Laurie's Blogs.
11
Jul 2026
Jul 2026
Understanding Canine Abdominal Muscles: Foundations for Rehabilitation
The canine abdominal muscles form a critical part of the core, providing stability, support, and dynamic function in our four-legged patients. Whether you're a veterinarian, physical therapist, or dog owner focused on conditioning or recovery, a solid grasp of these muscles...
04
Jul 2026
Jul 2026
Exercise Alone Can Impact Your Dog-Bod in Just 8 Weeks!
If you work in canine rehabilitation, you already know that overweight and obese dogs are a daily reality in practice. We see the joint issues, impaired mobility, and slower recoveries in this patient subset. Diet is usually the headline for weight management, but a r...
27
Jun 2026
Jun 2026
Forelimb Biomechanics in Retriever Dogs Carrying Mouth Weights: Implications for Canine Rehabilitation
Retriever breeds frequently carry game birds or training dummies during hunting, field trials, and performance activities. This behavior has long been hypothesized to contribute to forelimb overload and biceps tendinopathy. Two key studies—one using pressure-plate gait anal...
20
Jun 2026
Jun 2026
Physiotherapy Does More Than Fix the Limp: New Research Shows It Actually Lifts Dogs’ Psychological Quality of Life
Canine rehabilitation professionals routinely see that restoring mobility and reducing pain often brings about more than just physical improvement. A 2022 study published in Veterinary Sciences provides clear evidence that physiotherapy also enhances dogs’ psychologic...
13
Jun 2026
Jun 2026
Low-Level Laser Therapy Can Help Tame Certain Inflammation Signals in the Body
A 2013 study explored whether infrared low-level laser therapy can influence the body’s inflammatory response after injury or surgery. What They Did• The researchers created a controlled surgical wound in the mice (a “sham&rdqu...
06
Jun 2026
Jun 2026
One Supplement Canine Rehabilitation Practitioners Should Consider: Collagen Supplementation – Translational Insights from Human Research and Canine Evidence
As canine rehabilitation practitioners, we work with post-surgical patients, dogs with osteoarthritis (OA), sporting dogs recovering from soft tissue injuries, and aging animals facing mobility challenges. While therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, hydrotherapy, and other modali...
30
May 2026
May 2026
Soft Tissue Mobilization in Canine Rehabilitation: What a 2022 Systematic Review Actually Tells Us
As canine rehabilitation professionals, we routinely incorporate soft tissue mobilization—massage techniques (effleurage, petrissage, kneading, friction, etc.) and therapeutic stretching—into treatment plans for orthopedic patients, post-surgical cases, geriatri...
23
May 2026
May 2026
Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP) in Dogs: Etiology, Incongruity Dynamics, and Management Strategies
Ununited anconeal process (UAP) is a significant component of canine elbow dysplasia, a common developmental orthopedic condition in medium- to large-breed dogs that frequently leads to thoracic limb lameness and progressive osteoarthritis (OA). It occurs when the anconeal ...
16
May 2026
May 2026
Surgical vs. Conservative Management of Canine Medial Coronoid Process Disease (MCPD) / Medial Compartment Disease (MCD)
Veterinary orthopedic surgeons and small animal practitioners continue to face a common clinical dilemma: when a young, large-breed dog presents with elbow lameness due to fragmented coronoid process or broader medial compartment pathology, is arthroscopic (or open) intervention ...
09
May 2026
May 2026
New Study: Thoracic Spondylosis Deformans in Search-and-Rescue Dogs — Key Findings from a 15-Year Surveillance Program
If you work with working dogs, sporting dogs, or any high-drive canine athletes, a brand-new study from the American Journal of Veterinary Research (published online March 2026) should be on your radar. “Thoracic Spondylosis Deformans in Search-and-Rescue Dogs,”...
