Canine Physiotherapy & More

Assessment · treatment · rehabilitation

Canine physiotherapy, shaped around your dog

Canine physiotherapy uses many of the same principles as human physiotherapy, carefully adapted for dogs. Detailed assessment, hands-on treatment and tailored rehabilitation work together to help manage pain and support comfort, mobility, strength and quality of life.

A dachshund stepping carefully over low rehabilitation poles in The Dog Physio clinic
Abigail Pass guiding a dachshund through a supported balance exercise
When hands-on physiotherapy, clinical tools and home exercises are combined, your dog gets the benefit of all three—helping to achieve the best possible long-term result.
01 Who it may support

Common conditions and concerns

Some dogs arrive with a clear diagnosis or following surgery. Others are referred because their owner has noticed stiffness, lameness or a change in behaviour, confidence or activity. Physiotherapy can support recovery, help manage long-term conditions and provide proactive physical-health checks at every stage of life.

Not sure whether physiotherapy is the right next step? Tell me what you have noticed. If your dog needs veterinary assessment first, I will explain that clearly.

Physiotherapy may support dogs with

  • After surgery: orthopaedic or neurological rehabilitation
  • Cruciate ligament injuries: before or after surgery
  • Joint conditions: osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia & patellar luxation
  • Neurological conditions: including intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), spondylosis & altered coordination
  • Soft-tissue injuries: muscle, tendon or ligament strains & sprains
  • Fractures (broken bones) & other injuries: once your vet is happy for rehabilitation to begin
  • Wound healing: Class IV laser therapy helps heal open wounds, burns & lick granulomas when clinically appropriate
  • Lameness or altered movement: new, unexplained, persistent or intermittent—veterinary assessment comes first
  • Everyday mobility changes: stiffness, slowing down, difficulty rising, using stairs or jumping
  • Behavioural changes: reluctance, guarding or reduced confidence that may be linked to discomfort
  • Older dogs: support for age-related changes in comfort, movement & quality of life
  • Growing dogs: physical-health & movement checks as their bodies develop
  • Strength & conditioning: tailored programmes for sporting, working & highly active dogs
  • Proactive support: baseline assessments & maintenance care for healthy dogs

Sudden, severe or unexplained pain, lameness, weakness or neurological changes should be assessed by a veterinary surgeon. Veterinary referral or consent is obtained before treatment.

Abigail Pass supporting a dog during a physical and functional assessment
02 How treatment works

A thoughtful plan built around the whole dog

The process begins when you tell me about your dog. I’ll explain the next steps, arrange veterinary referral or consent where needed, and book a detailed initial assessment. From there, treatment and rehabilitation are tailored to your dog’s findings, needs and lifestyle.

01

Get in touch

Tell me a little about your dog, what you have noticed and any diagnosis or veterinary treatment they have already received.

02

Referral and assessment

I’ll arrange veterinary referral or consent where needed. Your dog’s initial appointment includes a detailed assessment of their movement, comfort, strength and overall function.

03

Treatment and rehabilitation

You’ll receive a tailored plan combining appropriate hands-on treatment, clinical tools and practical home exercises. Most dogs begin with a short course of more regular appointments—often weekly or fortnightly.

04

Review and ongoing support

Progress is reviewed and the plan develops with your dog. As they improve, appointments usually become less frequent, with maintenance sessions recommended where they would be beneficial.

03 Clinical tools & techniques

Hands-on treatment chosen for your dog

Hands-on physiotherapy may help reduce muscle tension and stiffness, improve comfort and movement, and prepare the body for rehabilitation. The techniques used depend on what I find during assessment and what your dog is comfortable with.

Massage & soft-tissue techniques

May ease muscle tension and spasm, support circulation and tissue mobility, and help your dog settle into treatment.

Joint mobilisation

Gentle, graded movement used to support comfortable joint range and reduce stiffness.

Passive movement & stretching

Carefully controlled techniques that may help maintain mobility and flexibility where appropriate.

Myofascial techniques

Targeted work for areas of fascial or soft-tissue restriction that may be affecting comfortable movement.

