Bourne Hydrotherapy

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🙌 BOURNE HYDROTHERAPY 🙌So What is Hydrotherapy? Hydrotherapy is an amazing form of targeted and focused exercise using t...
09/02/2026

🙌 BOURNE HYDROTHERAPY 🙌

So What is Hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy is an amazing form of targeted and focused exercise using the properties and benefits of water to help animals rehabilitate from a range of different conditions and improve their mobility. It can be used for pre and post rehabilitation from orthopaedic surgery, relieve arthritic joints, strengthen muscling and also can be used for weight loss and general fitness and conditioning. Hydrotherapy allows pain free exercise as being in the water means it is very low impact. The resistance of the water also gets their muscles working and helps to switch on muscles that may be ‘switched off’ from lack of use. Hydrotherapy centres will use either a swimming pool, underwater treadmill or a combination of both to achieve the same results but using slightly different techniques.


How does hydrotherapy differ from ‘fun swimming’?

Free or ‘fun’ swimming whilst being fun for your dog may not always be the most beneficial particularly to those who have mobility or other health issues. Therapist led sessions in a dedicated hydrotherapy centre ensures that your pet can exercise safely in a controlled environment with the therapist giving support and adjustments as needed to ensure your dog is getting the most out of their session as possible.


Bourne Hydrotherapy Offers:

🌟Individualised treatment programmes for every dog based on their condition and needs and constant monitoring of their progress at each session – we tailor our treatment programmes to each individual dogs needs and strength/fitness levels to help them get the most benefit from their treatments. Assessment at each session allows for adjustments in their programme to be made and regular monitoring of their progress and comfort levels

🌟Veterinary nurse led sessions - Our qualified hydrotherapists Kirsty and Nicola are also both registered veterinary nurses with an in-depth knowledge of the many different conditions we see and also the surgical procedures used such as in cruciate, patella and spinal surgery. As veterinary nurses we also have good experience and training in first aid and a good understanding of how to monitor each dogs progress and when to refer back to the veterinary surgeon if needed.

🌟Underwater treadmill based sessions - Many dogs are happier in the underwater treadmill rather than a swimming pool, especially if they are unsure about water and prefer not to be out of their depth. Some veterinary surgeons also specify to use underwater treadmill only after surgery such as spinal surgery.

🌟We always get into the treadmill with the dogs to ensure your pets safety and also to adjust their balance and limb positioning in the water to encourage a better stance and gait patterning when walking. This also allows us to do static balance exercises and allows further oppotunity to palpate joints and muscling as the session progresses and your dog warms/loosens up

🌟Therapeutic handling techniques - used to work with your dog and allow them to actively work with us rather than ‘implementing’ a treatment on them. Therapeutic handling reduces anxiety creating a positive environment and also allows us to ‘tap into’ your animals natural proprioception to further enhance their treatment. We also spend time allowing dogs to adjust to the hydrotherapy environment to ensure they are happy and comfortable every step of the way.

🌟Tailored home exercise programmes – for each dog we create an individualised home exercise programme for you as owners to carry on between hydrotherapy sessions. We will also discuss some home environment modifications to allow your dog to mobilise and perform their normal day-to-day activities as easily as possible

🌟Regular veterinary updates and reports – we will always strive to keep your vet up to date with how your pet is progressing and update them or refer back to them with any concerns as soon as possible


🐾💦So what do we do in a session at Bourne? 🐾💦

At Bourne we use an underwater treadmill for hydrotherapy sessions. We will see your dog first for an initial assessment lasting around 1.5 hours. This allows us to have more of a chat with you and get a more detailed history about how your dog is doing and the condition they have been referred for. This is a good time to allow your dog to settle or have a nose around the clinic room if they wish to.

After a good chat we will assess how your dog is walking on land and also assess their muscling and joints as long as they are comfortable with this. Normally a few treats help along the way! We will then fit them with one of our Y-shaped harnesses and then shower them off prior to going into the treadmill. We normally do some ‘walk-throughs’ of the treadmill to allow your dog to get used to getting in and out and walking through the treadmill. If they are happy with doing this then we get them in, fill with water up to the height of the tops of their legs and get walking! Sometimes we will keep the water level lower to start with whilst they are getting used to it. After they have done their session in the treadmill we then get them out, another shower time, dry off with a towel from home with a familiar smell and then it’s home time!

