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Aquadoggies
An Introduction to Canine Hydrotherapy
Water Therapy also Works for Dogs
Doggy Paddlers
Water of a Dogs Back
Test the Waters

Aquadoggies

Swimming!
All animals can swim by instinct. How much they enjoy it depends on their confidence in the water and this can be increased by gradual acclimatisation. Swimming helps to improve general fitness and stamina improves muscle tone and is helpful in recovering from injury or operation.  Andrew is shown here helping one of the guide
dog puppies after a cruciate problem.
.aqua1
 
Muscle wastage begins within 3 days of any immobilisation so to prevent further weakness or injury it is important to rebuild, through safe exercise, any muscles that have deteriorated. It is better to swim dogs in heated water since cold water causes constriction of the blood vessels near the skin and to the superficial muscles (those just under the skin) which restricts the flow of blood making the muscles less efficient.
 
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise because most of the muscles normally used in movement are involved - without the stresses caused by running on hard ground. On land, each footfall creates a shock wave which travels up the limb and is absorbed by bones, tendons and joints. While these stresses are necessary to maintain healthy, strong bone if severe, or repetitive, these shock waves can actually damage or weaken the limb, particularly an arthritic joint or one recovering from an injury or surgery. Swimming allows the "working out" and strengthening of the muscles while avoiding this potentially damaging concussion. Also, because of the increased resistance to movement, the muscles have to work harder than they would do on land.

Cardiovascular workout
Lungs
Under water, the chest is under pressure from the weight of the water squeezing inwards. This means that every breath requires more effort - the muscles used, particularly in breathing in, have to work harder (try breathing while someone sits on your chest). As any muscle strengthens with exercise, this improves the whole respiratory system.
 
aqua2

Morgan (Leonberger) taking a break from a workout! 
 
Heart
The heart has to work harder in order to meet the increased demand for nutrients by all the muscles which are being worked.
 
If all this sounds like hard work - it is - that's the idea!

For a dog, a 5 minute swim is equivalent to about a 5 mile run!  The natural buoyancy of the water and the fact that sudden twists, stops and falls are impossible makes hydrotherapy a safe and effective form of exercise for dogs.
 
Swimming can be used as part of a planned fitness program.
Many racehorse trainers use swimming therapy as a regular part of their animals' fitness regime and have purpose built pools on their premises so that they can swim their animals regularly.

However all effective training programmes must contain the elements of stress that the animal is likely to face in competition. That is why, for example, showjumpers must practise jumping as well as improving their general fitness in terms of the cardiovascular and respiratory system. This is because bones are living tissue and adapt - "remodel" - in response to exercise. It is necessary to tell the bone where the areas of stress are going to be so that it can remodel and strengthen in preparation for "the event". This is why hydrotherapy should not be used on its own - swimming strengthens muscle but does little or nothing for bone. Your dogs must also have normal exercise on land in order to keep their bones strong.
 
GET VETERINARY ADVICE!!
Most dogs will cope quite happily with swimming as a form of exercise therapy. However in the case of an old or unfit animal, or one recovering from an injury or surgery you must get advice from your vet before taking it swimming.
 
If in any doubt at all - ASK YOUR VET!

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An Introduction to Canine Hydrotherapy

by Ryan O’Meara: Editor in Chief, K9 Magazine

Trendy health fads seem to come and go on an almost weekly basis. We always seem to be hearing about the latest, greatest health, fitness or diet regimes that 'the stars all swear by,'

The trouble with health fads is that they have a tendency to cloud popular opinion of some relatively new or lesser known treatments that actually work.

Hydrotherapy works. It is not a fad and many dogs have reason to be grateful for its existence.

What is Hydrotherapy?

Weightless Exercise
Hydrotherapy offers a therapeutic, relaxed and enjoyable workout, which many dogs are deprived of in day to day life, especially through arthritic joints, after an injury or surgery. Controlled swimming allows muscles to be stimulated and exercised without the stress element associated with land based exercise, causing potential pain.

Vets recommend a course of hydrotherapy for pre- and post-surgical conditioning, to reduce weight in obese animals, for painless exercise for pets with arthritis or dysplasia, cardiovascular workout for seniors, rehabilitation for stroke sufferers, and pain management. It is therefore of use in many orthopaedic conditions both pre-operatively to improve muscle tone to affected limbs (for instance, prior to total hip replacement) and post-operatively to improve repair - for instance in post-operative care of cruciate ligament rupture, osteochondrosis or fracture repair where light swimming can begin as soon as the sutures have been removed.

