The Treatment and
what you can expect
I am ethical, professional, and responsible – your dog’s welfare is my priority always. I am passionate about improving the health of your dog’s muscles to improve their posture and happiness.
All my treatments are your dog’s choice, I will never restrain or massage without your dog’s consent and you will be present throughout the treatment. This ‘choice-led’ methodology was developed by Julia Robertson, the founder of Galen Myotherapy. It has great success because it ensures trust between your dog, myself as the therapist and you as the guardian. I will work hard so that your dog only associates the treatment positively and will be happy to see me for any subsequent visits. To read more click here.
Canine myotherapy can deliver effective and measurable results within one to three sessions. Some issues may require further sessions or a maintenance plan in order to help maintain mobility. The treatment can assist dogs through recovery and rehabilitation but is also an affordable preventative way to help your dog to stay younger and fitter for longer.
Before I begin treatment I will need consent from your vet. See section below to read more and download the form.
Pre-Treatment guidance
The first session will last around 90 minutes – i’ll begin getting to know you and your dog, their medical history, home environment, activity levels and any details of medication. It will also include a treatment.
Subsequent sessions will be 1 hour maximum at least 7-10 days after the first session.
I am trained to pick up on your dog’s body language and respond respectfully. I ask that you are present during the treatment – this can be useful to help to settle your dog but it works best if you only interact with them if they become anxious. Together we can help make the treatment really positive for them and tailored to their individual needs.
It is important to follow the advice on the document here to maximise the benefit from the treatment. Please take a moment to read it before treatment.
You can download the advice here.
Post-Treatment aftercare
After the treatment i’ll provide you with feedback on my postural and gait analysis, aftercare and recommendations and I will send a veterinary report to your vet after the initial cycle of treatments. I am very happy to discuss with your vet at any time during the treatment if needed.
Myotherapy stimulates the intrinsic systems of your dog to enable it to start its own healing process. As your dog’s body restores balance and starts to heal, you may notice a temporary increase in symptoms.
It is normal for your dog to have some reactions to myotherapy and this is a sign that the treatment is working and that their body is cleansing itself of impurities, toxins and muscular imbalances.
If your dog is not responding to the myotherapy in the way I would expect or is not suitable for massage, I will refer you back to your vet.
Please take a moment to read this post-treatment advice.
You can download the advice here.
Veterinary Consent
Before I can treat your dog it is required by law that I have a signed referral form from your vet to say they are happy for the treatment to go ahead. Once I have that we’ll arrange a time to meet in a comfortable environment for your dog where I can help them to trust me. This can be in your home.
The Veterinary Surgery (Exemptions) Order 1962 allows for the treatment by ‘physiotherapy’, provided that the animal has first been seen by a veterinary surgeon who has diagnosed the condition and decided that it should be treated by physiotherapy under his/her direction. ‘Physiotherapy’ is interpreted as including all kinds of manipulative therapy (therefore including Galen Myotherapy®)
Vets do not usually a charge to complete a consent form, it may be possible to do it over email. However, if the vet has not seen your dog recently, they may need to see them for a health check to make sure there are no underlying issues so that it is safe for them to be treated.
You can download the form here.
Pet Insurance
Many pet insurance companies will cover all or part of the cost of complementary therapies including Galen Myotherapy© where it has been recommended by your vet.
It is best to contact your insurer in advance if you are going to claim to discuss the cover they offer.
Your data
All treatment records are fully maintained and your personal information will be kept in accordance with The Data Protection Act.