Pawsitive Relief

We had a lovely first day at ! Fig stole the show and we had so many lovely pups come and say hello to us 😍😍 we will be back tomorrow for day 2 and Emma will be joining us as well as doing a talk in the wellness marquee. Stop by for a chat if you see us there and we hope anyone who attended today had a great time 🥰 🐶

🎟️ WIN 2 TICKETS + A PARKING PASS 🎟️
Fancy a weekend full of dogs, fun, activities and plenty of treats? 🐕✨

To enter, simply comment below with:
🐾 Your dog’s name
🐾 What they would enjoy most at the North East Dog Festival!
We want to know what your four-legged friend would be most excited about! 👀🐶

📅 Festival: Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd August
📍 Kirkley Hall, Northumberland
⏰ Entries close Wednesday 19th August at 3pm.
🏆 One winner will be selected at random and contacted by this page shortly after. Tickets will be sent via email, please ensure you have a valid email address for them to be forwarded to.

https://www.northeastdogfestival.com

Good morning everyone! 🥰🐶

Just a quick post regarding walking doggos outside the clinic, please stay within the car park area rather than heading down towards the gates as to not disturb the dogs in the kennels next to us☺️ there are a few sign posts so you can see the areas to keep your poochies in when they are visiting us, we will be reminding everyone at their coming appointments too 💕 We’re looking into creating a small artificial turfed area as well to facilitate doggo comfort breaks 🙈🚽🐾

Hope you all have a fabulous week and we look forward to seeing you all soon 🤩

🩵 NEW SERIES: Understanding IVDD

Hearing your dog has IVDD can be scary. There are lots of new terms, lots of questions, and it can be hard to know where to start.
That's why we're doing a mini series to explain IVDD in simple, easy-to-understand posts.

Over the next few posts, we'll cover:
🐾 What IVDD is
🐾 How it affects the spine
🐾 The signs to look out for
🐾 Why getting treatment quickly matters
🐾 How rehabilitation can help dogs recover and get back to doing what they love

Whether your dog has recently been diagnosed, is recovering from surgery, or you're just looking to learn more, we hope these posts help you feel a little more informed and a little less overwhelmed 💙

Happy Thursday! ☀️ 🥵

It's officially too hot to be doing... anything👀
The doggos are making sensible choices sticking to the cool rooms. The staff have made less sensible choices and are still at work 😂
Keep your pups cool over the next few days and enjoy this little puppy photo dump of staff pet Fig (also known as Figlet, Figaroo, Figgles and whatever else we can come up with) while we all slowly melt🫣🫠

Hot Weather Update ☀️ 🥵

Just like last time (and probably not the last time this summer!!), the welfare of our patients is always our highest priority. For dogs attending appointments, treatment plans may need to be adapted or shortened depending on individual patient needs and how they are coping with the heat. This is particularly important for older dogs, brachycephalic breeds, and patients with mobility, respiratory or cardiac conditions.

The clinic will remain open, and for those attending appointments we have measures in place to help keep dogs comfortable, including access to fresh water, cooling strategies and careful monitoring throughout their visit.
We now have air conditioning units in two of our treatment rooms and plenty of fans in the third so will continue to run appointments as scheduled today. However, if you would prefer not to travel during hot weather, that is absolutely fine. We completely understand and are happy to rearrange your appointment for a cooler day. There will be no issue with cancelling or postponing appointments due to concerns about the heat.

A gentle plea from the team: Please, do not walk your dogs during the hottest part of the day. We’ve seen so many doggos out for walks in the heat of the past couple of days. Every summer we see dogs struggling because temperatures rise far more quickly than many people realise. If your dog needs exercise, opt for a very early morning or late evening walk when temperatures have dropped. For many dogs, particularly older dogs and those with mobility issues, a few days of reduced exercise is far safer than risking heat-related illness. If you’re worried your dog might have heat stroke, get them wet and get to your primary care vet. Do not delay seeking advice!

Thank you for your understanding as we navigate the warm weather. As always, any decisions we make will be based on what is in the best interests of your dog's health and welfare.

If you have any concerns about travelling to your appointment in the heat, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the team.

