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Four years ago, my son and I waited in the drizzle for what seemed like ages before our fuzzy little puppy was finally delivered to us. He was adorable, as only puppies can be. We couldn’t wait to take him home. impossibly, it seemed, he grew more gorgeous with every day. As he lost his puppy charm it was replaced by a much more compelling charisma. He grabbed attention wherever he went. Cars literally stopped in the street to see this handsome young dog! Rushed at by strangers he’d strike a pose, sigh deeply, and suffer all the adoration stoically. I know I probably sound like a hypochondriac when I relate the beginning of this story. There was nothing really wrong with my dog, he just wasn’t entirely happy. He ran around, but didn’t bark much. He didn’t jump on and off the bed like the other dogs. Occasionally there was a shadow of a limp, but not much. Sometimes he just looked dejected. Even for an inscrutable breed, he didn’t seem to wag his tail enough. I wanted him to be boundlessly happy, but he was just so … restrained. Even for a chow. |
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So I started actively looking for the trouble. Perhaps he was in pain? Perhaps the crate had been dropped on the way down from Jhb? Perhaps there was a pinched nerve at the base of his spine? After a cursory examination, one vet suspected cruciate injury and immediately proposed surgery. Two of my previous dogs had endured cruciate repair surgery, one of them repeatedly. I had personally witnessed the ravages it had wrought. Although they had been gone many years already, the very suggestion tapped into my deep grief at their prolonged pain and premature deaths. Don’t get me wrong, surgery has its place. I just feel it should be the last resort. Once the cruciate ligament has completely ruptured, there really is no alternative. And, of course, surgical techniques have advanced since the early ‘80s. Now, however, I started investigating alternatives with a rampant vengeance. I am an analyst by profession and I applied my every skill to the research. We started the round of blood tests, drug therapies, acupuncture, and physiotherapy. |
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At some point hydrotherapy was suggested. I vaguely remembered that a friend had taken her dog swimming, so I called her to find out more. Her little dog, Peanuts, had been stricken with paralysis as a result of poisoning, presumably from a snake bite. He had completely lost the ability to move from the neck down, he could not toilet unassisted, he could barely manage food, and vets had lost all hope by the time she turned to hydrotherapy. Yet, within a short while at hydrotherapy, movement started returning to his atrophied limbs and, after a couple of months, Peanuts was running around again! There was nothing nearly so drastically wrong with my dog, but a bit more research convinced me it was worth a try. The fact that Renee didn’t flat out laugh at me when I mumbled my seemingly insignificant list of concerns, was an auspicious beginning. |
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When
we first arrived, Pan’Kou was given plenty of time to wander around,
sniffing at the rubber floor and drainage holes, while Renee and I went
through all the administrative paperwork. Then he was dressed in the
full body harness – swimming caps available for flap eared dogs
or on request! After a 5-minute warm up in the hot spa, Pan’Kou
was coaxed gently up the rubberised ramp and into the pool, then down
and into the water on the other side. There is a hoist on a swing arm
mechanism to lift and lower dogs into the pool, if necessary. Renee climbed into the pool with Pan’Kou, lifted him into the water, held him to swim for a few seconds, then returned him to the ramp for a rest. Renee made a point of taking his pulse before and after exercise and measuring how long it took to return to normal. I remember he managed to swim about a minute in total at his first session – but he came home and slept like he’d run a marathon! Over time, squeaky toys and balls were introduced during swimming and once or twice Pan’Kou actually did make a grab for an irritating toy. He even welcomed Benjy swimming with him a few times. As he got stronger, jets were switched on to make his muscles work harder. |
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Swimming
has been used successfully for rehabilitation therapy since World War
I. It was first applied to horses in the racing industry, and later
to racing greyhounds. Only relatively recently has it become popular
for small companion animals. Most people come to hydrotherapy initially
for remedial purposes. Many stay on for long term support of dysplastic
or otherwise weak joints, or just for general fun and fitness. For dedicated dog owners everywhere, this has the potential to be the most exciting innovation since the creation of dried dog food (kibble)! In South Africa, the industry is still in its infancy and almost entirely self-regulated. Formal qualifications and facility standards are not yet prescribed. This creates a huge diversity of therapists, facilities and services. However, most hydrotherapy centres rely heavily on referrals from local vets and therefore work hard to maintain close working relationships with the formal veterinary sector. |
