Wholistic Paws Veterinary Services

04/24/2026

There are so many things that we have trained our dogs to do. And there are just as many things they have trained us to do.

What has your dog trained you to do?

04/23/2026

Yesterday, we talked about balance exercise. This is Hannah Banana. She is showing off her mad balance skills on a paddle board on a recent vacation to Florida. She can balance in a sit, and she is just rocking that stand! Way to go girlie! You are a balance rock star! 🤘⭐

04/22/2026

Balance

Limb Lifts
The next exercise we will highlight is limb lifts. This exercise can be done in sitting or standing depending on the dog's capabilities. If you are doing it in sitting, you will only be picking up the front limbs one at a time. If you are doing it in standing, you will start out with the front limbs, and if the dog is able you can move to the hindlimbs. It works out best if the dog has a handshake and offers the forelimbs as they won't be bearing weight into your hands. If they don't have that, you can pick the limbs up at the wrist (carpus) and ankle (hock). That way the dog should NOT be bearing weight into your hand and should be balancing on their other limb or other 3 limbs depending on whether they are sitting or standing.

You could start with 3-5 reps (do an equal number on each side) with a 2-5 sec hold depending on the dog's capability.

Equipment:
none

Form:
*Can be in a sitting or standing squarely position
*Front paws should be under their shoulders to start, with elbows close to the body
*Heads should be in a neutral position,
*In sitting, knees should be close to the body
*In standing, the back should be flat for the breed, and the hind feet should fall under the hips..

Benefits:
-Strengthen spine
-Activate core muscle group to stablize
-Shifts weight to diagonal limb
-Increases limb awareness

Drop a video of your pet doing this exercise in the comments below for some feedback.

04/21/2026

“Grief is not measured by species. It is measured by presence.”

The kind of loss that reshapes your life, even when no one else sees it.

04/20/2026

Miles is a very good boy who comes to see us for acupuncture and herbal medicine for his sore back and hind legs. He is also a smart boy and can use over 20 buttons to talk to his family! What a good boy Miles!

04/20/2026

You might want the sound up 😊

04/17/2026

😂

04/16/2026

What could be better than seeing all the beautiful trees in bloom? Bria says rolling through their petals is! It looks like it snowed cherry blossoms!

04/15/2026

Flexibility

The next exercise we will highlight is the cookie stretch. This exercise can be done in sitting or standing depending on the dog's capabilities. It is often easiest for the dog and the handler for the handler to be behind the dog and support the dog from the rear. This also prevents the dog from turning in circles when following the treats. Keeping the treat close to the body also help the dog from turning in a circle and also keeps the head from twisting.

Ideally, we don't want the dog's feet from moving too much; that tells us that 1) the treat may be too far from the body and causing the dog to want to turn in a circle or 2) it is to far for the dog to stretch. To test out why the feet are moving too much, just bring the treat closer to the body and see if that fixes it. If it does - SUPER! Then test to see if it has anything due to the place you are going. For example, if the dog didn't move its feet when you moved to the shoulder, but it did at the ribs, then you would back up and work at the shoulder. The rib stretch is a little too far for it. Once the dog masters the shoulder and ribs then it can work to the hips, which is not on this video. Your rehab doctor will teach you how to go to the hip if your dog is ready.

Sometimes, you will find that the dog can go to the ribs on one side and is having trouble going to the shoulder on the other. If you find that, please let your Wholistic Paws doctor or practioner know. This exercise is a great assessment tool for finding imbalances and discomfort that your dog might be having. They are in need of a tune up!

You could start with 3-5 reps (do an equal number on each side) and start out at the shoulder.

Equipment:
none

Form:
*Can be in a sitting or standing position
*Front paws should be under their shoulders to start
*Heads should be in a neutral position, even as it moves around the body (no twisting of the head so one eye is looking at the sky and the other at the ground).
*Their back should start to show a bit of "C" curve at the stretch

Benefits:
Increases body awareness
Increases flexibility and mobility of the neck and spine
Improves balance and coordination
Great assessment tool for finding discomfort and imbalance

Drop a video of your pet doing this exercise in the comments below for some feedback.

04/14/2026

Did you know acupuncture can support more than just muscles and joints? The great thing is that it helps the WHOLE body! For patients like Rocket with digestive issues, acupuncture (especially with Vitamin B12) can support how the gut works and it can even change the microbiome over time to help it be healthier! Plus it still provides an overall sense of well being and promotes pain relief when needed. It's a win win! Good dog, Rocket! We are grateful to be part of your team!!

04/13/2026

💜

04/12/2026

Give yourself time to make a prayer that will become the prayer of your soul. Listen to the voices of longing in your soul. Listen to your hungers. Give attention to the unexpected that lives around the rim of your life. Listen to your memory and to the inrush of your future, to the voices of those near you and those you have lost. Out of all of that attention to your soul, make a prayer that is big enough for your wild soul, yet tender enough for your shy and awkward vulnerability; that has enough healing to gain the ointment of divine forgiveness for your wounds; enough truth and vigour to challenge your blindness and complacency; enough graciousness and vision to mirror your immortal beauty. Write a prayer that is worthy of the destiny to which you have been called.

JOHN O'DONOHUE

Excerpt from his book, Eternal Echoes
Ordering Info: https://johnodonohue.com/store

County Clare, Ireland
Photo: © Ann Cahill