As a dog food company we work alongside many other canine professions, providing them with both our products and nutritional support if appropriate. One of our customers is a Hydrotherapy & Rehabilitation centre who kindly offered to provide us with some information about what they can do for our dogs whether needing physical therapy, fitness or just fun in the water!!
We would like to thank Well Dog Hydrotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre for this great article.
www.welldoghydrotherapy.co.uk
What is hydrotherapy and why is it so beneficial?
Canine Hydrotherapy is a safe low impact, almost weightless form of exercise administered in warm water to assist with the treatment and recuperation from surgeries, injuries and chronic conditions, as well as pre and post-operative recovery and general fitness in dogs.
Doctors have recommended swimming to their human patients for years, due to the low impact and therapeutic effects on muscles and joints. This is no different with dogs, who become injured from time to time, the same as us humans.
Swimming is fun and a highly beneficial way to treat injuries or ailments and also to improve both muscular and cardiovascular systems.
Hydrotherapy is also a great way for dogs to regain fitness and muscle tone.
It’s a great full body workout and specialists agree that a 5 minute swim is as good as a 15 minute fast paced walk/jog without the strenuous impact on the joints.
The benefits of hydrotherapy for your dog depends on the type of treatment program that is provided.
Simply floating or gentle swimming in the water can relieve pain and inflammation in some dogs, whereas for others a more vigorous exercise program is used to increase limb movement, increase muscle mass and tone and strengthen the overall support for joints.
Hydrotherapy is particularly beneficial after surgery or injury and a carefully constructed program can promote a faster return to normal use.
It is important to note that normal weight-bearing exercises for injuries and post-operative treatment in dogs could be problematic.
The resulting pressure and load on joints and limbs with degenerative conditions for example, may aggravate some conditions considerably.
Treating obese dogs may aggravate existing conditions or further injure them, due to the weight exerted on their joints if exercised normally.
Hydrotherapy can therefore benefit injured or chronic conditions, with an exercise program in a safe environment where there is no pressure on the affected areas.
Obese dogs can build fitness and lose weight as a result of a structured exercise program in a hydrotherapy pool without putting excessive weight on their joints.
Spinal injuries or surgery can cause impairment of motor function and a carefully tailored hydrotherapy program will allow the dog to safely exercise its muscles, retain muscle tone and overall fitness, whilst nerve regeneration occurs.
