Beagle Obesity The Benefits of Canine Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy for Dogs: Can It Help Your Pet Heal?

What are the benefits of hydrotherapy for dogs?

Hydrotherapy is used to aid recovery from many different health issues and it can also be a great way to get a dog used to water and help them build stronger muscles. Here are some of the ways hydrotherapy may benefit your pet:

• Helps increase balance and coordination
• Rebuilds muscle mass
• Increases blood circulation
• Helps to relieve pain
• Aids digestion
• Helps with recovery after surgery
• Helps to reduce inflammation
• Improves stamina
• Helps with weight loss

What conditions can be treated using hydrotherapy for dogs?

If your dog is suffering from one of the following conditions, its worth talking about canine hydrotherapy with your vet, as this may be appropriate as part of a multimodal treatment plan:

Is hydrotherapy safe for dogs?

Canine hydrotherapy is a process carried out by professional therapists trained to make sure the experience is as safe and as comfortable as possible for your pet. Special equipment such as life vests and harnesses are used depending on the type of hydrotherapy and your pet should be monitored at all times during the session.

However,dogs suffering from ear infections mightnot be suitable for hydrotherapydue to the possibility of water getting inside their ear and making the condition worse.And, whether your dog suffers from ear conditions or not,its always a good idea to check withthevet to make surecanine hydrotherapyislikely to bethe rightoptionfor your pet.

How to choose the right place for canine hydrotherapy

If youve got the go-ahead from the vet, its time to look for the best hydrotherapy service for your dog. Most veterinary practices will be able to refer you to a veterinary centre that provides hydrotherapy and other rehabilitation services. One of the most important things to check is that the therapists are licenced professionals. You can also look for reviews from other dog owners and see how satisfied they were with the service. Or you could even book a visit to talk with one of the therapists. They should be happy to answer all your questions and might even let you watch one of their hydrotherapy sessions to see whats in store for your pup.

Should you try dog hydrotherapy at home?

Pet owners with quick access to a body of water close to home or a pool in their back yard might be tempted to try hydrotherapy at home. However, owners should never try home hydrotherapy treatment as it is essential for this to be carried out under special supervision by a licensed professional to avoid making any illnesses or injuries worse. Canine hydrotherapy should take place in a well-controlled environment and should only ever be carried out by a licensed professional, so that everything from the water level and temperature to the type of exercise is carefully chosen to achieve the maximum benefits based on your dogs needs. Incorrect exercise could place strain on your pets body and lead to further problems.

What to do if your dog is scared of water?

Hydrotherapy for dogs can be extremely beneficial, but sometimes water can make pets quite anxious. Dogs will need to be used to getting into water to go to hydrotherapy. If your dog doesnt like water, you should take steps to help them feel more comfortable before their first hydrotherapy session and its a good idea to discuss this with your hydrotherapist ahead of time to ensure that your water training is safe for your pet given their condition.

A kiddie pool can be a good investment for pet owners with dogs scared of water. The shallow water is a good first step to get their paws wet and start getting them accustomed to being submerged. Dont forget to keep calm and offer your pet treats or toys and positive reinforcement where appropriate. The more gradual the process, the easier it will be for your dog to get comfortable with water. Always make sure you allow your dog to enter the water voluntarily at their own pace. Dont hesitate to look for professional help if you think your dog is too anxious and cant get over their fear.

Next, learn how to deal withfear and anxiety in dogsandtake time tounderstandyour dogspersonalityto help them get through those challenging moments easier.

The Benefits of Hydrotherapy for Canine Obesity

Did you know that over 60% of pet dogs in the UK are considered overweight? And a staggering 90% of dog owners would fail to recognise obesity in their pets.

As a dog owner, it's important to be aware of the risks associated with canine obesity. Obesity in dogs has strong associations with health problems such as respiratory and heart disease, cancer and musculoskeletal issues like osteoarthritis.

Not only can being overweight lead to a variety of health problems, but it can also reduce your dog's lifespan by up to two and a half years.

As a dog owner, you may be wondering what you can do to help your obese dog lose weight.

Diet and exercise are always a good place to start, but for some dogs, the usual routine isnt enough. This is where hydrotherapy comes in.

Hydrotherapy is a safe and effective way to help your obese dog lose weight and improve their quality of life.

Why do we need to combat obesity?

Evidence supports the use of weight loss as a tool in managing musculoskeletal disease, as studies have shown that losing 6% of excess body weight will significantly reduce an arthritic dogs lameness. Some research has shown that 34% of lameness can be eliminated if overweight dogs achieve a healthy, optimum body weight.

What is hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy is a type of water therapy that uses the natural resistance of water for therapy and rehabilitation. It can be used for a wide range of conditions, including obesity, arthritis, ligament damage and hip dysplasia.

Hydrotherapy is also an extremely effective form of exercise because it takes the weight off joints while still providing a full-body workout. For obese dogs, hydrotherapy can be a useful tool to help burn calories and build muscle mass while also improving cardiovascular fitness.

When performed under the supervision of a trained professional, hydrotherapy can be an extremely effective way to help your dog lose weight and improve their overall health

Why use hydrotherapy for weight loss in dogs?

