Pawsitive Relief

11/08/2025

Have you checked out the map of what’s on at The North East Dog Festival (30th/31st August!) With so much on we can’t wait to be there! We’re very excited to be sponsoring the Wellness Tipi this year and the team will be taking part too with:

🐾 Talks on recognising chronic pain in dogs AND acupuncture for dogs
🐾 A live demo daily on how to effectively warm up and cool down your dog (and why to bother!)

Keep your eyes peeled this week for your chance to win a pair of tickets for the weekend! It looks set to be amazing! Let us know what you’re looking forward to most! 🐾💕

STOP what you're doing!

The official 2025 North East Dog Festival Map has landed! 🎉🎪

Get your paws on the layout before the big weekend – whether you’re sniffing out the best trade stands, heading straight to the have-a-go rings, or planning to spend your day watching thrilling displays or listening to fantastic seminars...

Get this saved and let your friends know...the countdown begins... just over 3 weeks to go! 🙌

Early bird tickets have been selling much faster than previous years so make sure you don't miss out. Get yours on our website at https://www.northeastdogfestival.com/

📅 Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st August
📍 Kirkley Hall, Ponteland, NE20 0AQ
One weekend. Thousands of dogs. Right here in the North East.
Thanks to Tanya March Illustrations for bringing our vision to life on paper.

22/07/2025

Please bear with us today. We are having some technical issues with our internet and phone lines. Leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

(Image credit: Dantherm Cooling)

16/07/2025

We’re very excited to be sponsoring the Wellness Tipi at The North East Dog Festival this year! It’s set to be a fantastic weekend, make sure to give them a follow to see what else is on offer 🐾 💕

🐾 Living Better, For Longer: Why Recognising Pain in Dogs Matters

Did you know dogs are experts at hiding pain? What might seem like “just getting old” could be something more.

Make sure you visit our wellness tipi to explore
✨ The subtle signs of pain in dogs (even when they’re not limping or crying)
✨ Common myths about ageing and pain
✨ How pain affects behaviour, mobility and mood
✨ Tips on talking to your vet with confidence

Whether your dog is young or growing older, this session will help you spot the early signs of discomfort and become your dog’s best advocate 🧡

Sponsored (and presented) by Pawsitive Relief

13/07/2025

As they say, every day is a school day! A few weeks ago Dr Rogers-Smith completed her final practical module and passed the exams for the CVA programme.

Dr Rogers-Smith integrates TCVM principles into her already established acupuncture practice and is proud to be a step closer to being one of a handful of CVA certified veterinarians in the UK.

If you are interested to explore whether acupuncture may be suitable for your pet please reach out to the practice for more information. We can be contacted through FB, via the website or by emailing [email protected]

We’re here to keep your pets moving, comfortably 🐾 💕

20/06/2025

With the temperatures set to be very hot in the next few days make sure you take steps to keep your woofs safe. Heat stroke is preventable so make sure not to walk your dog until things have cooled down and ensure they have access to shade and plenty of water. Even in a well shaded garden dogs can over heat by playing excessively in these high ambient temperatures. No dog will die from missing a walk, but heat stroke can be rapidly fatal. Keep them calm, keep them cool and keep them safe. 🐾💕☀️

05/06/2025

🌟 Myth: “Pets cry when in pain, my pet doesn’t cry so they are not in pain” – Debunked 🌟

Whilst dogs and cats can vocalise through whining and whimpering. At the point they are doing this because of pain, they are at a very high level of pain.

According to the Glasgow Composite Measure pain scale which categorises pain based on the behavioural signs and responses to palpation - at the point a dog is vocalising pain it is in the severe pain bracket.

Here is a general break down of pain severity in dogs:

🐾 Mild pain: Slight changes in behaviour, reduced activity and mild stiffness.
🐾 Moderate pain: Noticeable limping, reluctance to move, increased licking or chewing at painful areas.
🐾 Severe pain: Vocalisation, aggression, inability to settle and extreme reluctance to move.
🐾 Extreme pain: Unresponsive, severe distress, rapid breathing, refusal to eat or drink.

Pain isn’t always obvious — and we understand that the word itself can feel heavy. That’s why we focus on identifying early signs of discomfort, so we can keep your pet feeling happy, active, and comfortable for as long as possible.

🐾 If you’re unsure whether your pet might be experiencing discomfort, we’re here to help — feel free to get in touch for a chat or to book a consultation. 🐾

05/06/2025

Boop! 💕🐾

Wilf is a very handsome boy who comes to see us for support during his TPLO recovery. Just look at that gorgeous nose!