Case dependent, we normally see dogs once a week to start with and then will lower them down onto a maintenance programme if they are coming longer term such as in the case of arthritis management. If your dog is coming for post-surgical rehabilitation then we would look to do around 6-weekly sessions and then can look to sign them off if they are doing well.

Subsequent sessions after the initial assessment are normally an hour long start to finish. We work by doing 1-2 minutes of walking with a short rest between each set of walking. During this rest period is a great opportunity for us to further assess their joints and muscling and also to do some static balance work to engage their core muscling with the help of the support of the water.



Overall our goal is to improve your dogs mobility and quality of life as much as possible in a controlled and positive environment allowing them to live and enjoy their life to the fullest.

If you think your dog could benefit from hydrotherapy or would like to know more then please get in touch on 01227 832322 or email [email protected]

21/01/2026

🐶**Patellar Luxation Part 2 - Treatment Options**🐶

In adult dogs with no clinical symptoms and a diagnosis has been made as an incidental finding, non-surgical treatment (conservative management) may be recommended. In younger animals, surgical management may be more appropriate in order to try to prevent the development of severe limb deformities. Surgery is strongly advised for grade 3 and 4 patellar luxation. For grade 2 medial patellar luxation, only dogs exhibiting significant clinical signs – i.e. lameness, are recommended for surgical management. Surgery is not normally advised for a grade 1.

One or more of the following surgical strategies may be required in order to correct patellar luxation and the best course of treatment will be advised on an individual basis taking into account the animals temperament, severity of luxation and discomfort associated with it:-

1) Tibial Tuberosity Transposition – This surgery realigns the insertion of the tendon spanning between the patella and tibia bone. Because bones heal much more efficiently than tendons, the bone that this tendon is attached to is cut and moved to a more appropriate position. It is pinned back into place and the bone heals gradually over the following 6-8 weeks. Often wire is placed in addition to the pins so that the pull of the quadriceps muscle is effectively balanced by wire anchored to the tibia in the opposite direction.
2) Recession Sulcoplasty - Deepening of the femoral groove so that the patella can sit more deeply in its normal position; this can be achieved by a variety of different techniques and is often performed at the same time as other surgery
3) Reconstruction of soft tissues surrounding the patella to loosen the side toward which the patella is riding and tighten the opposite side.
4) Correction of abnormally shaped femurs is occasionally required in cases where an abnormal shape of the femur angles the patella to luxate most or all the time. This procedure involves cutting the bone, correcting its deformity and immobilising it with a bone plate.


🐾Could delaying treatment do more damage?

Patellar luxation when severe can cause skeletal abnormalities such as bowing of the femur or tibia bones. In milder cases, cartilage loss from the underside of the patella is often seen and/or the surface of the grove as the cartilage is physically abraded from the patella slipping out of the groove.

Patients with medial patellar luxation are also more prone to developing cranial cruciate ligament disease. As with most things, if the condition is causing a clinical problem, then the earlier it is addressed the better it is for the patient in both the short and the longer term.

🐾Non-surgical (conservative) management of patellar luxation

The cornerstones of conservative management are body weight management, exercise modification, medication such as anti-inflammatory painkillers, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. These same techniques are also important in the short-term management of dogs who are treated surgically, although the primary surgical aim is to minimise the requirement for long-term exercise restriction and medication. Physiotherapy and hydrotherapy both help to improve the range of motion of the joint, decrease any stiffness and promote muscle strengthening of the muscles that support the knee joint. Joint supplements are also recommended to help support the joint and keep the cartilage within the joint as much as possible. This is also recommended post surgery to reduce the onset of osteoarthritis as much as possible.

🐾Will my dog be able to exercise normally after patellar luxation surgery?

Your dog will initially need to undergo a standard period of about 6-8 weeks rest/limited exercise. As long as your vet is happy, once the wound has healed from surgery at about 10-14 days hydrotherapy may be commenced which can help speed up the healing process and get your dog returning to normal function again as soon as possible. Some vets prefer to wait until post-op x-rays at around 6 weeks prior to starting any type of physiotherapy.

Following a 6-week post-op reassessment with your orthopaedic surgeon and providing your dog is making good progress there is no reason why he/she cannot enjoy the same exercise as before surgery but it may be necessary to try to minimise too much high impact activity such as running/jumping where possible and also activities such as agility.

🌟🌟If you have any questions regarding patellar luxation or think your dog may be suffering with this issue then please get in touch on 01227 832322🌟🌟

⭐️Highlight on Canine Patellar Luxation⭐️So what is patellar luxation? The patella is the kneecap and is a small bone lo...
15/01/2026

⭐️Highlight on Canine Patellar Luxation⭐️

So what is patellar luxation?

