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Conversations between Kim Sheader (Chartered Physiotherapist specialising in Veterinary Physiotherapy) and Shailen Jasani (Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Specialist). VetPhysioLife charts Kim's daily activities. We find out about the cases she sees and the treatments she provides. Includes a lot of useful information and tips for both pet (dog, cat) carers and veterinary colleagues. Brought to you by The Ralph Mobile Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Service. Please get in touch: emai ...
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Kim is Chair of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT). They recently had their annual conference and general meeting. In this episode, we start by discussing what was covered. This leads Kim on to telling us about kinematics, kinetics and force plate analysis. We then discuss a couple of Kim's patients. The Golden …
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In this episode, we catch up on some of Kim's regular patients including the Coton de Tulear who needs bribing to go down the stairs, the Pug who is a bit wobblier than usual, and the Tibetan Spaniel who needs to spend time on a wobble cushion. We also talk about how good most pet carers are at getting stuck in with their pet's physiotherapy treatm…
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In this episode, we talk about Elbow Dysplasia including: What is it? Which dogs and cats does it tend to affect? What are the consequences and what signs might they show? How is it diagnosed? How is it managed? Click here to read the accompanying blog post. To get in touch with us: please email vetphysiolife@theralph.vet, or use the contact form o…
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"I've had a good..busy week"! Kim updates us on the progress of her Weimaraner patient with lymphoedema from Episode 31. This week she also revisited a Springer Spaniel with hock osteoarthritis that she had last seen a couple of years ago. And we also hear about a black Labrador who has forelimb lameness. One of the things we touch on is how the be…
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This week was a busy week for Kim. In this episode, we catch up on some of her regular patients that she visited for the first time in the New Year. They include the Coton de Tulear who is back to full health now after the pancreatitis scare late last year; the ex-racing Greyhound who had neospora; and, the Whippet who had a fibrocartilaginous embo…
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Happy New Year! This is our first episode back after the break and we start by discussing what Kim has found as she revisits some of her regular patients. There will be many more updates next week which is going to be a hectic one for Kim! Kim also tells us about a new patient. A 12-year-old Weimaraner who has a very slow-growing mass behind one of…
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This episode is dedicated to Lumbosacral Disease. We discuss: What it is; Which animals are most affected; What the consequences are and what signs a dog or cat may show; How it is diagnosed; How it is managed; And, what it means for your pet's lifespan; There is an accompanying blog post here. Please get in touch. Email vetphysiolife@theralph.vet …
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In this episode, we get an update on one of Kim's patients who we discussed in the last episode. He was unwell and had been admitted for treatment at his practice. He ended up being referred to a specialist centre but thankfully is on the mend and back home now. Kim tells about a new patient, an older Yorkshire Terrier. He has had 'slipped' kneecap…
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In this episode, we start off talking about Kim's regular patients. Firstly about how their care plan may change in colder weather. And then about the bond that Kim forms with her patients and the worry when they are not well. We then go on to talk about a couple of the new patients Kim has seen recently. An older chocolate Labrador with arthritis …
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In this episode, we catch up on some of Kim's regular patients. They all seem to be doing well at the moment. Not least the Labradoodle who was run over by a car that we discussed in earlier episodes. He is doing so well now that Kim has discharged him from her care for the time being. We also ponder why quite a few of Kim's patients seem to fall a…
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In this episode we discuss CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA: What it is Why it develops Which dogs are more likely to get it What the potential consequences are What signs an affected dog may show How it is diagnosed How it is managed There is an accompanying blog post here. Please do get in touch. Email vetphysiolife@theralph.vet or use the contact form on th…
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This episode starts with an update on the Weimaraner we have discussed in the most recent episodes. Unfortunately, he was euthanised this week due to suspected cancer. We go on to discuss considerations around making the difficult decision to euthanise a pet. And how much is it appropriate to put them through. Kim also fills us in on a 9-10-year-ol…
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We start by catching up on the elderly Weimaraner we discussed in Episode 23. He is making progress but not without some ups and downs. These relate to his age, other mobility issues and discomfort. Kim will be seeing him again on Monday and we will keep you updated on his progress. During the discussion, Kim mentions the LASER treatment she has be…
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We spend most of this episode talking about an elderly Weimaraner. Kim has been treating him for some time for problems with his back legs. Over the weekend his mobility acutely worsened and he seemed more painful. There was concern that this might be due to a deterioration in his long-term back leg problems. Euthanasia was being considered if his …
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In this episode, Kim tells us about a new patient she saw this week. A young Labrador with a history of elbow dysplasia and a current shoulder problem. This leads us on to talking about the use of language in explaining medical conditions. It is actually more informative to keep things simple and use words people will immediately understand. For ex…
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Sorry, it has been a while since the last episode - last week was hectic! In this episode, we chat about Kim's patients from last week. In particular, Kim saw a new patient, a lovely Staffie, who had suffered a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) some years back. We spend a lot of the episode talking about FCE. You can read the accompanying blog post…
