Level 6 Diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy with small animal hydrotherapy (Top up for Veterinary nurses/Veterinary surgeons).

Learners will need to show evidence of a Vet or Vet Nurse qualification before enrolling. If already a qualified Hydrotherapist, learners will also be able to omit the 12 hydrotherapy units within this course. Please also note, the minimum age for enrolment is 18.

Minimum Age restriction

18

Average completion timeframe

You have 3 years to complete your course.

Assessement requirements

You will be assessed via a combination of video and photo submissions, case studies, your supervisor will also need to provide witness testimonies.

Placement or Practical required

This course includes a 5 day hydrotherapy placement at our centre, as well as 25 days on a physiotherapy placement at our Canine Fitness centre, PLUS 800 hours of clinical experience with a Physiotherapist that learners will they need to find themselves.

If placement or practical required, when?

Learners can complete the practical training once payment thresholds are met and the relevant parts of the theory are complete. The placement is then booked on a 1:1 basis (bespoke to each learners’ abilities).

Additional requirements

There are no additional requirements.

Certification Timeframe

Learners can expect their certification within 6 months of completing the course, following the (EQA) External Quality Assurance of assessment.

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 36 months.

Unit 1: Introduction to Small Animal Hydrotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand what hydrotherapy is
Understand the properties of water
Know the equipment used in hydrotherapy
Understand the intended outcomes of hydrotherapy
Understand the health and safety requirements in a hydrotherapy centre
Understand legislation about hydrotherapy

Unit 2: Biomechanics and Gait

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the terminology used in hydrotherapy
Understand gait patterns
Evaluate normal and abnormal postures
Understand the process of muscle contraction

Unit 3: Conditions Presented for Hydrotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand orthopaedic conditions
Understand medical conditions
Understand neurological conditions
Understand how to manage conditions presented for hydrotherapy
Understand how hydrotherapy improves the condition and fitness of small animals

Unit 4: Understanding Small Animal Massage

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the benefits of small animal massage
Understand massage techniques and their use
Understand the benefits of massage for common injuries
Understand the various forms of massage

Unit 5: Water Maintenance, Balance and Testing

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the maintenance of hydrotherapy equipment
Understand how to administer water chemicals
Understand how to evaluate water test results

Unit 6: Practical Skills in Small Animal Hydrotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Be able to assess patients prior to treatment
Be able to prepare the environment for hydrotherapy treatment
Be able to prepare patients for hydrotherapy treatment
Be able to conduct hydrotherapy pool sessions
Be able to complete aftercare processes following hydrotherapy treatment
Be able to communicate feedback to members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT)

Unit 7: Practical Advanced Aquatic Treadmill Therapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Be able to conduct a gait analysis
Understand the equipment used for advanced aquatic TM techniques
Be able to apply advanced aquatic TM techniques
Be able to review patient performance

Unit 8: Practical Aquatic Treadmill Treatment

On completion of this unit you will:

Be able to operate an aquatic treadmill
Understand the factors affecting patients in the aquatic treadmill
Understand patient suitability for the aquatic treadmill
Be able to create treadmill sessions for patients

Unit 9: Administration in a Hydrotherapy Centre

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the importance of continual professional development
Understand professional conduct within a hydrotherapy centre
Understand the roles and responsibilities of staff within a hydrotherapy centre
Understand hydrotherapy centre administration

Unit 10: Assessing the Suitability of Animals for Hydrotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the importance of veterinary referral
Understand how to health check small animals
Know the members of the Multi-disciplinary team (MDT)
Understand how to assess the suitability of patients for hydrotherapy

Unit 11: Animal Behaviour

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand small animal behaviour concerning safe handling for hydrotherapy
Understand small animal body language

Unit 12: Tissue Healing

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the tissue healing processes
Understand the factors affecting tissue healing
Understand the pain and its effect on hydrotherapy treatment planning
Understand the timing of hydrotherapy in relation to tissue healing

PART ONE:

Unit 1: Application of Advanced Hydrotherapy and Treadmill Techniques

On completion of this unit you will:

Know how to conduct hydrotherapy sessions using advanced pool and treadmill techniques

Unit 2: Hydrotherapy Business Management and Branding

On completion of this unit you will:

Gain knowledge of how to establish a hydrotherapy company
Understand the importance of branding and marketing
Know how to manage hydrotherapy business accounts

Unit 3: Comprehensive Canine Nutrition

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the role of nutrients for canines and how they support bodily functions
Understand the structure and function of the canine digestive system
Understand what nutritional benefits the canine diet provides