Preliminary observations suggest that hydrotherapy, if initiated early in the course of disease, can help to maintain muscle tone in cases of degenerative radiculomyelopathy (CDRM) and other neurological diseases with similar presenting signs.

In show dogs and racing dogs, it provides an effective means of maintaining fitness and toning muscle, particularly in the winter months, and is a valuable aid to weight control in the obese pet.

Immediate Benefits
Hydrotherapy techniques help to relieve pain and strengthen and re-train muscles; because the animal is effectively weightless when swimming. Hydrotherapy acts by encouraging a full range of joint motion, thus improving muscle tone without imposing undue stress on damaged tissues. This is why results can occur so quickly.

Each hydrotherapy session should be tailored to an individual dog's condition and fitness level - all dogs should therefore visit through a referral from a veterinary surgeon. An assessment of the dog's condition will be made and the treatment given at each session recorded. In this way the progress that the dog makes can be monitored. The rate at which such progress is made will be dependent on the breed of dog, condition for which it being treated, age and fitness level.

Health & Safety
There are no set dimensions for hydrotherapy pools. What is ideal for a Yorkshire Terrier will be significantly different to that needed by a Newfoundland. All pools should have water heated to a temperature in the range 24 to 300C and should allow all year round operation.

The combination of water and electrical circuitry makes it essential that the operation adheres to strict safety standards. All CHA members will have the appropriate safety certificates as well as insurance cover for animals when undergoing treatment and third party liability to cover visitors to their premises. Cleanliness of the water is a critical factor. All regulated pools must regularly test their water quality and in busy periods this would be several times each day. The key aim is to ensure no harmful bacteria are present and there is no risk of cross infection. Canine Hydrotherapy Association members are required to keep detailed records of water quality.

Regulation
The Canine Hydrotherapy Association (CHA) is a UK-based non-profit organisation that provides self-regulation for the animal hydrotherapy sector. The Association sets benchmark standards of treatment, operation, training, supervision, first aid, record keeping and water quality for all its members. In this way veterinary surgeons, pet insurance companies and - most importantly dog owners - can use a CHA member pool with confidence. All members of the CHA display a certificate of their membership and are proud to make use of the CHA Logo.

Malcolm Adler, Company Secretary of the CHA, and a Director at the Hydrozone Therapy Centre in Hertfordshire explained: “There is no statutory requirement for Canine Hydrotherapists in the UK to undergo training. Unfortunately there are many untrained operators not fully competent in caring for the dog’s well-being. The CHA represents approximately one third of the Canine Hydrotherapy marketplace. Therefore it is most concerning that some two thirds of the marketplace (in excess of 100 pools) do not operate within a Code of Conduct and are not audited to ensure set minimum quality Standards are operational or maintained. The CHA is pioneering the way forward and has already introduced training programmes to include canine first aid, water management and practical hydrotherapy. It further approves and supports Accredited Hydrotherapy Courses and is actively exploring formal qualification options.”

Malcolm added: “It is always advisable to visit a hydrotherapy pool before you begin any treatment programme, to inspect the facilities, ask about qualifications and training, check water quality and insurance cover, and discuss your dog's condition and the treatment programme. The key aspect is quality treatment for your dog and this is why the CHA has set benchmark standards in canine hydrotherapy.” Worth the cost Rates for a hydrotherapy session are set by individual therapist and will vary according to the facility and its location. Typically a session will allow for up to 30 minutes, to include time for drying the dog afterwards. Fees are normally in the range of £10 - £25 per session. In most centres, owners are encouraged to attend sessions to help reassure their dog during its initial exposure to water"

Further Research...
There is an enormous amount of case history and glowing customer testimonials on the benefits that hydrotherapy has brought to their dog's condition and overall well-being. However, there is still a lack of formal study and scientific data and one of the aims of the CHA is to promote such work, and the Association welcomes inquiries or contributions from any interested party in this respect.

This article was reproduced from K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers which is available in both digital and print formats. You can get more at http://www.k9magazine.com
reprinted with kind permission from Ryan O'Meara All content © K9 Media Ltd & K9 Magazine.

