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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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Hip Stretches

Brooke Marsh - Tuesday, May 01, 2012

As part of my job as an Animal Physiotherapist it is very important to teach the owners what they can do at home to improve the quality of life of their dog.

If you would like to have a peek at a common stretch I teach owners here is some information for you.

If your dog has patella luxation (often small breeds with a skipping gait) or hip dysplasia/low back pain this may not be appropriate so feel free to ask me first if this is appropriate for your dog.

Always watch his/her face when you are doing some massage/stretches to ensure it is pain free - they will let you know if you go slowly and listen!


Often when dogs get up in the morning they will do a 'downward dog' stretch (in yoga like a play bow) then an 'upward dog' stretch - this is like the upward dog stretch they naturally do. Dogs are so body aware they know in 2 stretches how to stretch their whole body.
How about you join in - a great start for you also and you will often set off your dog to do some Doga also!
Happy stretching!

Photos courtesy of 'The Healthy way to stretch your dog' (S.Foster, A.Foster)

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Update on my Missie

Brooke Marsh - Tuesday, May 01, 2012
I get asked every day how my Missie is recovering from her spinal injury January last year.  I hope this photo tells a thousand words.  From a dog that was incontinent and paralysed, I think she is doing very well (touch wood).  It is a journey for sure with ups and downs, but overall she now has a great quality of life (despite her modifications).  With the help of her vest she enjoys her swims on her own.  
Many have come along in this journey with their own dog and you will understand how great it is to see them enjoying life.
She is 9 this year so hopefully we can keep these times going for a lot longer!

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Squirt's home Program after Multiple Patella surgeries

Brooke Marsh - Saturday, April 14, 2012

Squirt is heading back up a long way north. This litlle fella has had 4 surgeries for patella luxation in 3 months.  He needs a lot of physio to get him going and regain his buns of steel to support him through life.

As I cannot see these dedicated owners as needed I set up an extensive home program to help them out as much as possible. Here is a snippet of some massage and stretches for Squirt when he gets home.

Goodluck squirt!

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This made my day...

Brooke Marsh - Saturday, April 14, 2012
I treated Harry a few years ago after Cruciate surgery.  He recovered very well but had an incident of back spasm on Easter weekend, requiring treatment.  I was a little concerned about the fella and woke up to this message which made my day.

Hi Brooke

 

I can’t thank you enough for the care you took with Harry yesterday, and the extra time you gave him.

 

He slept for about 2 hrs when we got home, snuggled up in his pale blue dressing gown. When he woke up he was very happy and energetic. The massage and acupuncture worked wonders for him. This morning he woke us up (first time all week) ready to go out walking and demanding breakfast.

 

That is why I love my job!




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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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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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