What’s involved in canine osteopathic treatment?
Canine osteopathic treatment is about caring for household pets, professional dogs and puppies. A canine osteopath can treat a wide variety of different problems, ranging from muscular to circulatory problems. Before we can book an appointment, your attending vet will need to fill out and submit our
Veterinary Consent Form found on our website to book an appointment.
Once we have received this, a full consultation is carried out with you and your dog present at the clinic. Then all the findings are discussed before treatment begins.
In the initial consultation your osteopath will ask you many questions about your dog’s life. This allows them to build a picture of your dog’s activities and habits so they can help provide the best care for your furry friend.
Once they have collected all the relevant information, your osteopath will perform a hands-on examination to try to identify any issues. A treatment plan will then be devised to hopefully get them on the road to recovery.
Below is some information about the types of treatment your dog may undergo when they visit us.
Soft Tissue Massage
The main aim of soft tissue massage is to help increase blood flow and circulation to the muscles and surrounding joints. This increases oxygen and nutrients to the sore area to help reduce any inflammation and start the healing process.
Joint articulation
If your dog’s movement seems restricted, we gently encourage their joints to stretch, helping to increase their range of motion so they become more comfortable using the joint. By increasing their range of motion this will help your dog’s stability allowing them to stand and run better to enjoy walking and moving about again.
Cranial Osteopathy
Sometimes cranial osteopathy is useful when treating dogs who are very sore as it is a very gentle but effective treatment. Your osteopath will gently apply a small amount of pressure to release stress and restriction, both in and around your dog’s joints, muscles, and ligaments. They manage to do this by using the tiny natural movements of your dog’s bones, fluid, and fascia throughout their body.
Laser Massage
By moving a machine that emits an infra-red light over the injured area, the variety of frequencies and wavelengths can help stimulate and speed up your dog’s healing process. It does this by releasing more endorphins, increases blood flow and oxygen to the area, helps muscles to relax and helps to reduce inflammation.
Any of these techniques could be used as part of your dog’s treatment plan to ensure the speediest recovery. After their treatment your dog will likely be very tired, so make sure to plan a peaceful, restful day for them.