More about massage and soft-tissue treatment

Massage is more than simply helping a dog relax. Careful palpation helps identify areas of increased muscle tone, spasm, tenderness or restriction. The pressure and technique are adjusted continuously to the individual dog and their response.

Used appropriately, massage may help relieve tension, improve comfort and tissue mobility, support circulation and make movement easier. It is usually one part of a wider plan that can also include joint techniques, rehabilitation exercises, clinical tools and home support.

Oscar standing on the Companion Animal Health stance-analysis mat beside the assessment screen
Stance and movement assessment

Objective static readings and careful movement assessment

Dynamic movement is assessed through careful observation in person or from suitable video. The stance analyser can add objective static information about how weight is distributed through each limb. Both are interpreted alongside the physical examination and clinical history.

  • Supports a more complete picture of movement and function
  • Can identify compensatory weight shifts that may be difficult to see
  • Provides useful baseline information
  • Can help monitor change alongside the wider clinical assessment

Stance data is interpreted in context; it does not diagnose a condition on its own.

How stance analysis works

During a controlled stand, the platform records the percentage of your dog’s total weight carried through each limb, together with information about postural stability. Several clean readings may be taken because head position, foot placement, movement and attention can all affect the result.

Comparing repeat measurements can help identify off-loading, compensatory patterns or changes during rehabilitation. Static weight distribution is only one part of the picture, so the data is interpreted alongside dynamic movement observation, palpation, joint range, muscle symmetry and relevant veterinary findings.

Class IV laser therapy

Targeted laser therapy within a wider treatment plan

I use a Companion Animal Health Class IV therapy laser. Photobiomodulation delivers a measured dose of red and near-infrared light to target tissues, supporting cellular processes involved in pain modulation, inflammation and healing.

Laser therapy may be used alongside hands-on treatment and rehabilitation when it is clinically appropriate. The treatment area and dose are selected for the individual dog and reviewed as part of the wider plan.

  • Non-invasive treatment
  • Usually no clipping or shaving
  • Protective eyewear used throughout
  • Suitable protocols selected carefully
How laser therapy works

Photobiomodulation uses red and near-infrared wavelengths of light. When an appropriate dose reaches the target tissue, the light is absorbed by cellular chromophores and can influence mitochondrial activity and signalling pathways involved in energy metabolism, inflammatory modulation, pain signalling and tissue repair.

Treatment is dose-dependent. Wavelength, power, total energy, treatment area, tissue depth, coat and skin, and the way the applicator is used can all affect how much light reaches the tissue. More energy is not automatically better, so the protocol is selected for the individual dog and condition. The strength of evidence varies between clinical uses, which is why laser is used as an adjunct within a wider treatment plan rather than as a replacement for veterinary diagnosis or appropriate rehabilitation.

A dog receiving Companion Animal Health Class IV laser therapy with protective eyewear
Chosen carefully as part of your dog’s wider plan.
04 Beyond the appointment

Practical exercises that fit real life

Home exercises help carry progress beyond the appointment. They are chosen for your dog and your circumstances, demonstrated clearly and adjusted as your dog changes.

1

Choose

A small number of purposeful exercises selected around the assessment findings and current goals.

2

Practise

Clear guidance on technique, frequency and what to look for, without an unrealistic daily routine.

3

Review

Exercises are progressed, adapted or replaced as comfort, confidence and function change.

A lifelong view

Physiotherapy is not only for recovery

Proactive physical-health checks can help you understand how your dog is moving now, establish a useful baseline and identify areas that may benefit from support. The aim is thoughtful maintenance, not promises to prevent every future problem.

Ask about proactive care
Growing dogsSupport while bodies, movement and confidence are developing.
Active dogsPhysical checks for sporting, working and highly active companions.
Healthy adultsA baseline and considered maintenance support where appropriate.
Older dogsRegular review as mobility, strength and everyday needs change.
A simple first step

Not sure whether physiotherapy could benefit your dog?

Let’s discuss it together. Tell me what you have noticed and I’ll explain the most appropriate next step, including the veterinary-consent process.

Tell me about your dog Refer a patient