I am thinking of giving Benson a monthly treat (Non therapeutic) swim in the hydrotherapy pool, provided he has been a good boy! Anyone had any experience? http://www.hydrotherapy4paws.com/dog_fitness_swims/fun.html Roger
Re: Hydrotherapy When our dear old mongrel, PebblesDog, was in his dotage we took him weekly. We are lucky there's a pool only 6 or 7 miles away. He not only loved it but it really did seem to help his stiffness. He'd yodel as we got near to the place and have to be physically dragged back to our car afterwards.
Re: Hydrotherapy Where do you live, Roger? If Benson is a normal labrador with adequate health, and you live in the country, you will likely find he swims anyway. In streams, rivers and ponds. Labs usually love water, and the problem is often how to keep them OUT of it :
Re: Hydrotherapy We mostly swim for fun, but also benefit from the exercise generally. Lilly does prefer to swim "in the wild" though. Which was kind of why I took her swimming in the first place, to reassure me she could swim. We find she loves the large and deep pools in the dune area on our big local beach - swimming depth, no slacking by walking along the bottom. Lilly is not at all a natural retriever, but does chase and retrieve a tennis ball at the beach. Unfortunately she also has a tendency to surreptitiously drop the ball and wander off - been rescued a few times from the shallows.
Re: Hydrotherapy Meg has been going for hydrotherapy for past 5 years after she was diagnosed with OCD and HD. It has been really beneficial for her. Within a few sessions she stopped limping, and had loads more energy. Plus she was overweight at the time (my fault, long story) and with swimming and change of diet the weight dropped off. I know other dogs loved it there but Meg being Meg (she doesn't like water!) I think she tolerated it but yes would definitely recommend it.
Re: Hydrotherapy I'm a fan of hydro - Charlie is injured right now, so we're on the treadmill, but we can't wait to get in the pool. Charlie is a young, healthy lab, and there is no reason why he shouldn't swim in rivers and the sea, and he will when he is better. But the hydro pool looks great fun, and I think we'll swim there too - particularly in the winter. Charlie will probably swim for longer stretches than he would in a river or the sea, with steadier strokes (so it's more like a structured work out). At the centre I go to, the pool is big, and owners can swim and play with the dogs in the (warm!) water and I've watched some dogs and owners have fantastic fun!
Re: Hydrotherapy Oh I would love to swim with Pops! The only time I have so far was in freezing glacial lake water last summer.
Re: Hydrotherapy [quote author=Karen link=topic=4414.msg53614#msg53614 date=1392122903] Where do you live, Roger? If Benson is a normal labrador with adequate health, and you live in the country, you will likely find he swims anyway. In streams, rivers and ponds. Labs usually love water, and the problem is often how to keep them OUT of it : [/quote] Hi Karen, I live in Winchester and like to think that I am well-balanced in that I do not molly coddle Benson who is fit and healthy. However, he has a mate, a Boxer who enjoys hydrotherapy and I thought that it might be fun for him to join him (£18 a session) as a reward for good behaviour? The experience being similar to the ladies who visit the hairdresser and manicurist, for no other reason than it is good for morale! Roger
