BENEFITS OF HYDROTHERAPY:

• Water reduces the dog's body weight thereby reducing stress on healing tissues and arthritic joints, tendons and ligaments - this permits a dog to increase its range of movement.
• Water provides a support for unstable or healing structures, allowing dogs to exercise in a controlled environment that reduces the likelihood of injuries.
• Water provides more resistance than air which assists in building muscles and endurance.
• Water provides sensory stimulation, relieving pain and enhancing pyschological well-being.
• Initially increasing and then maintaining long term mobility is critical for successful hydrotherapy treatment.
• Increased cardio respiratory endurance and increases in heart rate, oxygen uptake and metabolic requirements.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

• An initial assessment is carried out by the vet.
• A treatment plan will be worked out.
• Sessions depend upon each individual dog but can last up to 30 minutes.
• Pre-treatment schedule involves checking your dog's weight, body condition score, heart rate, respiration rate, capillary refill time, lameness score and joint range of movement.
• Post-treatment schedule involves checking your dog's heart rate, respiration rate and capillary refill time.
• Together we will monitor your dog's gait, comfort, muscle development, resting breathing rate and exercise tolerance.