Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy means 'water healing' and has been used by humans since ancient times, being formalised in the 18th century. They realised early on that the properties of water have a powerful effect on recovery.

• Buoyancy- displaces water to take weight.
• Hydrostatic pressure- is the pressure exerted to limbs/body when in water. This reduces oedema (swelling)
• Viscosity- thickness of water which allows stability in water.
• Resistance- force of the water when moving through it. This is utilised for muscle building/ strengthening & cardiovascular training.

After realising the benefits, humans initially moved to using hydrotherapy on horses in the sea. It was after seeing the results on horses that the dog racing industry saw its use and also implemented the therapy, much to the benefit of the dogs. Since then, the therapy has been extended to the general dog population. Over more recent years there has been research and studies with dogs confirming that hydrotherapy is a key tool in rehabilitation cases.

Veterinary surgeons and specialists are using hydrotherapy increasingly within their treatment programmes. They have seen it is non evasive and has highly effective results that complement their rehabilitation cases, often reducing recovery time. Evolution of the therapy has now progressed to a very safe and controlled hydrotherapy environment.

The heated underwater treadmill provides an array of key benefits which include:

1. Variable weight-bearing environment,
2. More controlled and so excellent for cervical/spinal conditions
3. Used to re-educate gait
4. Increases range of motion of limbs
5. Evidence of limb usage at an earlier stage of recovery
6. Earlier return to land activity
7. Enables specific areas of interest to be targeted
8. A superb diagnostic tool for vets.

It has been proven to significantly aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of many conditions. As specialists we work closely with you, your pet and your vet to provide a tailor made programme, using the heated underwater treadmill which is designed to improve the lives of dogs and small animals by offering low impact, high resistance therapy or workouts.

Every patient is given first class treatment and care, as we are passionate about helping all pets.