Guernsey Wellness Centre

What is physiotherapy?  

Small animal physiotherapy is a complementary therapy for issues affecting physical movement. Any lameness arising from an injury, following an operation, or age-related conditions such as arthritis, can benefit.  The treatment is a gentle non-invasive approach to restoring function and strength to the body.  Appointments will include a physical assessment, manual therapy, electro-therapy, dynamic rehabilitation, and an individual exercise programme to continue in-between appointments. 

When is physiotherapy helpful for pets?

Physiotherapy can be used to improve post-op healing, orthopaedic complaints, improve fracture repair, ease pain in arthritic and diseased joints and slow down further degeneration. It also improves the range of joint movement as well as muscle tone and size. Owners can be taught additional massage, stretching and exercise techniques to keep their pet’s body in tip-top condition. 

What is hydrotherapy? 

Hydrotherapy is the use of water to perform controlled, therapeutic exercise. Exercise on an underwater treadmill has many benefits including increased resistance and buoyancy, this can limit pressure on joints, enhance range of movement, improve flexibility, increase muscle strength and stamina. The warm water also provides a very relaxing environment for your pet. 

When is hydrotherapy helpful for pets?

Hydrotherapy can help with many conditions, including rehabilitation following fractures, ligament damage, and nerve related injuries. It can help achieve weight loss and increase fitness. Additionally, it can help where a dog is reluctant to use a limb or there is lack of strength and movement.

What is electrotherapy? 

Electrotherapies are a range of therapeutic electrical waves that can produce biological benefits in our animals. Our veterinary physiotherapist is fully trained in a range of electrotherapies.

We can offer the following:

• Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) therapy- this is a form of light energy that can help with pain relief and healing of soft tissues, such as skin, ligaments/tendons and muscle.
• Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy- this is a form of magnetic energy that can help with pain relief, reduces swelling and promotes bone healing.
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) therapy- this is a form of electrically stimulating the nerves to produce a localised pain-relieving effect.

Exercise is an integral part of an animal’s life; having a healthy pet is largely determined by having a good balance between diet and exercise.

Not only is exercise essential for physical health, it is vital for mental stimulation as well.
We can prescribe specific, therapeutic exercises to help your pet restore their fitness and strength after injury and disease. Remedial exercises can also be used to improve general strength and prevent injury, particularly in working/athletic dogs.

Along with exercise, the home environment can greatly impact your pet. There are often small components of our animals’ lifestyle that we don’t take into consideration. For example; where your pet sleeps, flooring throughout the house, steps within or in and out of the house, how the house and garden/hutch is laid out. We can make certain recommendations so that your pet is more comfortable and able to enjoy the home environment.