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| HOW IT WORKS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Water
supports weight so that exercise can be effective without straining
bones, muscles or tendons. Normal land based exercise alternates free movement through low resistance medium (air), intermittently arrested against a fixed medium (land), creating impact. Movement sets up repetitive stress, which travels through the limbs, to be absorbed by the bones, tendons and joints. Under normal conditions, these stressors help to build and maintain strong, healthy bone. But, where there is already injury or arthritis, or where stress is severe or sustained, it can seriously damage or weaken limbs. Swimming uses almost all of the muscles, while dispersing the stresses evenly through a resistant medium. It demands more effort, but precludes the concomitant impact to bones. The natural buoyancy of the water has a stabilising effect, protecting against sudden sharp twists and falls, and supporting a range of movements beyond the capability on land. By allowing a full range of movement in reduced weight bearing conditions, hydrotherapy extends reach, strengthens muscles and promotes joint flexibility. This makes it potentially safe and effective for dogs at risk – very young or very old dogs, arthritic or obese dogs, or dogs recovering from surgery or illness. It is also hard work – a 5 minute swim is equivalent to 30-45 minutes of land-based exercise for four-legged's! |
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| CAUTION: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Not
all dogs know instinctively how to swim. Nor are all dogs equally capable
of swimming. Short nosed breeds like the English Bull Dog are susceptible
to asphyxiation. Double coated breeds like the Chow Chow are susceptible
to becoming water logged and quickly drown. Long eared breeds like the
Basset Hound are susceptible to ear infections. The first thing an aspiring
hydrotherapist has to master is first aid! Hydrotherapy provides an environment free of the dangers inherent in “free-range” swimming – tides and undercurrents, pollution and litter. Pool hygiene is a particular challenge when swimming dogs across the full spectrum of size, cleanliness, fluffiness and point in the shedding cycle. Water must be tested and treated several times a day to control infections and prevent the spread of skin conditions, without chlorinating to the point of irritating sensitive skin and eyes. Hair needs to be continually removed from clogged filters. Filters themselves need to be replaced frequently. And, in the unfortunate event of an “accident” (urination or defecation in the water), the entire pool may need to be shut down for a period. The optimum water temperature varies across species. In dogs, muscle efficiency is maximised at 24 – 30°C. Swimming your dog in cold water can painfully stress the very joints you are trying to support and end up doing more harm than good. Dogs do not have to be able to swim to benefit as the whole point of hydrotherapy is to support the dog in the water. |
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| HEALING | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Injury:
Muscle begins to atrophy within 3 days of disuse, creating secondary weakness and injury and making it difficult to rebuild through normal exercise. Wherever normal exercise causes pain and lameness (eg arthritis, hip dysplasia, osteochondritis), hydrotherapy can enable use of affected limbs and joints without discomfort. It accelerates the natural healing process by encouraging mobility and improving circulation to affected areas. Prior to orthopaedic surgery (eg full hip replacement): The condition requiring the surgery generally militates against other types of exercise, but good muscle tone and fitness can enhance both the effectiveness of the surgery itself and recovery thereafter. In some cases (eg cruciate ligament rupture) hydrotherapy may even forestall or delay surgery altogether. After surgery: Movement is an important part of the recovery process for healing bones, muscles and nerves and yet in the early stages after surgery full weight bearing may be difficult or impossible. Hydrotherapy can speed recovery significantly by enhancing repair of muscles, tendons, ligaments and fractures. It has proved very effective for recovery after hip, knee and cruciate surgeries. |
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Disease:
Hydrotherapy can help compensate and slow progress of various neuromuscular and degenerative diseases. It is particularly recommended for paralysed dogs where it has the added benefit of stimulating normal bodily functions like respiration and waste elimination. |
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| FITNESS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The
restorative qualities of hydrotherapy are legend but, of course, cardiovascular
fitness and endurance is not just the object of the ill. During swimming,
lungs have to work harder because the chest is under pressure from the
weight of the water. The Heart has to work harder to meet demands for
nutrients by all the muscles being worked. Water based exercise complements
land based exercise by extending range of motion and building robustness.
