About me
Hello, My name is Deirdre Duggan. I am a Small Animal Rehabilitation therapist and registered Veterinary Nurse.
I started life off being the daughter of a large animal vet in South Kerry, which sparked a passion to care for animals. My step into the professional Veterinary world started when i was 18 years old, training to be a veterinary nurse in Dublin. I qualified through the RCVS, and went on to work as a vet nurse for 10 years, including 5 years as a head vet nurse in a lovely small animal hospital in Douglas, Cork. It was while working as a nurse in a small animal veterinary referral hospital in Cork, that I became very interested in physiotherapy and started doing CPD courses in this area. I was responsible for setting up Gilabbey Veterinary Hospital's physiotherapy department, which included an inpatient and outpatient referral service and hydrotherapy service. To say I loved the job was an understatement!!! I thoroughly enjoyed my job. Throughout the years, I went onto qualify as a hydrotherapist in 2011 through K9HS in the Uk, and then I gained a post graduate certificate in Small Animal Rehabilitation Therapy through Nottingham University's vet school, coming first in my class. I gained a huge amount of invaluable experience working with the team in the referral hospital, seeing patients with a variety of ailments, including orthopaedic, neurological, medical and even behavioural issues that impacted movement and function. In 2018, I was nominated for companion animal person of the year award where I came runner up- Thank you to whoever nominated me by the way I still don't know!! I have a young family and 3 older dogs and the time seemed right to come closer to home, which is now in East Cork, so in July 2020, I set up Pet Paws Physio, bringing a Veterinary Rehabilitation service to the pets of east Cork and the surrounding area.
Testimonials
Fhinisc
"Fhinisc is my search and rescue dog, she is trained to search for missing people, particularly in areas bordering rivers. She sustained an injury in July 2020, I didn't see what happened, but I could observe that she was lame in her right hind leg and was losing muscle tone fast on that side. The vet diagnosed a tear in the achilles tendon, and I was referred to Deirdre. Deirdre kindly fitted me in for a visit on the same day, and in the end Fhinisc had 4 visits with Deirdre. We were given an exercise programme, with specific movements to do and repeat every day, three to four times a day. Of course, this is hard work for the owner, but it is vital to follow through on your physio exercises (as we all know!). The results are brilliant. After 6 weeks Fhinisc is back in light training and should be fine for harder work too, later in the year. One last thing to say! I have to keep up the exercises to maintain her strength and advoid a relapse of the injury.
Thank you Deirdre for helping Fhinisc"
Elizabeth Alderton
Deirdre Duggan of Pet Paws Physiotherapy provided her professional services to help both our Bichon Frise dogs recover after cruciate surgery. In 2014, Buster attended Deirdre, when he was two years old. Pluto's surgery happened more recently in February 2021, when he was 10 years old. In addition to being an older dog, Pluto's operation was more complex. Additionally, he had also experienced heart surgery weeks earlier in January.
Deirdre was excellent on both occasions. She clearly loves animals, wants the best outcomes for them, and is extremely knowledgeable. Deirdre videoed her sessions so we could repeat the exercises at home. She kept us updated on progress throughout and while she wanted to achieve the best result, she was also pragmatic and did not extend the sessions past their useful purpose.
Both Pluto and Buster were calm in Deirdre's presence and enjoyed being with her. Deirdre takes the time to understand their individual personalities and what motivates them. She regularly checks in to see how both are doing and shows an active interest in their long term welfare. Pluto is now capable of long walks and is back to enjoying a normal life. Buster is also continuing to do very well. We believe that Deirdre's good work has significantly improved their mobility and quality of life. For that, we are very grateful.
Deirdre also updated us on advances in medication and advised us to consult with our vet about moving both our dogs to a monthly injection with no known side effects versus taking medication orally each day. We have done this and the outcome has been very positive.
We have no hesitation in strongly recommending Deirdre as an excellent animal physiotherapist.
Sincerely
Annette Condon and Richard Byrne
Pawrents to Pluto and Buster
2022
In November 2021 my 9 year old Jack Russell terrier, Jack woke one morning with his hind quarters completely paralysed. Luckily our vet was able to contact a specialist who diagnosed a ruptured disc which was pressing on Jack's spinal cord. He operated immediately, and told us Jack had a 95% chance of walking again, but that there would be months of recovery ahead.
Having been lucky enough to have an exceptional surgeon giving Jack a good prognosis, I contacted our vet again, as we knew we were facing a long road, and I wanted to give Jack the best chance at a complete recovery. Our vet recommended that I contact Deirdre. Deirdre saw Jack when he was still unable to walk without assistance. We used to support his hind quarters with a towel while he dragged his seemingly lifeless paws behind him. Deirdre made us a loop harness for Jack, and over a period of several months, she monitored his progress, giving me new exercises for him as he slowly learned to walk again. Deirdre's kindness to Jack and to me will never be forgotten. She gave us expert advice on massage, exercises, equipment to help Jack's recovery, and advice on modifying his environment while he recovered.
Jack progressed to walking without his loop harness and then onto walking on uneven surfaces, and eventually all restrictions were gone, and we now walk several kilometres on most days. When I see him now walking, running and doing "zoomies" with our other dog, I find it hard to believe that he was once unable to walk. My sincere thanks to Deirdre for all her expertise and her support and kindness during our journey back.
Cathal de Baróid
July 2022
We have attended Dee (Pet Paws Physio) over the last number of years with 2 of our dogs. Both different ages, breeds, and personalities. Charley was a 12 year old Chocolate lab with Arthritis and Luna is a 2-year-old Springer Collie Cross with hip dysplasia. Dee was recommended to us by our vet and I can still recall the initial telephone conversation. Dee was kind warm, very knowledgeable, and reassuring via telephone and so much more in person. It is very evident her love of animals but also her adaptability depending on the dog in front of her and the condition they present with. In both instances, she provided top-quality hands-on treatments, exercises, and thermotherapy. Very detailed home exercise plans were provided with video links to allow us further support for the correct technique. She was able to provide tips and suggestions for different adjustments that could be made in the environment to aid in improved quality of life. We are so incredibly fortunate to have such an absolute invaluable resource here in Cork. 100% recommend to everyone.
Phil and Laura Manning
February 2024
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