In this episode of Canine Arthritis Matters, Hannah speaks with Dr Matt Gurney about Pawra (https://pawra.com), a new canine wellness centre in Chiswick, London, designed to complement a dog’s primary veterinary care rather than replace it. They explore the growing “wellness gap” between annual vet visits and problem driven consultations, and how Pawra aims to fill this space with evidence informed services focused on prevention, rehabilitation and early detection.

Matt explains Pawra’s 90 minute Wellness Assessment (https://pawra.com/wellness-assessment/), the four pillars of care (Stay Well, Stay Fit, Stay Sharp, Recover), and why clear referral pathways and collaboration with a dog’s own vet are essential for safe and effective care. The conversation then moves into osteoarthritis, covering diagnosis, muscle assessment, physiotherapy, environmental changes and why proactive care is critical for long term quality of life.

Guest bio

Dr Matt Gurney is a UK based veterinary anaesthetist and analgesia specialist. He trained at the University of Liverpool, works at Eastcott Referrals (https://www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk), and is Veterinary Lead at Pawra (https://pawra.com). Matt lectures internationally on pain management, has authored numerous publications in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, is Past President of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contribution to clinical practice.

5 key takehomes

1. Pawra is designed to complement, not compete with, your vet by focusing on personalised prevention, rehabilitation and early issue detection (https://pawra.com/services/).

2. The Pawra Wellness Assessment provides structured, practical actions for caregivers, the home environment and the primary vet.

3. Pain, physiotherapy and behaviour services should follow referral pathways to ensure the full medical history is considered and patient safety is prioritised.

4. Proactive care matters, common issues like dental disease and obesity are widespread and often improveable when identified early.

5. Effective osteoarthritis management relies on evidence based frameworks such as the COAST staging tool, accurate diagnosis, muscle assessment, physiotherapy guided exercise, weight optimisation and environmental changes like flooring.

Relevant links

Pawra website: https://pawra.com

Pawra services overview: https://pawra.com/services/

Pawra centre and facilities: https://pawra.com/our-centre/

Pawra contact and location: https://pawra.com/contact-us/

COAST resources

COAST staging tool PDF:

https://assets.elanco.com/0cec44ed-3eaa-0009-2029-666567e7e4de/b2d5f58c-2645-46ad-b5e5-65906b491bf3/COAST%20Printable%20PDF.pdf

COAST publication PDF:

https://assets.elanco.com/0cec44ed-3eaa-0009-2029-666567e7e4de/fde5d152-6471-4916-af01-550ae49873c6/COAST_Publication.pdf

The Pain Vet: https://thepainvet.co.uk

CAM Essentials

If you are a caregiver or professional wanting a clear, practical and evidence based framework for recognising osteoarthritis pain and building a management plan with your vet team, explore the Canine Arthritis Essentials course here:

https://www.cameducation.co.uk/course/camessentials

Learn more about CAM:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canine_arthritis

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CanineArthritisManagement

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canine-arthritis-management-ltd

Have questions send them to: info@caninearthritis.co.uk

Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.