Pegasus Veterinary Physiotherapy

03/04/2026

Very interesting read. I always take pacing with a pinch of salt. As with a lot of things, pacing needs to be taken in context alongside any discomfort or other issues your dog may be experiencing to create a full picture.
Just because it can mean there’s something going on, doesn’t always mean it does.

🐕 Does pacing mean something is wrong?

Many clinicians and dog owners assume that when a dog paces instead of trots, it’s a sign of musculoskeletal pathology. But the research tells a more nuanced story.

A study evaluating pacing in dogs compared clinically normal dogs and dogs with musculoskeletal pathology under different conditions (off-lead, lead-controlled, and treadmill). Interestingly, pacing occurred in both healthy and pathological dogs, and was actually observed more frequently in normal dogs when walking on a lead.

The researchers concluded that pacing should be considered a natural gait variation, not automatically an indicator of disease. Factors like speed and leash control appeared to influence whether dogs chose to pace instead of trot.

👉 Theresa, M. & Kyle, W. & Duncan, Colleen & Marolf, Angela & Duerr, Felix. (2016). Evaluation of pacing as an indicator of musculoskeletal pathology in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health. 8. 207-213. 10.5897/JVMAH2016.0512.

This raises important questions for therapists and clinicians:

• When is pacing normal?
• When might it reflect compensation or dysfunction?
• And when should we try to change it?

In “Pacing in Dogs: Pathology, Performance, or Training? – Part 1”, Carmen Heritier (CCFT) explores these questions in depth. Using gait analysis, case studies, and objective data from the Zebris CanidGait system, she unpacks common myths about pacing and shares practical strategies to help therapists encourage a functional, efficient trot when appropriate.

📚 This webinar is now available in the Onlinepethealth Small Animal Members Library.

If you’re not a member but would still like to watch it, comment SMA and we’ll send you the registration link.

🗓 Available to non-members from 4 April – 30 April 2026.

03/04/2026

Some lovely feedback I’ve had over the last few days!

I appreciate all feedback, both the good and the bad and love to hear how your animals are feeling after their physio sessions.

It’s been a lot recently, feeling like I’m starting over after moving away from Bradford, but getting these messages really brightens up my days.

Thank you all so much!

02/04/2026

Had this pretty boy come see me today following a cruciate ligament injury. His mum is doing an amazing job at keeping him calm and restricted despite the two breeds that make up this guy being anything but calm and restful 😂.
Care to take a guess as to what breeds he is? There might be something special in it for you!
To learn more about the cruciate ligament and why so many dogs find themselves with problems with it, make sure you follow my page!

28/03/2026

Hello everyone! Happy weekend! I hope you’re all having a lovely Saturday and have something nice planned for the weekend!

Not a post I want to make, but unfortunately, with the current state of affairs regarding fuel, I have made the difficult decision to increase my prices. I haven’t increased my prices since I qualified 2 years ago and I would like to think I am still fairly priced for the service you receive.

These prices will be in effect from 1st April 2026 for new bookings, any existing bookings I will honour my previous pricing as this is quite a sudden change. I filled my car up this morning and the amount that normally gets me a 3/4 full tank, barely got half today. So it’s a needs must unfortunately. Any issues, please message me, I am nothing if not understanding ❤️.

Thank you for your support as always, lots of love, Paige ❤️

27/03/2026

Now for the horses! 🐴
Much like with dogs, horses can suffer with a range of conditions that can prevent them from being ridden or shorten their careers. However, veterinary physiotherapy can help prevent, rehabilitate, and manage many of the conditions listed as well as others!
🐎Any ridden horse should have regular physiotherapy to keep them in top condition and prevent injury. As we come into the better weather, lots of horses are starting being ridden more, start your season right with a physio session to check your horse over ❤️

26/03/2026

Canine physiotherapy can help with a range of issues! But it can also be amazing for preventing these conditions as well!
Some dog breeds are more prone to orthopaedic conditions than others and as the old saying goes ‘prevention is better than a cure’. So getting on board with physiotherapy early can prevent issues further down the line!

Message to find out how veterinary physiotherapy can help your dog, not just now, but in the future!