Hydrotherapy helps build muscle

One of the benefits of hydrotherapy is that it helps build muscle. When dogs exercise in water, they have to work harder than they would on land because they are fighting against the natural resistance of water. This resistance helps to tone and build muscle, supporting overall health and fitness.

Hydrotherapy is low impact

Another benefit of hydrotherapy is that it is low impact. Walking in water provides buoyancy, meaning that it is gentle on your dog's joints and muscles, which is important if your dog is overweight or obese since these dogs are more likely to suffer from joint problems like osteoarthritis.

The use of an underwater treadmill allows overweight dogs that might ordinarily find normal land-based walking or running hard, to exercise more comfortably.

Water-based exercise can reduce inflammation

The hydrostatic pressures in water can help reduce inflammation and improve blood circulation. This is particularly important for overweight dogs with underlying joint problems. A reduction in inflammation reduces pain and improves joint range of motion, making exercise easier, not only on the underwater treadmill but on land as well.

Building your dog's fitness

Exercise on the underwater treadmill is harder than normal land-based exercise.

Varying the depth of water to change the resistance or drag through the water and introducing inclines can increase the challenge for dogs further. This means that it is brilliant for increasing cardiovascular fitness and improving stamina.

As dogs get fitter, their metabolism improves, which leads to fat burning.

Hydrotherapy can be fun!

Finally, hydrotherapy can be fun! Dogs love playing in water, so hydrotherapy is a great way to get your dog moving while also giving them a chance to have some fun. And the different form of active exercise provides good mental stimulation for dogs who may otherwise struggle to go on walks.

If you're looking for an effective and enjoyable way to help your dog lose weight, hydrotherapy may be the perfect solution.

Is hydrotherapy suitable for all dogs?

Hydrotherapy is generally safe for dogs, but there are some exceptions. Dogs with open wounds or infections should not take part in hydrotherapy until they have healed completely. If your dog has any pre-existing medical conditions, please speak to your vet before starting hydrotherapy sessions.

In general, consultation with a veterinary surgeon or qualified veterinary physiotherapist as to an individual dog's suitability for hydrotherapy is recommended.

Your dog's first hydrotherapy session

If you're considering hydrotherapy for your dog, it's important to find a reputable facility with trained professionals who can provide a safe and comfortable environment for your pet.

At AG Veterinary Physiotherapy, all dogs that are referred for hydrotherapy have aninitial physiotherapy assessment and introduction to the underwater treadmill. This is carried out by one of our professional veterinary physiotherapists and generally lasts approximately an hour and a half. Read more in this separate article: What to Expect from a Canine Hydrotherapy Session at AGVP

During your dog's first session, the hydrotherapist will assess their condition and develop a tailor-made treatment plan. From there, you'll work together to set realistic goals for your dog's weight loss journey.

Conclusion

If your dog is overweight or obese, hydrotherapy can be a great way to help them lose weight in a safe and effective manner. Hydrotherapy helps build muscle, burns calories, and is low impact, which means it's gentle on your dog's joints and muscles. Plus, it's also a lot of fun for dogs!

For more information, please visit our Canine Hydrotherapy page, or to book a session or discuss any questions you may have, please call on 07494 689566 or fill in the details on our contact page.

Reference Sources:

Canine Arthritis Management

Laflamme, D.P., 2006. Understanding and managing obesity in dogs and cats.Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice.

Marshall, W.G., Bockstahler, B.A., Hulse, D.A. and Carmichael, S., 2009. A review of osteoarthritis and obesity: current understanding of the relationship and benefit of obesity treatment and prevention in the dog.Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology.

Marshall, W.G., Hazewinkel, H.A., Mullen, D., De Meyer, G., Baert, K. and Carmichael, S., 2010. The effect of weight loss on lameness in obese dogs with osteoarthritis.Veterinary Research Communications.

Hydrotherapy for Dogs: A Growing Trend in Canine Physical Therapy

Humans have known for millennia about the healing properties of water for injuries and aching joints. But its only recently that dogs have begun to enjoy the benefits of hydrotherapy. Is it simply another pet health craze, or does it work?

What Is Hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy literally means water therapy and can refer to any therapeutic use of water to aid or improve health. For humans, hydrotherapy includes exercises such as swimming and water aerobics, as well as more sedentary activities like saunas, whirlpool baths, and mineral baths. Exercising in water has the benefit of providing both buoyancy and resistance, making it possible to strengthen and condition muscles and build endurance without placing stress on joints. Bathing in hot water can also dilate blood vessels and relax joints and muscles, easing aches and pains and aiding in healing of injuries.

Hydrotherapy for Dogs

While humans have been incorporating water therapy into their exercise and health practices since before the Roman Empire, hydrotherapy for dogs came about much more recently, by way of the horse-racing industry. Revealing the healing and conditioning benefits of having racehorses walk in water, the practice was soon adapted for greyhounds in the racing industry. The invention of underwater treadmills for dogs soon followed, and, after that, the practice quickly branched out to dogs in general.

