[Pet hydrotherapy special]Tailor-made treatments to correct limb strain, underwater walks for dogs, muscle strengthening and rehabilitation

(Hong Kong) As dogs age, they face the deterioration of their body functions just like us. Arthritis, muscle pain, and difficulty in moving after surgery… Seeing their pets staggering and unhappy, pet owners feel distressed and helpless.

In recent years, there is an emerging treatment method – pet hydrotherapy, which helps dogs with rehabilitation exercise. It can not only enhance the strength of the whole body muscles, but also promote blood circulation, allowing them to regain confidence and vitality!

At first glance, pet hydrotherapy may be easily confused with pet spa, which focuses on relaxation and beauty, but in fact, there is a significant difference between the two.

Anita Yeung, a veterinarian at the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said that pet hydrotherapy often includes underwater treadmills and constant temperature pools. The main purpose is treatment and rehabilitation exercise. By swimming and walking, the properties of water are used to help dogs perform targeted exercises.

Low-impact sports buoyancy reduces joint burden

“First, hydrotherapy uses the muscles of the whole body to exercise, and the buoyancy of water can reduce the burden on the joints.” She explained that hydrotherapy is a low-impact exercise, and the buoyancy of water supports part of the dog’s weight, reducing the force on the joints. “For dogs who already have joint problems or weak muscles, compared to walking on flat ground (on land), using an underwater treadmill can better exercise the whole body and maintain a longer exercise time.”

At the same time, the resistance of water can enhance the dog’s cardiopulmonary function and blood circulation, which is a good aerobic exercise. For overweight or lack of exercise dogs, it is a good “weight loss” choice.

Yeung said that pet hydrotherapy is to allow dogs to walk in the water at a speed and time that suits them, under the supervision and accompaniment of a specialist. Especially for dogs that have just undergone surgery and need rehabilitation, or have problems with their feet or joints, underwater treadmills can strengthen the necessary muscle groups and provide rehabilitation therapy in a safe environment.

She explained that these dogs also need some supportive exercises to correct the force applied to their limbs. “Maybe when the dog is walking or standing normally, it deliberately adjusts to one foot (because of pain or discomfort). Then we need supervised exercises to ensure that the dog’s limbs are applied evenly.”

Walking in water is more physically demanding than walking on land.

The association’s hydrotherapy service is assessed and a physical therapist is responsible for formulating a treatment plan to determine the walking time, speed, water depth, slope, etc. of the dog using the underwater treadmill. It is generally recommended to do it once a week, and they will not be allowed to walk for more than 10 minutes during the initial treatment.

Debi Siu, veterinary nurse supervisor (operating room) and trainee physiotherapist of the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals, pointed out that although dogs may seem to be doing it easily, the resistance of water actually requires more energy for them to move in water than on land. “They may seem to be walking or swimming for a short time, but the amount of exercise is equivalent to several times that on land.”

If the time is too long and they become too tired, it may have the opposite effect. As the condition and physical strength improve, the physical therapist will gradually increase their running time.

Dogs that are afraid of water and have skin diseases or wounds are not suitable

Since water exercise has many benefits, is taking your dog swimming another option? Xiao Riran said that dogs usually use their front legs more when swimming, and their hind legs are often retracted, so they cannot make large movements. Therefore, swimming is at most a form of regular fitness. If the dog has undergone surgery and the muscles in the hind legs are weak, it is recommended to use an underwater treadmill for rehabilitation.

However, not all dogs are suitable for water sports. She reminded that if the dog is afraid of water, suffers from skin diseases or infectious diseases, or has wounds, it is not suitable for hydrotherapy. It is recommended to consult a veterinarian first.

Accompanied by a spa therapist

Supervision helps improve gait

Rehabilitation for your pet can be lengthy, so it’s important to find a place where they can exercise regularly.

Eddie Choi, a senior canine behavior consultant and dog trainer, said that as a place specializing in hydrotherapy rehabilitation for dogs, they hope to provide a professional and safe hydrotherapy experience, so they have introduced pet-specific underwater treadmills and constant temperature pools, and are supervised and accompanied by canine hydrotherapists certified by the UK OCNLR.

“Dogs of different breeds and ages may need hydrotherapy due to injuries, surgeries or congenital joint problems. The center will develop a customized rehabilitation plan based on their specific conditions.”

Wear a buoyancy suit and feel the joints by touch

Before receiving the first service, the center will first understand the dog’s physical condition with the owner, measure its weight, observe its walking condition and massage it, and then measure the degree of opening and closing of its limbs as a reference data, and finally let it use the underwater treadmill. Before entering the treadmill, the hydrotherapy therapist will first give the dog a simple cleanup and put on a buoyancy jacket for it. Maybe you think that it is just letting the dog run alone on the treadmill like a human? Of course, it is more than that. The hydrotherapy therapist will also walk into the underwater treadmill with the dog.

Eddie explained: “Because I can control their gait and feel how they walk.”

Sometimes the spa therapist will hold the dog’s hind legs and feel the joints by touch, such as stiffness or jamming, or feel that the two sides of the feet are exerting different forces, so that timely assistance can be provided to improve the gait. Sometimes there is also another spa therapist to help in front to control the dog’s twisting body, or to attract their attention with snacks and toys. It is generally recommended that the owner stand in front of the dog so that they will not be afraid of unfamiliar environments. Cameras are installed on the left and right sides and the front of the treadmill to record the process and monitor the angle of its walking, so as to facilitate real-time adjustment.

Generally, they will walk for 30 to 40 seconds and then stop for 30 seconds to 1 minute to let them rest. The whole running process takes about 10 to 15 minutes, after which they will move to the heated pool.

30℃ constant temperature pool increases blood circulation and helps relieve pain

Eddie said that dogs swimming in a pool can exercise their muscles more gently and comprehensively, including core muscle strength and joint flexion and extension. The water temperature is maintained at about 30°C all year round, which can enhance blood circulation and relieve pain.

“The hydrotherapist will also accompany the dog into the water to assist, and according to the dog’s limb mobility, try to guide them to use their limbs to swim more to wake up the muscles and enhance the rehabilitation effect. However, he does not recommend dogs with intervertebral disc disease to swim in the pool, because they lack self-control and are more likely to sprain their spine. He recommends using an underwater treadmill.”

He said that the entire treatment, which includes underwater treadmill and pool swimming, will not exceed half an hour at most to prevent dogs from over-exercising. If necessary, the center can also fill out a report and hand over the treatment clips to the veterinarian to facilitate the follow-up visit to understand the rehabilitation progress.

Dog Profile: After 4 months of lower body paralysis, he is now able to walk again

Name: Simba

Breed: Tang Dog

Age: 4 years old

Recovery time: 4 months

Recovery status: Suffering from acute disc herniation, which caused paralysis of the lower body and made it impossible to walk. After 4 months of hydrotherapy and other rehabilitation treatments, he regained his ability to walk and was able to basically control his muscles and balance.

Text◇Chen Zhenji, Photography◇Lai Junjie, Ming Pao

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