03/06/2025

Is your pet hiding pain? 5 signs to look out for:

🐾 Increased lethargy - being more quiet than usual. Choosing to lie down rather than stand. They may also show reluctance to walk or play and be more irritable than usual. Cats may sleep more than usual, or no longer sleep in their favourite spots.

🐾 Increased panting in dogs - This can be harder to notice in the summer/hotter months. They do this both for physiological and psychological reasons.

🐾 Weight shifting or the paddling gait- they can’t stand still. Your pet may continuously off load their weight between their forelimbs picking a front leg up and putting it down numerous times within a few minutes. They may also do this in the hind limbs. Often when they offload a hindlimb they may stick it out to the side.

🐾 Increased licking or chewing - your dog may lick or chew a limb, specifically on an evening and often this is around the joints or paw.

🐾 Altered movement - they may look stiffer than usual or may limp in more extreme situations. They might be hesitant to jump on the sofa, bed or when climbing the stairs.

Just because your pet doesn't vocalised/cry or limp doesn't necessarily mean they are pain free. A lot of signs that may be attributed to "old age" are actually signs of pain or discomfort in companion animals.

At Pawsitive Relief it's our mission to work with you to get your pet moving as comfortably as possible. We offer a comprehensive range of complementary chronic pain services including physiotherapy, massage, aquatic treadmill therapy and acupuncture and as we're vet-led we can also have in depth conversations with your regarding the options for pain relieving medications as well.

If you would like to learn more please visit our website www.pawsitiverelief.vetor email us at [email protected]

03/06/2025

We’re so proud of Poppy 🐾 💕

Poppy was hit by a quad bike last year and this lead to a hip dislocation. This was surgically stabilised but unfortunately Poppy continued not to use the leg after surgery. She came to see us starting in January of this year completely non-weight bearing and we are so proud of her progress. It hasn’t been a linear journey (rehab often isn’t!) Complicated by a suspected infection in the hip area but she’s now doing amazingly.

Poppy’s rehab programme was truly multimodal with a combination of physiotherapy, treadmill hydrotherapy and laser used in her plan, alongside a tailored home exercise programme and she now sees us fortnightly for hydrotherapy sessions and is back working on the farm!

Well Done Poppy! 🌟 🐾

02/06/2025

🌿 Discover the Healing Power of Veterinary Acupuncture 🌿

Is your pet struggling with chronic pain, arthritis, mobility issues, neurological weakness or a condition that's just not improving with conventional treatment alone?

At Pawsitive Relief, we offer integrative veterinary acupuncture — blending Traditional Chinese Medicine with evidence-based Western medical acupuncture to create a tailored treatment plan just for your pet.

💉 Whether it’s to manage pain, improve mobility, support recovery after surgery, or to help support the body in chronic disease, acupuncture can be a gentle yet powerful tool in your pet’s care journey.

✨ As a veterinarian-led practice, we ensure every treatment is safe and targeted. Combining modern science and traditional techniques, approaching your pet comprehensively to support their whole body, as well as addressing their symptoms.

📍Located in County Durham, we are proud to be the only veterinary-led comprehensive rehabilitation centre in the North East offering this dual-approach to acupuncture.

🐾 Appointments available now — we are proud to offer extended initial consultation to ensure we take the time to know your pet and your concerns.

📞 Message us directly or visit www.pawsitiverelief.vetto learn more and schedule your first visit.

🐾 We're here to help your pet get back to doing what they love, comfortably 🐾

Discover Pawsitive Relief, a state-of-the-art small animal rehabilitation centre in County Durham. We specialise in veterinarian-led rehabilitation, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, and chronic pain management to help pets regain mobility and thrive. Book a consultation today!

17/04/2025

Wishing you and your furry friends a very Happy Easter! We would love to see your Easter Pet pics! Please share them with us in the comments! 🐶 🐱 🐣 🐰 💕

We are closed now til Tuesday 22nd to spend some time with our own furry companions (and human families of course!).

If you have any questions, email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you asap! Urgent vet care can be sought at Wear Referrals for our registered clients otherwise your primary care vet team will have all the info for where to contact if you need to speak to a vet in an emergency this weekend.

Hope you all have a wonderful few days and let’s keep our fingers crossed we get a bit of the ☀️ back!

07/03/2025

Wishing everyone attending a fantastic time at Crufts this year!! We can’t wait to see all the updates!
🐶 💕🏆