A: At Blue Mountains Animal Rehab Centre we offer the following services. Hydrotherapy - Underwater Treadmill Laser Therapy - Class IV Veterinary Laser Rehabilitation Exercise Programs - bespoke programs for each individual patient Dry Needling Accell Therapy - Animal Therapy Mat Massage and Myofacial Release Treatments Rock Tape - used during hydrotherapy or home care

A. Hydrotherapy provides a controlled and comfortable environment for movement and exercise. The warm water (29-31 degrees) warms up muscles and encourages blood flow to tissues which improves flexibility and reduces tension and inflammation. The buoyancy of the water reduces the load on joints and limbs and enables a greater range of movement than is possible on land. This increased movement benefits the muscles, joints and surrounding tissues and this will be continued after the hydrotherapy session. Over time this enables the patient to regain movement that was lost and rebuild muscle strength. The water also helps with sensory and body awareness which improves balance and confidence. This is hugely beneficial for older patients that may have lost confidence in moving around and for IVDD and neurological patients that are re-gaining function and movement. Exercising in warm water also improves fitness and cardio function without full load bearing on joints. This is extremely beneficial for overweight patients or those with heart conditions.

A. Yes, we require a veterinary referral for each patient prior to an initial consultation. We will contact your Veterinary Surgeon directly and they will send any medical history and referral information to us. Usually you will not need to do anything, however some veterinary clinics may contact you directly to ask for permission before sending information.

A. As soon as any skin wounds have healed your dog can commence hydrotherapy. This is usually around 10 days after surgery. We recommend starting a rehab program as soon as possible following surgery to improve recovery. This includes TPLO and TTA surgeries for cruciate ruptures. Spinal surgery patients can commence hydrotherapy 3 days after surgery as the benefits of early intervention are critical for positive outcomes. We will cover any surgical wounds to protect them. Please contact us is you need any further information.

A. YES! Definitely! We often find that dogs that are not usually fond of getting wet can be some of the quickest to get used to and even enjoy hydrotherapy. Dogs that LOVE water can sometimes be very excited and distracted by playing and lying in the water! We purposefully book long initial consulatations so that we can spend time building confidence and introducing hydrotheapy to suit each individual patient. The sooner they are relaxed and confident, the sooner we can make progress with therapy. In almost 20 years in the industry we have only had 3 dogs that did not take to hydrotherapy. There are a number of things that we do to help reduce anxiety and make sessions as stress free and enjoyable as possible for each patient. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help support your dog during sessions.

A. Each patient will need an individual treatment plan and we will give you an idea of what to expect at you first appointment. See below for our general guidelines for some common conditions. TPLO/TTA Cruciate Rupture surgery recovery - Roughly 8-10 sessions Patella surgery recovery - 8-10 sessions Osteoarthritis - weekly for 4-5 weeks and then reduce frequency to every 4 weeks depending on their individual needs. Hip Dysplasia - weekly for 6-8 weeks and then reduce frequency as needed. IVDD/Spinal surgery & recovery - at least weekly for 10-12 weeks depending on recovery. Some patients may need twice weekly sessions initially to make the most of the crucial first few weeks following surgery. Degenerative Myelopathy - weekly ongoing. Fitness & conditioning - weekly for 6 weeks and then adapt to current show schedule and ongoing needs. Please ask if you would like more information.

A. Initial consultations last 1hour 15minutes and include taking a full history, patient assessment including gait analysis, muscle mass and joint measurements, laser treatment and first underwater treadmill session. This also includes a full treatment plan and home exercises if appropriate. Repeat hydrotherapy/rehab appointments last 45 minutes and include a re-assessment, laser treatment (if required) underwater treadmill and rehab exercises. Laser treatment appointments are 15-30 minutes long.

A. Yes! We encourage owners to stay for appointments so that you can be a part of your dog's rehab and see their progress. However, you are more than welocme to leave your dog with us for the appointment if you would prefer. Some dogs are more relaxed without their owners and for some it is the other way around! For patients needing a lot of care we do offer half day and day rehab care. Please ask for more information.

A. Over the last few years studies have shown that underwater treadmill is a much safer and effective method of using hydrotherapy. It allows us to adapt water levels and speeds to each individual patient and provide much more specific treatment and progression. In fact, swimming is now not advised for patients with hip dysplasia, cruciate disease and spinal conditions as the movement can be too great and cause over extension and damage to joints and nerve tissues. As swimming is a reflex (swim or drown!) it is almost impossible to control the intensity of motion and progress treatment. In the past, swimming patients often caused exhaustion before enough specific areas of the body had received enough exercise. However in healthy dogs swimming is fun and provides a great cardio workout. If swimming your dog take care to give them lots of breaks and avoid over doing it and causing significant muscle fatigue. Dry them as quickly as possible as muscles can cool quickly and become stiff even in very warm weather.

A. YES! We have many cats that come to us for rehabilitation. For many laser therapy and rehab exercises are the best option but some cats will benefit from underwater treadmill. Breeds such the Maine Coons and Turkish Van really enjoy being in the water and are good candidates for hydrotherapy. Other cats are more suited to land based rehab for obvious reasons!