Helping you to help your dog

 

As a Canine Physical Therapist with over 8 years of experience treating our own dogs and, as a successful business, hundreds of other dogs, I have discovered that, where seeing a professional undoubtedly helps, that isn't the whole story.

The therapist can't always be on hand 24/7 but you, their carer, on the other hand, are more likely to be.  By teaching you a regular massage and exercise regime that, together with a personalised workbook with illustrations of the techniques applicable to your dog, you will be able to support your dog.  This applies equally whether that’s an agility dog with warm-up and cool-down routines, a less able dog through disease or recovery from surgery, or an older dog needing help with mobility and arthritis.

With this focus towards helping you help your dog, I have found my regular dogs benefiting far more from this regime than just the therapist's visit.

The dogs get a massage whenever they need it rather than when it fits the diary - even daily if necessary.  They get their stretches, their exercises, their rehabilitation whenever is convenient. 

In addition, we can discuss easing access for your dog - flooring and non-slip surface adjustments, ramps to ease passage up/down steps and refer back to your vet for issues that may require further investigation.  Lifestyle changes like this, will help all day long and every day.

A famous person once said “The way you protect your power is not to hoard it, but to pass it on”…well actually it was Buffy in Season 7 but you get the idea.  Rather than just showing you a couple of massage strokes, which might mean you having to go back to the therapist time and again, we help you develop your own skills and empower you with a full physical therapy routine that you can apply regularly with your dog.  But we will still be there for help should you need further assistance.

Give me a call or drop me an email if you’d like to have a 1 to 1 session where we help you to help your dog.   Sessions will be held here at AchyPaw HQ in Saltdean.

 

PaawHouse magazine were looking for stories where the owner had been inspired by their dog. 

Hmm...sounded just like our Sarah. Can’t get more inspiring than helping your Dad totally change career. 

I put the writing hat on again and her story has just been published.

Sarah's Story

#prouddad

Multimodal therapy in one session

Rescue girl Bambi had developed a limp from her right rear leg which has been slow to respond to rest or medications. 

Bambi was lying on the mat with the PEMF mat below and started her therapy session laying there while also receiving Red Light Phototherapy. That’s 2 therapies. 

Bambi then had the smaller PEMF mat directly on her rear leg while I gave her some massage. Therapies = 3 

Chris then took over with Bambi and gave her some Trigger Point therapy and stretching. Therapies up to 4. 

At the end she did not want to leave the treatment room. Relaxation = therapy 5. 

Multimodal in one session. 

#result

Job done

I hadn’t seen handsome collie Bob for a couple of years. Recently he had an operation with some uncomfortable post-surgical complications requiring restriction of his mobility and wearing a collar so he couldn’t get to the wound site. 

All this made Bob an unhappy boy. His Mum rightly asked if I could go over to give him a check over before he resumes normal Bob Duties. 

When I last visited, Bob kept his toy ball in his mouth throughout. This time it was a deer antler. Things don’t change – just the comforter. At the first session, he was a textbook dog to work with. At that time, I imagined the conversation in his collie head going something like : 

“Ok…that was lovely but I’ll just go for a walk round the sofa” 

“And hello I’m back” 

“Ok…I’ll go for a walk again” 

“And bring back my toy to hold” 

“Ok…I’ll go and sit by Mum and rest against the sofa” 

“Oh this is nice, I’ll just close my eyes” 

“Hmm…I’m sliding down onto the floor” 

“Ok, I’ll just stay here and sleep” 

“I feel like a stretch….oooooo… l-o-n-g stretch” 

“And I’ll do another one – ‘coz I can now” 

Still nothing changes. The script was exactly the same except we were in a different room and he couldn’t get round the sofa. Otherwise it was lots of “oohs and ahhs” interspersed with “I have to walk away for a moment – but I’ll be back”. It was as if he had speech bubbles coming out of his mouth his reactions were so clear. 

