Physiotherapy for dogs – how it helps your four-legged friend

Physiotherapy for dogs – this is how it works

Physiotherapy in dogs is not a fashionable craze. Because more and more often dogs suffer from degenerative diseases, sports injuries and overuse injuries. In addition, there are one or the other little problem when a dog ages. This is what getting older brings with it. However, it does not mean that your dog will have to live with pain as he ages. There are many ways for your dog to stay mobile, fit and pain free. It is much more than a therapy option for a sick or older dog. My approach includes a comprehensive program for each dog.

The approach is called “prevention”. With regular training you work preventively, because the mobility and the well-being of your dog depend on a healthy and trained musculoskeletal system, stable bones, strong muscles and functioning nerves.

Dog owners rethink

If the dog is ill, owners today tend to move away less from the sole input of painkillers to suppress symptoms, preferring gentle, natural methods that allow a pain-free life. And this is where physiotherapy has become more and more prominent in recent years. But the topic is not entirely new: In modern times, the “Encyklopädie der gesammten Thierheilkunde und Thierzucht” (Encyclopedia of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Breeding) dealt with animal physiotherapy for the first time in the 19th century. In 1884, Prof. Eduard Vogel published his work “Massage – its theory and practical application in veterinary medicine”. Source: Wikipedia

What is good for humans is also good for the four-legged friend!

For us humans, physiotherapy has been a widespread option for a long time, for the treatment of diseases and disorders of movement. It’s perfectly normal to see a physical therapist after surgery or torn ligaments. Just as athletes are accompanied by physiotherapists. People who are immobile, or getting older, are given exercises to keep them mobilized and mobile. In recent years, more and more the various forms of therapy have been transferred from humans to animals and adapted to their anatomy and needs. In this way, we can also maintain, restore or improve the body’s ability to move and function in your dog. Pain is relieved or eliminated, health is improved.

Does physical therapy make sense for your dog?

I think the word “physiotherapy” is outdated and it does not do justice to the subject. Every dog benefits from physical therapy. In addition to training for the healthy dog, sporting dog, older or overweight dog, it is useful for all diseases related to bones, muscles, nerves, joints, tendons and ligaments. In physical therapy, in addition to the use of equipment-based therapy, there is a wide range of active and passive types of treatment such as massage, passive range-of-motion exercises, coordination and balance exercises, strength and muscle training that you can use to keep your dog fit.

How does physiotherapy work?

The goal is to strengthen your dog’s musculoskeletal system, optimize movement patterns, relieve pain, and lead to greater vitality and well-being. To achieve this, there are, besides the classic therapy sessions that you can book with a physiotherapist, many things you can do yourself to help your dog get fit. These include, for example. Movement exercises and massages that you (and this is very important!) can apply to your dog after appropriate instruction.

What is your experience with canine physical therapy? What do you use to keep your dog fit? Are there any exercises that you particularly like? Then share them here or send me an email!

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