Unit 4: Common Medical Conditions that Benefit from Hydrotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Know common orthopaedic and neurological conditions that may benefit from hydrotherapy treatment
Understand how to manage small animals with these conditions

Unit 5: Feline Behaviour and Welfare in Hydrotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand common feline behaviour
Know how to handle felines correctly and safely in a hydrotherapy setting

Unit 6: Musculoskeletal System Anatomy and Terminology

On completion of this unit you will:

Have explored in detail the muscles and joints, and their role within the skeletal system
Be familiar with the anatomical terminology used in referrals

Unit 7: Comprehensive Canine Laser Therapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Know about laser therapy and the different types of class IV laser equipment
Be familiar with the different types of wavelengths and their importance in laser therapy
Know the types of conditions in small animals that will benefit from laser therapy
Understand the health and safety responsibilities of a laser therapist

Unit 8: Canine Musculoskeletal System and Physiotherapy Practice

On completion of this unit you will:

Know the structure and function of the canine musculoskeletal system
Be familiar with common orthopaedic conditions that are suitable for physiotherapy
Discover the professional duties of a physiotherapist
Know the range of equipment required

Unit 9: Fundamentals of Land-Based Manual Therapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the importance of clinical reasoning of land-based manual exercise
Have investigated the risk and contraindications of basic land-based therapy
Understand the reasons for the integration and transfer of land to water-based therapy

Unit 10: Effective Maintenance and Water Management in Hydrotherapy Facilities

On completion of this unit you will:

Know how to maintain hydrotherapy pools and treadmills effectively
Understand the potential risk and hazards of inadequate maintenance

Unit 11: Practical Skills and Programme Design in Small Animal Hydrotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Have studied a range of practical skills required in small animal hydrotherapy
Have had the opportunity to design and evaluate plans and programmes for hydrotherapy and treadmill treatment plans

Unit 12: Management and Duty of Care in Hydrotherapy Centres

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand what ‘duty of care' means in relation to running a hydrotherapy centre
Know the implications health and disease have in a hydrotherapy centre
Appreciate the importance of accurate record keeping

Unit 13: Comprehensive Small Animal Massage

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand what small animal massage entails and the impact on the anatomical structures of small animals
Be familiar with the different types of small animal massage technique
Understand the benefits of certain conditions experienced by small animals

Unit 14: Canine Body Language and Stress Management in Small Animal Hydrotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Know how to recognise signs of stress during small animal hydrotherapy
Know how to reduce stress during hydrotherapy
Understand the safe handling techniques to be used on small animals

PART TWO:

Unit 15: Gait Analysis and Clinical Reasoning

On completion of this unit you will:

Be familiar with conducting gait analysis and recognising normal and abnormal gait patterns
Be able to attribute these findings to a patient problem using clinical reasoning
Be able to recognise abnormalities in gait which may form as a result of compensations

Unit 16: Palpation, Massage, Stretching, and Joint Mobilisation Techniques

On completion of this unit you will:

Have developed your palpation skills, and be able to apply these skills to manual techniques
Be able to use palpation skills to assess a patient before the application of massage
Be able to evaluate the response to massage techniques, including passive range of motion
Have developed your knowledge of stretching techniques and joint mobilisations

Unit 17: Canine Nutrition and Health Optimisation

On completion of this unit you will:

Know how to analyse the composition and calorific content of commercial and home-cooked canine diets
Understand the prevalence and effects of obesity
Know what methods are available for weight reduction and how to assist owners with this
Understand the nutritional requirements of a hospitalised patient
Understand how diet and health can affect the performance of the canine athlete

Unit 18: Canine Sports and Conditioning

On completion of this unit you will:

Be familiar with the common sports which dogs participate in within the UK
Have investigated the importance of conditioning
Know which injuries affect dogs participating in various sports
Understand the principles behind rehabilitating sporting dogs

Unit 19: Clinical Reasoning and Safe Application of Electrophysical Agents

On completion of this unit you will:

Be able to clinically reason which patients would benefit from the following electrophysical agents: thermal therapies, therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation and pulsed magnetic therapies
Be able to demonstrate the safe application of these therapies
Know what contraindications there are for each one
Know which precautions to take when considering the application

Unit 20: Business Development and Resilience

On completion of this unit you will:

Have developed your business skills by developing your knowledge about web platforms and social media
Understand VAT and the VAT registration process
Understand how to develop the business using strategizing
Understand how to increase business profits
Understand methods for expansion
Know how to cope when running a business in the face of adversity

