What is Hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy is a means by which dogs can swim in a safe, controlled environment as an alternative to weight bearing exercise.
Swimming in a heated pool for a personally tailored length of time can be beneficial to any breed of dog for a number of reasons:
Medical –
Hydrotherapy can help manage:
- Arthritis
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Orthopaedic conditions
- Muscle, ligament and soft tissue injury recovery
Hydrotherapy helps the above by increasing circulation to all areas of the body; it helps improve muscle tone and strength; it helps increase the range of motion of the animals limbs to aid recovery. The warm water and the pressure of the water can also be a natural anti-inflammatory for your pet where they suffer from swollen joints.
Stamina –
Manage obesity as part of a weight loss programme
- Builds up muscle and joint strength
- Cardiovascular fitness (heart and lungs)
- Pre-op training aids and speeds up post-op recovery
- Provides a form of non-weight bearing exercise to help your dog if it is on cage rest or if they are not able to be exercised outside for any reason.
Mental –
- Swimming is fun!
- Eases any psychological fear of water
- Hydrotherapy can reduce tissue swelling and pain resulting in less chance of character changes in the animal
- The exercise provided releases endorphins meaning your dog will be happy after a good swimming session
Most dogs show signs of improved muscle tone and strength after 5/6 sessions and most post op cases tend to need a minimum of 10 sessions. Every dog is different and we reassess at each session and decide the best way to progress with their treatment.
We are a member of the Canine Hydrotherapy Association
http://www.canine-hydrotherapy.org/