The patella is the kneecap and is a small bone located at the front of the stifle (knee) joint. It normally sits within a groove called the trochlear groove which forms the front of the stifle joint on the femur bone and is held in place by the Quadriceps Femoris muscle above and the patellar ligament below, which attaches to the tibia bone. This allows the patella to glide smoothly during normal leg extension and flexion.

In some dogs, the patella dislocates out of its normal groove when the knee is bent. The consequence of this luxation is an inability to properly extend the knee joint. As well as the lameness caused by the mechanical deficiency of the affected knee, there are varying degrees of pain and osteoarthritis associated with the patella luxating. Luxation is characterised as either medial or lateral, depending on whether the patella rides on the inner (medial) or on the outer (lateral) aspect of the knee respectively.

Patellar luxation is one of the most common orthopaedic conditions seen. It affects mainly dogs (although cats can also be affected) and is more common in smaller dog breeds such as Chihuahua’s and Yorkshire Terriers although dogs of all sizes can be affected. The age at onset of clinical signs is variable. Many animals start to show signs as puppies or young adults, although onset of signs in older dogs is also common. Animals with a “bow-legged” stance are more likely to be affected by patellar luxation. Around half of dogs affected by patellar luxation will have issues in both knees

Clinical signs of patellar luxation include:
- characteristic intermittent “skipping” lameness, where they may limp for a few steps and then quickly return to normal
- a stiff, awkward gait with stifles that do not extend properly
- a 'bow-legged' appearance (medial patellar luxation) of the hind legs
- Large breed dogs with lateral patellar luxation may have a “knocked-in knee” appearance.
Some dogs may not show any clinical signs and the condition will only be diagnosed as an incidental finding on a veterinary clinical examination.

What is the cause of patellar luxation?

The condition occasionally results from a traumatic injury, however there is normally a genetic cause. Animals are born with normal knees, but begin to develop abnormalities of the bones and muscles of the hind limbs early in life. The commonest direction of inappropriate movement of the patella is to the medial aspect of the knee joint. When the Quadriceps muscle starts to displace in this direction, it acts as a bowstring and causes the femur and tibia bones to deform into a pronounced outwards bow. The groove that normally houses the patella does not develop properly, and the limb deformities become self-perpetuating at this stage. The femoral groove into which the patella normally rides is also commonly shallow in these dogs causing it to luxate easier.

What is happening inside an affected joint?

As the patella moves in and out of the groove, it can wear holes in the cartilage of the patella and in the ridge that it rides over when it luxates. This causes pain and triggers a cascade of progressive osteoarthritis. Also, the abnormal pull of the Quadriceps muscle causes internal rotation of the tibia relative to the femur that can stress other structures within the knee, including the cranial cruciate ligament. The longer the patella spends outside its normal groove, the shallower the groove becomes.

How is patellar luxation diagnosed?

Diagnosis of patellar luxation is usually based on palpation of an unstable knee cap on orthopaedic examination. Additional tests may be required to diagnose conditions that can be associated
with patellar luxation and help the veterinary surgeon recommend the most appropriate treatment for your pet. These may include:
- palpation of the knee under sedation to assess for any damage to ligaments within the joint
- x-rays of the pelvis, knee, and tibias to evaluate the shape of the bones in the rear leg and evaluate for hip dysplasia
-CT scan to provide an image of the skeletal features of the entire hind legs. This advanced imaging technique helps the veterinary surgeon plan surgery in cases where the shape of the femur or tibia needs to be corrected.

What is the grading system for patellar luxation?

The grading system for patellar luxation is based on how mobile the patella is relative to the groove it sits in.

Grade 1: A patella that can be luxating with manual pressure but is otherwise is within the groove.

Grade 2: The patella spontaneously luxates - this is typically associated with a skipping lameness seen when the knee cap moves.

Grade 3: The patella is permanently luxated but can be manually replaced in the groove.

Grade 4: The patella is permanently luxated and cannot be manually replaced in the groove.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Please keep an eye out for our next post on treatment options available for patellar luxation coming soon!

If you are concerned your dog may have patellar luxation then please get in touch on 01227 832322 or email [email protected] to book an appointment with one of our vets 🐾🐾

Address

Chalkpit Farm, Adisham Road
Canterbury
CT45EU

Telephone

+441227832322

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