Medical Alert Dog gets Back to Work after 30mph Car Crash

A Medical Alert Dog who suffered a whiplash injury when the car she was travelling in was hit from behind at around 30mph has made a remarkable recovery – returning to work after just three-and-a-half months of rehabilitation.

Doris, a Medical Alert Dog who works alongside her owner Leah Smith, was travelling in a secured crate in the boot of the car when the accident happened in May 2025. The force of the collision damaged her crate and Doris was taken directly to an emergency veterinary practice, where she was given muscle relaxants after appearing uncomfortable.

But in the weeks following the accident, it was clear that Doris was struggling.

She began hopping when walking, stopped climbing stairs and refused to jump onto the sofa – behaviours that were completely out of character for a dog who had previously been active and mobile.

Initially, Leah believed Doris’s problems could be related to a previous knee injury. But when she contacted Doris’s veterinary physiotherapist, Kate Parsons of Paws Physiotherapy, a full assessment revealed the real extent of her injuries.

Although Doris was experiencing some discomfort around her knee, Kate identified significant pain and restriction through her neck and back, as well as her lower back and hips. Doris was also compensating for the pain by shifting her weight onto her front legs, creating additional discomfort around her shoulders.

The assessment indicated that Doris had suffered a whiplash-type injury during the crash.

“I didn’t even know dogs could get whiplash,” says Leah. “I had received treatment for my own injuries after the accident, but I didn’t realise Doris was struggling too. We could see she wasn’t comfortable, and she simply couldn’t relax.”

A race to get Doris back on her paws

Doris was prescribed pain relief to manage her pain and inflammation and started veterinary physiotherapy immediately. She was also referred for canine massage to help address muscle tension and spasms associated with the trauma.

It was during her massage treatment that Doris was introduced to Photizo Vetcare red-light therapy, which Leah says quickly became an important part of her rehabilitation programme.

Her massage therapist initially used the device alongside treatment, with Leah noticing an immediate change in Doris’s ability to settle.

“Before using Photizo, Doris couldn’t stay in one position for more than a few minutes because she was so uncomfortable,” says Leah. “After one session she slept for an hour in exactly the same position. You could see that she was more comfortable and peaceful.”

Doris continued with weekly physiotherapy and massage every two weeks, while red-light therapy was used at home between professional sessions.

At the height of her rehabilitation, Doris received red-light therapy several times a day, including before and after physiotherapy sessions.

Leah explained: “After two solid weeks of using the red-light therapy 3-5 times a day, we were able to remove Doris from all pain medication for her whiplash! This was incredible, obviously I would rather have Doris receive regular red-light treatment than having to constantly medicate her, it was a great feeling”.

Originally Doris’s recovery had been expected to need around six months of rehabilitation. Instead, she was discharged from both physiotherapy and massage after three-and-a-half months!

Leah enthused: “I personally don’t believe Doris’s recovery would have been as quick without the red-light therapy,” says Leah. “It was always part of her wider rehabilitation alongside physiotherapy, massage and veterinary care, but we saw such a difference in her comfort and ability to settle.”

Getting a Medical Alert Dog back to work

Doris’s recovery was particularly important because she isn’t simply a family pet – she has an important working role as a Medical Alert Dog.

The pain medication appeared to affect Doris’s cognitive ability and meant she was struggling to perform her usual alerting work. Leah explains:

“I was worried about asking her to do her normal work if she was in pain or discomfort,” says Leah. “But the medication was also affecting her ability to do her job. I wanted Doris to be comfortable, but I also wanted her to be able to get back to being Doris.”

Once Doris was discharged from physiotherapy and massage, Leah continued using red-light therapy at home, generally twice a day, with additional sessions on days when Doris was particularly active.

However, when the Photizo device that had been loaned to the family by Doris’s massage therapist had to be returned, Leah noticed Doris was beginning to struggle again.

She became reluctant to jump, found it harder to settle and started biting at her claws.

So, Leah contacted Photizo UK and Doris was selected for the company’s Photizo to the Rescue initiative, which provides selected animal cases access to either a Photizo Vetcare or a Silent Vetcare device for an initial three-month period, documenting its use as part of a wider rehabilitation programme.

Leah chose the Photizo Silent Vetcare. Following Doris’s emergency veterinary admission after the accident, she had developed a sensitivity to beeping sounds from the veterinary equipment.

“The Silent version has been so much easier to use on Doris,” says Leah. “She will happily sit or lie down while having a red-light session.”

Back to doing what Doris does best

Today, Doris is back to her role as a Medical Alert Dog, alerting Leah when required and able to rest comfortably after busy working days.

Leah says she has also seen a noticeable improvement in Doris’s fitness, with muscle tone returning to her hind legs and the weight she gained while inactive coming back off. She explains:

“Doris seems like a happier and fitter dog! As a pet parent with a Medical Alert Dog, I am so impressed with Photizo red-light therapy. It has helped Doris get back to being a fit dog and integrating it into her rehabilitation made her recovery feel quicker, smoother and easier.”

Supporting the dogs that support us

Doris’s story also comes at a time when her owner Leah is supporting the charity Medical Detection Dogs.

In November 2025, Leah contacted the Photizo team about a fundraising event she was organising for the charity. In December, Leah and Doris raised more than £1,630 for Medical Detection Dogs.

Founded in 2008, Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to detect the odour of human disease, while its Medical Alert Assistance Dogs are trained to identify minute changes in an individual’s personal odour associated with their condition and alert them to an impending medical event.

Kellie Charge, National Fundraising Manager at Medical Detection Dogs, says the charity’s work relies on public support.

Hayley Molton, Health and Welfare Manager at Medical Detection Dogs, says the welfare of its working dogs is paramount, she enthused:

“The health and welfare of all the four-legged team at Medical Detection Dogs is paramount and they receive the best veterinary and dietary care and regular health checks,” says Hayley.

But as well as their work, their down time is extremely important as dogs will be dogs, accidents can happen – from pesky grass seeds or poorly paws to more serious treatment or surgery.

“In those instances, such as when Doris hurt her neck, we seek expert care and professionals and work closely with them to ensure they are back on their paws as quickly and safely as possible.”

For Doris’s veterinary physiotherapist, Kate Parsons ACPAT CAT A of Paws Physiotherapy, helping Doris return to her role has been particularly rewarding. She explained:

“It has been a privilege to work with Doris and ensure she can continue to support Leah.”

Doris’s story highlights the importance of a collaborative approach when rehabilitating an injured working dog, combining veterinary assessment and appropriate pain management with physiotherapy, massage and complementary therapies:

Leah added: “The ultimate measure of recovery is simple: Doris is back doing the job she loves, she has now gone back to alerting me perfectly when required and being able to rest after busy days. That’s all I wanted for her.”

Contributors

Leah Smith – Doris’s owner

Kate Parsons ACPAT CAT A – Paws Physiotherapy

Nicole Skyrme – Therapaws Canine Massage

Medical Detection Dogs

Medical Detection Dogs relies on voluntary fundraising to support its work. For more information visit: https://www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk