VetRehab

28/05/2026

Here are 5 things I do in a rehab assessment:

1. Find out what’s been going on in your dog’s life. Learning their history helps set the scene for me and gives me necessary background information.

2. Assess your dog’s movement and posture. My 25+ years of vet and rehab experience help me to pick up stiffness, lameness, nervous system problems, pain behaviours and more.

3. I’ll do a hands-on check of your dog’s joints and muscles. I’ll individually check as many of them as I can touch!

4. I’ll tell you what I’ve found, we’ll discuss the treatment options and do what we decide is the best fit. I can choose from hands-on therapies (osteopathy, physiotherapy techniques and chiropractic), use acupuncture or laser, and targeted exercises.

5. We’ll talk about the plan moving forward, including things you can do to help at home.

Sound ok?

Let’s make a plan, Stan. No need to be coy, just hop on the bus, and come and see me!

(Well, there might not be a bus, but it was in the song 😊)

27/05/2026

Looking forward to this on Saturday!

It’s all happening this Saturday rain or shine

It simply wouldn’t be happening without Nightrave Greyhounds New Zealand being the experts in Greyhound Adoption, thankyou so much.

A massive thankyou to ….
Steve from Petware NZ ( www.petware.co.nz ) for the donation of sooooooo many toys and treats that go home with every adopted dog

Sarah and Sam from Impact4dogs ( www.impact4dogs.co.nz ) for the generous donation of dog rolls so every dog adopted leaves with a delicious fresh dog roll

Jenny The Shoe Box Appeal for the very special coats for the very special dogs available this weekend

Dr deb from VetRehab , Come along and talk to her about all types of rehabilitation and doggie care ( plus she can help you with your aches and pains )

25/05/2026

Wouldn’t it all be so much easier if our dogs could just tell us how they feel?

One big misconception about animals is that they can’t tell us what’s wrong.

Dogs don’t talk, but they DO communicate!

My dog Louis has arthritic elbows. A new thing he’s started doing is lying down while I make his dinner. He’s a labrador, he’s usually full on standing there wagging his whole behind and drooling while he waits.

It’s one wee signal that he’s not as comfortable as he used to be.

Another thing is that he hesitates, just for a micro-second, before going down steps.

These are quiet signals that his elbows are bothering him a little. They’re things I monitor every day, so that I can change up his management plan when I need to.

Have you noticed your dog doing things that they didn’t used to? Let me know!

21/05/2026

18/05/2026

You’d be barking mad not to!

There are LOADS of supplements for dogs on the market. Some are good, some are not so good. It can be really hard to know which ones are the best.

One way you can save money is to read the ingredients list on your dog’s supplements. Some products will add vitamins and minerals, and sell these as being great for your dog’s energy, vitality etc.

Well, vits and mins ARE necessary – but they’re most likely already in your dog’s diet. Check the label of their food and see what you’re inadvertently doubling up on. If your dog’s food meets AAFCO standards (it’ll be written somewhere on the bag) they’ll be getting the vitamins and minerals they need already. You don’t usually need to add more, and in some cases too much is bad for them.

When dogs need support for their joints, I look for products that have only the ingredients in them that my dogs actually need. Omega fatty acids (from fish or green-lipped mussels) have the best research behind them at the moment.

Have a go at reading the fine print. Let me know what you find out!

14/05/2026

Is age a disease?

We can’t change the fact that the days go by (far faster than seems necessary!), and most of us get some wear and tear as we get older. BUT that doesn’t mean we have to suffer from it.

I can help you to recognize the early signs of joint and muscle pain in your dog, and then we can plan how best to help them.

Growing old gracefully doesn’t have to mean spending life doing nothing but decorating a couch!

Give me a call (actually a message or email is better) to find out how to help your dog keep moving more in their senior years.

11/05/2026

We’ve all grown up knowing that we yawn when we’re tired or bored.

Did you know that yawning in dogs can also be a sign of stress? They might be anxious, worried or uncomfortable, and they might also be in pain.

If I want to understand what it means when my dogs yawn, I have to think about the situation. When they’re at home and it’s around their normal nap time (yep, that’s a lot of the time!), I know they’re probably just tired. If we’ve gone somewhere new and there’s something they might not like, it tells me they might be upset. If they’re chilled at home and it’s not nap time but there’s yawning, I’d be wondering why.

What was your dog doing last time you saw them yawning?

07/05/2026

Rehab isn’t your normal vet visit. Here’s 3 reasons why rehab rocks!

1 – When I’m working with you and your dog, we use the time to focus in on musculoskeletal issues.

2 - As well as doing hands-on treatments, I cover other things that affect mobility, like targeted exercise, your home environment, nutrition, weight management and supplements.

3 – Teamwork makes the dream work. Your GP vet is essential to your dog’s healthcare, but having a rehab vet on your team adds another dimension. Rehab can help reduce the need for pain medication, as well as improving mobility, strength and balance.

Bring your dog to a rehab vet for their most fun vet visit ever!

04/05/2026

Here’s an easy way to check your dog’s joints.

One of the things I do when examining a dog is to bend and straighten every joint. There are several things I’m looking for when I do it, and I’ve developed a very good sense of feel over the years. But one thing you can try doing at home is gently bending each of your dog’s legs up, snug against their body.

You should be able to bend most of the joints all in one go – wrist, elbow and shoulder for each of the front legs, and hock, knee and hip in each of the back legs. It’s easiest to try it when they’re lying on their side (probably asleep!).

If your dog won’t let you do this, it might be because it squeezes a sore joint that’s uncomfortable. Can you get their leg completely bent up gently against their body without them resisting or showing any signs of discomfort?

Don’t try and force it – if they don’t like it, they could use a vet check.

How did it go? Post a video or comment if you’re not sure and I’ll help you out.

30/04/2026

The struggle is real.

There are times when we all feel our age. I’m not exactly leaping out of bed in the morning ready to attack the day like I used to 20(+) years ago! But yes, there ARE things we can do to feel better – and ways I can help your older dog feel better too.

I have lots of tools in my toolbox, which means no matter how old your dog is, I can choose something to help them feel more comfortable. Rehab isn’t all pushups and poses!

We can’t turn back time, but we can make things a bit easier going forward. Give me a shout and we’ll work together to help your dog with any creaky joints or sore muscles.