Hydrotherapy is also known as Aqua Therapy or Water Therapy. It is a type of physical therapy for your dog that uses water to help treat their condition.
Water therapy is provided to your dog under the supervision of a hydrotherapist. They are professionals trained to provide the best care for your dog and to recognize any signs of distress or discomfort in your dog during the session.
Your veterinarian can help you decide if hydrotherapy is a good option for your dog. They can also recommend a good rehab facility in your area.
Disclaimer: This post is meant to be informative and should not be taken as medical advice. Talk to your veterinarian regarding any health concerns you may have for your dog.
How Does Hydrotherapy Work?
Hydrotherapy provides a way for your dog to be able to exercise without putting full weight on their joints.
Water creates buoyancy that allows your dog to walk and perform other movements with less discomfort due to decreasing the amount of weight they are walking on.
Water also provides resistance to work your dog’s muscles and help build strength and endurance.
What Conditions Can Hydrotherapy Treat?
Hydrotherapy can treat various conditions in dogs. Among them:
Arthritis
Arthritis can cause painful joints causing your dog to have difficulty walking.
Surgical Procedures
If your dog has surgery on any tendons or ligaments, like ACL surgery, hydrotherapy can help recovery.
Metabolic Disorders
Some conditions such as Diabetes or Cushing’s disease can cause your dog’s muscles to atrophy.
Weight Loss
Hydrotherapy can provide a means of low impact exercise to help your dog lose weight.
Neurological Conditions
Paralysis and pain conditions can benefit from hydrotherapy.
Hip Dysplasia
Water therapy can help your dog exercise without pain.
Endurance
Hydrotherapy can provide cardio exercise for your dog and increase their endurance. This is especially good for working or sporting dogs.
Strength Training
Some dogs have weakness to their arms or legs due to various medical conditions and hydrotherapy can help build strength.
Range Of Motion
Movement in the water can also help increase your dog’s range of motion of their limbs, helping them walk better.
Types Of Hydrotherapy
There are two types of hydrotherapy: pool therapy and an underwater treadmill.
Pool Therapy
Pool therapy involves your dog being immersed in a pool of water, while being accompanied by a hydrotherapist.
The water may be warm or cool, depending on your dog’s needs. Warm water will help relax your dog and their muscles, while cool water will help your dog work a little harder giving more of a cardio workout.
Pool therapy is good to strengthen your dog’s arms and chest. It is also beneficial for dogs that are unable to put any amount of weight on their joints.
Underwater Treadmill
An underwater treadmill is another type of hydrotherapy. This is a treadmill in a small tank. Your dog goes into the tank and it is slowly filled with water. The higher the water level, the less pressure on your dog’s joints.
The speed of the treadmill can also be adjusted according to your dog’s needs and where they are in their recovery.
As your dog’s condition improves, the water level can be lowered and the speed of the treadmill increased.
An underwater treadmill is good for arthritis, surgical recovery, and for increasing endurance.
Is Hydrotherapy Good For All Dogs?
Hydrotherapy may not be appropriate for all dogs.
If your dog is afraid of water, hydrotherapy may not be a good idea.
Dogs with unstable spinal conditions would not be a good candidate for hydrotherapy.
How Much Does Dog Water Therapy Cost?
The cost of a hydrotherapy session varies by location. Most places use hydrotherapy in conjunction with other modalities. Call the facility you are thinking of going to beforehand to discuss cost and payment options.
Some pet insurance companies will cover rehabilitation for your dog. This is also something you will want to look into before deciding on a facility to take your dog to.
How Do You Hydrotherapy A Dog At Home?
If your dog has a medical condition, it is not recommended to do hydrotherapy on your own at home. It is best to have your dog under the care of a trained professional.
If you are looking to increase your dog’s strength and endurance due to them being a working or sporting dog, or if your dog needs to lose weight, there are three options.
First, check with your veterinarian to be sure this is a good option for your dog.
Option 1:
- Use your own pool. If you have a small dog, a baby pool is all you will need. If you have a large dog you will need a large sized pool that is deep enough for them to swim in.
Have your dog wear a life jacket or vest to help keep them safe. Always supervise your dog while they are in the water.
Option 2:
- Hudson Aquatic and H2OForFitness are two companies that specialize in underwater treadmills for rehab facilities. You can contact them to see if they can customize one for you. Keep in mind if you buy one, you will have to deal with maintaining it as well (cleaning, maintaining water purity, etc.).
Option 3:
- Forego the water part of it and get a regular treadmill for your dog. Options include the dogPACER treadmill for large dogs and the LifePro treadmill for small and medium dogs.
Hydrotherapy uses water to increase buoyancy and decrease weight your dog puts on their joints. It can help improve strength, range of motion, and endurance while providing low impact exercise for your dog.
Please check out our other posts on Health, Indoor, Outdoor, and Travel accessories for your dog, as well as Reviews of various products and travel destinations.