I have many enquiries about how to become an Animal Physiotherapist in Australia. As Chair of the Animal Physiotherapy Group with the APA (Australian Physiotherapy Association), I am proud to announce that we finally have our educational pathway up and running.
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We did have a 2 year Masters program at UQ which ceased in 2007 which I completed. We endeavour to get this reinstated. To be an Animal Physiotherapist you must be a human Physiotherapist first as the presumed knowledge obtained in an undergraduate course is required, and applied across to the canine and equine species.
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Physiotherapy is a protected title in Australia so if you are looking for an Animal Physiotherapist in your area feel free to contact me to recommend someone who is appropriately trained. It is so important to have someone qualified to do ‘Physiotherapy’ on your animal.
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Through the APA we have started our Level 1 Animal Physiotherapy course. Please see the website https://www.physiotherapy.asn.au/iMIS/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=VAG131013C for more information and registration. We are running this for the second time in Melbourne this year in October before the APA conference. This is a very comprehensive 4 day course as an introduction to working as an Animal Physiotherapist.
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When I started my Undergraduate physiotherapy training at UQ in 1994 I would never have dreamed I would have gone down this path (as this career was not an option back then). It has been such a great journey and I love working with animals. I have certainly chosen the path of most resistance and it has taken a lot of hard work to get a new profession established in Australia, but definitely a rewarding one. If you are a physio thinking about moving across from 2 to 4 leg species – DO IT!
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