Water Therapy
Biff has had increasing pain and stiffness in his hips over the past few years. His stamina on walks was dwindling, and he was having increasing difficulty moving between standing and sitting. Our vet had prescribed Carprofen (Rimadyl), and it was helping, but not completely. Biff needed to improve his muscle tone and we didn’t know how to help him.
So we turned to water therapy! A nearby veterinarian’s office has a therapy room with pools and treadmills and helpful, loving therapists. Biff was prescribed water exercise in a small pool with a treadmill. The pool fills with water, then they start the treadmill. He could only hop for about 3 or 4 minutes at first, and now he is up to 9 minutes! He loves it, and it is definitely improving his stamina and quality of life.
We were also given exercises for Biff to do at home. They are easy to work into our daily routines. This therapy has really helped Biff enjoy walks more. He takes fewer breaks and is able to hop farther, even on hot summer days! Water therapy may not be right for every dog, but it has certainly helped Biff!
Oh Biff I don’t know how I missed this post! I’m so happy the water therapy is working for you. How are the exercises? We would love to see you doing them, hope they’re fun for you and your people. Keep us posted oK?
Hi there, and thanks “Jerry” for the kind comment. At about the time you posted it, we had human death in the family and got rather tied up for the balance of the year, still catching up. Biff’s doing great, but we’ve slacked off on his water therapy, and looking forward to picking it up again when the weather warms. Happy New Year! We’ve never been gladder to see a new year dawn!
😀 all us
Update: Biff is back in physical therapy, loving it, and enjoying good walks, despite his ailing hips. He trekked all the way down to a favorite river last weekend!!