Unit 21: Customer Service Excellence in Physiotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Be able to deliver excellent customer service during the application of your physiotherapy service
Be able to develop the right environment for the patient and owner
Know the importance of communication skills and maintaining professionalism
Know how to deal with complaints

Unit 22: Canine Athlete Assessment and Treatment Planning

On completion of this unit you will:

Know how to assess a canine athlete
Know how to create treatment goals based on these assessment findings
Know how to clinically reason treatment techniques which should be selected to form a treatment plan on the basis of these findings
Be able to evaluate the sporting dog’s response to treatment
Know how to prepare them to return to function
Know how best to prevent re-injury in these patients

Unit 23: Effects of Injury and Physiotherapy Intervention to Aid Tissue Repair

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the effects of damage to the musculoskeletal system caused by injury at a cellular, tissue and gross level
Understand the tissue response to injury by the process of inflammation, regeneration and repair
Know how physiotherapy techniques can be applied to specific conditions to facilitate recovery

Unit 24: Lifelong Learning and Professional Growth in Animal Rehabilitation

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the importance of lifelong learning and the benefits it can provide to the individual, and also to the animal rehabilitation industry
Have developed methods of adopting lifelong learning
Have developed your understanding skills to better succeed in your career and to improve animal welfare

Unit 25: Biomechanical Principles in Rehabilitation and Conditioning

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the principles of biomechanics and how this relates this to the functions of the MSK
Be familiar with the biomechanics of locomotion, described by kinetics and kinematics
Have examined the application of kinesiology in methods of rehabilitation and in conditioning

Unit 26: Multidisciplinary Teamwork in Veterinary Care and Sport Medicine

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand how a Multidisciplinary Teamwork (MDT) approach can benefit professionals and clients in veterinary care and sport medicine
Have developed an understanding of the MDT approach and how this approach has changed human healthcare
Understand the different roles in veterinary care and sport medicine

Unit 27: Strength and Conditioning in Animal Rehabilitation

On completion of this unit you will:

Have investigated the benefits of strength and conditioning exercises and their use
Know which specific exercises can be used for strength and conditioning, their benefits and application
Understand at what level to start an exercise program, and know how to develop the patient based on their response
Understand the contraindications for strength and conditioning and the precautions to be aware of when undertaking these exercises

Unit 28: Physical Principles and Patient Benefits of Electrical Therapies in Rehabilitation

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the physical principles behind, patients' benefit of, and indications for the following electrical therapies: thermal therapies, therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation including NMES and TENS, pulsed magnetic field therapy and shockwave therapy

Unit 29: Musculoskeletal and Systemic Responses to Strength Training and Conditioning

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand how the musculoskeletal system responds to strength and conditioning, at cellular and a gross level
Know how the different types of strength and conditioning training can have different effects on the tissues
Know how other body systems respond to strength and conditioning including the respiratory system, cardiovascular system and haematological and biochemical systems

Unit 30: The Aging Process and Geriatric Patient Care

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand how the ageing process affects the cells, organs, musculoskeletal system and other body systems
Have investigated the ways in which diet and exercise can affect the ageing process
Understand which neurological and orthopaedic conditions commonly affect the geriatric patient
Know how to assess, clinically reason treatment techniques for and adopt an exercise programme in order to suit the geriatric patient

Unit 31: Practical Application of Research Methodology

On completion of this unit you will:

Have explored choices of methodology based on research questions
Understand what methods are most suitable for different research questions and how to apply such methods in practice

Unit 32: Assessing and Monitoring Welfare in Small Animals

On completion of this unit you will:

Know how to assess the welfare needs of small animals particularly dogs, cats and rabbits
Be able to monitor the health needs and care of dogs, cats and rabbits
Understand the impact of stress and animal behaviour on animal welfare

Unit 33: Tissue Changes and Rehabilitation Effects

On completion of this unit you will:

Have studied the changes in specific tissues following a period of immobilisation following injury and then remobilisation during rehabilitation
Have learned about the effects on tissue of specific conditions and their rehabilitation
Examined tissue response to both strength and endurance training

PART THREE:

Unit 34: Cellular Anatomy, Injury, and Responses

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the anatomical structures contained within the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems, including the functions and physiology of each of the systems
Have learned about the impact of physiotherapy on the body

Unit 35: Understanding and Managing Patient Behaviour in Physiotherapy Sessions

On completion of this unit you will:

Have studied the behavioural implications which may arise as a result of pain
Understand how a patient’s behaviour may change in response to fear
Know how to deal with aggressive canine and feline patients
Know how to use behavioural modification and training techniques to make the session a positive experience for the patient

