I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

2016 so far... 1

Case Study 1

Who can benefit? 2

Focus on... 2

Events 3

Get Referred 3

Annual Open Day/

Charity Dog Show

4

O V E R N I N G B O D I E S

S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 I S S U E 2

Opening Hours

Monday 9am-2pm

Tuesday 9am-8pm

Wednesday 9am-8pm

Thursday CLOSED

Friday 9am-5pm

Saturday 8am-3pm

Sunday CLOSED

Contact Us

Tel: 01761 490 944

Fax: 01761 492 999

Email: enquiries@

chapelfarmrehab.com

www.chapelfarmrehab.com

www.facebook.com/

chapel.farm

Chapel Farm, Whitley

Batts, Pensford, Bristol,

BS39 4NE

2016 has kicked off to a flying start here at

Chapel Farm, we have been busy welcom-

ing lots of new clients through our doors

as well as launching some new ideas!

Every month we offer our clients a new

discounted deal. This January saw us

launch our new Wash N Go service which

has proven very useful in this wet

weather!

February we offered half price fun swim

vouchers to our Canine Crèche clients

and also to our local agility club.

March was a very popular month for us as

we offered 10 lucky people the chance to

swim with their dog. The offer went live

on face book and we were overwhelmed

with the response, so much so we ex-

tended our offer out from the original 10!

If you missed this offer, don’t worry it

won’t be long until it’s here again. Just

keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook

page for many more great offers!

This picture shows Henry the boxer and

his owner enjoying their session.

This month we hosted our first opening

evening to dog professionals; it was a invi-

tation only event that saw us open our

doors to people that work within the dog

industry. To read more about what hap-

pened and other events we have held here

turn to page 3!

We have also welcomed a new member of

staff to our team; Jenny will be working

with us part time as a hydrotherapy assis-

tant.

CASE STUDY

Moses is a Labrador who is almost 10 years old. Up until April this year Moses had

been a very happy and healthy dog but began to suddenly show lameness in his Left

Hind leg. It was unclear what the cause of this lameness was but X-rays and further

tests revealed that Moses had a malignant tumour in his hock.

Further tests results revealed the cancer had not spread any further. The only option

they had was to have Moses’ left hind leg amputated in May to prevent further prob-

lems. Apart from a few initial problems with the wound healing; Moses was soon up

and raring to go again after his surgery.

He came to us just 7 weeks after the amputation to see our ACPAT Physiotherapist

Annie and to start his treatment programme. Moses went straight into the pool and

at first was a little nervous but soon got his con-

fidence. The swimming benefits for Moses were

to maintain a good range of motion as his walks

had been limited since the op, to build muscle in

his right hind and to correct his gait as he now

needed to learn to walk with his right hind cen-

tralised as well as helping him cardio vascular

wise.

He absolutely loves his swimming and can’t wait

to get in when he gets here. He is so happy to

see us, and us to see him!

P A G E 2

Who can benefit? Hydrotherapy is most commonly used as a rehabilitation tool pre and post orthope-

dic surgery as well as for dogs with underlying medial conditions that don’t require

surgery. Although hydrotherapy is a a great rehabilitation tool, there are also many

benefits for fit and healthy dogs. Dogs that can benefit from hydrotherapy include:

High energy dogs

Sporting dogs

Working trial/gun dogs

Young dogs/learn to swim

Ageing dogs/ Dogs who don’t get enough exercise

Our Hydrotherapy sessions for fun and fitness are prefect for any dog that fits into

the category above, providing they have no excising medical conditions that may contrain-

dicate them going into the water. They will also have full use of our shower and drying fa-

cilities as well.

Cruciate Ligament Injury

The cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) in dogs is the same as the “anterior” cruciate ligament (ACL) in

humans. It is a band of tough fibrous tissue that attaches the femur to the tibia, preventing the tibia from shifting forward relative to the femur. It also helps to prevent the stifle (knee) joint from over-extending

or rotating.

For the vast majority of dogs, the cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) ruptures as a result of long-term de-generation, whereby the fibers within the ligament weaken over time. Cruciate rupture is the tearing of

the ligament; it can be a full or partial rupture. We do not know the precise cause of this. Factors such as obesity, individual conformation, hormonal imbalance and certain inflammatory conditions of the joint

may also play a role.

How to tell if a dog has cruciate ligament injury? Limping is the commonest sign of CrCL injury. This may appear suddenly during or after exercise in some dogs, or it may be progressive and intermittent in others. Some dogs are simultaneously affected in both knees, and these dogs often find it difficult to rise

from a prone position and have a very odd gait.

Diagnosis in dogs with complete rupture of the CrCL is usually based on examination by an experienced orthopedic surgeon either by examination or scans may be required.

Treatment options can include conservative treatment or several surgical treatment options de-

pendent upon the severity of the injury and the size of the dog. For example, if there is just a partial cru-ciate rupture then it is more likely that it can be managed conservatively; i.e. physiotherapy and hy-

drotherapy.

At Chapel farm we are able to provide you and your dog with a rehabilitation plan for cruciate ligament disease. This is coordinated through our rehabilitation service whereby we have a team of char-

tered physiotherapists and hydrotherapists all very experienced in the management of cruciate ligament disease. Your first appointment will be with one of our chartered ACPAT physiotherapists or our

rehabilitation vet whereby a thorough clinical examination will be performed and a rehabilitation plan will be uniquely designed for your dog including a home exercise plan for you to follow at home.

Focus on…

P A G E 3 I S S U E 2

Dog Professionals Open Evening (cont from page 1.) Our dog professional open

evening was a great success. We met some

old and new faces and the evening was en-

joyed by everyone. All of the Chapel Farm

team were on hand to answer any questions

that people had as well as helping with a tour

of the premises and lots of demonstrations.

We are planning to host another one later on

in the year due to the feedback we have re-

ceived from this,

English Bull Terrier Pool

Party

April has also seen us host the first of our club afternoons. It was the

lucky turn of the West Country Bullie Walk’s charity to come along

for exclusive after hours hire of Chapel Farm’s facilities. The fun

swim was really popular; they all had a great time and really made the

most of our fantastic facilities.

Are you part of a dog club? Is this something you think your group

would be interested in? Please contact us for more details .

Prior to any dogs attending Chapel farm we must obtain a signed veterinary permission form along with a full medical history from your first line vet. Referral centre's work through veterinary referral only; meaning we gain veterinary consent to see a patient for rehabilitation purposes. This ensures a correct diagnosis of the condition being treated and allows communication be-tween the veterinary surgeon and the therapist to ensure that any medical history and veteri-nary treatment previously undertaken is taken into account. This procedure allows for the best possible treatment and care of an animal. Even if a dog is attending for a fun and fitness ses-sion we must still need to obtain veterinary consent.

Get Referred

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