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Water therapy also works for dogs

Treadmill helps extend aging pets' lives
By Will Higgins

WESTFIELD, Ind. -- No matter how well you treat your dog -- proper feeding, daily walks, medicine, even surgeries -- your pet ages. His joints get sore, he loses muscle mass. He loses ... verve.

But a growing number of pet owners are refusing to allow their pets to drift into the sunset without a fight. wateraqua Which is how an aging lap dog named Zinny came to be exercising on a $36,000 treadmill/bathtub contraption, being attended to by a wetsuit-clad therapist.
"He loves the treadmill; he smiles the whole time," says Erin Peffley, Zinny's owner. "Now he no longer takes pain medication or steroids."

"Every dog I've had in here has been helped," says Jonna Kanable, the therapist. "First client was a great Pyrenees -- 12 years old, couldn't get up (because) he was so arthritic. Now, he can go for a walk."

The treadmill, which is under water so that the pooch can move without having to support its full weight, is at a veterinarian's office in Westfield, just north of Indianapolis. Zinny (short for Zinfandel), a 14-year-old bichon frise, has been a regular there for the past year, first three times a week, now weekly. Zinny is a lot peppier these days as a result. "He's now initiating play," Peffley says. "He's just ... happy."

Since Westfield's All-Star Veterinary Clinic acquired the underwater treadmill more than a year ago, about 200 dogs have used it, half of them temporarily, post-surgery, the other half for the long term, as a way to keep arthritis at bay. "Lifers," Dr. Emily King calls them.

"It's also good cardio conditioning," the veterinarian says. "We've got Juneau walking for 30 minutes -- that's a pretty good amount of exercise."

A year ago, Juneau, a husky, had a tibia plateau leveling osteotomy -- a surgical procedure that stabilizes the knee. On top of that, Juneau is 14 years old -- ancient for such a big dog.

Yet there he was the other day, calmly but perkily entering the plexiglass chamber with Kanable. The chamber's floor is a treadmill.

Kanable talks dog-talk to Juneau as water enters the chamber: "You ready to walk? He says, 'I'm ready to walk!' " She massages the dog's hind legs a moment, and then -- with the water to Juneau's chest -- turns on the treadmill. Juneau spends the next 30 minutes walking enthusiastically in a box of water at a 1.9 mph clip.
A session costs $59. There are only two such underwater treadmills for dogs in Indiana (the other one was installed at a West Lafayette veterinarian's office earlier this fall).

The machines are the work of a joint venture between Ferno Washington Inc. of Wilmington, Ohio, and Angola, Ind.-based Easton Engineering. Easton builds the machines; Ferno markets and sells them.

In the arrangement's five years, about 150 machines have been sold nationwide, the bulk of them on the coasts. Says King: "People in California and New York have a tendency to try things first."

Hydrotherapy has for years helped humans -- and expensive racehorses. Dogs are just the natural progression (cats are welcome -- and not necessarily afraid of water -- but so far all of All-Star's customers have been canines).

Pets "are like companions to people, like secondary children," says Dr. Janet Sizelove, who has a veterinarian clinic on Indianapolis' southwest side and is president of the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association. "We're getting them to live many, many years longer. It used to be 10 to 12 years for a big dog, but now a lot are making it to 15.

"I see a lot of 18-year-old dogs. I saw a 22-year-old dog last Tuesday."

Living longer costs money -- a year of weekly treadmill sessions at All-Star veterinarian clinic costs nearly $3,000 -- but Sizelove says it is not just the rich who are springing for advanced pet medicine. Many people don't mind sacrificing for their pets: "These clients love their animals."

And they want to keep them keeping on.

In the old days, Pumpkin Yedlicka surely would have left this earth by now. Pumpkin, a 13-year-old great Pyrenees, was hit by a car a few years ago.

Pumpkin is down to 94 pounds, from 116 pounds, but her twice-a-week treadmill sessions at the All-Star clinic "are keeping muscle tone on her," says her owner, Nancy Yedlicka. "A year ago June, when we started this (therapy), she could barely get up. Now we go on two short walks a day. As long as she keeps her mobility, she'll be able to have quality of life."

"When vets see Zinny, they think he's about 8," says Peffley, of her aging bichon frise. Peffley lives in Franklin, an hour away from the underwater treadmill. She recently trimmed Zinny's workouts to once a week. But she has no plans to discontinue the therapy.