And he slid down on the floor in front of the sofa – just as I told his Mum he would. Which is where he stayed. 

His lack of activity plus discomfort had scrunched him up – tight neck and back. Just touching them started to make him longer and release the heat from the restricted fascia. I could see how long he was getting by the space he was taking up in front of the sofa. 

At the end, he got up, did an enormous Dog Yoga stretch one way and then the other. Big shake. And dropped the antler as though it were a Mic Drop! Very dramatic Bob. 

I think that was a Job Done moment.

Massage and digestion

Cathal’s Mum has known us for many years and even hosted us in her shop to chat to her customers about the many benefits of canine physical therapy. And now it is our turn to help her with a not often discussed benefit of physical therapy - digestive issues. 

In 2016 we had a request to help Floc who was suffering from constipation. When he came to us, we performed lots of gentle work over his abdominal muscles which were, understandably, as tight as a drum. Before he left, he had a few successful ‘movements’ in our garden and then, over the next few days, his carer would send me plenty of texts describing other successes – LOTS of successes. 

Cathal had been suffering from an Impacted bowel for 1 week and, like Floc, had been straining uncomfortably. This was, in turn, affecting his whole body. He was standing hunched, he was wobbly, he was constantly trying to push down. He looked very uncomfortable. Think how you would feel or stand in a similar situation. 

His Mum had taken him to vets a few days before my visit where he had been sedated and flushed as the X Rays showed he was backed up into his colon. But he was still holding himself tight. 

He is a bouncy boy with a short back for a French Bulldog. When he is well, he doesn’t really squat when pooing but stands and pushes. Any extra hunching due to this new discomfort, would affect his mobility further. Cathal was made for massage – he adored it. 

I started working on other areas of his body before getting to his tummy. But I needn’t have worried. He just smiled and sighed when working around his abdominal area. 

I spent an hour with this lovely boy easing out his strained back muscles and generally helping his recover from his poo-tension. 

After I left, he was fast asleep with a relaxed look on his face. Massage therapy is truly holistic working on the whole body. 

Always learning

We don’t like to stand still with our therapies. We belong to the International Association of Animal Therapists (IAAT) who are a body of recognised, trained, fully insured professionals who are committed to continuous professional development. It means we are able to bring new techniques and ideas into our practice. 

This year we have completed CPD in Animal Physiotherapy, Phototherapy, Thermography, Canine Positional Release & Muscle Energy Techniques and recently a two-day course on Indirect Myofascial Release with Jo Rose who offers a wide array of CPD courses for all professional animal therapists delivered by Dawn McCaig

Both the Positional Release & Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) and Indirect Myofascial Release workshops have added some useful new techniques and knowledge, especially suitable for our senior boys and girls, as they are gentle, slow and safe moves ideal for aching joints and stiff bodies. 

MET minimise chances of over-stretch, stress or inflammation by holding the joints in a direction of ease rather than strain. And, where Direct Myofascial Release work helps to make the tissue move by force, Indirect MR is more of a holding and melting, without initiating any muscle guarding. It looks like the therapist is just holding their hands still on the client but, in effect, the tissue underneath is moving quite a lot. 

So, the next time you see us working with your dog and it looks like we aren’t moving – don’t worry, we are just using our new skills to help. If you watch, you will see the tissue moving under our hands, loads of heat come off and the client relax even more

Help to make every day a good day

We all have our good days and our bad days – sometimes that’s due to work, or the weather or our aches and pains. Most dogs don’t really know about going to work – unless it is which bed or sofa to choose. Most dogs don’t really mind too much about the weather – as long as they get a good warm rub down after. But they certainly do have good and bad days with their aches. 

Over the 7+ years of AchyPaw, we’ve found that dogs tend to benefit more when they have maintenance sessions. This will keep them on an even keel rather than ups and downs and being called out to ‘fix’ things. 

