Hydro
Therapy
How Does it Work?
Hydro-exercise
works because it promotes voluntary muscle movement while your
pet is weightless. When your pet enters the warm water and starts
to swim, your pet's limbs will have a full range of motion without
the impact of hitting the ground. The resistance of the water
also helps your pet rebuild muscle that has atrophied. The warm
water (a temperature of approximately 95 degrees), also relaxes
your pet almost instantly, which also allows the muscles to
move. While your pet is swimming, gentle massage, acupressure,
and Cranio-Sacral manipulation (skull to tail) is used to realign
and adjust vertebrae, relieve pain, loosen muscle knots, and
strengthen and retrain muscles.
Hydro-exercise
does accelerate the healing process, however, the recovery rate
of your pet is limited by its own ability to keep up with the
treatment. Therefore, treatment must be paced with the natural
ability of your pet, and recovery also occurs at your pet's
own pace.
How
Often Should I Treat My Pet? The initial recommended
treatment for hydro-exercise is three days in a row. This three-day
treatment is recommended for pets with severe arthritis and
pets recovering from surgery. The three treatments in a row
give your pet a jump-start to healing that is not the same if
your pet swims every other day or once a week. This is also
necessary for pets recovering from surgery so that the therapist
can work on any scar tissue that is starting to form after the
injury and surgery.
Why
Do Three Days In A Row Work?
During the first day's session, your pet begins to use muscle
groups that may have not been used in months or years. After
the second day's session, your pet is relaxed, and these muscles
are now being exercised. By the third day's session, your pet
begins to build muscle mass. After the first three days of treatment,
your pet is re-evaluated and, if necessary, a maintenance exercise
plan is scheduled.
How
Long Are the Sessions? A typical session consists
of swimming your pet until it tires with massage and acupressure
breaks in between each swim. The session lasts approximately
15 to 25 minutes, depending on the physical fitness level of
your pet.
