heal at different rates and have different lifestyles, all of which will impact how frequently they require physiotherapy. For some specific injuries, usually cases which have been referred to physiotherapy by a vet, very regular appointments will be required in the initial stages of injury and then will reduce as recovery progresses. - Not all issues can always be addressed in one appointment and when this is the case, follow up appointments might be required within the space of one to two weeks. This is particularly the case when animals are especially sore. - After the initial session, frequency of appointment will be discussed and then further explained in the long term treatment plan. The aim is to find the most appropriate frequency pattern which supports your animal in remaining comfortable, maintaining their functional abilities and being able to perform to their best ability. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have further questions.

On initial contact, you will be asked to provide some background details about your animal. For initial assessments, veterinary consent will be required from your vet (in accordance to the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1966). This can be done by emailing the relevant referral form to your vets for completion. This is something we can do on your behalf if preferred. Once we have received the completed referral form, an appointment date can be booked. During the appointment you will be asked to provide a subjective history of your animal, before a static assessment is made. A dynamic assessment will then be carried out, which includes assessment of gait. Horses might be asked to be seen on lunge or even under saddle if there is a particular issue you would like to be assessed. Your animal’s range of motion will then be assessed, either passively (PROM) or actively (AROM), depending on what is most appropriate. Palpation is then carried out before all findings are brought together and conclusions drawn. From this, a short and long term treatment plan will be formulated. Short term treatment will be applied at the appointment, using a range of manual techniques and electrotherapies, depending on what is most appropriate for your animal. Longer term treatment plans will be addressed in both future visits and through exercise therapy which will be explained and recorded for you, to work on in between. Clinical notes are recorded at every appointment. These are typed up and held securely, with all personal data protected (see our data protection policy). These notes are to ensure your animal’s progress is monitored and to allow for accurate comparisons between appointments. They will be emailed to you after the visit and can also be passed on to your vet if requested. For an example, click here. You will also receive an exercise therapy plan which will be tailored to your animal, your facilities and what you have time to carry out in a typical week. To see an example exercise plan, click here.

Appointment times are approximately 1.5 hours. This allows adequate time for a full assessment on every visit, along with time for treatment and to discuss an exercise therapy plan.

Appointments are charged at £55, inclusive of travel. It is requested that payment is made either prior to the appointment via bank transfer or at the time of appointment by either cash or debit card.

Areas within the black circle are all covered in the appointment fee above. Areas within the blue circle are covered but will be subject to an additional £10 travel. However, this will be wavered if multiple animals at the same venue are treated. Areas outside of the blue circle are again covered, but will incur additional travel fees, unless again, multiple animals are treated at the same venue. Please call to discuss further.

a background history of your animal, including any injuries or surgery in the past, recent changes you have seen in their behaviour or performance and an overview of their usual routine.

a visual assessment of your animal, considering the way they are standing, their conformation and muscle development.

an assessment of how your animal moves.

walk, trot and canter are examples of a horse or dog’s gait. It refers to the pattern of steps at each speed.

capacity and ability to move joints in a specific direction.

this is range of motion which applied by the therapist. Animals are passive while assessment is to made to determined how far a joint can move through its range of motion.

this is the range of motion an animal takes its joint through during active and functional movement.

examination through touch.

treatments which will be applied during the appointment

treatments which will be applied or continued at following appointments or through prescribed exercise therapy.

techniques which will be applied by the therapist’s hands, including massage techniques, stretching and some types of manipulation.

Perfect Gait Veterinary Physiotherapy uses class IV laser therapy, therapeutic ultra sound, pulsed magnetic electrical field therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and neuromuscular nerve stimulation (NMES).