Hydrotherapy
Here at BARC, we utilize our state of the art underwater treadmill, the Oasis Pro. Our treadmill offers an incline to challenge our most fit patients and helps to strengthen our patients with hind limb weakness. The Oasis Pro is spacious holding up to 380 gallons, even for our largest patients around 150 lbs or more.
How it works
Exercise on an underwater treadmill utilizes the buoyancy of the water to lower the stress on joints while strengthening the muscles and increasing the range of motion of joints.
What pets feel
Most dogs, even if they do not swim, become quickly accustomed to hydrotherapy after 1-2 sessions. Some even enjoy it! A therapist often is in the water with our patients. The water temperature is maintained at 88-90 degrees depending on the exercise time and season of the year.
Time
A typical hydrotherapy session is 10-20 minutes
Conditions
Here at BARC, we use hydrotherapy for patients recovering from surgery, needing to improve fitness level, weight loss, or improve weakness from general aging, orthopedic, and/or neurological disease.
Treatments
To be effective in strengthening, hydrotherapy sessions are most beneficial at a frequency of once to twice weekly.