Articles by Susan E. Davis PT

Susan E. Davis (Sue) is a licensed Physical Therapist with over 30 years of practice in the human field, who transitioned into the animal world after taking courses at the UT Canine Rehabilitation program. She has been providing PT services to dogs and other animals through her entity Joycare Onsite, LLC in pet’s homes and vet clinics since 2008. For more information abous Susan, see her website www.joycareonsite.com, or follow on Twitter. Sue is also the author of fantastic books on animal physical therapy. Physical therapy can do so many great things for your dog. Understanding all the possibilities physical therapy can offer will change your dog’s life. These books belong on the shelf of every dog lover. Learn more about Sue.

143rd Westminster Dog Show: An Old Hound, A New Hound, and a ‘Coy-ker-I can’t-pronounce- it-hond’!

There is lots of canine love to be found in NYC at Piers 92-94 this week. The events Meet the Breeds (dogs and cats too!), Master’s Agility competitions have concluded and the Conformation ring shows plus Masters Obedience competition are going strong currently. This is the place to see your favorite breeds up close. You can learn more about the…

by Susan E. Davis PT

Canine Toplines and How They Translate to Function

What does canine topline refer to and what is its significance? Introduction There is a special reason I look forward to the month of February each year–the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) Dog Show as a credentialed member of their Media/Press team. The show is pure happiness and the Westminster staff considers the dogs the true stars of the show. At…

by Susan E. Davis PT

Physical Therapy in Veterinary World

Exiting the practice of human physical therapy after 31 years and entering the field of veterinary physical rehabilitation in 2008 was a huge career transition. Suddenly I entered a world where what I did was no longer called “Physical Therapy” and many of the providers were not actual physical therapists! Most canine rehabilitation practitioners are vets and veterinary technicians who…

by Susan E. Davis PT

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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