AquaPaws Hydrotherapy

01/08/2026

🎾 HAS PLAYTIME CHANGED 🎾

Remember when your dog could play for hours and never tire?

Sometimes the earliest signs of discomfort are not obvious limping or crying out, they are small changes in behaviour that happen gradually over time 🐶

Ask your self the questions below and if any of the answers are yes then hydrotherapy might benefit your dog 🐾

Hydrotherapy is low impact gentle way to help improve strength, mobility and fitness while supporting your dog overall wellbeing 💛🐕

A dog slowing down doesn't always mean there "just getting older" sometimes they just need a little more support 💙🐾

30/07/2026

Welcome Milly! 🤩

Milly is joining the AquaPaws team having recently completed her veterinary physiotherapy degree! 👏

Currently, Milly is spending time getting to know clients, so you may meet her in upcoming sessions. Having Milly on the team will allow us to continue expending our opening hours to help more paws, and it’s always useful to have another brain to work with!🐾 ❤️‍🩹

Welcome to the team! ☺️

Milly Kipling
mk_veterinaryphysiotherapy

27/07/2026

Here at Aqua paws our team is focused on not only the physical rehabilitation but the mental too, they help build confidence with your dog 🐶

When movment becomes uncomfortable, dogs will avoid doing that activity. Over time this reduces muscle strength and a loss of confidence 🐾

One of the most rewarding signs of progress isn't always measured in a session but its seeing your dog confidently move and do their daily activities without discomfort 💛

24/07/2026

✋ Remember the recent coat changes photo?

She came in again this week!

Owner 🗣️ “She’s been really bouncy recently, even having a little run on walks! People have commented how good she’s looking!”
. well check out the difference in JUST 2 WEEKS!

It’s so rewarding for us to feel the progress, but for close humans to see it too! 🥹🫶

🛑 If you’ve got a dog who’s slowing down, feel free to pop in for a FREE consultation to see if we can re-find the spring in their step! 🐾

24/07/2026

Sharing Gilbert’s story. ⭐

The ‘lost dog’ tracking dog, the therapy dog, the big brother and the gentle giant whose comfort relies on treatments that unfortunately his insurance has decided they will not cover. 😔

23/07/2026

Every wondered why hydrotherapy is so effective? 🤔

Its not just water its the cycle it creates 🐶

Every benefit leads to the next, creating a positive cycle of healing, strength and better movement 🐕

By reducing the load on painful joints, movement becomes more comfortable. This encourages better use of the affected limb, helping to build strength, improve stability and support better movment over time🐾💛

22/07/2026

Look familiar? Swirly coat!? 🔄 Potential problem?!

They’re often found in random patches, commonly on the neck? Likely wasn’t there as a pup? Perhaps getting larger?

➡️ Coat changes are often a good indicator that something underneath isn’t quite right.

How? 🤔
Hair direction is determined by their follicles in the skin. Attached under the skin is a layer of fascia - a complicated web of connective tissue that runs throughout the whole body, between muscles, organs etc.

When for example the muscles underneath are in poor condition (tight, uncomfortable, overused, spasmodic), the fascia becomes more sticky and less fluid. This ‘stickiness’ and adhesion development can influence the hair follicles, causing swirly hair patterns!

👕 Think of your dog’s skin fitting like a loose t-shirt. When there is fascial dysfunction, it becomes more like a wetsuit and doesn’t move freely over tissues beneath. 😞

If you notice these, feel free to come in for a FREE assessment with one out of physios. Book below… 👇

https://calendly.com/aquapaws/free-consultation-with-a-vet-physio

17/07/2026

🐾 TRUE OR FALSE? 🐾

"Short controlled walks are often better than one long walk during rehabilitation"

What do you think?🤔

Many owners assume that one longer walk is the best way to help their dog build strength, but when recovering from injury or surgery, the way we exercise is just as important as how much.

💬 Answer: TRUE! ✅

Short, controlled walks are often more beneficial than one long walk because they:
🐾 Help prevent fatigue
🐾 Reduce the risk of overloading healing tissues
🐾 Encourage better-quality movement
🐾 Allow your dog time to recover between sessions

Did you get it right? 👍🐶

16/07/2026

Interesting read! 💭

For many years, decompressive surgery has been considered the treatment of choice for non-ambulatory dogs with thoracolumbar IVDD.

But is that truly the case?

A prospective cohort study from the University of Cambridge suggests that the question of conservative vs surgical management for IVDD isn't quite as straightforward as we may have thought.

Researchers followed 72 small, non-brachycephalic dogs that were managed conservatively after acute thoracolumbar disc extrusion.

Their findings are exciting:
• 96% of dogs that still had deep pain sensation regained the ability to walk within 12 weeks.
• 48% of dogs that had lost deep pain sensation also regained ambulation in 12 weeks.
• Recovery occurred even in some dogs with severe spinal cord compression, and was not dependent on complete resolution of the compression seen on MRI.

This doesn't mean surgery is no longer indicated. Surgery remains an important treatment option and may still be the best choice for many patients.

What this study does suggest is that conservative management should not automatically be viewed as a poor alternative when surgery isn't possible because of financial, geographic or medical constraints. For many dogs, it represents a realistic treatment pathway with the potential for positive outcomes.

As always, treatment decisions should be made on an individual basis, considering the dog's neurological status, imaging findings, overall health and the goals of the family.

Reference:
Khan S, Jeffery ND, Freeman P. Recovery of ambulation in small, nonbrachycephalic dogs after conservative management of acute thoracolumbar disk extrusion. J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Sep-Oct;38(5):2603-2611. doi: 10.1111/jvim.17149. Epub 2024 Jul 25. PMID: 39051966; PMCID: PMC11423491.

July is IVDD Awareness Month - be sure to tag us in your success stories, educational posts and more so that we can share them on!!


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