"He just loves it," Peffley says, "so I don't want to take it away from him."

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Doggy paddlers

By David Powell, Daily Post
 
NORTH Wales' first hydrotherapy pool for dogs is set to open its doors to canine customers.

The 1,200 gallon pool, along with a Jacuzzi, will help pets lose weight, improve muscles and recover from operations or chronic conditions such as arthritis.

doggypaddlers Tony Roberts and Pauline Beacham, who are building the canine hydro-therapy centre at Station Business Park, Pensarn, near Abergele, came up with the idea after one of their dogs needed treatment.

Their honey-coloured pedigree Labrador Nobby used a swimming pool back in their West Midlands home town to improve aching joints.

Now living in Rhos on Sea, the couple decided North Wales dogs would benefit from similar treatment, and won planning permission from Conwy council to build it in an industrial unit.

They plan to work alongside vets to offer medical help to pets.

Hydrotherapy has long been used for horses, recovering after operations or building stamina for racing and show-ring events.

Work is well underway and Tony, 37, said yesterday: "We have an absolutely enormous plastic pool with 1,200 gallons of water in it. It's all a bit frenetic at the moment.

"There are even paw prints in the concrete."

Among the first to try out the pool yesterday was Nobby, along with the couple's two other pets, nine-stone golden retriever Cooper and collie-cross Dusty.

Nobby was born with malformed legs, leading to arthritis.

Tony said: "An orthopaedic surgeon suggested we take him to a local swimming pool centre to help with his treatment and that's how we got into it.

"We will complement what vets can offer.

He added: "Dogs with hip displacement or bad limbs can go swimming, which is a non-impact exercise. It exercises the muscles but doesn't put the shocks through the legs that running does.

"And you don't need to be a brain surgeon to know that swimming in warm water eases muscle pain.
"I've seen older dogs hobble into a pool looking pretty unhappy with life and 10 minutes later they are running around happily. The difference is amazing."

The swimming also help dogs burn off calories and lose weight, with almost all pets taking to it instantly.
"If you hold a puppy over water it starts doggy paddling," said Tony, whose parents run a smallholding on Anglesey for dog agility training sessions.

"A doggy paddle is only a run under water." "There are an awful lot of fat Labradors in Rhos on Sea. Swimming is just about the best form of aerobic exercise. Five minutes of swimming is the direct equivalent of a five-mile walk."

The pet owners are given the option of letting their dogs use the hydrotherapy pool, or the hot spa Jacuzzi.
Tony added: "The dog sits in a stainless steel tub of warm water with bubbles and massaging jets of water.
"There is a huge difference between warm and cold water. Cold water constricts the blood supply to the muscles. They are working hard but not getting oxygen," added Tony..

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Water Off A Dog's Back

K-9 Hydrotherapy

dogswimming Nearly all dogs love nothing more than a dip in a muddy stream or a splash in a big puddle before a roll around on the carpet, but swimming and regular exposure to water can be really beneficial to your dog's long term health and fitness.

Canine hydrotherapy is a complimentary treatment that is growing in popularity and for good reason. Unlike some 'Fashionable Cure-All's' hydrotherapy really does work wonders for your dog's well-being.

Like humans, the exercise that swimming provides an animal is unique in that, it allows nearly every muscle in the body to be stimulated without a resistance element causing potential injury.

People are increasingly turning to hydrotherapy treatments as additional methods of rehabilitating a dog that has recently had surgery or suffered an injury. Hydrotherapy exposes the whole body to a therapeutic, relaxed and enjoyable workout, which many dogs are deprived of in day to day life.

Locating a hydrotherapy pool is not a case of packing up the car with Fido on the back seat and heading of to the local swimming baths! There are now several specialist kennels and rehabilitation centres who offer access to a hydrotherapy pool at an hourly rate. A typical session will last for around an hour with 3 to 4 breaks. Many owners are also encouraged to get in the pool with their pet and manipulate the actions of the dog whilst in the water, this also gives the animal confidence to move freely around the pool. Sessions should be regular and a gradual build up of work should be deployed in order to strengthen the dogs muscles without putting too much strain on them.

Using hydrotherapy is way for owners to not only keep their dogs at the peak of condition but also a highly enjoyable experience and a chance to interact with a loved pet. The benefits of using this treatment are numerous.

This type of treatment is useful for dogs of any age shape or size and can also help owners to stay fit and healthy too.

