There’s something deeply frustrating about watching a brilliant rehab plan fall apart in the hands of a motivated client.
They want to help.
They try to help.
But somewhere between our instructions, their interpretation, and the dog’s performance… things go sideways.
In a recent interview with Dr. Jana Gams, one thing became crystal clear: our greatest asset in canine fitness – communication – can also be our greatest liability.
Communication Makes or Breaks Your Rehab Plan
When asked about the most common fitness mistakes she sees in practice, Dr. Gams didn’t start with poor form or premature loading.
She started with us, the professionals.
Because if we don’t explain an exercise clearly, break down its goal, show how it should be done, and assess our client’s ability to replicate it, we’re setting everyone up to fail.
“Confusion leads to loss of motivation,” she said simply.
And she’s right. Vague instructions. Unclear goals. Lack of feedback. These aren’t just minor hiccups. They’re the reason your carefully planned home exercise program ends in half-hearted compliance, poor outcomes, or worse – unintentional harm.
Jana shares simple strategies to level up our exercise communication. First, create your own library of well-structured prescriptions, or tap into existing tools like Equicantis, GoGoCharlie, and EQ Active.
The Right Exercise in the Wrong Environment
Another often-overlooked issue? Clients doing the right exercise in the wrong environment. Slippery floors. Soft couches. Unstable surfaces. If we don’t educate owners on what helps and what harms, we can’t blame them when the dog’s progress plateaus or even reverses.
It’s not just pet owners either.
As Jana points out, we need to reflect on our own professional rehab environments too. Are our surfaces, setups, and cues supporting the movement we’re prescribing? Or are they quietly working against us?
“Often the problem starts in our own practices,” she says.
“We have to set the standard for our clients to follow.”
Progress with Precision
So what should we consider before progressing an exercise?
Dr. Gams laid it out with sharp clarity:
- Know the pathology you’re working with
- Understand the healing timeline
- Match the anatomy and biomechanics of the exercise to the stage of recovery
- Evaluate form and handler readiness, not just patient readiness
And perhaps most importantly, remember that the same exercise can serve different goals.
“We may use a forelimb pivot exercise primarily to strengthen the shoulders. However, for a post-op TPLO patient this exercise allows us to increase the load on the hindquarters, without challenging stifle range of motion.”
This kind of dynamic understanding is what separates adequate rehab from exceptional care.
But What About Form?
Should we always prioritise perfect posture?
Not necessarily.
We need to know what to look for, and what red flags tell us it’s time to pause or regress. Posture is important, but in the early phases of healing, it may simply not be achievable. That doesn’t mean the exercise is wrong, it means it needs to be appropriate to the stage of recovery.
Dr. Gams urges us to meet both dog and handler where they are. Build foundations first. Without that base, your beautifully crafted rehab pyramid will crumble.
Vet Rehab Summit 2025: This Is Why We Train
This year’s theme, Dynamic by Design, is about exactly this: moving beyond generic exercises and into deliberate, well-structured rehab strategies.
Dr. Gams is just one of many speakers helping us reshape how we think about movement therapy. From biomechanics to handler education, from pain assessment to exercise progression – this is the kind of knowledge that changes not only your outcomes, but your confidence as a clinician.
🗓️ Join us on November 8, 2025
📍 Online, Global, CPD-Approved
🎓 Free live access + affordable upgrade options
💬 Connect with peers who speak your language: rehab.
👉 Register now for your free ticket
Final Thought
Clear communication. Purposeful movement. Collaborative learning.
If you’ve ever questioned whether your rehab plan is truly hitting the mark, or whether your clients are leaving more confused than confident, this Summit is for you.
Don’t just treat movement. Design it.
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