Who we are
Aponia is an independent, mobile pain management clinic, providing at home holistic care to dogs, cats, rabbits and horses, covering Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, North London and Oxfordshire, run by Dr Laura MacDougall BSc, BVetMed MRCVS
[a.po’ni.a]
ahh-poe-nee-a
Aponia is the Ancient Greek for “Absence of Pain”
No animal deserves to live in pain, and Freedom from Pain is a core component of the principles of animal welfare.
Most of us are familiar with animals being labelled “aggressive”, “grumpy” or even “stubborn” and “lazy”. In reality, these “attitudes” when examined are simply behavioural changes the animal is deploying to protect themselves, and all too commonly the underlying cause is pain.
Happy animals are comfortable animals, and pain is a frustrating inevitability of life, whether through injury, age related change or disease.
We can rationalise our aches and pains, while an animal simply feels pain and reacts in ways to minimise it.
Hi, I’m Laura
I launched Aponia in November 2025, when chronic illness and pain forced me to search for how I could make being a vet continue to work for me. My experience as a patient has given me a fresh perspective on listening to my own patients, and centring their wellbeing above all else.
After four years in a busy small animal practice, I could see that there was a need for more focused pain management and that a vet such as myself with a GP background had much to offer, as pain is a universal issue which does not cleanly fit into one speciality box.
I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2021 with degrees in Veterinary Medicine, and Comparative Pathology. I have been committed to evidence based care since my time at university, with my final year research project being published as part of a wider work in The Journal of Veterinary Pathology (doi:10.1177/03009858221098431). During my time as a GP vet I undertook the BSAVA Small Animal Medicine Certificate, completing the teaching despite my health stopping me from completing the course. More recently I have provided data to research teams exploring horse wellbeing. I’m a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
I have over 20 years experience caring for my own and others horses, and have competed in several disciplines, now focusing on dressage. Confident and capable athletes need management of the aches and pains that come with sport and I’m experienced with keeping horses comfortable and enabling their best performance. I am also passionate about continued care for retired horses, and am keen to normalise continued pain management for horses that are not in work.
From Our Clients
“Learning of Laura, by chance, has been instrumental in significantly improving the quality of life for our aging German Shepherd Dog. As a qualified veterinary doctor she has been able to evaluate our dog's complex needs, administer acupuncture, offer impartial advice on further treatments that should improve her mobility and provide guidance on digestive issues. Laura's gentle, patient and understanding approach with acupuncture has alleviated a lot of the pain associated with ageing joints .....we would encourage any pet owner with similar concerns to contact Laura."
John & Carol, Mura's humans
"Kind, trustworthy, reliable person who is good with the horses. Knowledgeable and helpful to the best of her abilities. Highly recommended!"
Josh, Daisy's human
“We are so grateful to Laura for her insight and understanding of animal diets and chronic pain. Our elderly lurcher was in pain and overweight so she put him on a diet for several weeks followed by a maintenance diet. It has made such a difference to him. Not only does he look good, but we could see he feels good and can walk further now that the weight is off his sore joints. We were also able to stop his acupuncture and pain medication. Laura is lovely, very knowledgeable, calm and professional. My dog adores her.”
Val and Chris, Kayo’s humans
“So glad I found Laura. My dog was on medication for three months for a soft tissue injury and still lame. After the 2nd session of acupuncture with Laura he was sound and off meds. Laura is now treating my pony for laminitis with great results”
Helen, Dudley and Ellie's human