Our Sam & Sarah are 13 and a half now and they certainly have those sorts of days. We have dawdling days and we have “Look at me Dad, I can still chase that seagull” days (from Mr Sam anyway, Sarah would never condescend to chase – she’s far too much of a madam). 

By having regular therapies – some daily, some weekly, some monthly - we aim to even things out. We’ve got them on a good multifaceted therapy mix – hydrotherapy, acupuncture, laser, supplements, medication, diet – with massage being the glue that keeps it all together. 

OK, Sam & Sarah get manual therapy daily. Yours could too, with a tailored lesson from us. But the professional maintenance top-ups can be anything from weekly, to 6 monthly or even yearly like Sherlock. There is no prescription, each dog is different and so is their treatment plan. 

Give us a call if you’d like to know more either about our maintenance programmes or learning how to help your own dog. 

Homework and caregiver involvement

When set from school or colleges, homework could be a chore. But as an ex-academic now, I try to make the homework that we set our dog carers, more fun, informative and useful. 

As well as treating the dogs we work with, we also treat the carers. Not physically (although some have come to Chris for a holistic massage session) but educationally. During a session, the carer is often so involved with watching how their dog responds to the physical therapy that they forget all the things we discovered and showed them about their dog. 

This is perfectly understandable. We make sure that a treatment session doesn’t end without ensuring that the carer has been made aware of where the aches and strains were on their dog, how to help them with massage and rehabilitation exercises and characteristics to monitor so they can monitor progress or change. 

To achieve this aim, every carer is sent a personalised and workbook for their own tailored homework. The workbook details : 
• Where the issues were on their dog 
• Massage techniques that could benefit each issue and area 
• How to perform those massage techniques (with explanation and pictures) 
• Pictures and explanation of any appropriate rehabilitation exercises 

The Mums and Dads who do their homework become far more aware of changes in their dog and describe these in terms of gait, ability and muscle tone. It always raises a smile when a carer says things like “Les…I think the right thigh muscle is far less tight now and my dog is standing straighter”. This means they have been watching their dog and paying attention rather than just walking them. 
Our homework seems to go down well and we frequently receive feedback about it : 

 “Many thanks for your email and our homework, we have started following the plan & think that he seems more relaxed & happy already!”

 “I want to add that Les sent me the most amazing run down of what I learnt explaining everything really well to help my terrible memory not to miss anything out! Super happy with this as it is really clear what to do now.”

 “We have exercises to do and detailed information on how to do the most good, which Les sent through pretty much immediately. We saw improvement in our dog’s walking after the session and following exercises believe this will make the difference he needs without pumping him full of drugs. If you are thinking myotherapy could be the way forward, we would 100% recommend and suggest Les at AchyPaw!” 

Hopefully with all this homework, the dogs we help will have a greater and extended quality of life with an informed Mum or Dad. Don’t underestimate caregiver involvement.

 #homeworkcanbefun 

New ideas, new techniques, new modalities

Meet Charley – the amazing Red Lighting Magnetically Vibrating Chocolate Lab. 

Some months ago. we bought a Low-Level Light Therapy device to target some relief for Sarah. Recently I completed my certification for the application of Phototherapy. 

How does it work? The manufacturers explain it well here

And now we have a Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field (PEMF) machine with a variety of mats. This site has a simple explanation of how that device works : “Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy can decrease inflammation and pain, increase the rate of tissue repair and regeneration. This painless modality can be used adjunctively with rehabilitation sessions or daily at home. PEMF uses pulsing electromagnetic fields to jump start and accelerate normal biological cellular reactions. A small battery current is pulsed through a coil to create the electromagnetic field and initiate the biological cellular reactions. Cells contain electrically charged particles called ions that govern all cellular processes. When the body is stressed (by illness, competition, environmental factors or age) the cellular membrane that conducts the essential ions into and out of the cell becomes compromised and is unable to efficiently do its job of managing the transport of these ions. The PEMF machine generates a magnetic field that creates motion with these ions immediately and positively directly impacts these and the membrane potential to stimulate them into action. The result is an increase in cellular communication and circulation, a decrease in inflammation and pain and a resulting acceleration of healing. There are no side effects seen with the use of PEMF.” 

