Veterinary Hydrotherapy
All patients wear a suitable buoyancy aid or harness in the pool and treadmill and a therapist is always in the water with them. You can be present throughout. Please wear our blue overshoes in the wet areas and remember to keep your dog on a lead. No animal should enter the water if they have eaten in the last hour as it can cause complications.
Post swim we use veterinary grade herbal shampoos to gently cleanse the skin and then dry your pet using a chami, your own towel and then varying sizes of warm air dryers so that our smallest patients don’t get blown away but our biggest patients can enjoy a jolly good blow dry! We stock Ruff n Tumble post swim coats for those who would like to treat their pet.
It is important never to swim your pet in open water for therapy purposes. British water is usually too cold to be beneficial even in the height of summer. Cold causes vasoconstriction so blood flow is actually reduced to the joints and muscles. Outdoor water can be dirty and full of bacteria. Variations in depth, scrabbling on banks and the risk of debris on the waterbed are all risks to your pet. Lastly most animals don’t self regulate if they enjoy swimming and most will over-do it!
Suitable Cases for Hydrotherapy include
Post Operative Spinal Cases – more usually worked on pool platforms or in the underwater treadmill due to the risks of disc compression when pool swimming.
Pre and Post Operative Orthopaedic Cases – Can utilise both pool and treadmill
Post Fracture Repair – Can utilise both pool and treadmill
Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia – Can utilise both pool and treadmill
Cruciate Injury and Repair – Can utilise both pool and treadmill
Osteoarthritis – Often find the non weight bearing pool work beneficial
CDRM (Chronic Degenerative RadiculoMyelopathy) and Neurological Disorders – Can Utilisie both pool and treadmill
Weight Loss – Can utilise both pool and treadmill
Fitness Programs for Working and Agility Dogs – can utilise both pool and treadmill