Medical alert dog Doris back on duty after 30mph crash left her with whiplash

A medical alert dog has made a remarkable return to work after suffering a whiplash-type injury in a 30mph car crash.

Doris having Photizo treatment

Doris, who was trained by the charity Medical Detection Dogs, was travelling with her owner Leah Smith when their vehicle was struck from behind in May 2025.

She was safely secured inside a crate in the boot, but the force of the collision was so severe that the crate was damaged.

Doris was taken straight to an emergency veterinary practice after appearing uncomfortable and was prescribed muscle relaxants.

But in the weeks after the crash, Leah realised that something was seriously wrong.

The previously active dog began hopping as she walked, stopped climbing stairs and refused to jump onto the sofa.

Leah and Doris

Leah initially wondered whether the difficulties were connected to an old knee injury.

However, an assessment by veterinary physiotherapist Kate Parsons, of Paws Physiotherapy, found significant pain and restricted movement in Doris’s neck, back, lower back and hips.

She was also shifting her weight onto her front legs to compensate, causing further discomfort around her shoulders.

The assessment indicated that Doris had sustained a whiplash-type injury in the collision.

Leah said: “I didn’t even know dogs could get whiplash.

“We could see she wasn’t comfortable and she simply couldn’t relax.”

Doris began a programme of veterinary physiotherapy alongside prescribed pain relief and was referred for canine massage to ease the muscle tension and spasms caused by the trauma.

During the massage treatment, she was also introduced to Photizo Vetcare red-light therapy.

Leah said its effect on Doris’s comfort was quickly apparent.

She said: “Before using Photizo, Doris couldn’t stay in one position for more than a few minutes because she was so uncomfortable.

“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 to receive weekly physiotherapy and massage treatments every two weeks, while Leah used red-light therapy at home between appointments.

At the height of her rehabilitation, the device was used several times a day, including before and after physiotherapy sessions.

Doris had originally been expected to need around six months of treatment.

But she made such strong progress that she was discharged from both physiotherapy and massage after just three-and-a-half months.

Her recovery was particularly important because Doris is a working Medical Alert Dog whose role is to warn Leah when she detects a potentially dangerous change in her health.

Leah said pain medication appeared to affect Doris’s cognitive abilities and her capacity to carry out her vital alerting work.

She said: “I wanted Doris to be comfortable, but I also wanted her to be able to get back to being Doris.”

When a loaned Photizo device had to be returned, Leah noticed Doris beginning to struggle once again.

She became reluctant to jump, found it more difficult to settle and began biting at her claws.

Doris was subsequently chosen for Photizo UK’s Photizo to the Rescue initiative and received a Photizo Silent Vetcare device.

The silent model was particularly suitable because Doris had developed a sensitivity to beeping sounds following her emergency veterinary treatment.

Now the medical alert dog is comfortably resting after busy working days and is once again carrying out the job for which she was trained.

Leah said: “Doris is back doing the job she loves. That’s all I wanted for her.”

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