Therapeutic Swimming

Aquatic Therapy is an Enormous Benefit to Your Canine Companion.

Swimming in a Therapeutic Pool is called Aquatic Therapy. Therapeutic Swimming uses the properties of water to create positive client outcomes that cannot be provided on land. These properties include:

Buoyancy decreases stress and joint compression to bones, tendons and ligaments and allows movement in a weightless environment. Also, this property allows for earlier range of motion and speeds gait return. Swimming increases active range of motion to joints and improves flexibility and speeds recovery from injury or surgery.

Hydrostatic Pressure decreases deep and superficial tissue swelling therefore improving muscle action and reducing pain.

Viscosity increases strength to allow for earlier return of normal and sports specific patterns of movement. This occurs because water is 15x thicker than air and there is more resistance, resulting in a better workout.

Turbulence increases trunk and core strength due to the unsteady flow of water using jets.

Swimming can improve and speed:    
• Passive and active range of motion        
• Stamina and endurance
• Balance and coordination
• Muscle tone & strength
• Overall fitness and conditioning
• Lung capacity
• Trunk and core strength
• Cardiac output and circulation
• Post-operative Recovery
• Weight Loss
• Performance Outcomes

Aquatic Therapy allows muscles, tendons, and ligaments to move in a weightless environment without stress to bones and joints. In addition, standing in water to mid-shoulder allows the dog to be approximately 80% weightless yet the internal organs and tissues are in a normal anatomic position for massage, trigger point work and stretching by a therapist.

Typical Water Treatment Levels & Impact on Weight Bearing
Wrist  91% of weight on land
Knee  85% of weight on land
Hip 38% of weight on land

Swimming can help the following problems:
• Hip Dysplasia
• Arthritis
• Knee Surgery
• Fractures
• Traumatic Accidents
• Post Surgical procedures
• Elbow problems
• Neurological Disorders
• Spinal Problems

In addition, swimming helps:
• Speed weight loss
• Enhance cross-training with performance or working dogs
• Facilitate conditioning for Senior dogs
• Reduce skin problems associated with urine scald for incontinent dogs