Staff Spotlight: Veterinary Rehabilitation Clinic Offers Real Life Experience for Animal Therapy Students

We caught up with Vikki Purves, a Veterinary Physiotherapist and Canine Hydrotherapist, who runs her Clinic at our canine hydrotherapy centre at Common Leys Farm campus. Vikki is also part of the lecturing team for the Animal Therapy and Rehabilitation Foundation Degree, provided in partnership Oxford Brookes University, teaching students on a variety of topics relating to animal therapy and rehabilitation.

A Demonstration Session with Reggie

We joined Vikki at the clinic during one of her teaching sessions with Reggie, the cocker spaniel, demonstrating the process of canine hydrotherapy with one of the students, Naomi.

The session began with Reggie being fitted into a harness and given a shower before entering the underwater treadmill. Snacks were used to guide Reggie to walk, ensuring correct posture and alignment. Vikki closely monitored his gait, stride, and muscle condition, gradually increasing the treadmill speed while checking for potential health issues, emphasising a holistic approach to animal rehabilitation.

In teaching sessions Vikki uses trained model dogs to demonstrate practical skills. Students first observe and then receive hands-on training in handling dogs in water.

Vikki also showed us a typical session in the pool, where she demonstrated correct support techniques, emphasizing gentle guidance without force, saying “Some dogs can be lazy and don’t use their legs properly, so we need to ensure they’re actually engaging and maintaining a good body position without showing signs of stress.”

While observing dogs in water, Vikki monitors spinal alignment, buoyancy, leg strength, range of motion, and overall body position to ensure effective rehabilitation.

Students Gain Valuable Clinical Experience

Students also benefit from work experience during Vikki’s clinic hours, gaining valuable insights into rehabilitation cases they might not otherwise encounter outside of a clinical environment. The clinic handles a variety of dogs, from puppies to large breeds like Anatolian Shepherds and Rottweilers, adjusting care to individual needs, giving students a broad range of experience treating a diverse range of patients and conditions.

As part of the course, learners also study animal anatomy, physiology, species-specific rehabilitation needs, and the benefits of hydrotherapy.

A Student’s Perspective

After Reggie’s swim it was time for a rest, and we spoke with Naomi, a student taking the top-up option, about what attracted her to the course, “I was previously a canine behaviourist, running my own dog training and behaviour business, and therapy and rehab felt like a natural next step. I’ve always loved working with dogs, so I left my job in IT to pursue a more animal-focused career, which also offers flexibility. I attend college twice a week for the top-up course.”

“This course provides invaluable exposure to different aspects of animal therapy, helping me decide where to specialise. Whilst some might go on to earn a degree in veterinary physiotherapy or pursue more hydrotherapy qualifications, I wanted to complete my degree to gain a deeper understanding of each component and how they benefit animals in practice.”

Find out more about and apply for the Animal Therapy & Rehabilitation Foundation Degree here.