Online-Congress – SVTPT Online-Congress

About the organization

SVTPT

The SVTPT is the official professional organization of animal physiotherapists and is recognized by the Swiss Physiotherapy Association physioswiss and the Society of Swiss Veterinarians GST. It offers the federally subsidized preparatory course for the higher professional examination HFP to become an animal physiotherapist with a federal diploma, the additional training for animal physiotherapy. The recognition of the HFP by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, SBFI took place in December 2008 and thus the profession Animal Physiotherapist with Federal Diploma is a regulated, officially recognized profession.
The association aims to promote the professional education and training of its members and to ensure the quality of animal physiotherapy as well as to represent the professional and economic interests of its members to the outside world. In order to retain the title, the therapists are obliged to attend regular further training courses. As specialists, animal physiotherapists make an important contribution to the health of the animal and to interdisciplinary cooperation in animal health.

Speakers

Anna Boström BSc (PT)
MSc Vet Physio, PhD

Anna is a physiotherapist working in animal physiotherapy. She is based at the Helsinki University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, where she is working both with clinical patients and in research. Anna holds a PgDip/MSc Veterinary Physiotherapy from the Royal Veterinary College in London and she has completed her PhD at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki in 2018 on the topic “Evaluation of epaxial muscle structure in dogs with spinal disease.” Besides the work with clinical patients, Anna continues her research in the FaunaFysio research group at the Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki. She is the supervisor of two PhD students. Her special research interests are back muscle structure and function in dogs with spinal disease and the increasing physical demands in agility. On clinics Anna works both in the small animal and equine hospital, treating orthopedic, neurological, internal medicine and critical care patients.

Dr. Adrian Harrison (Physiology, D.Phil) (DK)

Lecturer in Animal Production Physiology at the Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University. Adrian is trained in agriculture, biochemistry & nutrition as well as possessing a D.Phil. in physiology from Cambridge University. His main research interest has been muscle, first at the level of porcine muscle development, later with isolated rat muscle contraction, and clinical studies of muscle function and weakness. Adrian´s research also covers intestinal function, GI tract motility, bone density and palaeo-biomedicine. Adrian is the inventor of acoustic myography and has published more than 140 scientific publications

Dr. Heli Hyytiäinen (FI)

Heli graduated as a physiotherapist in January 2000 and did her Finnish specialization studies in Animal Physiotherapy in 2003, after which she has worked only with animal clients. She graduated as a Master of Science in Veterinary Physiotherapy from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012, and finalized her PhD in 2015. 17 years ago she started, and has since further developed, the physiotherapy department at the Helsinki University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, working with both, small animals and horses. She is also the consulting physiotherapist for a private equine clinic. Currently she works as a clinical lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki. She is the leader of research group FaunaFysio, providing research and evidence based information to the animal physiotherapy community. She is also a lecturer at the University of Liverpool Master of Science in Veterinary Physiotherapy programme.

Emma Mathlin (AUS)
BSc (Physiotherapy)
Mast AnimSt (Physiotherapy)
Mast Exercise Sports Science (Sports Performance) with Honours (Show Jumping Biomechanics)

An experienced human and animal physiotherapist, Emma works with horses and riders of all levels and disciplines. In addition to master’s level animal physiotherapy qualifications, she has also completed a post graduate master’s in sports science. As part of this study she conducted research into the effect of rider experience on the horse kinematics of show jumping.
At an elite level, Emma has worked with the Australian equestrian team, attending both the World Equestrian Games in 2014 and the Rio 2016 Olympics.
She is interested in all areas of equestrian performance, including fitness and posture training for riders and biomechanical analysis and movement training for horse and rider. She loves to assist the horse and rider partnership to improve their performance.

Wendy Murdoch (USA)

Created and developed by Wendy Murdoch, SURE FOOT’s effectiveness is acknowledged by owners, veterinarians, equine professionals, trainers, trimmers, and farriers around the world. The Program uses SURE FOOT Equine Stability Pads, designed by Wendy, specifically for horses. Your horse has an opportunity to experience his own habitual patterns and find ease when standing on SURE FOOT Pads. Watch as he shifts from anxious to calm, and from calm to a deep state of relaxation. Even more amazing is these improvements last long after the horse walks off the Pad. Greater relaxation means, less stress, easier to train, greater freedom of movement, more resilience to the environment, and greater wellbeing.

Dr. med. vet. Sebastian Knell (CH)

Sebastian Knell completed his studies at the Justus-Liebig University in Giessen (DE) and received his doctorate there in 2007. After working in various small animal practices, he worked at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna (AUT) as an intern and surgical assistant. After a short stay at Colorado State University (USA), he began his specialist surgical training at the University of Zurich in 2007 and graduated as a Diplomate ECVS in small animal surgery in 2012. He subsequently worked there as a senior consultant and deputy head of department until 2019. He also conducted research on neurosurgery as part of a PhD. In addition to his work at the university, Sebastian Knell operates on a part-time basis at the Aarau West Veterinary Clinic.

Carrie Smith (CA)
BScPT, CCRT, CAFCI, Cert. Sport Physio, Cert. Gunn IMS

• Owner of Kemptville Canine Centre (Ottawa, ON, Canada)
• Graduated from the University of Western Ontario 1985
• Physiotherapist for the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team (1996-98), Canadian Men’s Rugby Team (2007-2012)
• Canine Rehab Therapist for the Canadian World Agility Open Team (2018-present)

Ansi van der Walt
(ZA)

Ansi van der Walt is a veterinary physiotherapist from Johannesburg, South Africa. Ansi has been in practice since 2001, and runs her own physiotherapy practice, treating mainly dogs, but also some horses, cats and exotic animals. She is currently pursuing her PhD in pain management through the University of Cape Town.