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One of the special animals we treated this month!

Read all about it here!

conditions:
Arthritis
An in-depth look at this condition.

Read all about it here!

Brooke's blog

brooke's blog

Winter is nigh..... Keep your best friend moving!

Brooke Marsh - Tuesday, May 01, 2012
If you are finding that your best friend is slowing down in the the chillier mornings..... Let's work on keeping him moving!

It is now the time to get out your healing hands, learn how to massage your friend, give him the right sort of exercise and why not join me for a session in the heated underwater treadmill for the best workout his joints could possibly want.

Don't forget your cat can join in also for Physiotherapy (or even underwater treadmill if you saw Bella the wonder cat recently!)

If you would like to try some acupuncture to help with pain relief, relaxation and aid healing this is the perfect time.  I would be happy to teach you what you can do at home to help keep him moving through the cooler months.
I have just updated my article on the front page about arthritis is you would like to learn more.

Embrace the winter and keep on keeping on!



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The waiting room isn't big enough!

Brooke Marsh - Friday, April 06, 2012
What a site! I am glad we had a clear waiting room at NCVS when Friday the lovely long haired Saint Bernard visited me yesterday.  She now has a younger sibling who is keeping her on her toes and causing a few issues with her shoulders with rough play.  I treated Friday years ago for a severe neck injury (conservative management for disc degeneration).  She recovered very well with Physiotherapy treatment and is the easiest largest hairiest dog to treat with Acupuncture.  
And yes Friday fits in my treadmill.... I must say I would enjoy the buoyancy of the water if I was that size.
This is her session today....


A little about this breed: 
Saint Bernards are awesome family pets if you don't mind having a gigantic dog being part of your family, if you don't mind a lot of slobber, if you don't mind a lot of fur, and if you don't mind a dog who can clean off the dinner table with his tongue. Saint Bernards are famous for how good they are with children. They seem to have an innate understanding for how children think and behave, and are incredibly patient with them. They are gentle with little ones, and go out of their way not to hurt them. They aren't that easy to train as they can be independent, and occasionally stubborn. They are quick to housetrain, however. Saint Bernards were bred to be search and rescue dogs, and they need daily exercise and mental stimulation. However, they are not terribly active dogs, so they will need some incentive to exercise.
I am glad I am not stomaching the food bill for this household!





 
I am glad I am not stomaching the food bill for this household.









 
 

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Charlie recovering from Spinal surgery

Brooke Marsh - Monday, March 26, 2012

What a shot! Meet Charlie. This beautiful little fella came all the way from Gladstone.  He was born with scoliosis in his thoracic spine, requiring surgery to decompress his spinal cord.  He was in hospital with us at North Coast Veterinary Specialists for a few weeks.  His amazingly dedicated owners drove down and back from Gladstone to visit and attend his physiotherapy sessions.  He is now walking (though with ataxia - neurological 'wobbly' gait) but this will improve in time. 

I look forward to seeing his progress and take my hat off to his owners (and extended family) for all the hard work they are putting into this fella to improve his quality of life.

Go Charlie!


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Rainy days

Brooke Marsh - Monday, March 26, 2012

Gotta love a sleepy physio session in a bali hut. What a lovely sight to see the relaxing session for Snoopy and her mum.  After some underwater treadmill (no umbrella or gumboots required) and acupuncture and physio both enjoyed some time to revitalise.

I think we should rename the sunny coast! The underwater treadmill has been a blessing for many owners who have not been able to get their loved ones out for a good ol fashioned stroll in the park. Blue is so Blue today! Thanks huey for giving us some respite!




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Read my new article about Acupuncture

Brooke Marsh - Tuesday, March 20, 2012

I have just attached a new article I did for the NCVS (North Coast Veterinary Specialists) newsletter on the Acupuncture page on this website.  It gives a background for understanding the east and west approach to Acupuncture.

I hope it helps you understand a little more how this 5000 year old method of treatment works.