Unit 36: Neurological Assessment and Management in Small Animal Physiotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Develop an understanding of the anatomy of the central and peripheral nervous systems
Understand spinal reflexes and the information they give about a patient’s neurological function
Know how to perform a full neurological exam on a small animal patient

Unit 37: Clinical Practice in Veterinary Hydrotherapy and Physiotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Have undertaken a minimum of 800 clinical practice hours across the duration of your training
Have had the opportunity to observe and apply aspects of learning and practical skills required for the veterinary physiotherapy profession

Unit 38: Clinical Reasoning in Rehabilitation

On completion of this unit you will:

Be familiar with clinical reasoning in the rehabilitation setting
Understand how clinical reasoning errors occur

Unit 39: Treatment Plans for the Rehabilitation of Common Musculoskeletal Injuries

On completion of this unit you will:

Be familiar with the common injuries to which patients are referred for rehabilitation for
Have learned how to create treatment goals for patient rehabilitation
Know how to develop a hydrotherapy/ physiotherapy treatment plan for the rehabilitation patient
Know how to evaluate the response to a treatment plan for rehabilitation

Unit 40: Cellular Anatomy, Injury, and Responses

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the anatomical structure of the cell and the function of the components which make up the cell
Have explored the causes of cellular damage and how different types of injury affect the cell in different ways

Unit 41: Individualised Exercise Prescription in Rehabilitation

On completion of this unit you will:

Know how to ensure the home environment is suitable for the patient
Understand how the stage of the healing affects the exercises prescribed
Know how to develop an exercise prescription for a specific patient

Unit 42: Physiotherapy Techniques and Equipment

On completion of this unit you will:

Be familiar with the different physiotherapy techniques which can be used for rehabilitation
Understand what techniques and equipment can be used to enhance patient strength, range and balance during a physiotherapy session

Unit 43: Principles of Rehabilitation in Canine and Feline Patients

On completion of this unit you will:

Be familiar with the principles and goals of rehabilitation
Understand how differences in morphology can impact the rehabilitation of small animal patients
Have had the opportunity to consider the different rehabilitation settings in which therapies can take place

Unit 44: Professional Practice in Veterinary Hydrotherapy and Physiotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Have developed an understanding of the professional practice
Know how to promote good practice in the veterinary hydrotherapy and veterinary physiotherapy setting
Know how to effectively use communication and codes of conduct relating to the industry

Unit 45: Ethics and Legislation in Professional Physiotherapy Practice

On completion of this unit you will:

Have explored the ethics and legislation surrounding professional rehabilitation practice
Have learned about professional membership for physiotherapists

Unit 46: Research Project

On completion of this unit you will:

Have conducted a supervised project
Have developed an understanding of how to formulate, conduct, analyse and present a project

Unit 47: Competent and Compassionate Animal Care in Veterinary Physiotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Know how to implement competent, compassionate and safe animal handling
Understand what health and safety precautions must be undertaken to deliver a safe physiotherapy service
Understand the professional behaviour requirements for a veterinary physiotherapist
Know how to keep professional records as a physiotherapist and the importance of doing so

Unit 48: Developmental Considerations for the Juvenile Patient

On completion of this unit you will:

Be familiar with the development of the skeleton, and the skeletal differences which may exist among juvenile patients
Understand the exercise considerations for skeletally immature animals
Know about common conditions juvenile patients are referred for rehabilitation for
Understand the ways to adapt the rehabilitation session for the juvenile patient

Unit 49: Legislation and Ethics in Small Animal Care

On completion of this unit you will:

Have explored ethics relating to small animals with a focus on dogs, cats, and rabbits
Have learned about different ethical viewpoints and sentience
Be able to relate these topics to small animal legislation

Unit 50: Advanced Case Study

On completion of this unit you will:

Have constructed a 2500–3000-word case study about a particular patient and their treatment session

Unit 51: Pain Management in Veterinary Physiotherapy

On completion of this unit you will:

Understand the physiological mechanisms surrounding pain and the complexity of managing chronic pain
Know how patient behaviour may be affected by pain
Know the pharmaceuticals commonly prescribed by veterinary surgeons to treat pain

Students will be assessed by a portfolio of evidence and a practical assessment. Students will need to show sufficient evidence that they have the required knowledge, skills and understanding of the assessment criteria. 

When are you assessed?

Once you have successfully completed your portfolio of evidence and the practical assessments you will receive your certificate of completion alongside your qualification.