Making a physiotherapy appointment for my dog or cat

To arrange an appointment for physiotherapy please telephone the surgery on (028) 38 358525 or (028) 38 352640. Your pet will first have an veterinary orthopaedic examination with Ewing Walker to assess the case and then arrangement will be made for physiotherapy and appropriate treatments.

What are the benefits of physiotherapy in dogs?

Physiotherapy for dogs and cats recovering from orthopaedic injuries including fractures, dislocations and joint surgery is an important part of the rehabilitation process to ensure that your pet returns to the best possible activity level.

Sometimes all that is required is to advise pet owner how to perform gentle passive movements of the joints at home to encourage the return of full range of movement and also gentle exercise & swimming to encourage muscle build up again.

However in some more complex cases, especially when there is a protracted recovery period or fibrosis or scarring with more chronic injuries, then a more involved physiotherapy plan may be discussed.

It is important that all of the physiotherapy plans adopted are controlled and gradual to ensure that damage is not done to bones or joints which are in the early stages of recovery and this advice must always be in conjunction with the orthopaedic surgeons’ advice.

Early return of muscle strength and mass is essential in cases with treated by TPLO surgery for cruciate ligament injury.

Some of the successful outcomes achieved by physiotherapy treatments in dogs are:-

• Pain relief
• Improved strength and range of movement
• Improved healing with decreased healing time
• Breakdown of scar tissue formation

The assessments and physiotherapy treatments employed to achieve these outcomes include:-

• Movement Analysis
• Palpatory, mobilisation and soft tissue techniques
• Core stability work
• Appropriate use of a variety of Electrotherapies
• Acupressure

A selection of the physiotherapy & alternative treatments offered by Lisa Torrens include:

• Manipulation and mobilisation
• Laser Therapy
• Pulsed Electro-magnetic Therapy
• TENS and neuromuscular stimulation
• Acupuncture
• Massage

Lisa Torrens is a registered with the HPC, a member of the chartered society of physiotherapists, and a Category A member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT), fully qualified and insured to treat both large and small animals.She is also fully qualified and has extensive experience in the physiotherapy treatment of humans, having worked in both the NHS and private practice, specialising in sports therapy and musculoskeletal injuries.

Lisa graduated from the University of Ulster at Jordanstown in 2003 with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy and worked for 3 years in the NHS, gaining experience across multiple disciplines of Physiotherapy, including Rehabilitation, Neurological and Orthopaedic conditions. She was then fortunate to be selected to undertake a postgraduate placement with the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland (SINI) based at UUJ, where she gained invaluable experience in the treatment of sports injuries and conditions in high-performance athletes. A move into private practice then followed where she continued her specialisation in the area of sports injuries and rehabilitation. During this period, she followed up on her lifelong love of animals by gaining Category A status with the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) enabling her to bring her experience and treatments into the treatment of animals.

Physiotherapy, hydrotherapy & rehabilitation therapy

Hydrotherapy and Swimming

Hydrotherapy can be particularly a useful modality in spinal cases which are recovering as it may allow a dog to begin early physiotherapy when it is unable to fully weight bear on its limbs especially if recovery appears to be protracted.

Physiotherapy for dogs in Northern Ireland

Physiotherapy for dogs and cats is performed onsite by our qualified veterinary nursing team & Lisa Torrens BSc (Hons), who is  a Category A member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT). Lisa is fully qualified and insured to treat animals and works with veterinary referrals in pre- and post-surgery rehabilitation, joint and soft tissue dysfunction, and neurological problems, to achieve and maintain fitness.