Bruno
Bruno has been swimming with us for over a year after being diagnosed with having chronic arthritis in his hips. He was reluctant to exercise and had got very slow at home. He was not very keen on swimming to start but now pulls his owners in from the car park. His muscle mass has improved immensely and he is a very happy dog again.
His owners Mr and Mrs Hudson say "He was unsure at first but now he really loves his weekly swimming session and he is a different dog, it has really helped reduce the symptoms of the arthritis and the vet is really pleased with the noticeable difference in his health. He looks and acts years younger"
Lily
Lily was presented to us with severe muscle wastage after surgery to repair her cruciate ligament. She was unable to weight bear on the leg 6 months after the surgery.
Initially Lily was very nervous of the water but could swim well although the movement from the right leg was very restricted. We swam her twice a week for the first 4 weeks. After 4 sessions her extension whilst swimming had improved and she would periodically put the leg down on land. By the 10th session she had really started to enjoy the swim and would chase toys. After the 15th swim she was using the leg all the time and the muscle mass had greatly increased.
Lily has returned to her normal exercise regime and comes for monthly maintenance swims.
Saracen
Saracen came to us when he was 7 months old, he could barely stand as his hind was so weak and under muscled due to his hip condition. As soon as he got excited as Labradors do and started to wag his tail he collapsed.
He was referred to us so we could build his muscle and increase his strength before he was operated on which was planned once he had stopped growing.
To start Saracen was very nervous of the water and needed a lot of floatation support and encouragement from his owners and staff. He tired fairly quickly as his fitness levels were low.
We swam Saracen twice a week at first and he improved really well, his muscle mass has increased significantly and he now comes running in and can not wait to get into the pool to play with his favourite toy the banana! he can swim for 20 minutes (with rests) in resistance jets.
The vet is so pleased with Saracens progress that he has reduced his pain medication and has postponed his operation as he feels he is strong enough at the moment.
