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.
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| 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.
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| Sheneé giving Kygo laser therapy |
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.
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