My name is Louise - I'm the owner of K9 Hydro Rehab & Conditioning.

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I frequently get asked why I became a dog hydrotherapist and the simple answer is:

 I became a canine hydrotherapist because of my dog, Honey!

 

Honey is a Kelpie cross who is very active and highly intelligent! On this particular day, she came back from running and playing in the garden, holding one of her limbs up looking very sad. Even though I’d grown up with big, active dogs, I’d never experienced anything like this so I just thought she’d sprained a muscle. After a few days rest, I thought she’d be OK. She did start to use her leg again but she still wasn’t right so we ended up going to the vets and found that she’d completely ruptured her ccl - commonly known as a cruciate ligament!

 

Unfortunately, 5 months later, she completely ruptured her other cruciate ligament so after yet another surgery, we were back to square one on restricted movement and strict rules as she was still not fully recovered from the original cruciate injury. Long story short, she was improving but due to the muscle wastage, because of restricted exercise for so long, her lower back developed a slight curve and her hips clicked every time she moved – it was so loud, the poor girl.

 

Thinking I’d need some Chiro work done on her, I checked in with my vet and they recommended hydrotherapy. I knew that people and horses have been doing this for many years, but I wasn’t aware that it was available for dogs too. We immediately got her booked in and even though her initial session was not great (she’s claustrophobic and isn’t great with strangers) we persevered and I’m so glad that we did!

 

After just a few sessions, her hips no longer clicked and her spine was straight!

All we needed to do now was build and strengthen her hind muscles (as well as relieve all the other muscles that had been compensating for so long) and she’d be as good as new! To say I was beyond impressed by this treatment is an understatement.

 

When the original owner of K9 Hydro Rehab & Conditioning said that he wanted to retire,

my heart sank, because at that stage, we still needed a few more sessions. Not knowing who would take on the business and how far away it would be (Honey isn’t great at long car rides) I decided to take over the business and become qualified as a canine hydrotherapist by doing all the necessary training.

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Honey’s rehab was imperative and I’ll do anything for my animals, including getting qualified

and buying a business! I’m very happy to say that Honey made a full recovery and to this day, you’d never know that she’s had bilateral cruciate surgeries! I’ll be forever grateful to my amazing vet for doing 2 very successful surgeries and of course, hydrotherapy!

 

Side note: my other dog, Gringo - a male Blue Heeler/Australian Cattle Dog, has since tore his cruciate which we conservatively managed and almost had him 100% healed until he completely ruptured it by running too hard down the garden! So, he too, has had surgery and hydrotherapy. Fingers, eyes and toes crossed, he doesn’t do the other one as he’s not as good a patient as Honey!

 

 Credentials:

Trained and fully qualified as a Canine Hydrotherapist at Michelle Monk’s Canine Health & Wellbeing Academy, Victoria, Australia.

Member of ACRA - Australian Canine Rehabilitation Association.