15 Best Small Animal Blogs

It’s the holiday season, and that means it’s the perfect time to catch up on some reading! Whether you are tackling one of the incredible textbooks that have been released this year, or you are catching up on some research papers, this collection of the best small animal blogs is a great addition to your reading list over the next few weeks.

The first few are just for you, while the second list is for you to use and share on your own social media platforms with your clients, because the last thing you want to be doing over the holiday season is writing blogs! Don’t worry, we have you covered!

What you Need to Know to Connect the Missing Links of Hip Dysplasia
As an Onlinepethealth Member, my first port of call was to dive into all of the webinars we have in the members portal on this subject. I would love to share some of the take home points that I have gained as I have watched these with fresh eyes. 

3 Considerations of Achilles Bracing
When it comes to Achilles ruptures, rehab and a return to function can be long, intense and sometimes very frustrating. An integral part of the rehabilitation and recovery of an injury to this tendon is the ability to stabilize it with a brace

Fear Free Takes First Place
Long-term anxiety and fear in a dog can lead to the development of chronic illnesses and behavioural challenges like aggression. Even simple separation anxiety can make life hard for both owner and dog. While not our primary role, we can help to educate and guide owners through these behavioural challenges by the example we set, and by equipping ourselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to help prevent, reduce, and retrain these behaviours.

How can we Impact the Lives of Young Dogs?
When we cross paths with very young dogs, we have a tremendous opportunity to make a positive difference to their physical wellbeing and indeed the course of their whole lives. Conditions like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and medial patella luxation all start developing early, and are massively impacted by the dog’s environment. We can shape home environments by educating owners, and so reduce the chances of these conditions developing – or at least reduce their severity. 

Conversations about Conservatively Managed Cranial Cruciate Ligament Ruptures (CCLRs)
As new graduates with little clinical experience, many of us start off with the view that cruciate ligament ruptures can be conservatively managed, and that surgery is only necessary in some cases. Once we’ve been in the field awhile, the pendulum swings and we tend to adopt the opposite view, believing that CCLR should be surgically corrected wherever possible.

Supraspinatus and Biceps Tendinopathies in Dogs
Supraspinatus and biceps tendinopathies are two tendon pathologies of the shoulder that often go hand in hand. After doing a Research Refresh (members only) on the impact of extracorporeal shockwave therapy on these two conditions, I decided to delve into the conditions a bit further.

What do we know about Achilles Tendinopathy?
Last month’s Research Refresh focused on a VOSM-produced paper that highlighted the ultrasonographic findings of Achilles tendinopathies. The paper was so well written and presented, I felt I just had to spend a little more time sharing its contents with you. Last month we focused on the findings of the paper; this week we’ll look at the anatomy of the canine Achilles tendon, and the signs, causes, diagnosis and treatment of Achilles tendinopathies.

What do we really Know about Iliopsoas Strain?
In recent years, the iliopsoas muscle complex has come under scrutiny as the veterinary community has begun to move away from the all-too-common ‘soft tissue injury’ diagnosis and focus on the specific identification and treatment of the anatomical origins of lameness. This has led to a greater awareness of certain muscle structures, such as the iliopsoas, which are so frequently identified as a factor in lameness. This blog takes a snapshot overview of what we currently know about iliopsoas strain in dogs.

Phantom Limb Pain in Canines
We know that phantom limb pain occurs in people, but we don’t know how often it occurs in dogs, and how much of a problem it may pose for them. In anticipation of our Webinar with Marinette Teeling on Rehab of the Canine Amputee, I decided to do a little exploratory research, and find out how phantom limb pain affects animals.

An Insiders Response to ‘The Pitfalls of Physiotherapy Referrals’
A recent article by Dr Jonathan Pycock entitled ‘The Pitfalls of Physiotherapy Referrals’ highlights the legal challenges that veterinarians face when signing referral letters from themselves to veterinary physiotherapists, at the request of the physiotherapist. The dilemma is especially acute when they know nothing about the practitioner they’re being requested to refer to.

7 Questions you Must Ask Before you Recommend a Joint Supplement
When it comes to arthritis, a debilitating and degenerative condition, we always want to take an early and multi-modal approach to ensure the longest and best possible quality of life for our patients.

FOR YOU TO SHARE:

Why Does it Matter if My Dog is Overweight?
The subject of weight is a difficult one for us as professionals to speak about, but it is an incredibly important one. I’d like to address this difficult subject and help you to understand why the single most important thing you can do for your dog is to keep them at an ideal weight.

Why Your Dog has Back Pain and How Your Vetrehabber Can Help
Have you ever had back pain? Perhaps you suffer from a chronic spinal condition and back pain is a part of your normal. Perhaps you have had an injury to your legs or arms, and remember that after a few days your back became painful, too. Perhaps you have suffered from a herniated disk, or you have arthritis in your facet joints.

Why Every Dog with Arthritis should have a Vet Rehab Therapist
Arthritis affects dogs in the same way it does people, leading to chronic pain, reduced range of motion or mobility of joints, loss of muscle strength or muscle atrophy, weight gain and an overall reduction in quality of life. Arthritis is a degenerative condition; it cannot be cured, but it can certainly be managed. With the right care, each of the symptoms can be treated to slow down the process of degeneration and reduce the overall effect on the your dog’s quality of life.

Why Every Veterinary Practice should have a Physiotherapist
Currently, it is common for physiotherapists to have their own practices and work from the referrals of multiple veterinarians for a limited number of conditions. Some veterinary practices, however, have embraced physiotherapy, adding a rehabilitation therapist to the practice team. In this way, they optimize the skills, knowledge and effects of both the veterinarian and physiotherapist, and bring about the best possible result for every patient.