The benefits of canine hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is becoming increasingly integrated within canine treatment plans to help strengthen and condition an animal and has particulalry shown to be beneficial in the rehabilitation of varying conditions. Hydrotherapy comes in the form of an underwater treadmill (UWT) and a swimming pool. Pools are useful for improving general fitness and primarily used for certain elbow conditions, whereas, UWT are used in most cases as it allows for more controlled movement thereby helping to retrain gait patterns.

Hydrotherapy offers an array of benefits from its water properties...

• Buoyancy: This helps to lift and support the dogs body weight, thereby helping to encourage correct limb use whilst avoiding concussive forces.

• Hydrostatic pressure: When a dog is submerged in water hydrostatic pressure provides a massaging effect which helps to improve circulation and lymphatic flow.

• Viscosity: Water has more viscosity than air, therefore it requires greater muscular effort to overcome the resistance of the water. This therefore helps to increase muscle and strength as well as providing support/stability to patients which is particularly useful for spinal cases.

• Surface tension: This increases resistance in the water and can add a challenge by asking the dog to move its limbs through the water rather than underneath the water. Therefore, fit and capable dogs may have the water height lowered to increase the complexity of the exercise.

• Warmth: The moderate temperature of the water allows for vasodilation which is where blood vessels widen to help enhance circulation and redcue the viscosity of certain substances such as synovial fluid which will help aid joint movement.

Overview of the science behind hydrotherapy:

• Increased elbow range of motion in dogs with elbow dysplasia.

• Improvements in joint flexion and extension with the carpus, elbow, shoulder, tarsus, stifle and hip joint.

• No significant differences in spinal flexion/extension during UWT, deeming it safe for dogs with spinal pathologies.

• As the water height decreases, there is an increase in the activity of the glute and back muscles thereby indicating that lower water depths increases muscular demand.

Whilst allowing your dog to swim in lakes, pools or the sea can be classed as hydrotherapy, ensuring you take your dog to an appropriate centre where staff have correct the correct training enables the swim session to be more effective and targeted to improve an outcome for a dog.