Hydrotherapy

What is hydrotherapy? Hydrotherapy is controlled exercise in water. Treatment may be given in the hydrotherapy pool allowing the dog to be completely non-weight bearing or in the underwater treadmill where the degree of weight bearing can be varied.

How does hydrotherapy work? It works by utilising the properties of water. The buoyancy of the water allows for low-impact exercise. Low impact exercise is particularly beneficial to dogs suffering from joint problems. The buoyancy can be used to increase joint range of motion.

Water has a greater resistance than air, this means that the dog has to work harder to move through water this is good for strengthening muscles and ls for cardiovascular fitness. 

The hydrostatic pressure of the water can help to reduce swelling and can also help stimulate nerve endings in dogs with neurological compromise.

The water is heated to between 28 and 32 degrees Celsius. The warmth of the water helps relieve pain as well as increasing blood flow to the muscles which can relieve muscle tension and aid better muscle function.

Pool or under-water treadmill which is best? The choice of treatment will take into account many factors including, what conditions the dog has, its breed and its previous experience with water. The choice of treatment may stay the same or change during a dogs recovery.

What conditions can hydrotherapy help with? There are many conditions that hydrotherapy can help with including orthopaedic conditions (including hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, cruciate ligament disease, patella luxation and osteoarthritis), neurological conditions (including intervertebral disc disease/IVDD, wobblers and degenerative myelopathy), weight management, soft tissue injuries.

Types of hydrotherapy treatment? Dogs may attend hydrotherapy due to a diagnosed condition such as the examples given above. These cases are known as rehabilitation. The dogs may be attending post surgery or as part of a conservative management programme. In some cases dogs have hydrotherapy before surgery to help to familiarise them with the equipment and to help build up muscle prior to surgery this is known as prehab.

Hydrotherapy is great for improving fitness. It can be used as part of the training programme for dogs participating in sports such as agility, flyball, canicross and man trailing. In addition to helping with fitness it also aids injury prevention and can help with the early detection of injuries.

Contrary to popular belief not all dogs can swim! Hydrotherapy is a safe way to introduce your dog to water. 

If your dog loves to swim but you are concerned that natural water sources are not clean enough, are too cold in the winter or that the tides or currents could be dangerous then we offer recreational swims. These sessions are often great for the golden oldies who may not be able to go for long walks or play with their ball anymore.

Does my dog need to see a vet before coming to hydrotherapy? We do require veterinary consent under the veterinary surgeons act of 1996 to treat a dog with hydrotherapy. We will contact your vet to obtain consent. Unless your dog has not been seen by a vet for a long time then the vet should not need to see your dog prior to treatment.