About

When your fur ball is injured, you would do anything to help. You want to relieve the pain. It hurts to see them limping or walking stiffly, agonizingly slowly.

What’s the best way to help? How can you put the spring back in your pet’s step? 

Animal physical therapy is a hands-on, natural rehabilitation treatment to get those muscles and limbs working again. In this online course, you will see how physiotherapy uses physical methods - massage and exercise  -  to restore lost movement.

You’ll be shown the correct techniques to treat different parts of the body. Enjoy quality, hands-on time with your dog or cat as you massage away pain and exercise limbs to restore strength.

Confidently complement the work of your vet or animal physiotherapist to offer at-home treatments for your own pets to ease:

• arthritis
• sore muscles
• back problems
• knees, elbows and other limbs
• hip dysplasia
• recovery after surgery
• stiffness in older pets

It’s fun for both of you and helps your fur ball feel better. We will walk you through everything you need to know about Animal Physical Therapy in easy-to-understand, jargon-free language.

For immediate, natural relief for pets, study this course now.

What you will learn

The skills you will master in this course include:

• How to improve the mobility of specific joints (such as the elbow, hip, or knee) in a safe and sympathetic way
• Reading the signs of pain in cats and dogs
• Learning gentle exercises appropriate for animals with stiff joints due to conditions such as arthritis or an old injury (Working with the co-operation of your vet.)
• Learn specific exercises for specific joints
• Hints and tips for how to help your older pet moving around the home with more confidence, using ramps and assistive devices.
• How to perform massage techniques on your pet to build muscle strength and help them relax. This includes effleurage, kneading, percussion, and also passive movement exercises
• Knowing when physiotherapy could help your pet and recognizing when to avoid it
• Learn easy and enjoyable exercises you can do at home to build your pet’s strength whilst having fun together
• Know how to use heat therapy to relieve the nagging pain of a sore joint
• Understand which nutritional supplements are most beneficial to your pet
• Have an improved knowledge of dog anatomy
• Know how and when to get your pet referred to a veterinary physiotherapist

Requirements

International Open Academy courses are designed for anyone with an interest in learning. No formal qualifications are required to study with us. Our courses are suitable if you want to learn new skills, start a new career, or if you’re already working in a particular industry and wish to upgrade your talents and enhance your resume.

Lessons

Module 1: Introduction

• Benefits of physiotherapy
• Aims of this course
• Disclaimers and contra-indications to home physio
• What you’ll learn
• Case studies

Module 2: Physiotherapy

• Tissue response to injury
• Reasons to use physiotherapy
• Types of therapy
• Therapy which can be done at home

Module 3: Anatomy For Physiotherapy

• Why learn anatomy for physiotherapy?
• Instructional words
• The name of things
• Fore-limp
• Hind-limp
• Head and neck
• Back

Module 4: Physio And Your Pet – Assessment

• Principles of Physiology
• Arthritis
• Conditioning after surgical rest
• Elbow problems
• General stiffness
• Hip dysplasia
• Knee problems
• Neck and back problems
• Sore muscles
• Older pets

Module 5: Physio And Your Pet – Action

• Massage
• Joint Movements
• Therapeutic exercise
• Heat Therapy

Module 6: The Bigger Picture

• Assistive devices
• Nutritional supplements
• Pain relief
• Partnership with veterinary professional

Career

Who is this course for

This course is a perfect match for you if:

• You have an stiff, older pet or one recovering after enforced rest, and you want to help them get back on their paws
• You are curious about different forms of physiotherapy, such as massage, hydrotherapy, passive movement, and heat; their benefits, how they work, and how they help the body to heal
• You want to understand about nutritional supplements that improve and protect joint health, and keep your pet supple in years to come.
• You want to learn safe exercises to do at home that are fun and improve your pet’s quality of life
• You want to understand what a veterinary physiotherapist is, when it’s appropriate to consult one, and how to go about getting referred
• You wonder if your pet is in pain and want to recognize the signs in your cat or dog

Career path

• Candidates with an interest in working with animals
• Anyone interested in a career in veterinary medicine or animal care
• Those interested in owning animals, volunteering at animal shelters, or fostering animals.
• Existing animal care workers in pursuit of promotion
• Those seeking to improve the lives of senior pets

Certification

You will be required to complete each lesson in full, and answer exams at the end of each course module. If your pass rate exceeds 55% on each exam then you will receive a certificate of completion, to recognize your achievement. You can immediately download your PDF course certificate from IOA.

Most of our courses will earn you credits through Continuing Education (CE) / Continuing Professional Development (CPD). CE/CPD points are accepted and recognized by professional member bodies and academic institutions across the US and internationally.

All courses are accredited by the International Council for Online Educational Standards (www.icoes.org). When successfully completing a course, students can choose to purchase an ICOES certificate that recognizes the achievement, from this third-party institution.