Me, being the scientist I am, researched further and this, very technical, journal item explains it in great depth.

What does all this technical jargon this mean to our Sarah? Well, she is treated on the large mat every morning after her first walk, targeting both hips, knees, paws and lower back – all her achy bits. In the evening she is treated with the Vetcare light, targeting specific areas of issue. Both may contribute to ease her discomfort. 

Our Sam is suspicious of everything that he can’t eat (or pee on). And would wriggle off the mat. Now with the smaller mat, we can slide it under his elbow, which is where his arthritis is worse, and he just continues snoozing. Similarly, he can be also be targetted on that area with the Vetcare. 

What does it mean to us? We use the PEMF device on our hips, knees, back and neck……and it is so soothing. For a long while after, we feel young again – well……young-ish. But it is a device that we can see and feel working. If it feels as good on our dogs as it does on us, then that is a big addition to their multimodal therapy regime. 

Meanwhile, back to Charley. Like Sarah, his aches and pains are centred on his rear end. As a bigger boy, he can lie on the PEMF mat while having his photo therapy and being massaged. After that, we can then target any new niggles he has picked up – I this case, his elbow on which we used the smaller mat. All in the same session. 

After his second multi-therapy session, his Mum, who is now very observant to changes in his gait and behaviour, wrote “Charley has just woke up, bright eyed and bushy tailed. We went for a short walk- lots of energy, pretty fast I have to say, no sound of nails dragging, front paws back to front position, tail wagging. Thank you so much Les- happy doggy, happy mummy! Now we have to risk the temptation to overdo it.” 

Treatments evolve and improve – new ideas, new techniques and modalities are continually being introduced. Here at AchyPaw, we look into these developments and, where appropriate, offer and incorporate them into our treatment regimes. 

Have a read of our case histories and feedback and, if you think we could help you and your four-legged friend, give us a call or drop us an email. In order to treat your dog, we need a vet consent form – for the most part this is a no-fee formality to allow your vet to check our credentials and approve the treatment as a complement to any treatment they may already be providing. 

#anothertoolinourtoolbox

Prevention rather than cure – or – Make hindsight your foresight 

When we treat, we also teach, educate and empower. Sharing the skills of how to help a dog with their Mum or Dad is an integral part of each and every visit. How to start with massage and exercise and then things to add as mobility improves or changes. 

Massaging your dog is not only beneficial and makes them feel good but if you have another dog in the family who is sitting there watching, you can work with them too. You don’t need to wait for an issue to happen. 

Recently I went to treat little Maisy. There are two other rescue dogs in the family. Maisy’s Mum wrote “I’m also practicing a little massage with our other two, Binky and Milly as they get jealous when Maisy’s sessions start! It’s great to have that skill now to share with our other two pooches.” 

Our Mr Sam might not need as much help as his sister, but each has their own therapy session. There are many more examples I can think of where the sibling has benefitted from the newly acquired therapy skills of their Mum or Dad. Luther and Hugo, for example. Luther was the dog who needed help. Typically, while working on him, his Dads were working on Hugo. 

After I visited Sophie, her Mum wrote back “Molly's on the same regime - prevention rather than cure is my new motto !!!” 

And after a session with Jack, his Mum wrote “I was massaging Jack under Pixie’s watchful gaze, and he did his get up and wander off routine. The very instant he moved off she flopped at my feet waiting for her massage too. She was pretty comatose by the time Jack decided he’d let me do a bit more!” 

Archie’s Mum had a training session with me. But in pictures you can see sister Molly peering over his shoulder. Their Mum wrote “Thanks so much for this and of course for your time yesterday I feel sure that both Archie and Molly will benefit hugely from the techniques you have shown me.” 