For further information on canine hydrotherapy we recommend the following web site,
Dog Swimming.co.uk

This article was reproduced from K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers which is available in both digital and print formats. You can get more at http://www.k9magazine.com
reprinted with kind permission from Ryan O'meara, Director www.K9Media.net , Email ryan@k9media.net
Phone 08700 114 115, The Pet Publishing Company
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Test the waters

Justine Hankins

It might not be your animal's idea of a good time, but hydrotherapy is beginning to make a real splash in veterinary circles.

Pepper once fell into a puddle. To be fair, it was quite a large puddle - more of a micro-pond, in fact - but it was still, in essence, a puddle. Her eyes flashed with panic as paws and earth parted company and her little legs instinctively reached for the floor. She was kept afloat by a frantic leg action that could only loosely be described as swimming. She has avoided water ever since. Tosca, by contrast, has a labrador-complex and is forever paddling in the shallows of rivers and ponds in hope of finding a dead duck.

By and large, though, dachshunds don't do aquatics. But they are prone to back problems, so I have more than a passing interest in possible treatments, should the worst happen. One option is canine hydrotherapy. There are more than 100 swimming pools for dogs across the country - and not just because people wanted to start businesses with cute names such as Aqua Doggies and Paddle Paws. Hydrotherapy can make creaky, stiff and incapacitated dogs better again.

Hydrotherapy pools are run by boarding kennels, dog breeders, grooming parlours and veterinary surgeries such as the Rainsbrook clinic in Leamington Spa, where I met wet-suited veterinary nurse Alison Coxon. She was in the pool with Tara, a dog whose hip had been dislocated when she'd been hit by a car. Tara was paddling fast against anti-swim jets, which ensure the afflicted limb gets a good workout in order to prevent muscle wastage. She was splashing about happily and her owner was delighted: hydrotherapy had spared Tara the surgeon's knife and got her walking again.

The equipment includes hoists, slings, ramps, toys, lifejackets and wet walker boots for dogs with poorly paws. It is supplied by Westcoast, a firm set up by Brad and Cathy Smith, who owned a racing greyhound stable. Hydrotherapy has long been used on racehorses, and the Smiths found it equally effective at getting injured greyhounds back on track.

Canine hydrotherapy involves non-weight-bearing aerobic exercise to rehabilitate dogs with leg, hip and back injuries, arthritis, postoperative immobility and obesity. Referrals usually (and wisely) come via a vet, who'll give the dog a pre-swim MOT and recommend and monitor treatment. It costs around £20 a session and is covered by most pet insurers, as long as you've been referred by a vet to a reputable practitioner.

Greyhounds are not known for their love of water (have you ever seen one swim?), so if they can do it, any dog can (apart from pekinese, apparently, and some other short-faced dogs: their snuffle-snouts make swimming a potentially risky endeavour). So I took water-phobic Pepper and aqua-batic Tosca along to Keepers Cottage boarding kennels near Pontypool (it's not compulsory to locate doggy swimming pools in places with water-related names; that's just a coincidence), where five years ago Linda Major added a hydrotherapy pool to her kennels business - she also breeds and shows labradors and golden retrievers, judges international dog shows and has been devoted to dogs for most of her life.

Despite being in capable hands, Pepper made it clear that she'd prefer anaesthetic and any amount of surgery to doggy paddle therapy, and had to be whipped out of the water because she was threatening to sue. With Tosca, meanwhile, there was an initial glint of terror, but she was soon swimming after a tennis ball and a string of plastic hotdogs with the determination of an Olympic hopeful. A medicinal splash can work wonders on any mammal, even cats, so, despite her objections, Pepper will be in her swimming gear as soon as there's a hint of a persistent limp. She might even learn to enjoy it.

reprinted with kind permission from Justine Hankins

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Underwater Treadmill Therapy


See Also

CHA Canine Hydrotherapy Association (pool finder)
Hazel Corner Hydrotherapy Centre
Windmill Road, Markyate, St. Albans, AL3 8LP
Tel:  01582 842242   Fax:  01582 849002
Email:  mail@hazelcorner.co.uk

Hydrozone
Eastview, Nasty, Ware, Herts, SG11 1HP
Tel:  01920 438030   Fax:  01920 438091
Email:  enquiries@hydrozone.co.uk


chloebutton  talabutton  


The above information is simply informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.