A fully qualified veterinary nurse has been specifically recruited to run the new hydrotherapy centre. Primary duties include liasing with veterinary surgeon and clients on the best form of treatment, conducting the hydrotherapy sessions, checking water quality and accepting bookings.

It is often thought that hydrotherapy is only suitable to certain specific types of post surgical conditions. Increasingly in centres throughout the country it is being proven that hydrotherapy can assist with a much wider range of conditions. Indeed if you take a look at the testimonials we already have from clients you will see that this is the case.

Surprisingly hydrotherapy is well suited to some pre operative conditions to build muscle tone prior to surgery taking place. Recovery is often enhanced if muscle tone and fitness are optimal prior to an operation. However, very often the condition that requires treatment will make walking and exercise painful or difficult. Hydrotherapy is an excellent way of improving muscle tone and fitness prior to an operation due to its non joint loading properties.

It is now widely accepted that hydrotherapy treatment can offer very many benefits in the recovery programme of post surgical cases. For example after a hip replacement, cruciate ligament repair, or other orthopaedic surgery, normal exercise is controlled and limited - and is built up slowly. Hydrotherapy can increase the amount of exercise undertaken as a whole and aid recovery back to normal fitness.

Hydrotherapy is also well suited to some non surgical conditions. It is ideal for reducing weight and increasing cardiovascular function - exactly the same reasons why many humans go to keep fit gyms! Also for some longer term conditions where road walking and normal exercise can lead to lameness and discomfort - such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, OCD and CDRM - hydrotherapy can offer the dog exercise and fun with no after effects - other than a long sleep!

Do not be surprised if for the first few visits swimming is restricted to only a couple of minutes, then a rest period, then a second short swim. In many cases in the beginning the dog has had little exercise previously due to its condition. As in any human keep fit programme the swimming period is initially matched to the fitness of the individual dog. It can then be built up gradually over time and many of our dogs that have done this can now swim for the whole of a 30 minute session.

Finally, hydrotherapy and dog swimming can also be beneficial for working, racing and exhibition dogs too. Sadly many of our rivers and lakes are no longer free of pollution and the risk of leptospirosis (from rats urine) is high. If you want to improve your dogs fitness in a stress free, healthy and clean environment -in all year round warmth - then bring them "in for a swim".