About

Who am I?

I am Issy Riley, the veterinary physiotherapist behind Paws & Claws Vet Physio Clinic. I started my education in the equine industry gaining both a BSc (Hons) and a MSc before I re-evaluated my interests which led me towards my MSc in Veterinary Physiotherapy. Prior to starting my degree, I thought I wanted to work with both dogs and horses, however as I learned more and more about the canine field, I found myself wanting to further my knowledge in the post-operative care and rehabilitation of different canine conditions. 

I always had a keen love for dogs, having grown up with them. We have rehomed a couple of dogs and had a few from puppies, each with their own character. I have had two dogs that initially sparked my dive into veterinary physiotherapy alongside many horses. Buddy who at one-year-old was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and started my curiosity into management and treatment of orthopaedic conditions and in turn the use of complementary therapies such as hydrotherapy and physiotherapy. Our next dog Koda had both his hips replaced before he was 10 months old, furthering my interest into the complementary therapies route with plenty of time spent at physiotherapy and hydrotherapy appointments. Flora our most recent dog has many issues and with this a broadening of my curiosity into the management and treatment of various conditions. 

Since undertaking my MSc in Vet Physio, I started working at the Blue Cross Rehoming Centre in Burford as a pet welfare assistant. Initially starting out in their cattery team, an area I knew very little about as we were a dog/horse family. I very quickly became invested into their care both mentally and physically and found I really enjoyed working with them – which was a pleasant surprise! I have since been researching and studying the benefits and opportunities of physiotherapy for cat clients and found this fascinating and wanted to incorporate into my clinic.

10 years ago, I would have never expected to be on the journey I am currently on, but I can say with absolute confidence that this is where I want to be and it is doing what I love.

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