Physiotherapy offers viable treatment and rehabilitation for animals, helping them achieve the highest possible level of function, improved quality of life, and prevention of injury. Physiotherapy is a recommended treatment for any animal that has undergone a surgical procedure, sustained an injury, or is experiencing difficulties in performance in their sport.

The benefits of physiotherapy include:

• Reducing pain and inflammation

• Maintaining or improving range of motion

• Improving muscle strength and balance

• Increasing cardiovascular fitness

• Injury prevention and sports performance for athletes

Physiotherapy treatments include:

• Joint and soft tissue mobilisation

• Myofascial release and Trigger Point Therapy

• Stretching and Range of Motion Exercises

• Therapeutic Sports Taping

• Laser, Ultrasound, Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation, hot and cold therapies

• Exercise prescription

Some of the conditions we treat include:

Small Animals

•  Hip and elbow dysplasia

•  Rehabilitation following surgery and fractures

•  Intervertebral disc disease

•  Degenerative Myelopathy

•  Muscle strain, tendon and ligament injuries

•  Osteoarthritis and degenerative joint pain

•  Sporting (and occupational) injuries

•  Amputees

•  Ageing canines

•  Palliative care 

Large Animals

•  Back and neck pain including Saddle-related pain

•  Tendon Injury, Suspensory Ligament Injury

•  Kissing Spine

•  Sacroiliac Disorder

•  Osteoarthritis and joint-related injuries

•  Stifle Lock

•  Athletic performance issues

At your animal's first appointment a detailed history of the injury, surgery and related concerns will be taken. A thorough assessment of the areas of the body related to the injured site, or any contributing to this condition, will be completed. In almost all cases an individualised treatment plan will be developed for your animal, although for some a referral to another member of the veterinary team is appropriate. If you have relevant veterinary diagnostic results or imaging reports, please bring these along with you. Please allow up to 60 minutes for this consultation.

The time period for which your animal will need to attend physiotherapy depends on the injury or surgery. We will advise this in your initial consultation. At Optima Animal Physio we believe in personalised rehabilitation and find this achieves the best outcomes. This means we do not prescribe pre-set programmes for certain conditions. However, in terms of planning for what your animal's rehabilitation journey may look like, we generally see patients for at least the first two - three weeks at once per week initially, and then progress appointments further out from this period as to whatever is appropriate for their condition. We are guided by our clinical assessment findings and the best available literature as to how to manage our patients to achieve best outcomes and long-term rehabilitation success.

There are few, if any, side effects from physiotherapy treatments. Joint mobilisation and manual therapies may cause some localised discomfort during or immediately following treatment, but this is transient, and very similar to the experience you would have yourself if these treatments were applied to you by a physiotherapist.

This depends on the extent of the injury/surgery and the length of time it has been present. We will discuss this with you at the first consultation and a clear pathway ahead will be established so we can all plan for the rehabilitation journey. Consistency in completing your physiotherapy exercises and attending scheduled appointments is key to achieving a good rehabilitation outcome and will accelerate the recovery period.

Yes, there will be daily walking and exercises that your animal is prescribed. We understand that people's lives are busy and so the programme prescribed will be tailored to what you can achieve within the parameters of your life. At Optima Animal Physio we are all about achieving a complete recovery from injury/surgery wherever possible. We find this is best achieved by consistently doing the prescribed physiotherapy exercises and attending your scheduled physiotherapy appointments.

There may well be things that your animal needs to avoid, depending on the injury. Some surgical procedures come with restrictions for a period of time, and these will be dictated by your surgeon. We will inform you of the activities that need to stop, those that require modifying, and what is safe to incorporate into your animal's rehabilitation.

Initial Consultation: $150
Revisit Consultation: $100

Please note: There may be travel costs associated with in-home or stable/yard consultations.

Consultation fees are displayed here. These may vary slightly depending on the specialist location and stables. Please feel free to contact Optima Animal Physio if you have any questions around this.

Animal Physiotherapy is covered by some Pet Insurance providers, and to varying degrees. The insurance policy should provide this information. Otherwise, we recommend you contact the Insurance Provider to clarify the cover they provide for physiotherapy. We provide a physiotherapy report for Insurance providers where required.

Yes, absolutely! We write a report to both following your animal's initial physiotherapy consultation, and we keep in regular contact with updates on progress as needed.

Please ensure that your animal attends the clinic on lead for their appointment, and if they are currently on restricted activity or unable to walk, that they are brought to the clinic in a crate if this is needed. We do provide natural dried foods as treats for physiotherapy sessions but we advise that you bring your own if your animal has food allergies or particular food preferences.

Please see the link below to our terms and conditions of service or click here. A cancellation fee may be applied to scheduled appointments that are either not attended, or cancelled/rescheduled within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time. The cancellation fee is $100. If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment please do this through the reception team at the specialist centre where your appointment is scheduled. Telephone call or text message to Optima Animal Physio will not be accepted as notice.