Hydrotherapy For Pets

Hydrotherapy is an alternative treatment for pets that uses water and physical exercises to speed up injury recovery and relieve pain. Though it is most common in dogs, hydrotherapy benefits all pets, including cats. If your pet has arthritis, a limp, or a degenerative disease, hydrotherapy will relieve pain, help your dog walk again, or slow down the progress of the degenerative disease.

Pet hydrotherapy is a natural therapy for rehabilitating muscles and joints and encouraging injury recovery. Depending on the type of illness, our veterinarians here at Integrative Veterinary Wellness in Richardson, TX, will use hydrotherapy to help your pet. The session will also include exercises and stretches. The goal is to make it easier for your pet to perform everyday activities like walking and running.

Uses for Hydrotherapy

• Reduce musculoskeletal pain and inflammation.
• Relax and strengthen muscles.
• Increase flexibility and range of motion in joints.
• Speed up healing.
• Improve your pet's fitness and well-being.

Why Use Hydrotherapy for Pets?

Our veterinarians immerse (or half immerse) your pet in a heated pool to relax your pet's muscles during the exercises. The vet controls the amount of water in the pool and may include a treadmill in the treatment. The underwater treadmill allows your pet to exercise targeted muscles in the easiest and most pain-free way.

The water's buoyancy reduces gravity's impact on your pet, making it so much easier to exercise. Hydrotherapy rehabilitates the muscle while putting very little pressure on the muscles.

Hydrotherapy Before and After Surgery

If you are preparing your pet for surgery, hydrotherapy is very convenient. Your pet will exercise underwater without exacerbating the condition. After the surgery, your pet will still use the treatment to speed up recovery and rehabilitate the muscles.

Arthritis in Pets

Pool-based hydrotherapy is very effective for treating arthritis and other joint pains in pets. The water-based treatment improves blood flow in the joints and reduces inflammation. The result is reduced pain, increased range of motion, and more flexibility.

Hydrotherapy for Weight loss

Excess weight puts a lot of pressure on the joints. This pressure can hurt the joints, especially when exercising. When your pet exercises in water, the heated water relaxes the muscles, increases the amount of blood flowing in the joints, and carries much of the weight for your pet. Hydrotherapy is useful in helping your pet lose weight.

Hydrotherapy for Spinal Injury

If a spinal injury has impaired your pet's motor function, regular hydrotherapy sessions will treat and improve your pet's performance. The alternative medicine speeds up injury healing and retrains your pet's muscles.

See If Hydrotherapy Is Right for Your Pet

Contact our team in Richardson to find out if hydrotherapy will help your pet. Call Integrative Veterinary Wellness today at 469-250-4023 with all your questions or concerns. We are committed to providing your pet the holistic vet care he or she needs.