At Brentknoll we offer hydrotherapy for your pet on our state-of-the-art fitness modality that works by having a treadmill enclosed in a tank, which gradually fills with water to a suitable height for the patient. The underwater treadmill allows your pet to exercise while taking advantage of the therapeutic and buoyant effects of the water.
By using a underwater treadmill instead of a normal swimming pool, our highly trained team can control many factors including the depth of the water, the speed and incline of the treadmill, and even which legs your pet uses when exercising. This means the treatment they receive can be tailored to target specific areas.
Learn about our hydrotherapy services in the video below:
Common conditions that benefit from rehabilitation on the underwater treadmill are:
- Cruciate injury
- Elbow and hip Dysplasia
- Intervertebral Disc Disease and other spinal or neurological conditions
- Osteoarthritis
- Spondylosis
As well as offering support for confidence, weight loss and fitness and conditioning. The underwater treadmill and all the therapies that we offer are suitable for both cats and dogs.
Exercising on the underwater treadmill encourages a normal gait pattern, which is often the aim if your patient has been limping or not weight-bearing due to injury, disease or surgery. But the most important part of the treadmill is that the therapist can tailor the treatment to your pet’s individual needs, which can really make the difference during rehabilitation.
The underwater treadmill can also make hydrotherapy accessible for those patients who are fearful of water; as they walk into a dry tank and the water fills gently from the bottom. Most patients tolerate this exceptionally well as their feet are always firmly on a solid surface and they get to know the team well with whatever motivation they find best: fuss, toys, treats or a mixture of all three.
Before your pets appointment we would need veterinary consent, to ensure hydrotherapy is suitable for your pet and that we have all the information to give your animal the best possible care. Brentknoll clients only need to email in to
What to expect:
During your pets first session they will have an assessment but a qualified hydrotherapist and McTimoney animal Chiropractor to assess their needs and create a suitable treatment plan. Then prior to every session we will re-evaluate your pet’s treatment plan and ensure that this is still effective and meeting their needs.
Most patients would initially attend weekly sessions with sessions lasting approximately 30-45 minutes, however this may be altered to suit your pet's condition and will often vary to meet your pets needs to find the best interval for sessions.
We advise that you do not feed your pet for 3 hours before the appointment and ensure they have been to the toilet before coming in. We cannot see your pet if they have any of the following symptoms: open wounds, skin infections, diarrhoea, vomiting, being in season, ear or eye infections. So please let us know if they have any of the following in advance and we can reschedule for a time when the symptoms have subsided.
Following the session, we will towel dry your pet and encourage you to bring along a dressing gown, coat or extra towels to keep them warm on the drive home. We will then ask you to keep a close eye on them for the next 24-48 hours as we expect they will be tired and will use this feedback to enhance the following sessions to ensure they progress without causing pain or injury.
Referring vets
Fill out our hydrotherapy consent form for your patient or fill out the form below:
Please read our terms and conditions for pet hydrotherapy here.
