Pawmotion rehabilitation

Pawmotion rehabilitation Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Pawmotion rehabilitation, Pet service, West lodge, Linton Road, great Abington, Cambridge.

Animal Rehabilitation Centre based in Great Abington, Cambridgeshire.
🐾 Hydrotherapy
🐾 Mobility Sessions
🐾 Laser Therapy
🐾 Fear Free Sessions
🐾 Eductional Content

Canine Rehab Therapist and Fear Free Professional 🤓

Are fun dog pools unintentionally damaging the reputation of pool hydrotherapy? This is something I’ve been thinking abo...
02/09/2026

Are fun dog pools unintentionally damaging the reputation of pool hydrotherapy?

This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot.

I’ve worked in canine hydrotherapy for 5 years, and particularly over the last couple of years, I’ve felt like I’m constantly fighting for pool hydrotherapy to receive the same recognition as the underwater treadmill.

One phrase I hear regularly from owners, vets and other pet professionals is:

“We want it to be controlled.”

But hydrotherapy performed correctly in a pool IS controlled.

Pool hydrotherapy isn’t simply putting a dog in water and letting them swim. We assess and adapt their movement, speed, duration, direction, turns, rest periods, positioning, fatigue, equipment and exercises depending on the individual dog and their rehabilitation goals.

I absolutely believe fun dog pools have a place. Recreational swimming can be brilliant exercise, enrichment and FUN. The problem isn’t their existence.

The problem is when the line between recreation and rehabilitation becomes blurred.

When recreational pools begin discussing rehabilitation, post-operative recovery, arthritis or clinical conditions, how is the average dog owner supposed to know the difference?

Two businesses may both have pools. Both may talk about the benefits of swimming. Both may show dogs happily swimming.

Yet one may be providing recreational swimming while the other is providing treatment with a qualified hydrotherapist, veterinary consent, assessment, clinical reasoning and an individual rehabilitation plan.

I also don’t believe fun pools are solely responsible. There is still a huge lack of education surrounding pool hydrotherapy within the wider pet industry.

But I worry we are increasingly reinforcing the idea that:

Pool = just swimming
Treadmill = controlled rehabilitation

And that simply isn’t true.

The pool isn’t what makes it hydrotherapy.

It’s the knowledge of the therapist, the assessment, the clinical reasoning and how that water is used therapeutically.

Pool hydrotherapy deserves to be recognised for what it is: a skilled rehabilitation modality not “just swimming”.

Please share to help more owners understand the difference. 🤍
•

31/08/2026

❌ MYTH: "Prescription pain relief will destroy my dog's liver and kidneys, so it’s safer to avoid medication and stick to natural alternatives."

✅ FACT: When prescribed and monitored under veterinary supervision, modern pain medications are safe, highly effective, and life-changing. Unmanaged chronic pain is far more dangerous to your dog’s welfare and longevity than properly managed medication.

While every pharmaceutical carries potential side effects, modern veterinary analgesics (such as NSAIDs and targeted monoclonal antibodies) undergo rigorous safety testing. Routine monitoring - such as baseline blood and urine panels every 6 to 12 months - allows your vet team to ensure medications are being metabolised safely and catch any subtle changes well before they become clinical issues.

Leaving joint pain unmanaged out of fear carries massive, hidden risks: severe muscle atrophy, persistent neuroplastic pain ("wind-up"), mobility loss, anxiety, and ultimately a drastically reduced quality of life.

High-quality supplements and lifestyle changes are fantastic supportive tools, but they cannot replace the targeted anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving power of prescription medication when chronic joint disease is present.

Myth Monday! 🐾MYTH: “Swimming doesn’t encourage functional movement because dogs don’t walk in the water.”FACT: Swimming...
31/08/2026

Myth Monday! 🐾

MYTH: “Swimming doesn’t encourage functional movement because dogs don’t walk in the water.”

FACT: Swimming uses coordinated, repetitive limb movement through a reduced-weight-bearing environment and can be extremely valuable for strength, mobility and conditioning.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

30/08/2026

🚨 Since we’re doing the Daily Mail trend… here’s a story I genuinely think deserves attention.

There is a growing issue within the canine industry that many dog owners simply aren’t aware of.

A fun dog swimming pool and a canine hydrotherapy centre are not the same thing.

Recreational swimming absolutely has its place, and this isn’t about suggesting otherwise.

The concern begins when facilities operating as “fun pools” begin advertising or providing swimming for dogs with arthritis, mobility problems, injuries, neurological conditions, following surgery, or other diagnosed clinical conditions.

At that point, we aren’t simply talking about providing somewhere for a healthy dog to enjoy a swim. We’re entering the world of clinical rehabilitation where appropriate qualifications, clinical knowledge, veterinary consent, assessment and treatment planning matter.

And right now, the distinction isn’t always clear to owners.

Someone can operate a recreational dog swimming facility without necessarily having the same rehabilitation qualifications, professional registration or clinical training expected of a canine hydrotherapist yet to an owner scrolling through social media, the services can look incredibly similar.

That is why I believe we need greater awareness, clearer boundaries and ultimately stronger regulation within this industry.