Stay safe, stay cool, and remember that sometimes the kindest thing we can do for our dogs on very warm days is let them relax comfortably at home 😎

Image credit: Vets Now

🩺 What does the latest research tell us about low-dose ketamine?
Pain management is constantly evolving, and new research is helping us better understand how different treatments may support dogs living with chronic pain.
A recent randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded pilot study investigated the use of low-dose subcutaneous ketamine as part of a multimodal pain management plan for dogs with osteoarthritis.

The study found that dogs receiving ketamine alongside their existing pain management showed:
🐾 Improved owner-reported comfort
🐾 Better daily activity
🐾 Positive trends in mobility
🐾 Good overall tolerability

The study provides encouraging early evidence that ketamine may have a role as one part of an individualised, multimodal pain management plan for some dogs.
At Pawsitive Relief, we're committed to staying up to date with emerging evidence so we can offer our patients the most appropriate, evidence-based care.

💙 Every treatment plan is tailored to the individual pet because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing chronic pain.

Reference: Monteith et al. (2025). Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

Hot Weather Update ☀️ 🥵
The welfare of our patients is always our highest priority, and with the current hot weather forecast we will be carefully monitoring conditions over the coming days.
For dogs attending appointments, treatment plans may need to be adapted or shortened depending on individual patient needs and how they are coping with the heat. This is particularly important for older dogs, brachycephalic breeds, and patients with mobility, respiratory or cardiac conditions.

We are currently contacting all clients booked for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon to discuss their appointments. Where we feel it is clinically appropriate, we may recommend rearranging appointments to a cooler day or time to ensure the safety and comfort of both our patients and their owners.

If you would prefer not to travel during the hot weather, that is absolutely fine. We completely understand and are happy to rearrange your appointment for a cooler day. There will be no issue with cancelling or postponing appointments due to concerns about the heat.

The clinic will remain open, and for those attending appointments we have measures in place to help keep dogs comfortable, including access to fresh water, cooling strategies and careful monitoring throughout their visit.


A gentle plea from the team: Please, do not walk your dogs during the hottest part of the day. Every summer we see dogs struggling because temperatures rise far more quickly than many people realise. If your dog needs exercise, opt for a very early morning or late evening walk when temperatures have dropped. For many dogs, particularly older dogs and those with mobility issues, a few days of reduced exercise is far safer than risking heat-related illness.

Thank you for your understanding as we navigate the warm weather. As always, any decisions we make will be based on what is in the best interests of your dog's health and welfare.
If you have any concerns about travelling to your appointment in the heat, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the team.
Stay safe, stay cool, and remember that sometimes the kindest thing we can do for our dogs on very warm days is let them relax comfortably at home 😎

How cool is Nelson? 😍
He’s such a happy boy and new to us at the clinic! He’s currently on our Neurological Programme after having his initial consultation with vet Emma, who assessed him and tailored a plan to his needs. He is now attending weekly appointments with us for 6 weeks before checking in again with Emma at the end of his programme to see how he has progressed. Having a vet oversee all of our patients means there’s no guessing and no risk of the wrong therapies being undertaken.

We are always led by the patients and their response to the therapies we are performing as we go through their treatment plan, because the clinic is multi modal we can switch things up whenever we need to for outcomes to be optimal instead of being limited to only one option.

💫Acupuncture
💫Hydrotherapy
💫Laser therapy
💫Physiotherapy
💫Therapeutic ultrasound
💫Veterinary guidance and support
💫Exercise programmes
💫Manual massage therapies

…. All in one place ✅

Happy Monday you lovely bunch 🥰

We’re excited to announce that Pawsitive Relief will be attending the North East Dog Festival again this year in the Wellness Area!

Did you know that many dogs living with pain don’t cry or yelp? Instead, the signs can be much more subtle…
Keep an eye out for:
😞 Hesitating on stairs
😞 Struggling to get up after rest
😞 Walking behind on walks
😞 Reluctance to jump
😞 Reduced interest in play

These changes are often dismissed as “just getting older” but they can be important signs of discomfort or underlying pain ❤️‍🩹

Come and chat with us at the festival this year to learn more about how rehabilitation can help improve your dog’s comfort, mobility and quality of life 💙
📍 Wellness Area – North East Dog Festival
📧 [email protected]