Underwater Treadmill / IVG Hospitals

Underwater Treadmill

This service is available at:
Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital
Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital

What is an Underwater Treadmill, how does it work?

An underwater treadmill is a self contained unit allowing for buoyancy and resistance training while walking on a treadmill submerged in 80 – 84 degree water. The unit itself is comprised of a treadmill section, water storage tank and a filtration unit.

The dog (or cat, if they are comfortable in water) walks into the dry treadmill unit with the therapist, the door is closed behind them and water enters the chamber to the desired depth and buoyancy.  Depending on the size of the patient this can take from thirty seconds to two minutes.  The treadmill is then turned on and your dog or permissive cat walks for a prescribed time and speed, both of which are based the patient’s rehabilitation needs.

Following the aquatic therapy session, the water is drained, the dog (or cat) and the therapist leave the treadmill and the patient is towel or blow dried.

What are the unique benefits of aquatic therapy and the underwater treadmill?

Combining the properties of water and excercise in a controlled environment allow for a number of wide ranging benefits.

Benefits of the underwater treadmill include the following:

• Facilitates earlier return to function
• Unloads painful or arthritic weight-bearing joints
• Reduces joint compression
• Decreases swelling in submerged body parts with hydrostatic pressure
• Builds muscle mass
• Provides a safe, controlled environment to exercise
• Re-educates nerves and muscles
• Improves balance and proprioception