What is hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy means ‘water healing’ in Greek and seeks to aid animals in their rehabilitation journey.
Hydrotherapy is a form of non weight bearing and passive exercise that aims to increase an animals’ range of movement. The use of water helps reduce the pressure on the joints, allowing animals to move more freely and without any pain that may be present during other forms of exercise.
The water used in canine hydrotherapy pools or underwater treadmills is heated to 28-32 degrees Celsius. This can help promote relaxation of the muscles and can also help to reduce inflammation, swelling and pain in the joints.
The properties of water play an important role in hydrotherapy treatment. Buoyancy aids treatment by supporting the dog’s body weight, putting less pressure on the joints.
- Resistance is greater in water than in air and so makes it harder work for dogs to swim through the water, leading to increased muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness.
- Hydrostatic pressure exerted onto a dog’s body when immersed in water will help to reduce inflammation and swelling.
- Canine hydrotherapy is often carried out alongside other therapies such as physiotherapy, laser therapy, canine massage and other therapeutic techniques.
What are the benefits of hydrotherapy for dogs?
Hydrotherapy can have many benefits for dogs, both physical and psychological. Hydrotherapy can be used as a form of enrichment, keeping a dog’s brain active and stimulated. This can be good for high energy, reactive or elderly dogs who struggle with large amounts of exercise. Most importantly, it’s fun.
Physical benefits include:
- Increased muscle mass
- Increased cardiac fitness
- Increased nerve/lymphatic function
- Increased blood circulation
- Improved proprioception
- Improved range of motion in all joints
- Decreased pain levels
- Reduction in swelling and stiffness of joints
- Reduction in recovery time of tissues post surgery
- Weight loss in overweight dogs
- Re-education of gait patterns
Some effects from hydrotherapy can be seen in the short term, others may take a little longer. Please feel free to ask about the potential benefits that hydrotherapy could provide for your dog.
What can hydrotherapy be used for?
Hydrotherapy can be used to treat a variety of conditions as well helping maintain condition and fitness levels.
Pre/post surgery
Hydrotherapy can be used pre surgery to better prepare the body and strengthen muscles prior to surgery. This can help reduce the amount of muscle atrophy (muscle loss) an animal experiences whilst on restricted exercise post surgery.
Post surgery hydrotherapy can be used as a slow reintroduction to exercise whilst putting less pressure on the joints. It can help build up muscle after surgical procedures and help restore healthy fitness levels.
Hydrotherapy is useful when re-educating dogs how to use their limbs when they have been moving differently, often compensating due to pain. Dogs learn that they can now have a better range of motion in their joints without the pain.
Weight loss
Dogs can struggle with obesity, with some breeds being more prone than others.
Hydrotherapy is a great form of exercise that encourages the dog to work hard whilst reducing pressure on the joints. Hydrotherapy promotes weight loss in overweight pets and can help maintain a more healthy weight due to increased levels of exercise.
Fitness and conditioning
Hydrotherapy can help to increase a dog’s cardiovascular fitness and can help build healthy muscle mass.
Hydrotherapy also increases blood circulation, lymphatic drainage and nerve function which all help to maintain healthy tissues. Regular therapy will help a dog stay in tip top condition. This can be especially useful for working dogs that need to be fighting fit in order to carry out their jobs.
Fun swims
Your dog doesn’t need to have a physical condition to receive hydrotherapy treatment. Some dogs just love the water and love to swim. Fun swims can also help boost a dog’s confidence.
See our case studies for information on some of the dogs we have treated/are treating and how hydrotherapy is helping them.
Degenerative conditions
Hydrotherapy can be used to slow down the effects of degenerative conditions. These include but are not limited to:
- Osteoarthritis
- Hip/elbow dysplasia
- Patella luxation
- Cruciate injuries and repairs
- Degenerative joint disease
- Spondylosis
- Amputations
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