Ellie Gray Veterinary Physiotherapy

Regular farrier appointments aren't a luxury, they are a necessity for your equine companion's lifelong welfare.

❔Did you know❔
Every extra 1cm of toe length results in -
🔹an extra 50KG of force acting on the tendons
🔹a -1° drop in sole angle where the DDFT inserts into the coffin bone can lead to a 4% increase in the pressure exerted by the DDFT on the navicular bone

(Credit Dr Renate Weller)

While this is a human stat, it holds true for dogs too. Poor sleep can worsen their pain and overall well-being.

Consider incorporating strategies such as creating a comfortable sleeping environment, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and having somewhere quiet to take themselves away from the noise and bustle of the house.

Improving the quality of your dog’s sleep is an essential part of your treatment plan to help manage their chronic pain effectively!

Important myth buster when our furry friends get too hot. Dogs do not go into shock when cooled quickly, the faster the better 🙏

⚠️EVIDENCE BASED⚠️ info Re: 🥵Heat Injury/ Emergency Cooling 🥶

There's SO MUCH mythology out there about appropriate means of cooling a dog in an emergency situation.

🌡️RAPPID COOLING is the most vital component if a dog is hyperthermic. It is an absolute myth that cooling a dog too quickly can put a dog into shock, or somehow increase body heat. That is simply a false statement.

🧊 ICE WATER is ok. WET TOWELS are ok. SUBMERSION in COLD WATER is ok. Literally anything that is colder than the dog is okay.

🚨 COOL FIRST then transport. Hyperthermia is an IMMEDIATE threat to life. And your veterinarian is not more skilled at dousing your dog with cold water than you. IV fluids an antibiotics are secondary/supportive treatment. Treat what is killing the dog first. Then transport.

Thank you to Veterinary Tactical Group for putting together this fantastic graphic!!

This is one of the most useful graphics we can show you...

This is all the elements of a complete multimodal arthritis management plan.

The dark blue sections are areas where you will need vet input, and the teal sections are the areas down to you.

It may look like a lot of different areas to work on (you might not need them all), but you can start with one and build from there.

Just using painkillers alone is not enough. Just using massage is not enough. It's when you combine multiple treatments together that you start to reduce the pain and take care of the joint - and your dog's life will change for the better.

Talk to your vet about using a multimodal approach in your dogs OA care (if they are not already).

🐴 𝙃𝙄𝙉𝘿𝙇𝙄𝙈𝘽 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙏𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 - 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 🐴

Lots of requests for some more in this series, so here is another one!

When the hindlimb is brought forwards into a protraction stretch, the following are some key muscle groups are stretched:

• Hamstring muscle group — semitendinosus, semimembranosus, gracilis
• Bicep femoris
• Gluteals - superficial and accessory
• Longissimus dorsi - lumbar portion

For more information on additional muscles effected, how to conduct this stretch effectively for your horse, and in what instance this stretch is appropriate… I have a How to Stretch your Horse digital download available on my shop: https://vetphysiophyle.co.uk/product/stretch/ 🤍

Lovely visual of the muscles stretched in a forelimb protraction stretch 🐎

Reposting this little sketch I did to demonstrate the key muscles that are stretched in a forelimb protraction stretch, and also when your horse retracts their limb. • A quick little sketch of a few key muscles that are stretched during a forelimb protraction stretch to help some of my clients visualise how this stretch is affecting their horse or pony, and why it must be done gradually and purposefully. 🐴

I discuss more about the biomechanics and how to execute this stretch effectively in my E-Book “Stretch Your Horse” here: https://vetphysiophyle.co.uk/product/stretch/

2023 Price List

Ellie Gray Veterinary Physiotherapy provides a bespoke, affordable and professional service for you and your horse.

An initial consultation includes an in-depth discussion discussing relevant history, current exercise regime, routine and environment, owner specific goals and any specific worries or concerns. Assessment provides a variety of approaches to identify areas to address with physiotherapy treatment, such as areas of weakness or tenderness. Assessment provides a map of your horse, ensuring the most beneficial treatment is applied to these areas, which includes a range of modalities including physical therapy such as massage and stretching, to electrotherapies including TENS and pulse magnetic wave therapy. Exercise programmes are prescribed to provide on-going therapy to strengthen and support, condition and reduce injury, specific to each case.

On-going communication is always offered through text or email to offer support and advice between sessions.

Feel free to get in touch today, by email at [email protected] or by direct message.

The benefits of massage

Massage, one of the easiest manual therapies to apply with an abundance of beneficial effects.

Massage helps:
Decrease pain
Reduces muscle tightness
Increase blood flow
Increases muscle pliability
Reduces chance of injury and improves rate of recovery
Improves musculoskeletal mobility
Improves performance

Improved circulatory effects works via osmosis, the exchange of concentrated areas. Applying pressure causes an ischiemic effect (shifts blood flow away) which lowers the pressure, causing an increase of blood flow to the area when the pressure is lifted. In simple terms, massage increases the blood flow to the area. The importance of blood flow nourishes the area, improves healing and removal of inflammatory products (reduces pain). Fluid exchange is equally important to reduce fluid build up (oedema), when left, fluid can create fibrous tissue, creating muscle tightness and local adhesions.

Massage reduces muscle tone by stimulating sensory organs, this reduces muscle spasm and tension helping the muscles supple and pliable where tightness restricts movement. This helps increase mobility of the muscle, surrounding tissues, reducing pressures and pain on connective tissues. Reducing tightness overall benefits not only the area of tension, but the entire musculoskeletal system.

The effects of massage are not only physical, massage reduces stress and anxiety. Massage releases endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin - all involved with improved mood.

Massage is a simple but effective tool for owners for muscle maintenance to use at home in between physio sessions.

Interested in a pre-season MOT?

Catch early signs of aches and pains
Start a physio exercise programme to strengthen areas of muscle weakness
Ensure your horse is feeling comfortable before increasing work load
Reduce injury and improve performance

Spaces available for March and April 🐎

Here’s Smokey, age doesn’t stop him, he is doing amazing at 28! Was lovely to see him doing so great, well looked after by his committed owner.

Physiotherapy can benefit horses from any age 💕 Feel free to message any enquiries

Interesting read!

Introductory offer of £35! Don’t hesitate to message to discuss how physiotherapy can benefit your horse today.

With the completion of my logo, it is official that I am open for business from October 3rd!

☀️Taking bookings for October and November☀️

Fully insured and qualified PGDip Veterinary Physiotherapist

Feel free to message me to discuss how physiotherapy can benefit your horse today!

What is veterinary physiotherapy?

l often get asked "does my animal need
physiotherapy?" and I reply that all animals benefit
from physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is not only used in
rehabilitation, but also as a "prehabilitation",
preventing injuries, improving musculoskeletal health,
fitness and way of going to reduce compensations
which may lead to pain and reduction in function.
Animal physiotherapy is researched based by peer-
reviewed scientific papers, and is continuously
expanding in new findings to improve the treatment of
patients, speeding recovery and healing. Treating with
both manual and electrotherapies, and offering
exercise prescriptions and ongoing advice,
physiotherapy is equipped to treat both rehabilitation
and maintenance clients.