Bailey and Ruby were another couple who posed together after the Bailey’s treatment session. Whoopi might still be a puppy, but her Mum Sarah does the same exercises with her that she does with her senior brother Harry and now has added knowledge of things to look out for 

And it’s not just the manual therapy. Included in each and every therapy visit that we make is advice and assistance. Ways you can make your home more dog friendly, simple adaptations such as rugs not slippy floors, steps and slopes. Seeing things through a professional experienced eye can benefit. These changes are going to help ALL the dogs in the house – helping to prevent any injuries occurring in the first place. That’s means we can use hindsight as foresight for other dogs in the family. 

If you want us to come and show you how you can help all the dogs in your family through manual therapy, exercise advice or household adaptation, please give me a call. If there is more than one carer, we’ll teach you all. We are always affordable and accessible. 

#whystopwithone

Mixing and matching therapies

A successful competing athlete will almost certainly have a team of therapists behind them - physio, massage, laser etc – and probably will train in a variety of ways. This will ensure their whole body is fit and primed and not just the part they use in their sport. Likewise, canine athletes can benefit from this multimodal approach. 

Eili Dettmering is a vet who also practices acupuncture and laser. She visits our Sarah each month for an aculaser session which has become a very important part of her own multimodal treatment regime. Eili has two handsome dogs who regularly receive laser and acupuncture therapy from her. For the past year they have been visiting us to receive a different and complementary therapy – manual therapy. 

Are they being ‘therapied-out’? Of course not. Each therapy works on a different element of the body - energy flow, muscle, joints and even emotions. Mixing and matching these will ensure their bodies are kept in peak condition for their sport which involves weaving, running, jumping, twisting and turning. Add to this mix a sensible balanced diet and supplements and you’ve got a perfect combination. 

Benny has been doing a lot of weaving lately in his sport. This has translated to extra tightness in his mid to upper back. Manual therapy can and did, help sort that tension (see the videos of the post-massage zoomies later). 

But your dog doesn’t have to be an athlete to benefit from combining treatments. Our Sarah is on conventional medication but also has massage, hydrotherapy, Reiki from her Dad and aculaser to help with her arthritis and mobility. Each works together to maintain her quality of life and her own special character. 

#mixandmatchitmakessense 

Shedding fur - good thing or not?

“Don’t wear black” Roxy’s Mum said when we confirmed our second visit. 

Last time I worked with Roxy, she shed fur. A lot of fur. And she is a Yellow Labrador. As a result, I looked like Chewbacca by the end of that session and her Mum’s vacuum cleaner probably seized up. 

When we work with dogs, shedding fur is one of the ways we can tell that we’re having an effect and doing some good. Imagine if you’re going round with skin that is sticking to you due to anxiety or discomfort. That’s got to be uncomfortable. Manual therapy not only works on the joints and muscles but also on the fur – that’s what our fingers are passing through all the time. Myofascial release techniques assist with this fur lifting. And when you create space between the fur and underlying structures, blood and other nutrients can start to move freely through the body again. Result = looser, softer and more healthy fur. 

I once worked with a very VERY anxious Chihuahua who simply ‘couldn’t be touched’. Well…. guess what, not only did she adore her session ‘being touched’ (in a therapeutic way) with me, but, by the end, we had a pile of Chihuahua fur that could easily have made another dog. Over the months of treating that dog, the fur shedding became less and less as her body became more fluid, softer and supple. The blood and nutrients could move through at last. Also, her anxiety decreased and approachability increased accordingly. 

The same happened this time with Roxy. OK, there was a pile of fur on the floor but it was just a small pile. And my black jeans (I know…..should have worn a different colour!) didn’t look quite so much like I was auditioning for a Pantomime Bear. 

Roxy’s Mum has been doing some homework with her, particularly warming-up her hips and thighs before exercise. Roxy’s insecurities about being massaged have vastly diminished. 30 minutes with no getting up and down. Mind you, despite it being the hottest day of the year so far, Roxy decided she wanted her massage in the sun. And, you’ll remember I was wearing black…when will I listen? As we were both cooking, she did move into the shade for a while but decided that being microwaved was preferable and shifted back into the sun. 

