Animal Physiotherapy

ziggy23

Hi guys

Was going to post this in the education forum but thought I might get more replies here.
I'm just wondering how I would go about getting into animal physiotherapy. Would I need to do a full degree course like in UCD or the like? If anyone could give me some advice it would be appreciated. I'm a mature student (28) and I'm currently doing a full time course in Animal Care. I've also done massage (which probably doesnt count towards anything!)

Cheers
Zigs

DBB

Have you found any info about such courses online yet?
Things may well have changed since *my day* ;-), but certainly you used to have to be a fully qualified human physio before you could branch into animals, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear of a specific animal physio degree course available now... Whether you'll find one in Ireland or not though?
Will be interested to see if you find one!

ziggy23

Thanks for the reply:)
Have tried looking it up online but yea it seems thats the only way to go about it! Ah well I'll see how my present course goes before I think about that!

x Purple Pawprints x

Hey OP,

As far as I am aware you have to qualify as a human physiotherapist first and then branch into the veterinary field.

Hope you found this helpful. It's something I thought about doing before but unfortunately I don't have the money to go to college to study. Best of luck!

Zapperzy

Jane_LS_88 wrote: »

Hey OP,

As far as I am aware you have to qualify as a human physiotherapist first and then branch into the veterinary field.

Hope you found this helpful. It's something I thought about doing before but unfortunately I don't have the money to go to college to study. Best of luck!

Completely and utterly off topic but just want to say I love your sig, bit sick of telling people I'm doing nursing just for their first question to be how do you get in to veterinary after that, and their second question to be why not human nursing. People don't seem to see nursing as a profession, just a stepping stone to veterinary. :rolleyes:

Anyways apologies OP for going completely off topic!

tk123

Not sure if this is any help OP - http://www.greyfriarsrehab.co.uk/

x Purple Pawprints x

Zapperzy wrote: »

Completely and utterly off topic but just want to say I love your sig, bit sick of telling people I'm doing nursing just for their first question to be how do you get in to veterinary after that, and their second question to be why not human nursing. People don't seem to see nursing as a profession, just a stepping stone to veterinary. :rolleyes:

Anyways apologies OP for going completely off topic!

Thanks so much! To answer my own question, it does get slightly easier but the amount of people who presume I'm going to be a vet is huge!

sinead334

I am currently a Veterinary Nursing student and I was thinking of branching into animal physiotherapy myself, you DO NOT need to qualify as a human physiotherapist in order to proceed with this.
Animal physiotherapy is not yet regulated by the VCI (Veterinary Council Of Ireland) but there are talks about it.
This is a distance learning course in the UK recognized by the BVA you will need a veterinary nursing qualification or some animal related course http://www.animaltherapy.org/
Hope this helps!

SillyMangoX

One of the nurses in the vets we use was doing a distance learning course in the Royal Vet College in England when I was there, it seemed really good but I'm not sure would you have to be qualified as a veterinary nurse first. And oh my god there are an amount of people who expect us doing veterinary nursing to go on to be vets, it's actually crazy!

tk123

I'd love to do something like this tbh! Will take a look.

DBB

sinead334 wrote: »

you DO NOT need to qualify as a human physiotherapist in order to proceed with this.

This is right, I have subsequently found out! If you are a human physio, you cannot treat an animal unless you have done a recognised animal-specific physio course, and physiotherapy by a qualified animal practitioner must only be done under vet referral.
Thanks for the link to the course Sinead, it's such a pity that there's nothing available here yet, but I'd imagine there is a real niche in the market for more animal physiotherapists in Ireland.

sinead334

There is a big market for it in Ireland think of all the dogs with arthritis. Where I live there is no vet clinic that specializes in physiotherapy for animals and the clinics that say they do, call in a physiotherapist from another county and your waiting weeks to get an appointment that suits both specialist and client!

woodie136

Hi I am a veterinary nurse in galway and i was looking into doing a course in physiotherapy and found your links very helpful, so thanks
The only thing i did find is that the RVC in england do require you to be a qualified human physio first but the college of animal physiotherapy dont.
Thanks for these post and i will be following them eagerly.
Aoife

sinead334

I really want to do it but its so expensive let me know how your course goes!

Pumpkinseeds

I don't know where she did her course but as far as I know,one of the veterinary nurses at the vets we use does canine physio.

SillyMangoX

If you use the vets I'm thinking of then she did it in England, Nottingham I think? My memory isn't so good!

Pumpkinseeds

Yep, same vets, I was just looking at her business card when I was at the vets with jazzy last Thursday.

SillyMangoX

Actually I think it was Birmingham! Something-ham anyways! Yeah the business cards are lovely

BudEliJackson

HI all, few years later, can anybody advise if you got any course and where and how it went? I am really desperate to find course for myself and start as well as looking for physio for my boy Jackson and cannot really find anybody around Dublin? thanks

MWvn17

Hi,

Don’t know if this is any help to you guys as this was posted a while ago but there are two universities in the UK who offer Veterinary Physiotherapy as a Post Graduate/Masters degree for non human trained, you must have some background with animals or massage etc. Both are distance learning. They are Harper Adams University and Writtle University. Nottingham University are offering a course from September 2018 I think too!

Hope this helps

AO SA

Hi there.
I was wondering if anyone might know if you need to register as a Physiotherapist to practice Animal Physio in Ireland? Or with who will you have to register? Maybe the veterinary council?
Thank you.

BudEliJackson

AO SA wrote: »

Hi there.
I was wondering if anyone might know if you need to register as a Physiotherapist to practice Animal Physio in Ireland? Or with who will you have to register? Maybe the veterinary council?
Thank you.

Hi, actually good question, what qualification do you have and where did you study? I spoke to Emma Mooran and I actually dont think it is regulated as it is in the UK? Im interested in any info on this, so PM if you want thanks!