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This week Kim went back to a home where one of her patients was euthanised last week. We spend some of this episode talking about grief in pets left behind when one of their companions has gone*. We catch up on some of Kim's regulars and a Weimaraner who fell asleep during his treatment. Kim always takes this to be a good sign! And Kim lets us know…
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We did not do any episodes last week. Two of Kim's long-term patients were euthanised and we did not think it was appropriate. But we're back! In this episode we catch up on some of Kim's regulars. Dogs that have featured several times before and will be familiar to regular listeners. During the conversation we also touch on: Fear/insecurity behavi…
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In this episode Kim lets us know that two of her patients are due to be euthanised next week. Both are patients that she has treated regularly for a long time. This is clearly very difficult not just for their carers but for Kim too. We go on to talk about euthanasia and how often it is due to arthritis and other similar problems. In this episode w…
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At the start of this episode Kim mentions an elderly Labrador that she is treating. He has skin problems besides his physiotherapy-related condition. He is on steroid treatment for his skin and we discuss steroids at some length later in the episode. Kim also updates us on a Pug she has been treating for a while after surgery for a 'slipped disc'. …
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In this episode we catch up on some of the cases Kim has seen since Episode 15. We discuss a young German shepherd dog with hip dysplasia, an elderly Labrador retriever recovering after a slip, and why joints click! Kim mentions Previcox (firocoxib) in this episode; this is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain killer. It is only available with ve…
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Yesterday Kim saw an older Golden retriever who is being treated for a partial tear of one of her cruciate ligaments (main ligament in the knee). During our discussion Kim spends some time talking about the importance of trying to maintain general fitness in dogs with injuries and those being rested after surgery. We also discuss why cruciate ligam…
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In Episode 13 we heard about the canine chiropractic course that Kim went on last weekend. In this episode Kim tells us about some early positive results with using what she learned. This includes a Greyhound who fell asleep after an adjustment, not something she normally does during her physio sessions! Kim also goes into some detail about muscle …
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Kim attended a canine chiropractic course this weekend. She really enjoyed it and found it very interesting. In this episode we find out more about the course and why Kim was so impressed.
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In this episode we chat about some of the cases Kim has seen this week. The conversation goes all over the place including: Why some little dogs may be more likely to get back (spinal disc) problems than others. How barking can be a breathing exercise in dogs The burden of arthritis How chiropractic and physiotherapy differ; Kim is going on a canin…
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“You get really big wedges and lots of pillows and you build stuff”! In this episode we discuss one of Kim’s favourite subjects – the use of physiotherapy in patients with breathing or heart problems. Kim also fills us in on her background in human healthcare. You can read more about this here. There are a number of medical words mentioned. Here ar…
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In this episode we get an update on some of the cases Kim has seen in the last couple of days. We discuss wobble boards vs. wobble cushions. And we hear how well a Cockapoo with a suspected partial cruciate ligament tear is doing. We also chat about the benefits Kim sees of providing her physiotherapy and rehab services to dogs in their home enviro…
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In this episode Kim tells us about a new patient. A dog who suffered trauma and spent more than 2 months in a rehab centre. We discuss several subjects including the challenges of caring for patients once home. Kim also stresses the need to treat every patient as an individual. At the end we discuss how the management of osteoarthritis might vary d…
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In this episode Kim tells us about one of her new patients, an elderly Labrador-Springer Spaniel cross. Among other things, we discuss quality of life considerations when dealing with such cases. Thankfully this boy is still enjoying life at the moment. We also hear about one of Kim’s success stories, a lovely Sheltie. And we hear all about proprio…
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In this episode we catch up on Kim’s cases from the last couple of days. She describes how she is fitting Yala (deerhound) with a bespoke boot. Yala had a front toe amputated some years ago and has developed arthritis in that foot. The shoe is designed to take some stress off and to help him be more comfortable. Kim also mentions syringomyelia when…
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In this episode we talk about osteoarthritis (arthritis, OA) in dogs and cats. Read more in the accompanying blog post.
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In this episode we talk about TTA. This stands for Tibial Tuberosity Advancement. It is one of the surgical procedures that has been used to treat dogs with ruptures of the cranial cruciate ligament. This is the key ligament in the knee of the dog (cat, human etc.).
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As promised in Episode 3, in this episode we discuss intervertebral (spinal) disc disease in pets. You can also find a blog post on this subject here.
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At the end of the episode we mention intervertebral disc disease. We will share more on this in Episode 4.
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In this episode Kim mentions a dog with neospora: This is a parasite that affects dogs and other animals including humans; In dogs it tends to affect the nervous system; It can be fatal, especially in young puppies.
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In this first episode Kim mentions LASER therapy a couple of times. Find out more about this here. Kim also mentions TPLO = Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy. This is a surgery performed on dogs to stabilise the stifle joint after ruptures of the cranial cruciate ligament (analogous to the anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] in humans). This is a key…
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