This isn’t about attacking individual businesses. It isn’t about competition. And it isn’t about saying healthy dogs shouldn’t enjoy recreational swimming.

It’s about patient safety.

Owners deserve to know the difference between recreational swimming and clinical hydrotherapy particularly when they’re trusting someone with a dog who is injured, recovering from surgery or living with a medical condition.

I’ve already raised these concerns with media organisations because I genuinely believe this is a conversation that needs to reach beyond those of us already working within canine rehabilitation.

So, Daily Mail… since we’re borrowing your trend, perhaps this is one worth investigating? 👀

🐾 Not every swim is hydrotherapy. And when a dog has a clinical condition, that distinction matters.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Recent Review 🐾•••••••••••••••
29/08/2026

Recent Review 🐾
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Rainbow Bridge Day — For Stan 🌈Today, on Rainbow Bridge Day, I want to talk about the dog behind PawMotion Rehabilitatio...
28/08/2026

Rainbow Bridge Day — For Stan 🌈

Today, on Rainbow Bridge Day, I want to talk about the dog behind PawMotion Rehabilitation.

My Stan.

Stan is the reason PawMotion exists, the reason I became a therapist and the reason I work with every dog as an individual.

He lived with severe arthritis, suffered a spinal cord stroke and was reactive to people and other dogs. I now understand how much pain and fear influenced the way he experienced the world.

When we tried to find help, some approaches were too forceful for a dog who was already frightened and hurting. Stan needed patience, understanding and someone willing to listen.

That stayed with me.

I wanted nervous and reactive dogs to have somewhere they weren’t labelled as “difficult” somewhere we could slow down, adapt, build trust and recognise that behaviour can be communication.

And so, PawMotion Rehabilitation was born.

Stan never got to see PawMotion, but he is everywhere here.

The ears in the PawMotion logo are Stan’s ears. 🤍

His influence is there every time I give a nervous dog more time, adapt a plan, advocate for a dog in pain or remind an owner that we don’t have to rush.

There is so much of Stan in the therapist I am today.

I wish he could have seen what he started, but I like to think he’d be proud.

Today, I’m remembering the dog who changed the entire direction of my life.

My Stan.

The reason behind PawMotion Rehabilitation.

And quite literally, a part of PawMotion forever. 🤍
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

27/08/2026

Just because they’re running, playing and still getting the zoomies doesn’t necessarily mean they’re pain free

Dogs can be incredibly good at adapting and compensating, and sometimes the first signs of discomfort are subtle changes in how they move long before they stop wanting to exercise.

A gait assessment allows us to slow things down and take a closer look at their movement, helping to identify asymmetries, compensatory patterns and those little changes that can easily be missed day to day.

Because sometimes, their movement is telling us something before their behaviour does.

📩 Get in touch to book
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Happy National Dog Day! 🐾Today is all about celebrating the dogs who make our lives that little bit better. At PawMotion...
26/08/2026

Happy National Dog Day! 🐾

Today is all about celebrating the dogs who make our lives that little bit better.

At PawMotion, I’m incredibly lucky that my days are spent surrounded by dogs of every age, breed, personality and ability from bouncy youngsters who think the pool is their own personal water park, to our golden oldies who just need a little extra help keeping those paws moving.

Some come through our doors recovering from surgery or injury. Some are learning to move confidently again. Some are managing lifelong conditions. Some come simply to stay strong, mobile and doing the things they love for as long as possible.

But every single one of them is so much more than their condition.

They’re best friends. Family members. Adventure buddies. Sofa stealers. Professional treat testers. And, quite often, the centre of their humans’ entire world.

So today, we’re celebrating every dog the young, the old, the wonky, the wild, the nervous, the confident and everything in between.

Give your dogs an extra cuddle, treat or adventure from me today.

And to every dog who has trusted me to be part of their journey thank you for making PawMotion what it is.

Happy National Dog Day! 🐾
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Every dog has a story to tell.The question is… can we read it?When I carry out a gait assessment, I’m not just watching ...
26/08/2026

Every dog has a story to tell.

The question is… can we read it?

When I carry out a gait assessment, I’m not just watching a dog walk from one end of the room to the other.

I’m looking at how every part of their body works together.

How long is each stride?

Do they shift their weight before taking a step?

Do they turn more easily one way than the other?

Does one paw stay on the ground slightly longer?

Do they stand evenly when they’re still, or do they quietly unload one leg?

These tiny details might seem insignificant on their own, but together they can paint a much bigger picture of how your dog is feeling and moving.

Pain and compensation rarely affect just one limb. The body adapts as a whole, with muscles, joints and posture all working together to keep your dog moving. Sometimes those adaptations begin long before there’s an obvious limp.

That’s why gait assessment is such an important part of rehabilitation. It helps us identify subtle changes, monitor progress over time and tailor treatment to the individual dog not just their diagnosis.

Your dog doesn’t have to be limping to benefit from having their movement assessed.

Sometimes, the smallest changes tell us the most.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Address

West Lodge, Linton Road, Great Abington
Cambridge
CB216BS

Telephone

+447305260984

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Pawmotion rehabilitation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Pawmotion rehabilitation:

Shortcuts

Share

Category