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Tuesday 19 May 2015

Patient Prospectus - Dissertation for Animal Physiotherapy



I am looking for 2 more Agility dogs to complete my case studies for my Animal Physiotherapy dissertation. Potential candidates will be typically competing and training regularly for at least 2 years (i.e. >3 years old). Recently retired Agility dogs can also be considered.

The dissertation is based on improving rear limb flexibility by treating the hamstring tendon(s) areas with a mixture of therapeutic ultrasound, massage and stretching. Dogs likely to have tension in the particular area of their hind limb may show reduced performance (i.e. loss of speed, increased tendency to knock poles or refusals).

Other factors may also influence these performance issues, so if you are interested I will perform a quick palpation of the upper hind limb area to understand if there is any tension in the tendon / pelvis area. 

If your furry friend does display symptoms conducive to treatment then the process will be:

1.    Obtain consent from your veterinary to be able to treat.

2.    Evaluation and first treatment session in Tamworth, Staffs. This will involve taking your dog’s case history, making some flexibility measurements and carrying out a visual gait analysis on a dry treadmill (will be videoed). This will last approximately and hour.

3.    The location of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th treatment sessions are more flexible but will require an area where it is quiet and undisturbed. Typically these sessions will take no longer than 30 minutes.

4.    The 5th session must be again in Tamworth for a final treadmill gait evaluation, which again will take up to an hour.

The minimum time the 5 sessions will take is 2 weeks from first to last. The maximum will be 2 months. Any assessment, treatment and recommendations will be treated in the strictest confidence. Final results are published anonymously.

If you are interested please contact me direct at:

alan@smartpawsdogagility.com