Our services
What we do and how we can help your pet
Every animal we see is different. Some have had a diagnosis but aren’t responding as well as expected. Some have had tests that haven’t found a clear cause. Others have gradually changed in ways that are hard to pin down.
What they have in common is that something isn’t right. Their owners want to understand why, and what can be done.
We take time to look carefully at what might be contributing to your pet’s discomfort, review what has and hasn’t helped so far, and work through the options with you clearly and honestly.
We always send a detailed written report to your own vet so they can continue to oversee your pet’s care.
In-person consultations
An in-person appointment gives us the chance to examine your pet directly: watching how they move, feeling for areas of tension or sensitivity, and building a picture of what might be contributing to their discomfort.
Before your appointment, we review your pet’s full medical history, previous test results, and any notes from your vet. You’ll also be asked to complete a short questionnaire about how your pet is at home. Your observations matter enormously.
The first consultation typically takes around an hour. Afterwards, you and your vet both receive a detailed written report with clear recommendations.
Appointments are at our clinic in Dulverton, Somerset or our regular visiting clinics to The Complete Canine (Umberleigh) or Tarka Vets (Barnstaple)
Online consultations
An online consultation is a good option where a physical examination isn’t needed or isn’t practical.
We review your pet’s full clinical history and any available investigation results, and assess videos of your pet’s movement alongside a structured questionnaire you complete beforehand. The consultation itself takes place by video and typically lasts an hour.
A written advisory report is shared with your primary vet afterwards. Online consultations do not involve prescribing; clinical responsibility remains with your own vet.
Home visits
For some patients, travelling to a clinic is not practical. Dogs that are very unwell, very large, or highly anxious about car travel may be better assessed in their own home, where they are most relaxed and most themselves.
A home visit follows the same structure as an in-person consultation; pain-focused history, musculoskeletal examination, and a detailed written report for you and your vet afterwards.
Home visits are available within a reasonable distance of Dulverton. A travel supplement applies depending on distance.
Home visit consultation: from £495. Contact us to discuss availability and fees.
Physical therapies
Acupuncture and therapeutic laser work at different points along the pain pathway, and often complement medication well, particularly for pets with chronic or complex pain that hasn’t fully responded to treatment alone.
Acupuncture uses fine needles placed at specific points to help modulate pain signals and reduce discomfort. Many pets tolerate it well and some appear to find it calming.
Therapeutic laser uses focused light energy to reduce inflammation and support tissue healing without needles. It can be a useful option where acupuncture isn’t suitable.
Both treatments are offered to suitable cases as part of an initial or repeat consultation, or as a standalone session where your primary vet has already diagnosed a condition and recommended treatment.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of soft tissues, including muscles, tendons, and the areas around joints, that don’t show clearly on X-ray.
It is non-invasive, and many pets can be scanned while awake. Where a more detailed look at deeper structures is needed, mild sedation may be recommended to ensure your pet is comfortable and still during the scan.
If your vet has referred your pet specifically for an outpatient ultrasound , we will share a full report with them so they can continue overseeing your pet’s care.
When pain is coming from a specific nerve rather than a joint or muscle, delivering medication directly to that area can sometimes provide relief that tablets alone haven’t achieved.
Nerve injections are considered where conventional pain management has been tried and there is a clear clinical reason to think a more targeted approach might help. We discuss the potential benefits, limitations, and risks with you carefully before proceeding, and decisions are always made together.
Some dogs experience pain from compression or inflammation around the nerves in the lower spine (the lumbosacral junction). This can cause back pain, hindlimb weakness, or difficulty getting up and down.
Where this type of pain hasn’t responded sufficiently to medication, an epidural steroid injection, given under a short anaesthetic, can help reduce inflammation around the affected nerves.
This is an interventional procedure considered only where there is a clear clinical rationale. We discuss the evidence, the risks, and the alternatives with you as part of the consent process.
For some pets, joint pain remains a significant problem even when medication has been optimised. In these cases, a targeted injection directly into the affected joint may offer additional relief.
Options may include substances that help support joint function or reduce inflammation. These are considered as part of a broader pain management plan, not a standalone solution, and only following a thorough assessment and review of relevant imaging and clinical history.
As with all interventional procedures, we discuss the options, risks, and realistic expectations with you fully before any decision is made.
Pricing
Initial Consultation
Repeat Consultation
Online Consultation
Your vet and physio may charge additionally for their involvement in the call.
MSK Ultrasound
Acupuncture Only
Additional Items
Some of the pets we’ve helped
Case Study P
P was a dog with a 12-month history of lameness in her right foreleg. CT scans had shown changes in two joints, but she hadn’t responded as well as her owners had hoped.
When we examined her, we found significant muscle pain that hadn’t been identified before, in areas that weren’t directly related to either of the joint changes on the scan. Adjusting her medication and starting monthly acupuncture led to marked improvements in her mobility, her interaction with her family, and her overall quality of life.
Case Study K
K had been guarding certain areas of the house, showing gastrointestinal symptoms, and behaving anxiously. These problems had continued despite a referral to a behaviourist.
An underlying pain problem was suspected. When we saw him, we found significant muscle pain in his back, which may have been related to abdominal discomfort causing him to hold himself differently. Adding stomach medication, adjusting his pain relief, and making some management changes at home led to a substantial improvement in his behaviour.