How Canine Hydrotherapy can improve your Dog's Life
Posted by Megan on 13th Nov 2023
Water Works Wonders! Here at Wolf Tucker we like to care for our dogs as holistically as possible. One great way of doing this and keeping them in top condition is canine hydrotherapy. Canine hydrotherapy can be an amazing option for dogs with all kinds of lifestyles and backgrounds from working dogs and competing dogs to those who need to build some muscle and get in shape.It is important to go to a Canine Hydrotherapist that is registered with a governing body such as NARCH or CHA, to ensure the safest experience for your dog. Governing bodies will list their registered professionals online for pet owners to look up.
A good Hydrotherapist will assess your dog for the treatment that best suits them and extra support with be added to ensure your dog is moving correctly and building muscle in the most beneficial way if necessary. This is why it is important to go somewhere reputable especially if they have never swum before.
Hydrotherapy is brilliant for...
- Building muscle and strength
- Weight loss
- Conditioning for sporting or working dogs
- Cardiovascular fitness
- Prevention or easing symptoms of arthritis
- Pain management
- Maintaining fitness especially in older dogs
- Rehabilitation after surgery or injury
- Conservative management of injuries
- Improves balance, coordination and proprioception
- Retraining gait
- and much more...
As pool-based hydrotherapy is a non-weight bearing exercise and underwater treadmill offers reduced weight bearing due the support of the water it is great way of exercising dogs that for whatever reason cannot walk far. Two minutes of swimming is the equivalent of a 2 mile walk for our four-legged friends. This means that the Hydrotherapist will be able to tailor your dog's session to the difficultly level that they require. Much easier for owners than trying to wear out energetic breeds like Collies and Spaniels through walking alone!
Above all else, lots of dogs' love swimming and what is better than letting them do something they enjoy. Even dogs that are not the biggest fans of water can increase their confidence and start benefitting.
The properties of the warm water (should be a lovely 28-32 degrees - much toastier than human pools) used in canine hydrotherapy alone increases a dog's circulation which improves coat and skin condition, increases lymphatic drainage and helps to remove toxins from the body. The exercise also helps encourage good digestion. Swimming really does promote every area of canine physical and mental well-being.
At Wolf Tucker, we are proud to feed lots of beloved pets, working dogs and sporting dogs. Why not see what a great fuel like Wolf Tucker can push your dog to do physically in or out of the water.
