Hydrotherapy is a gentle yet powerful natural therapy for dogs. It can help with post-surgery recovery, long-term health conditions, or simply maintaining your pet’s overall fitness.
Why Choose RehabVet?
At RehabVet, we focus on your dog’s individual needs. We offer one-on-one hydrotherapy sessions, ensuring every dog gets the careful attention they deserve in a safe, comfortable setting.
How Does Hydrotherapy Work?
Why Warm Water Matters
Warm water encourages blood vessels to expand, boosting circulation. It also helps muscles become more flexible, improving your dog’s range of motion.
Our Holistic Approach
At RehabVet, we believe in looking after your dog’s overall well-being. While hydrotherapy has many benefits, it should be paired with regular on-land activities, like walking or running on padded surfaces, along with a balanced diet. This complete approach ensures your furry friend stays happy and healthy.
Reduces Stress on Joints
The buoyancy of water supports your dog’s body weight, easing pressure on joints and helping them move more comfortably.
Builds Muscle Strength
Water provides natural resistance, encouraging muscles to work harder without risking injury—ideal for dogs needing muscle rehabilitation or increased tone.
Enhances Flexibility and Range of Motion
Warm water relaxes stiff muscles, allowing joints to move more freely. This is especially beneficial for dogs with arthritis or post-surgery stiffness.
Improves Blood Circulation
The warmth of the water dilates blood vessels, promoting better blood flow to muscles and tissues for faster healing and recovery.
Alleviates Pain and Inflammation
Gentle exercises in warm water can reduce swelling and pain, helping dogs recover faster and feel more at ease.
Promotes Safe Rehabilitation
Hydrotherapy is a controlled environment, making it a great option for dogs recovering from surgery or injury, minimising the risk of further harm.
Aids in Weight Management
Swimming and water exercises burn calories without putting excessive strain on joints, making hydrotherapy an excellent tool for weight control.
Provides Gentle Exercise for Seniors
Older dogs often face mobility issues and chronic pain. Hydrotherapy offers a low-impact workout that keeps them active and comfortable.
Boosts Overall Fitness
Regular sessions help maintain healthy muscle tone, improve endurance, and support overall cardiovascular health for dogs of all life stages.
Encourages Mental Well-Being
Warm water and gentle handling can help relieve anxiety or stress. A supportive environment builds confidence and can even improve a dog’s mood.
Post-Surgery Rehabilitation
Joint and Mobility Issues (e.g., Arthritis, Hip Dysplasia)
Chronic Pain or Inflammation
Neurological Disorders (e.g., Intervertebral Disc Disease, Nerve Injuries)
Weight Management or Obesity
Muscle Weakness or Atrophy
Orthopaedic Conditions (e.g., Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injuries)
Senior Dogs with Reduced Mobility
At RehabVet, each 45-minute hydrotherapy session is specially designed to match your dog’s health needs. We combine physical therapy and gentle massage so your pet gets the most out of every session. Whether your dog has a mild or serious condition, our hydrotherapy plans are fully customisable.
Before starting, we review your dog’s detailed medical history—from you and your vet—to understand their condition better. This helps us create a targeted plan to manage their health and improve their overall well-being. After every session, we record their progress and note any improvements, making sure we keep a close eye on your pet’s recovery.
Gentle and Safe Introduction to the Pool
Our skilled hydrotherapists begin by introducing your dog to the water carefully, guiding them around the pool to help them relax. During the session, we watch over your pet closely, showing them how to use the right muscle groups and giving them rest when needed.
Safety First
Every dog wears a life jacket for added safety and easier handling, ensuring they feel secure while they exercise.
Rebuilding Strength and Well-Being
Hydrotherapy is an essential part of canine fitness. It helps strengthen weak muscles, boost overall health, and can be customised to meet your dog’s unique needs. Short-term sessions—like those for minor surgery recovery—may only require about six appointments. For dogs with chronic conditions, hydrotherapy can be a long-term or lifelong part of their care plan.
IThis non-invasive therapy involves using water to help dogs recover from injuries, surgeries, and other health conditions. During a hydrotherapy session, there are a few things you should expect:
1. Warm-up exercises: Before the actual therapy begins, your dog will undergo some warm-up exercises to help them get comfortable with the water. This could include walking on a treadmill or swimming in a shallow pool.
2. Special equipment: You should expect to see some special equipment used during the session, such as harnesses, life jackets, and water treadmills. These tools are designed to help your dog move freely and safely in the water.
3. Different water depths: Depending on your dog’s condition, the therapist may vary the water’s depth. Shallow water is ideal for dogs with mobility issues, while deeper water is better for those who need more resistance.
4. Low-impact exercises: During the session, your dog will perform low-impact exercises to help them build muscle strength, improve flexibility, and increase circulation. These exercises could include swimming laps or walking on an underwater treadmill.
5. Monitoring by a therapist: Throughout the session, a trained therapist will be monitoring your dog’s progress, adjusting equipment, and providing support as needed. They will also keep track of your dog’s vital signs, such as heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature.
Hydrotherapy may not be suitable for dogs with certain conditions such as infectious diseases, serious heart or lung disease, open wounds, or certain skin conditions. Always consult with a veterinary professional or a certified hydrotherapist to assess each dog’s suitability.
Yes, but often times the condition affecting the animal can become worse from improper exercise routines. The underwater treadmill is a controlled exercise environment where walking speed, water temperature and water depth can all be controlled. The patient may also be given adequate rest periods if they are tired, facilitating optimal conditioning or appropriate rehabilitation from an injury. The therapist also helps to adjust therapy sessions based on how the patient is doing.
Most patients participating in aquatic therapy are already out of shape and swimming in a pool or lake requires more cardiovascular strength and endurance than is available.
Swimming in a hydrotherapy pool may be effective for some conditions, but again several factors are unable to be controlled during a free swim.