For dogs, hydrotherapy usually consists of either swimming or walking in water, whether in shallow water along the beach or on an underwater treadmill. Exercising in water can be recreational, like what many people may do with their pets in their pool or at a beach, says Dr. Tari Kern, DVM, a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner at Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. However, hydrotherapy can also be used as part of a very specific, structured program with the goal of easing arthritis discomfort in pets, improving function after injury or surgical procedures, and even for optimizing conditioning of animal athletes.

Treating Dogs With Hydrotherapy

Canine hydrotherapy can help treat a wide range of injuries and health conditions. The low-impact nature of hydrotherapy exercise allows for its use in patients of all ages, including geriatric patients with arthritis and muscle atrophy or wasting, says Dr. Kern.

Water therapy can also be beneficial in treating:

The type of hydrotherapy prescribed depends on the condition being treated, as well as on the condition of the dog. Swimming provides a good cardiovascular workout, works the core musculature and can help to increase the overall burn of calories. However, it is very difficult to modify swimming as an exercise in general. As a result, its challenging to use swimming for broad-scale rehabilitation, Dr. Kern explains. [An] underwater treadmill offers better on-demand control of an exercise program and allows modifications to be made more specific. The depth of the water and speed of the treadmill can be quickly adjusted to provide different experiences for the pet. This allows the effects of the exercise to be tailored more specifically to the overall goal of hydrotherapy and each pets unique needs and possible limitations.

But with all of hydrotherapys benefits, its not a panacea, Dr. Kern cautions. Hydrotherapy is a great tool to use, but it is simply one treatment modality. Water-based exercises can help to rebuild muscle mass, promote cardiovascular output and improve stamina. However, it cannot target specific individual muscles for strengthening or reduce local inflammation or pain. The best rehabilitation plan should be individualized for each pet and incorporate a combination of modalities that best help to address all of the problems that need to be corrected.

Hydrotherapy for Physical Conditioning and Injury Prevention

For sporting dogs and other highly active breeds, recreational hydrotherapy is a great way to add physical conditioning exercises that help increase stamina and endurance as well as strengthen muscles, all of which can improve athletic performance and help guard against muscle strain and injuries. Positive results can often be seen quickly when incorporating hydrotherapy into athletic conditioning programs, as exercise in water can accelerate results when compared to similar land-based exercises, says Dr. Kern. For example, trotting in the underwater treadmill with the water at elbow height for 2 miles would be approximately the equivalent amount of exercise as running 4 to 5 miles on land with less concussive forces on the joints.

But hydrotherapy should only be one part of an overall training program. An athlete needs exercises that mirror their sport and should not exclusively do hydrotherapy when training, Dr. Kern warns. It should be considered as an addition to the athletes regular exercise program to help diversify and challenge their muscles, similar to cross-training. Working with a rehabilitation and sports medicine veterinarian and their team can significantly up the level of the program also, compared to trying to go it alone.

Dog Hydrotherapy at Home

Hydrotherapy doesnt always need to be done in a clinical setting. Recreational hydrotherapy for exercise and conditioning, such as swimming or walking in water, can be done at home in a swimming pool or in a larger body of water. For small breeds, a kiddie pool in the back yard can do in a pinch. But not all dogs are natural swimmers, so its important to closely supervise your dog. We recommend always using a correctly fitting flotation or buoyancy jacket with pets while in the water, in case they get tired or need assistance, says Dr. Kern. If the pet is otherwise healthy and swimming for basic exercise and fun, toys that float, and controlled fetch games can be used to mix things up a bit.

Its also important not to force dogs who dont enjoy swimming or water sports. It may result in injury for the pet or the person or both. If your veterinarian believes that swimming would benefit your pet, but they are anxious about water, its best to seek professional guidance to help teach them, says Dr. Kern. He also advises against attempting to provide medical hydrotherapy by yourself. If the pet has medical conditions, attempting hydrotherapy at home is not advised. For those pets, using an underwater treadmill in a professional setting would be best, so that the exercises and the height of the water can be adjusted by the veterinary rehabilitation team based on the pets abilities.

If youre considering adding water exercises to your dogs physical conditioning and training regimen, be sure to first clear it with your vet. Not all dogs are a good candidate for this type of exercise. If signs of stress are observed, the activity should be stopped immediately, Dr. Kern also warns. Pets that are anxious or stressed may experience increased blood pressure and increased heart rates. Others may panic and flail about in water, which may create back muscle pain. The goal of hydrotherapy is gentle exercise and anything that is observed contrary to this plan means the activity must stop immediately.

Providing Hydrotherapy for Your Dog

With the proven efficacy of hydrotherapy for aiding in healing and recovery, hydrotherapy clinics are popping up all over the United States. More and more veterinarians are also adding aquatic therapy equipment to their facilities. If you believe your dog might benefit from hydrotherapy, talk to your vet about the options available in your arealook for trained and certified rehabilitation specialists. Its also a good idea to visit the facilities to talk to the providers and see their equipment before booking a session for your dog.

While costs will vary from one provider to the next, on average you can expect to pay around $35 to $45 for an initial consultation. After that, youll likely pay $20 to $30 for a swim therapy session and $35 to $50 for an underwater treadmill session.