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Veterinary/Animal Physiotherapist

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Veterinary/Animal Physiotherapist Career Details

Veterinary/animal physiotherapists assess and treat injuries and movement dysfunction in animals. Horses and dogs are the most common types (including 'working animals', such as race horses, show jumpers or greyhounds, and 'companion' animals), but other species, including cats, sheep and zoo animals may also be referred for treatment.

Physiotherapists use manual and electrotherapy techniques to reduce pain, increase flexibility and restore normal movement. They also devise exercise programmes, and may give advice on adaptations to the animals' environments to help them perform tasks more easily.

Treatments can only legally be carried out by referral or permission from a veterinary surgeon.

As animal physiotherapists must first qualify in human physiotherapy, many treat both animals and humans. Only relatively few just treat animals.

Working Environment

The work may be full- or part-time, and the hours are flexible.

Treatments may take place in the client's or physiotherapist's stable yard, the client's home (when treating small animals), in veterinary surgeries and hospitals.

Veterinary/Animal Physiotherapist Related Skills

To be a veterinary physiotherapist you should:
  • be physically fit, manually dexterous and have good powers of observation
  • have an interest in animals and experience of handling them
  • have an enquiring mind and an aptitude for science
  • have good communication skills
  • work well in a team with other professionals
  • have good organisational and administrative skills for managing workload and maintaining records.

Veterinary/Animal Physiotherapist Career Opportunities

The majority of animal/veterinary physiotherapists are private practitioners, although positions occasionally become available in private practices, large veterinary practices or universities.

Further Career Information

If you would like to know more about a career as an Veterinary/Animal Physiotherapist related facts, statistics, articles and websites.

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