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Hydrotherapy

Benefits of Aquatic Therapy

Canine swim therapy or hydrotherapy in an underwater treadmill or pool uses the natural properties of water, or the principles of relative density, buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, surface tension, viscosity and resistance to achieve its therapeutic benefits in a safe environment. Exercising in water can help reduce fatigue and pressure on joints, soothe aches, and help with balance. It can also improve mobility and flexibility, allowing patients to recover from surgery or an injury quicker, and experience a better quality of life and well-being.

Recovering from a medical procedure or injury, dealing with arthritis or weight issues can all be painful and frustrating. With aquatic exercise, patients experience the benefits of water immediately.  A low-impact, high resistance workout in warm water helps reduce inflammation, relieve pain, increase circulation, improve balance and promote relaxation. The stabilizing and buoyant effects of water enable many patients to perform exercises in water that they cannot do on land.

Aquatic therapy for small animals in an underwater treadmill or pool is effective for improving strength, muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, range of motion, agility, and psychological well-being, while minimizing pain. It is also an excellent form of exercise for weight loss and older patients, as less body weight in water reduces the stress on bones and joints.

Many conditions benefit from hydrotherapy, especially those disorders in which an animal is reluctant to use a limb or there is a lack of strength, range of motion, proprioceptive ability or weight-bearing status. An animal that will not use a limb on land will be more apt to use it in the water. Our underwater treadmill has variable control over speed, resistance and depth, which allows for a tailored and progressive therapy plan for every type or breed of patient. Resistance jets can also be turned on or off, depending on the amount of resistance desired, which is useful for muscle strengthening and cardiovascular training as well as reducing swelling and edema.