Onlinepethealth

Unstable surfaces don't just make muscles work harder.

They change which muscles do the work.

In this episode, Ané unpacks new research exploring how progressively unstable surfaces influence postural control and muscle activation in dogs. The findings challenge a common assumption in rehabilitation - that more instability simply means more muscle activation - and instead reveal a more complex redistribution of effort.

💬 Comment VRP1 and we'll send you the link to the podcast.

What if one of the missing pieces in movement and pain isn't the muscle… but the fascia?

Fascia has become one of the most talked-about tissues in rehabilitation, yet understanding how to effectively influence fascial mobility remains a challenge for many clinicians.

🐾 Join us LIVE as Laurie McCauley explores what it really means for fascia to "slide and glide," and why this movement is so important for healthy function. We'll also dive into the emerging use of vibration through tuning forks as a treatment strategy, discussing the proposed mechanisms, current evidence, and practical clinical applications.

📅 Thursday, 20 August 2026
🕑 14:00 (GMT+2)

We'll be discussing:
✔️ What "slide and glide" means in healthy fascial tissue
✔️ Why fascia responds differently from other soft tissues
✔️ The science behind vibration and tuning forks
✔️ What the current evidence tells us
✔️ Practical ways to begin incorporating these concepts into rehabilitation

Join us live on the Onlinepethealth page. We'd love to see you there!

Sometimes a BIG change in movement
starts with a very small restriction.

Swimming and underwater treadmill are not interchangeable.

Each creates a unique biomechanical environment, influencing joint motion, muscle activation, loading, and movement patterns in different ways. Understanding these differences allows us to make more informed decisions about when, why, and how to use each modality in rehabilitation.

In this webinar, Sarah Channon explores the biomechanics of canine swimming and underwater treadmill exercise, connecting the science to practical clinical decision-making for rehabilitation and hydrotherapy professionals.

💬 Comment HYD and we'll send you all the details about this webinar.

Growing your veterinary rehabilitation practice doesn't have to start with a bigger marketing budget.

In this Business Basics training, we explore simple, practical strategies you can use to attract more clients without spending money on advertising. From building stronger referral relationships to making the most of the marketing opportunities you already have, these are proven approaches that help your practice grow sustainably.

Sometimes, the most effective marketing isn't about spending more - it's about doing the basics consistently and well.

This Business Basics training is available to all Onlinepethealth members.

💬 Comment MEMBER to learn more about becoming a member.

What is the biceps femoris actually doing here? 🤔

I started looking more closely at Bella’s mountain climbers exercise because her biceps femoris is SO beautifully visible.

The biceps femoris is a large, powerful muscle of the caudal thigh. It extends the hip, contributes to retraction of the hindlimb and plays an important role in propulsion. So why is it so visibly engaged with the limb in static protraction and the hip in flexion?

I kept rewatching the video … the timing of that visible muscle tension had me hooked…

🐾 When the hindlimb is placed onto the target, she isn’t putting her weight onto the limb, but the biceps femoris is clearly engaged.

🐾 Just before she retracts the limb to remove it from the target, there is a clear increase in visible tension through the muscle.

So… **what is it actually doing?**

Going back to the anatomy makes this question much more interesting.

Miller describes the biceps femoris as having cranial, middle and caudal regions, with evidence that these regions have different functional roles and recruitment patterns.

During locomotion, the cranial portion becomes active around paw placement and during stance, where it has an antigravity role, primarily as a hip extensor. The caudal portion shows another burst of activity associated with stifle flexion at the beginning of the swing phase.

Clearly, associating biceps femoris only with power and propulsion is far too simple - and this exercise gives us a beautiful opportunity to think beyond that.

Anatomy gives us the attachments and potential actions of a muscle.

Function asks us what that muscle is doing in this particular body, during this particular movement, at this particular moment.

And apparently, I’m now heading down a biceps femoris rabbit hole. 😂

Who’s coming with me? Comment 🐇📚

Anatomical information referenced from Miller’s Anatomy of the Dog and Canine Muscle Anatomy, Simplified.

What happens in the brain when pain persists? 🧠

At the 2026 Vet Rehab Summit, Dr Kenneth Joubert will be exploring How Pain Shapes the Brain.

Kenneth brings decades of experience in anaesthesia, analgesia, pain management and critical care to a conversation that is incredibly relevant to rehabilitation professionals.

Because pain isn't simply something our patients feel. It can influence the nervous system itself - changing processing, behaviour, movement and ultimately the way our patients experience and interact with the world around them.

We cannot talk about the brain in rehabilitation without talking about pain.

The Vet Rehab Summit is included in Onlinepethealth membership. Join us live on 14 November 2026 for a full day of learning, connection and conversations that will change the way you think about rehabilitation.

Comment VRS10 to learn more about the 10th Vet Rehab Summit.

CuraCore Vet

In this podcast, Ané speaks with Dr Andrew Armitage about the musculoskeletal adverse events he has observed in dogs receiving Librela. They discuss two distinct patterns of pathology, how these cases present clinically, and what rehabilitation professionals should be looking out for in practice.

This episode shares the conversation from a live community discussion. (The full presentation, including radiographs and case images, is available to Onlinepethealth members.)

💬 Comment VRP1 and we'll send you the link to the podcast.