24/03/2026

Very excited to be part of the amazing team at Jaycliffe Hydrotherapy! You’ll find me there on Mondays and Tuesdays

Hello everyone!
We’ve some exciting news to share with you all today. Now based at Jaycliffe Hydrotherapy… Pegasus Veterinary Physiotherapy!

Paige is a level 7 MSc Veterinary Physiotherapist who also has a level 4 Clinical Canine Hydrotherapy qualification.

This means we are now able to offer laser therapy and physiotherapy to your dogs, alongside their hydro and fitness swims! We’ll be sharing more on the benefits of physio and laser therapy over the next few days, but if you can’t wait that long! Drop us a message and we’ll be happy to speak to you about how physio, hydro, and laser therapy can help your dogs live a happier and healthier life!

Paige will be holding sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays at Jaycliffe Pet Centre! Get in touch to find out more or get booked in!

23/03/2026

Happy to say that I’ve had my NAVP membership renewed for another year!
But why is this important?
Well, not all vet physios are created equal.
The title Veterinary Physiotherapist is unprotected, which means anyone can call themselves a vet physio (this is different to the human physio title which is also why we have to differentiate that we are VET physios!).
So, we have associations and registers that uphold standards of practice across the UK and ensure their members have a certain set of skills/qualifications. This means that, while your friend who did a 3 day dog massage course may know how to massage a dog, they probably don’t know how to fully assess that dog for pain, or why that dog needs a massage in the first place.
Now I have nothing against dog massage courses that are comprehensive, but the weekend long courses cannot be as comprehensive as the ones that take a year, or as detailed as my 3 year masters degree.
So when you’re looking for a vet physio, check if they’re a member of an association or register, if not, there’s probably a good reason for that…

22/03/2026

Spring is well and truly here (how long for, who knows!) and lots of people are bringing their horses back into work following a wet and horrible winter.
A lot of people won’t have been able to keep their horses in consistent work over winter, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, what needs to be taken into consideration is that your horse will have lost muscle and fitness whilst not being ridden, and possibly having access to less turn out.
Muscle takes time to build back up, and most of that can and should be done out of the saddle.
In hand and ground work are super important when bringing horses back into work following a break. You wouldn’t run a marathon after not doing any exercise for 3 months, so why expect your horse to be able to go on 2 hour hacks after not being ridden for 8 weeks?
It’s the same principle, getting on your horse that has lost muscle is not only unfair on the horse, it’s a recipe for a sore back and undesirable behaviour from your horse.
So, before you get back on your horse, take them for a walk, long line them, build their muscle up in the same way you would yourself, slow and steady wins the race.

If you need any help bringing your horse back into work, get in touch for a tailored exercise plan following a physio session!

21/03/2026

Happy spring equinox and first day of spring!

Here’s to lighter nights, longer days and better weather (hopefully!)

20/03/2026

Very happy to share that I received my certificate through for my canine hydrotherapy qualification!

It’s official now ❤️

Also a huge thank you to Operation K9 Ltd Hydrotherapy Centres for having me throughout my training and to Bex and Vicky for all their help and support! I could not recommend the team over in Beverley enough for anyone wanting to do a hydro qual. Even if you have no prior experience, they have something for everyone to get started!

I just need to get back into the water now 😍

20/03/2026

💥Laser Therapy💥

If you’re an existing client, you’ll be familiar with my laser. It comes out for nearly every session (unless there’s a reason your animal cannot have it!) and there’s a good reason for that!

Laser therapy is ✨ magic ✨

😂 Well, not quite, but it is amazing, has so many applications and uses, is non invasive, and generally fast acting.

I mostly use my laser for pain relief, to help reduce inflammation, and relieve tension in a specific area. However, laser therapy can also be used for wound healing, to repair damaged nerves, and aid recovery following non traumatic sports injuries.

Most animals are able to have laser therapy, it is a starting point for a lot of recovery processes and it enables a therapist to start to bond with your pet before moving on to more hands on methods.

If a you want to find out how laser therapy can help your animal, or how physio in general can help them to move freer, run for longer, and be a happier version of themselves, drop me a message!

I look forward to hearing from you!