Hydrotherapy is the most suitable treatment if a speedy resumption of physical activity is needed, together with a
muscle tone improvement.
The best way to achieve this result is to work with less gravity or less weight on the joints.
Most of the muscles are involved in hydrotherapy, but without the stress caused by working on hard ground. While
swimming, the dog uses the whole limb, including those joints that it tends to spare when walking on the ground.
This therapy is recommended for the following cases:
Recommended in neurologic disorders where many patients, in presence of paresis, paralysis-plegia of one or more
limbs, show muscular atrophy and cannot keep a correct posture.
In this event, buoyancy gives the chance to keep a horizontal position and, in case of plegia, the physiotherapist
makes the animal move the limbs to keep articular ROM or increase them; it prevents contractures and stimulates
proprioception.
It is also useful for the obese subjects where the training on land is too stressing for the joints.
Cardiac activity can benefit from hydrotherapy since it is a less stressing activity compared to exercises done on land.
