Meet Stanley:
Stanley is a very handsome 12 year old Collie Cross. His owner noticed that Stanley was showing signs of stiffness in the mornings and after he had been out for a walk. Stanley’s owner began shorten their walks as Stanley was looking uncomfortable afterwards. The decision was made to take Stanley to the vets, he was examined and diagnosed with suspected osteoarthritis which is premdominetly in his hips. The vet suggested that hydrotherapy may be beneficial for Stanley and help to free up his joints.
Treatment Plan:
Stanley was referred to us in February 2018 by the vets due to osteoarthritis. Stanley has no other medical conditions. We decided he would benefit the most from our hydrotherapy pool. The pool allows Stanley to move with no impact on his joints as swimming is a non-weight bearing activity. This allows painful joints to move more comfortably and with ease. When assessing Stanley swimming it was clear to see there was limited movement within Stanley’s hips. Our Hydrotherapist has used different techniques to encourage Stanley’s performance so he can work to the best of his ability. We recommended Stanley came for hydrotherapy once a week.
Progress and Outcome:
After several sessions, his owner noticed an improvement within Stanley at home. She commented that he was looking ‘Stronger’ and ‘moving more comfortably’ within his back legs. Stanley now currently comes for hydrotherapy every other week. He has become stronger with regular visits and we have also implemented jets in the pool in order to make him work harder. If Stanley has longer breaks between sessions his hips start to stiffen. Hydrotherapy has been a good source of exercise and he is always pleased to see us and is keen to get in the pool.