She felt better all over – neck softer, fascial movement possible and muscle tone improved. AND less fur shed. That’s a great result for her, her Mum and for the vacuum cleaner. 

#lessfurshedmoremobility

Listen to Your Dog

Jack’s Mum calls him Magical Jack (well, that’s one of the names he is known by) but I think he should be Lucky Jack. 

I first visited Senior Boy Jack in November last year when his Mum gave me a list of the supplements and food he is on. Each is carefully researched with the other leading to a tailored balanced food intake – things like golden paste, ground egg shell, bone broth, fresh fruit, veg and meat. Jack is very well looked after naturally but he is also on pharmaceuticals to take care of any underlying discomfort. 

After the first session with me, his Mum, Sue, took on board everything we did. Jack is an ‘as and when’ boy regarding his manual therapy. He has a session as he needs it and when he asks for it. He is still reluctant to offer his rear end for therapy but with careful muscle melting, Sue is able to work just where he needs it. Sometimes she has to start a session with general stroking which can then lead to more intentional massage – which is exactly what we have to do occasionally. 

6 months along in his therapy programme and Jack is now stretching more, especially with his rear end. He is still a plodder but he is a happy plodder. His exercise regime is controlled by him. His Mum said that they typically have about 30 minutes outdoors walking a day but that “varies by how stiff he is. If he is stiff, we mess about indoors”. Such a sensible attitude to listen to your dog. 

Knowing that his outdoors exercise might become shorter, Sue is bringing the outdoors in. She has planted a sensory garden for him. Lots of herbs and flowers with strong smells so he can go outside and sniff and explore to his heart’s content. He can still have his sensory enrichment without having to walk round the parks and streets to catch up on his pee mail. 

With his nutrition and medicinal needs carefully controlled, his exercise needs listened to, his sensory needs now growing in the back garden plus his ‘as and when’ manual therapy, Magical Jack is really a Lucky Jack. 

#listentoyourdog 

Adapting the Adaptations

Whenever we visit a dog, we see if there are any simple adaptations that can be made to their house to help with their daily mobility. Things like rugs, mats or carpets over slippy floors. A raised food bowl so the dog doesn’t have to stoop down on already sore joints. Small steps over the door frames. Cushions beside a sofa or bed that they always use to jump on. And comfy beds – don’t forget them. Do the 30 minute Numb Bum test (if you can sit on your dog’s bed for 30 minutes without getting a Numb Bum then it’s likely that they are finding it supportive and comfy) 

But things change. And adaptations should change too. 

Our house has progressively become a Senior Dog Show Home. We have carpets and half steps everywhere. But our Sarah is beginning to drag her rear legs more, meaning Carpenter Chris has been building again. 

Most of the frames to the outdoors have small lips. These were becoming trippy lips. Now we have ramps. Two pieces of light, but strong, wood, hinged in the middle so we can put the ramps away when not in use, move them from door frame to door frame as necessary, with some rubber on top to protect paws even more. And Sarah loves then. Up she goes and down the other side with a big grin into the great outdoors. 

Then there’s Mr Sam. He likes to start the evening on my bed. He had a couple of memory foam mattresses to help him with the up and soften the down but they were giving a little and not helping his upwards propulsion. Now….he has his own step. Custom built to Mr Sam height with an added soft but thin mattress. He can easily stand up on the step and then take a further step onto the bed. Going down, the step is big enough so he can get completely on it, before taking the last step to the floor. No more crashing squishing noises. Just a couple of gentle steps. 

Follow your dog around your house for an hour or so, noting any areas where they may be struggling or tripping and think how you could minimise or relieve the hazard. Cheap, simple homemade solutions often work best as they can be tailored to your house and your dog. Give us a call if you need any advice or help.