Why Hydrotherapy Can Change Your Dog’s Life for the Better
Not long ago, new client of ours came to us interested in hydrotherapy for her dog. Her 14 year old senior dog was beginning to slow down quite a bit. He was having trouble getting up from lying down and unable to go up steps anymore. He is a Golden Retriever with extra weight, which made walking and mobility even harder for him in his golden years. His owner was also having trouble getting around herself, making her unable to exercise her dog enough to keep his muscles strong, joints flexible and his mood light. She also told us she had noticed some problems in his eating habits and energy levels, resulting in him lounging around majority of the time and just not being his “normal” self. She assumed he may have severe arthritis which motivated her look into ways she could bring some sort of comfort and healing back to him. She discovered Canine hydrotherapy and decided to give it a try. As a responsible dog parent, she also wanted to be proactive in keeping his quality of life good, especially now in his senior years. She was also looking to explore a therapy that strayed away from mainstream treatments (such as pain medication or surgeries). She gave me a call, we set-up an evaluation swim and the rest is history…
To be honest, during the course of a dog’s life going into their senior years, it is almost certain that he or she will develop arthritis at some point in time.
In the past, clients whose dogs had a hard time getting around came to us after they started to notice their dog was having issues. Often, these dogs were older, most of the time overweight and did not get much, if any exercise. These combinations will inevitably make it difficult to see quick results using hydrotherapy and SOMETIMES can be too late.
Fortunately, most of our clients are intuitive dog owners who choose hydrotherapy early, because they intend to be proactive with their dog’s overall health both physically AND mentally before they start to age. Dog owners have to understand that by keeping their dog fit physically and mentally early and at every age, they are in fact adding quality years to their dog’s life and potentially saving thousands of dollars in medical procedures, surgeries and/or medication.
For centuries, even for humans, hydrotherapy has been used starting with the Greek and Roman periods as an integral part of traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases. It is still very much used today to help relieve pain from arthritis, rehabilitate from surgery and heal injuries, manage weight-loss and provide a safe & effective low-impact exercise.
What is Canine Hydrotherapy?
It is the use of water to treat different conditions in dogs. Hydrotherapy exercise uses the element of water and it’s principles for benefits:
- Buoyancy, which alters the exercise intensity and reduces stress on weight bearing joints
- Warm temperature and hydrostatic pressure to increase circulation, flexibility, and decrease swelling
- Turbulence and surface area to increase exercise difficulty and increase resistance
Canine Hydrotherapy Versus Swimming
Water in a hydrotherapy pool is warmer than in a traditional pool. For example, the temperature of our pool ranges from 85-92 degrees during our swim season. Hydrotherapy exercises are very specific to the condition being treated, making it different from just swimming. These exercises focus on building muscle, stamina, improving range of motion, building endurance, monitoring vitals, respiratory response and much and more. Putting your dog in the pool and letting it swim around can be fun and safe for non-injured dogs. However, dogs with any orthopedic condition, senior dogs, dogs prone to injury, etc. it can be a serious hazard and health risk.
What Are The Benefits of Canine Hydrotherapy?
- Pain relief
- Reduce inflammation
- Reduce anxiety
- Increased range of motion
- Strengthening weak muscles
- Improved mood
- Increased endurance and cardiovascular health
- Improved circulation
- Improved balance and coordination
- Retraining of muscles for correct movement.
Holistic Supplements: Pet Hemp Oil (CBD)
Dog owners who inquire about CBD oil have all different types of reasons for doing so. Most of these paw parents are searching for a holistic approach to help and heal their pet. CBD oil is known to be the main ingredient in many treatment options that provide internal as well as external care for pets. It is also available in many different forms such as edibles, tincture, oils or even creams. Here at Dip’n Dogs, we partnered with a local organic company who provides a few different types of CBD Oil for pets and their humans. We offer small, medium and large breed oil tinctures as well as a standard human tincture. It is a 100% THC free organic grade Phytocannabinoid Hemp oil and is organically farmed with a non-GMO formula and is pesticide and residual solvent free. Visit our Pet Hemp oil page here on our website to purchase your pet’s order.
Pet Hemp Oil Uses:
- Arthritis
- Aggressiveness/Temper
- Seizures
- Cancer Symptoms
- Appetite Loss
- General Anxiety
- Separation Anxiety
- Inflammation
- Managing Pain
- Depression
- High Stress
Overall, Canine Hydrotherapy and Pet hemp oil are alternative forms of treatment to help with arthritis, disease and injury. Warm water hydrotherapy is a way to exercise a dog in a completely safe environment and 100% non-weight bearing. When dogs start to become older, arthritic or develop a degenerative disease, they begin to experience pain and discomfort. This makes it so that the dog typically doesn’t want to exercise, which begins a downward spiral of muscle loss and increased difficulty getting around. Hydrotherapy helps to keep a dog’s entire body strong, mostly the hind end muscles. These specific muscles weaken and atrophy long before other muscles in the body which is why it is vital to start your dog EARLY ON. Our clients often report that through regular hydrotherapy sessions, their senior or aging dogs often become puppy like again and positively turn around their health and energy levels! By being proactive and starting your dog on their hydrotherapy journey when they’re young, will add quality years to your dog’s life, which is SO worth it, don’t you think?
About Dip’ n Dogs Hydrotherapy – Orlando, FL
At Dip’n Dogs Hydrotherapy, we are certified and caring professionals devoted to restoring and enhancing the health and happiness of your beloved pup. Encompassing a pool, as well as a certified hydrotherapist, this can provide effective and long lasting results for your pet’s injury or illness. We are conveniently located in Winter Park, FL. Contact us today at (407) 227-0030. Our Services include the following: Outdoor Hydrotherapy and In-Home Mobile Therapy for dogs. We look forward to hearing from you!
