Referring veterinary surgeons
North paws Rehabilitation Referrals in a brand new veterinary rehabilitation facility in Rainton, North Yorkshire.
With easy access from the A1, we are perfectly placed to help clients and their pets in Ripon, Thirsk, Boroughbridge, Bedale, Northallerton and surrounding areas.
Our team of skilled and experienced Hydrotherapists, Physiotherapists and K Laser practitioners have decades of combined experience with orthopaedic and neurological conditions, and along with our caring and professional approach, you can rest assured that your clients and patients are in good hands.
We are registered with NARCH and IAVRPT, our nurses are RCVS registered, and our Physiotherapist is ACPAT registered.
We strive to work alongside our referring vets with regular updates and communication to ensure a multidisciplinary team approach to our patients rehabilitation and ongoing care.
We welcome visits from any referring vet practices to look round our premises and chat to our practitioners.
Please find enclosed some information on the main therapies we offer, as well as a handy poster for your practice “when should I refer for rehabilitation”.
Referral forms can be accessed by here.
Hydrotherapy Referrals
Our Hydrotherapists are level 3 and 4 certificate holders with advanced underwater treadmill certificates, as well as experienced RCVS registered Nurses, so you can rest assured we are able to deal with a huge variety of case loads, including complex spinal rehabilitations.
From fun and fitness swims, puppy water confidence sessions to post surgical rehabilitations, we are here to re assure your clients whilst managing expectations, and taking the time to answer questions and work through lifestyle and home environment changes as necessary.
We offer a specialised service to arthritis cases with dedicated osteoarthritis management programs, involving regular pain scoring and gait analysis, alongside gold standard rehabilitation programs utilising Hydrotherapy, Physiotherapy and Class 4 K Laser. We also provide Arthritis management CPD for practices wishing to expand their knowledge or set up nurse clinics.
The combination of reduced weight baring, warm water, hydrostatic pressure and water resistance, makes Hydrotherapy an optimal therapy for a huge number of orthopaedic, neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.
We can achieve increased joint flexibility, reduced pain, increased proprioception and gait re-education with every session, as well as improved muscle engagement and mass as part of an ongoing hydrotherapy program.
With a large , easily accessed 6.5m by 3.5m pool, and extended length treadmill, we are fully equipped to deal with giant breeds and a wide range of conditions.
Physiotherapy Referrals
Physiotherapy at North Paws is provided by our Chartered Physiotherapist Jill Hall
Physiotherapy takes a scientific approach to rehabilitation from injury, surgery or illness. The aims of physiotherapy are to reduce pain and restore optimum function.
Physiotherapists use a whole-body approach to the health of companion animals. We may use manual therapy, electrotherapy, targeted exercises, specific facilitation techniques, education, environmental assessment and advice to help.
Any pet who has had surgery, injury, or been diagnosed with an illness which has changed how they move, can benefit from Physiotherapy.
Jill is a Chartered Physiotherapist with a post graduate diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy. This means she can treat both humans and animals. Jill holds the highest level of qualification for Physiotherapists within the veterinary industry.
Jill is registered with the HCPC and a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. and their special interest group ACPAT. This means she adheres to a strict code of conduct , including the requirement to do regular professional development to keep up to date with advances in the profession.
Jill has been a Physiotherapist for over 30 years and brings a wealth of skill and experience from her NHS work to her Veterinary Physiotherapy work. Her special interest is the rehabilitation of patients with neurological disease.
As a multidisciplinary team, our patients have regular progress assessments from combined physiotherapy and hydrotherapy professionals to ensure optimal outcomes and recovery.
K Laser therapy (Class 4)
Anicare Laser Solutions provide our laser services at North Paws.
The nurses at Anicare have a huge amount of experience in the application of laser.
Anicare receives regular patients from Veterinary Referral centres for management of orthopaedic and neurological conditions, giving a clear indication of the positive results that can be seen from accurate application and treatment plans.
Laser is a painless and quick treatment that optimises hydrotherapy sessions and speeds up post surgical recovery, as well as improving joint flexibility and decreasing pain in our arthritis patients.
It is successfully used as part of our rehabilitation programs alongside physiotherapy and hydrotherapy for a wide range of conditions.
We can also take referrals to manage medical conditions such as pulmonary fibrosis-patients undergoing Laser therapy can often decrease or avoid steroid use.
Anicare also run successful wound management clinics , where we see healing time significantly decreased with accurate laser application.
Anicare run regular weekly clinics at multiple other locations, such as Abbey House Veterinary Hospital, Kingsway Veterinary Hospital, and other rehabilitation centers.
When should I refer for rehabilitation ?
Here are some recommendations – but please rest assured each case is assessed on an individual basis to ensure they are safe for treatment.
Animals waiting for surgery – Cruciate injuries waiting for referral or waiting for a surgery date can benefit greatly from pre surgical laser therapy.
Young animals diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia – they may not be old enough for THR yet, please refer them for Laser, Hydrotherapy and Physiotherapy. All these applications individually will benefit, but a combination of all the above will optimise their recovery post surgically.
Elbow and Hip Dysplasia (conservative management) Please refer as soon as possible once adequate analgesia is in place. This will dramatically reduce muscle atrophy in these patients.
Post surgical orthopaedics – TTA/TPLO/lateral suture/fracture repair/osteotomy/arthroscopy- these patients benefit from early intervention post surgery with Laser therapy and gently physiotherapy to stimulate muscle engagement. In hospital environments patients receive Laser and Physio on day 1 post surgery! We can take these rehabilitation cases as soon as they are discharged for early intervention, and introduce hydrotherapy and more active physio at a later date when bone healing has taken place.
FHO- Femoral Head Osteotomy- These patients benefit from early intervention to prevent muscle contracture. As soon as the patient is discharged with adequate analgesia please refer for immediate rehabilitation.
Osteoarthritis- The earlier these patients are referred for rehabilitation, the greater impact we can have on improving quality of life and exercise tolerance. Rehabilitation techniques can spare the use of medication, and ultimately lengthen life with regard to functional mobility.
IVDD (surgical) – These patients can be seen as soon as they are discharged for physiotherapy and laser therapy. We will introduce hydrotherapy as soon as surgical wound healing has taken place at around 2 weeks.
IVDD (conservative)- These patients initially require strict rest but laser therapy can benefit these patients significantly- so please refer asap! Some physiotherapy can also be carried out in the early stages, as well as NMES. Treadmill based hydrotherapy can start 8 weeks post injury .
FCE- early intervention is a huge contributor to improved recovery. Once adequate analgesia is on board these patients can start intensive rehabilitation immediately.