Small dog in hydrotherapy treadmillWhat is Animal Hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy means simply ‘water therapy’. There are many benefits to be gained by exercising in water, and it forms an essential part of the rehabilitation program of many of our small animal patients.

Get your pet back on the road faster with hydrotherapy

Pets that receive hydrotherapy as part of their rehabilitation program continue to demonstrate accelerated recovery and return to function compared to those receiving a home exercise program alone. Research shows that underwater treadmill therapy can speed muscle strengthening and improve joint range of motion in dogs following surgery. Benefits can be gained in as little as 1-2 sessions per week.

Underwater treadmill Therapy

Underwater Treadmill therapy is the most common type of hydrotherapy used in canine rehabilitation. We installed the first canine underwater treadmill in Australia in 2003. Since then, many thousands of pets have benefited from this therapy. It has enabled us to speed recovery, accelerate muscle growth, re-educate walking, and keeping pets mobilising through their senior years.

Suitable for dogs recovering from a variety of injuries and surgeries, the underwater treadmill allows dogs to walk while the buoyancy of the water greatly reduces loading placed on painful or healing structures. The underwater treadmill is the perfect environment to assist us when retraining gait in spinal injured patients, allowing them to regain independent mobility.

Precise control of speed, exercise intensity, water depth and temperature, means exercise can be tailored to suit each individual patient. Progressions can be made easily and gradually through increases in speed, exercise duration and alterations to water depth, or by adding floatation devices.

Activity can be progressed from extremely gentle for older and frailer patients to a challenging workout, making it suitable for dogs of all shapes, sizes and ages.

Benefits of underwater treadmill therapy include:

  • Earlier commencement of rehabilitation
  • Accelerated strengthening and growth of muscle
  • Improved weight bearing
  • Re-education of normal gait
  • Shorter rehabilitation time and faster return to function
  • Improved fitness while exercise is restricted
  • Prolonged mobility in weak or frail patients

A hydrotherapy assessment is required for all pets before they can commence underwater treadmill therapy. Please contact us to discuss your pet’s needs.

Why choose Dogs In Motion for hydrotherapy?

Your pet deserves to exercise in water maintained at the highest standards and to receive treatment provided by experienced therapists. Staff at our facilities are all trained in water quality maintenance. In conjunction with computer-controlled water sanitisation, we also hand test and treat the water twice daily to ensure it stays super clean. All our therapists are experienced in the provision of hydrotherapy services for dogs with various conditions. Programs are devised specifically for your pet’s individual needs and stages of healing, to help meet their rehabilitation goals faster.

Regular Reassessments

It’s important that your pet checks in with their physiotherapist or rehabilitation therapist regularly. We need to ensure your pet is progressing with their rehabilitation and update their home exercise program as they improve, so as to reach their goals faster. We are also able to identify if they are not progressing as well as we would like, alter their program to suit their rate of recovery, or refer them back to the vet if required.