Skip to main content

A spotlight on animal physiotherapy

In February last year, Kygo injured his leg and was limping quite badly. We took him to the Vet and they advised that we have him X-rayed, as Rottweilers are prone to hip dysplasia. 

We were relieved that it wasn’t hip dysplasia, but the X-ray revealed that Kygo had some thickening of the bone on his right elbow. We suspect it was due to a previous injury where Kygo was bitten by another dog on that spot. The recommended treatment for his limp was anti-inflammatories and rest.

But we could see Kygo was walking uncomfortably. We were at our local park when I chatted to a neighbour whose car is branded with Southern Edge Veterinary Physiotherapy’s details. She told me her daughter, Gill, is an animal physiotherapist. I made an appointment and Gill came to our house for a consultation.

Gill giving Kygo laser therapy

I was amazed at her patience as she meticulously examined Kygo’s entire body, including his toes and legs. She picked up that his back was tight because he was overcompensating for the limp on his right front leg. 

He was hunched up and not very happy. She spent more than an hour working on him, giving him a massage to loosen up the tightness and then gave him some laser therapy on his right leg to ease the pain and speed up the healing.

We needed to prevent Kygo from doing any activity that would aggravate his injury and interfere with the healing. Gill recommended her colleague Sheneé who offers hydrotherapy. Think of it as water aerobics (a little bit) for dogs. 

Because they are in a heated swimming pool, there is less impact on their joints and it is a great form of exercise. Sheneé is absolutely amazing with Kygo and we’ve learnt so much from her. Kygo gets so excited to go to his sessions on a Friday afternoon.

Sheneé giving Kygo laser therapy
Animal physiotherapy is similar to human physiotherapy – it restores movement and function for those affected by injury, pain or post-operative surgery. They focus on the muscular, neural and skeletal systems and can treat various types of pain and movement disorders.

I chatted to Sheneé to find out more about what it is she does…

What made you decide to study Animal Physiotherapy?

I’ve always had a love for animals and a need to help them heal from pain and injury. But being a Vet was not for me. I heard about the rehabilitation and physiotherapy side of animal care and jumped at the opportunity to study further.


What qualification do you hold and where did you complete it?

I completed a 4-year course in Veterinary Physiotherapy at a college in Plettenberg Bay called Equine Librium.

What is the difference between what an animal physiotherapist does and a Veterinarian?

A Veterinarian needs to know so much about all diseases in all animals. They can do a whole range of diagnostics on animals, trying to find out what could be wrong. They work on the neuromusculoskeletal system as well as the internal organs of the body. They have a wide range of diagnostic tools and can administer and prescribe medication.

A Veterinary Physiotherapist focuses on the assessment of the neurological, muscular, skeletal and respiratory parts of an animal to find areas of pain and dysfunction. Our areas of practice are much narrower and more specialised. We then treat these areas accordingly. We work closely with the Vets and owners to achieve the goals set out for each patient.

What kind of animals do you treat?

We mostly treat horses, dogs and cats. But we are able to treat other animals too. We work with animal athletes, competitive dogs and horses. 

What are the benefits of physiotherapy for animals?

We aim to relieve pain and restore normal movement and function. We also work on strengthening weak areas, which could be due to injury, surgery, osteoarthritis, being an athlete or general ageing. Our end goal is to allow the animal to live a normal, pain-free life, and with competitive animals our aim is to enhance performance and maximise their competitive career.

What services do you offer?

Physiotherapy - Manual therapy: soft tissue mobilisation, joint mobilisations, myofacial release

Electrotherapy: Laser therapy, Electrical Muscle Stimulation

Hydrotherapy – in a heated swimming pool, we work towards strengthening, functional retraining, neurological rehabilitation, weight loss, fitness and more.

When is it vital for people to consider seeing a physio for their pet?

When they notice that their pet is struggling with pain and discomfort and not able to execute daily activities like they used to. Or on recommendation from their Veterinarian, pre- or post-surgery. Sporting animals also benefit greatly from regular physiotherapy.

Describe your typical workday…

Three days a week I travel around Cape Town to clients’ homes or stable yards to treat their pets. Two days a week I work from home doing hydrotherapy where clients bring their pets to me for swimming.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I love being able to help an animal that is showing signs of discomfort, pain or weakness and seeing them improve, relieving their pain, increasing their strength and allowing them to get back to doing their normal daily activities with ease.

How can people contact you? 

Southern Edge Veterinary Physiotherapy

Sheneé – 082 815 1655

Gillian – 062 349 6613

Email: southernedgeanimalphysio@gmail.com 

Facebook: Southern Edge Veterinary Physiotherapy

*This article first appeared in the We Love Pets SA April magazine. 

Labels:
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Comments

Post a Comment

I'd like to hear what you think about my posts, so leave me a comment...

Popular posts from this blog

The dog friendly trail from Lions Head to Signal Hill offers majestic views

One of the positive unintended consequences of Lockdown is that many people have rediscovered the outdoors and are enjoying the benefits of being in nature, both for their physical health and their mental wellbeing. And while this is great, many of the mountain trails have become congested and even more popular than our shopping malls used to be. With rows of cars stretching for kilometres before you reach the trail’s starting point. A good way to avoid the crowds is to start early and to do a less popular trail.  Waleed, Kygo and The Lion We did a 4km trail at the back of Lions Head to Signal Hill. This is a great alternative to Lions Head, especially with Kygo (our rottweiler), as he won’t be able to manoeuvre over the big rocks and up the ladders. We started the trail in a parking area where you’ll find a small white, green and gold building. It is known as the  Kramat of Shaykh Mohamed Hassen . A kramat is a shrine where holy men of Islam are buried. According to  SA ...
1 comment
Read more

Have you tried the Silvermine River Walk?

Most people who know or follow me on Insta , are aware that most of my Sundays (sometimes Saturdays) are spent in Silvermine Nature Reserve , which is part of the Sanparks Table Mountain National Park. Where is Silvermine Nature Reserve? If you are travelling on the M3 towards Muizenberg, you turn right at the end of the road to take Ou Kaapse Weg on the way to Noordhoek. As you ascend the incline, the road will take a sharp right and Silvermine Nature Reserve Gate 1 is on the right hand side. If you are somewhat puzzled by my directions, just Google Maps it! How much does it cost? There is an entrance fee of R35 per adult and R15 per child. If you have a four-legged, furry friend, they charge R70 for the dog and an accompanying adult. Waleed and I used to pay these fees weekly, until we got a couples' Wildcard (which provides unlimited entries into any of the parks or reserves) and a My Activity Permit for Kygo (this allows him into certain parks, reserves and beaches). Fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

10 fun, kid-friendly things to do in Cape Town

I'm lucky enough to call Cape Town home and sometimes I feel like we become immune to its beauty. So recently, when we had visitors from overseas I had to come up with a couple of things to do in and around the city that was one, kid-friendly and two, fun enough for the accompanying adults. When you have kids, you need to plan and prepare for the day ahead, which needs to factor in naps, snacks and stroller-accommodating terrain. What is Cape Town renowned for? Well the appeal is its natural beauty. We are fortunate to have mountain and ocean views, which lends itself to lots of activities that don't cost an arm and a leg. If you are looking for ways to entertain your kids over the holidays, why not try some of these fun-filled activities... 1. Zipline over the valleys in Constantia You can look forward to a ride in a rugged Jeep up the steep mountain ascent Located just opposite Constantia Nek in the Silvermist Private Estate, is the base from where Cape T...
17 comments
Read more