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Go Bonnie!

Brooke Marsh - Tuesday, March 13, 2012
What a great shot! This is the lovely Bonnie (her story is on my testimonial page) who obviously is recovering beautifully with her Physiotherapy program for hock OCD.  I just received this photo today from her dedicated mum who looks like she has an ideal environment at home to keep her dogs happy. I can't say the leaping in the pool is physio approved but it is great to see her being able to extend so well and it is so lovely to see her enjoying the process.  
The underwater treadmill at NCVS has given her very controlled strengthening with the buoyancy of the water helping with the recovery.  Her regular massage and acupuncture sessions have all added to the process.
Gotta love border collies!
I find these portage float coats work so well providing just enough buoyancy and fit snuggly.  They have superior quality and would recommend them for small to large dogs.  Check out the ruffwear section on my products page if you are interested.... Happy swimming! 
Go Bonnie!



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Guide dog getting back on track

Brooke Marsh - Tuesday, March 06, 2012
I have had the pleasure of working with a beautiful guide dog over the last month or so.  He is recovering from a shoulder injury. What has been so wonderful is to see the bond that develops between the working dog and his owner. Nev's owner has been working so incredibly hard and enjoying massaging him every day.  He has been slowly improving after a chronic injury.  
It was most beneficial the other day to do a home visit with the guide dog trainer  and work as a team to see Nev in action.  I needed to look at the difference of Nev's gait in the harness and on lead and see if we could adjust his gait to improve his success in rehabilitation. It is kind of like looking at a horse and rider as a unit in order to successfully treat.
I was very happy to see him moving so well and gradually building up to his full capacity again to do what Nev does best.
This is certainly the true definition of Man's best friend!


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Relaxing acupuncture - perfect time to catch up on some knitting...

Brooke Marsh - Tuesday, March 06, 2012
So I come back to see Beau who has been enjoying some acupuncture after his Physiotherapy session to find 2 lovely ladies catching up on their knitting.  It was a beautiful site seeing them all relax in my treatment room and enjoy their time together.  Beau has had an amputation on his left front limb after a severe injury to his elbow.  He is now 12 years old and doing extremely well thanks to his management at home.  He suffers occasionally from arthritis and has had some cruciate ligament issues but with conservative management is doing so well
Keep plodding and hopping along Beau - I hope that is a new sweater for you for winter!


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Tuli update - go figure!

Brooke Marsh - Tuesday, February 14, 2012

How is this for an update....!! Makes me smile....

Hows this for the working dog mind. 

So I have been trying really hard to get tuls to do her water work. Increasingly she's become more and more weary and scared of the water, even reluctant to chase her obsession, the tennis ball.

So I buy her a vest but still she's weary, reluctant.

Enter ollie, a four year old cattle kelpie, a friend rescued him. If possible he is more obsessed with a tennis ball than tuls.

Before my eyes - exit miss weary. Enter miss jealous competitive tuli who loves going in the water as long as ollie is. 

Go figure.  

Meet the ball obsessed twosome 

Care of the lovely Wendy and Tuls - Thanks!


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Carpal hyperextension following surgery

Brooke Marsh - Sunday, January 29, 2012
This young Husky has had surgery recently for angular limb deformity.  I have started some Physiotherapy for her to regain some muscle strength and stability.  As she was in bandages and strict rest for some time, she has lost some range in her joints, has a lot of hypersensitivity and marked reduction in muscle bulk.  As a result her carpus (wrist) is dropping (hyperextension) which you can see in the video.  The underwater treadmill is the most ideal environment to build this strength, whilst providing buoyancy to protect her joint.  She has taken to it very well.  
After recommending some modifications to the house, her extremely keen owners had done a make-over within hours of our first consult with carpeting the house and bought a pool for the backyard to continue her rehabilitation in between our sessions. 
I look forward to seeing her enjoy the life a puppy should!



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