It is also great fun and enhances general well-being. |
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As
a newcomer to the dog show scene, I was appalled to encounter the extent
of steroid abuse amongst exhibitors. Steroids are too often used to
keep dogs in coat all year round, to mature dogs faster, to simulate
toned musculature, to anaesthetise against chronic pain – without
regard for side-effects which range from autoimmune catastrophes through
to complete collapse of internal organs and sudden death. Hydrotherapy
helps keep exhibition dogs in peak condition all year round without
nasty long term effects. Suburban dogs often need significantly more exercise than their environments are capable of providing. Swimming reduces stress, relieves boredom and releases energy built up as a result of confinement and inactivity. |
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Obese dogs especially can benefit by exercising without the strain of
excess weight on bones and joints incurred during ordinary running around.
It is ideal for reducing weight and increasing cardiovascular function. |
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CAUTION: Swimming strengthens muscle but does little or nothing for bone. Your animal must also have normal exercise on land in order to keep their bones strong. Bones are living tissue. They physically adapt (reshape) in response to specific exercise. And they require stress (high impact or weight bearing) to build strength. Hydrotherapy may produce the most wonderful muscles, tendons and ligaments, but without adequate impact exercise the same dog may develop osteoporosis! Monitor your dog, with the help of the professionals – your hydrotherapist and, as always, your vet! Some pools may have a treadmill tank so the dog can walk or run underwater, providing yet another type of exercise. There is no hard and fast rule for how many sessions, how often, how long – each hydrotherapy session is tailored to an individual’s condition and gradually improving fitness level. Each dog’s threshold must be individually determined. Huskies – bred to run over ice for 8+ hours at a time – may achieve total swimming time at a single session of 50 minutes, with rest periods. A Bulldog, working just as hard, may never exceed 6 minutes. |
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Well,
I don’t know for sure what was ailing my boy, but if I look at
the fact that Pan’Kou now jumps onto the bed spontaneously, wags
his tail vociferously, and can play bark with great and prolonged enthusiasm,
then I have to say that hydrotherapy has been a resounding success!
But, much more than that, it has unmistakeably enhanced his quality
of life. Now, three years later, I take all three of my dogs swimming once a week. It keeps the dogs strong and lean – coats gleam, eyes shine, and muscle tone is amazing. Hydrotherapy prevents joint deterioration and protects against injury. Of course there is no guarantee that they will never experience injury. I just know that swimming gives them the best possible chance of avoiding, or minimising, or recovering from, whatever comes their way. |
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Hydrotherapy
has had other unexpected benefits as well. Learning to trust another
person or persons in a strange and initially perhaps frightening environment
endows social confidence. The ability to manage in an environment away
from home endows psychological confidence. The improved fitness and
better muscle tone endows physical confidence. Altogether, dogs which
feel better about themselves are more likely to be better behaved towards
others – especially important in a breed sometimes labelled “dangerous”. |
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Shortly
after Pan’Kou started swimming, he was hit by a mountain bike
on a downhill in the forest, full side into the flank, at high speed.
He literally screamed as he was flung several metres. I don’t
remember ever being more horrified. Two months later his hips and knees
tested completely clear. Did hydrotherapy prevent serious injury? It
certainly hastened his recovery. All of my dogs absolutely love hydrotherapy – for the swimming and the occasional impromptu pool parties! They bound in enthusiastically, many times running up the ramp before we can even get their harnesses on. The girls particularly enjoy the hot spa, while Pan’Kou prefers hitting his stride in the big pool. Ch’zu just hangs in the water and needs to be cajoled by jets into making any effort. Mia goes hell for leather, flagpole tail aloft, and can’t wait to race back to the hot spa. Then finish off with a rinse and token blow dry. A vigorous shake is still the most effective way of getting dry - though Pan’Kou holds out for the rub-down with the towels! |
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Website design copyright LaMygale. All Rights Reserved. Unless otherwise stated, all contents: text, graphics, pictures are copyright Mishna Chow Chows/Vanessa Munro - absolutely no copying without written consent. All Rights Reserved. |
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