We are proud to be the only practice in the area to offer an in-house Hydrotherapy service. We also accept refferals from other practices so you do not need to be receiving regular veterinary care with us to take advantage of this service. Further information on our hydrotherapy service can be found below. If you have any questions please contact us.

We are pleased to announce that our new hydrotherapy centre is now open. If you are interested in this therapy for your dog, simply call the surgery on (01384) 393318 and we will arrange for an initial assessment with a Veterinary Surgeon.

Hydrotherapy is a form of rehabilitation that uses the properties of water to enable and facilitate the rehabilitation and re-education of patients who find land based exercise too difficult or painful.

• Orthopaedic patients – hip and elbow dysplasia, spinal conditions, osteochondritis dessecans

• Postoperative cases – cruciate repair, luxating patella, hip replacement, fracture repair

• Arthritic patients – osteoarthritis

• Musculoskeletal patients - tendonitis

• Neurological patients – paresis, paraparesis, tetraparesis

• Overweight patients that struggle to exercise on land

• Young healthy patients who just want fun and fitness 

Before your first session is arranged, an initial assessment  of your pet will take place with a vet who will prescribe an appropriate treatment plan tailored especially for them.

Treatment plans usually run for a minimum of 12 sessions, requiring up to two sessions per week. On the first session your pet will be examined by the nurse and introduced to the hydrotherapy unit. Using their toys and treats we encourage your pet onto the treadmill and begin their session.

Sessions are 30 minutes long with the exercises ranging from a few minutes initially up to 20 minutes as your pet becomes fitter and healthier. Sessions will all differ depending on the treatment plan prescribed, but once your pet is in on treadmill we allow the warm water to fill, altering the water level to target and work on the specific muscle groups specified in the plan.

Once the water is at the correct depth, we start the treadmill. The speed of the treadmill can be increased and decreased in 0.1mph increments, ensuring that the correct speed can be found for your pet. 

Due to the range of conditions and reasons for using hydrotherapy it is hard to say when you should start to see an improvement but we would hope that after 5-6 sessions that some improvement is noted.