Fisioterapia em Animais

Like their owners, animals may develop back and neck pain or arthritis, may need a hip replacement, or may suffer sprains, strains and fractures. And just as you would seek physiotherapy help for your human family, you could consider seeking treatment for your other important family member from a physiotherapist with a special interest in animals.

Animal physiotherapy is common overseas, and with advanced training now available in Australia there are more and more highly qualified animal physiotherapists available to look after your family pet or valuable performance animal. Physiotherapy for animals is much the same as for people – it’s just that most of the patients have four legs! A physio may stretch an animal’s stiff muscles, tape or strap an injury, manipulate or mobilise the spine and joints, or use hydrotherapy (water-based exercise) or electrotherapy to assist recovery after an accident or surgery. But a real difference is that animal physiotherapists think it is OK if the patient licks their face!

As with human patients, the physio aims to restore normal movement, or to assist the animal to move safely and without pain. Your animal’s physio will work very closely with you to make sure that you understand the home-based exercises and restrictions that will be required, because these patients don’t understand much more than very simple instructions such as ‘Sit!’ or ‘Stay!'

Your own physio, or your local vet or veterinary hospital, will be able to help you find a physio who has a special interest in the care of animals. Or you could visit the APA website (see address below) and use Find a Physio to search for someone near you. Sometimes the physio will be able to make a home visit to help your injured animal. And often you will be able to find a physio who can treat all the members of your family.

For some physios, it is important to hug the patient!

Disclaimer

Physiotherapy and you articles are provided for general information only and should in no way be considered as a substitute for the advice and information your physiotherapist will supply about your particular condition.

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, the Australian Physiotherapy Association and the authors and the editors of the articles in this magazine and on this web site accept no responsibility and cannot guarantee the consequences if patients choose to rely upon these contents as their sole source of information about a condition and its rehabilitation.