Water Treatments: Dog Rehabilitation Through Hydroptherapy
November 6, 2009
It may seem too good to be true, but hydrotherapy for dogs really does bring better results and in a shorter amount of time than other forms of rehabilitation. And why is that?
Well, through hydrotherapy, your dog’s rehabilitation process is unhindered by unnecessary stress placed on the dog’s area of injury and uses the fantastic exercise of swimming to get the results you and your dog want. And for older dogs whsoe bodies are suffering from a lifetime of ailments and injuries, these are the kinds of solutions they need.
What is Hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy is any correct form of exercise and movement of the muscles in the injured area while a dog is in water. This can come in the form of swimming or walking on an underwater treadmill.
Swimming for rehabilitation purposes is a physical therapy that has been in use for a long time. However, like most physical therapies, hydrotherapy has mostly been used for humans, and later on, only by animals needing to recover for racing or performance purposes (such as horses and greyhounds).
Recently, though, hydrotherapy has been growing in popularity with the community of pet owners in general because of the expectation pet owners have placed on receiving the same medical treatments for their dogs as they have received for themselves in the past.
Why is Hydrotherapy so Effective?
Swimming is a unique form of exercise because it combines improving the range of joint motion with muscle strengthening and cardiovascular conditioning. At the same time, it improves circulation and reduces the amount of weight and/or pressure on the injured area that would prevent the dog from exercising it further in normal, non-water environments.
In fact, in some circumstances, regular exercising might be harmful (for example, if it causes further cartilage damage and prevents tissues from healing), but because of water’s buoyancy effect, exercising can even be kept up for long periods of time.
Thus, dog rehabilitation through hydrotherapy means increased mobility and a reduction in pain and tissue damage at the same time, resulting in a faster recovery for your pet. There is no other rehabilitation process where muscle mass is restored as quickly as it is in hydrotherapy.
What Are The Uses?
This medical practice can be used in the recovery from orthopedic injuries, neurological injuries, soft tissue and joint damage, degenerative conditions, muscle weakness, general health deconditioning, dog obesity, and even general fitness.
Hydroptherapy and Age
As you can imagine, an older dog often suffers from a small handful of these ailments, and they may not be strong enough to engage in normal exercise. The bouyancy in water can assist greatly in a situation like this because they don’t have to wrack their old, tired bones to stay active. And this is helpful for aging dog owners as well, because it is much easier to move your dog around and assist them when they are floating in water.
A Great Solution
If you want to restore your dog’s mobility the fastest, hydrotherapy is one of the best choices available. And because this form of rehab is becoming increasingly mainstream, there are several pet insurance companies out there who cover hydrotherapy if it is recommended by a vet.
Not only can swimming and other water exercises be the best way for your dog to safely recover from his or her injuries, but it improves fitness and health in general as well–for both humans and dogs. Only through hydrotherapy, can you be sure to receive dog rehabilitation services at their best.
If your dog is suffering from an injury, consider hydrotherapy as an extremely effective healing solution.
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