Just
as for humans, swimming is beneficial to dogs as it provides an
exercise activity that is non-weight bearing, therefore avoiding
the impact, stress and strain of normal exercise. You can strengthen
the animal’s muscles without putting strain on the injury.
Older dogs can also get relief from stiff or arthritic joints by
exercising in the warm comfortable conditions that the hydrotherapy
pool provides.
Of course, when we mention swimming you would be forgiven for thinking
that a hydrotherapy session consists of your dog swimming about
in a pool. Canine hydrotherapy is much more than just swimming.
A canine hydrotherapy session may consist of specific exercises
designed to target the specific muscles or injury site. Many pools
also have jets that can help create resistance for the dog to work
against.
Benefits of Canine Hydrotherapy
Studies have shown that hydrotherapy has many benefits such as restoring
and maintaining normal joint action, facilitating healing of injuries,
decreasing pain, preventing atrophy, improving strength and relieving
symptoms of arthritis. As a form of exercise, hydrotherapy can also
facilitate weight loss and can be especially useful in dogs who
are unable to or find it difficult to exercise normally.
Hydrotherapy, the use of water in treatment, works by “encouraging
a full range of joint motion in reduced weight conditions, thus
restoring and then maintaining muscle tone and promoting tendon
repair without imposing undue stress on damaged tissues and improving
cardiovascular stamina” says the Canine Hydrotherapy Association
(CHA).
Canine Hydrotherapy Association
The CHA is a not-for-profit organisation based in the UK. They already
regulate their members by setting minimum standards of treatment,
training and quality control. Their aim is that all Canine Hydrotherapists
should be regulated in the same way. Vets and individuals can then
use or recommend a CHA member hydrotherapy pool in confidence, knowing
that it meets their requirements.
The Canine Hydrotherapy Association website has a useful list of
all regulated centres and some useful information about the use
of hydrotherapy as a treatment.
www.k9hydrotherapy.co.uk/main.html
Personal
Account of Canine Hydrotherapy
D for Dog member Danielle recently had reason to use a hydrotherapy
pool with her dog Tia following an accident. Tia’s vet recommended
6 sessions of hydrotherapy in the hope that this would work and
an operation would not be needed. We contacted Dannie, hoping she
would be willing to share her and Tia’s hydrotherapy experiences
and to find out if the sessions work for Tia and the operation can
therefore be avoided.
Here
Danielle tells us each week about Tia’s hydrotherapy sessions.
My name is Danielle, and my best friends name is Tia - my 18 month
old Shih Tzu.
25th January 2006
Tia has slipped on a tiled floor and has damaged her cruciate ligament
in her right back leg. She has been referred for 6 weeks of hydrotherapy
in the hope this will work on it's own but if not she will need
an operation.
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