Water therapy referral
At Paws in Motion, we know that physiotherapy and rehabilitation involves a lot more than just getting into water. We offer our clients referral for pool or underwater treadmill use, as well as open water swimming advice.
Water provides several properties:
- Buoyancy reduces the forces on bones and joints during movement
- Hydrostatic pressure can reduce oedema
- Increased resistance forces the muscles and cardiovascular system to work harder.
Dogs do not use their limbs in the same way on land as they do in water and fitness can greatly affect matters. Consideration of the properties of water, pet fitness and injury/condition are essential to determine the most appropriate time for its incorporation into the rehabilitation process. For example, depending on pet fitness, in cases such as elbow dysplasia, the use of water can be very beneficial to the rehabilitation process. However, after knee or other reconstructive surgery, the forces produced can be detrimental.
