Swim therapy has been used successfully for years in human medicine to help in the recovery from a number of physical problems, but it is only recently that the benefits of water have been used with dogs.

Canine swim therapy utilizes the natural buoyancy of water, along with the natural resistance it provides, and gentle massage techniques to relieve pain and to strengthen and retrain muscles in dogs who have been injured, undergone surgery, or who suffer from a number of debilitating and degenerative conditions. It aids in and speeds up the recovery from a variety of physical problems common in dogs of all sizes and ages.

Swim therapy takes place in a heated swimming pool with the water temperature at a soothing 88-92 degrees. The warm water helps the muscles to relax, while the buoyancy of the water keeps the dog in a weightless condition, allowing it to use a full range of motion in each limb without bearing any weight. The dog’s movement while swimming increases blood flow and delivery of oxygen to the desired area, helping with the natural healing process. The therapist is in the water with the dog at all times, gently massaging the dog to further help it relax. The combination of warm water, weightlessness and massage allows the dog to use the limbs in a natural motion that it would be unlikely to do if the limb had to bear weight.

Swim therapy has been beneficial in the treatment of and rehabilitation from a variety of medical problems, including hip and elbow dysplasia, and surgery of the knee, hip, elbow, shoulder and back. It has also been used to treat arthritis and other geriatric conditions, and has helped dogs that have suffered a stroke or become paralyzed.

Canine swim therapy is a relatively new method of treating medical problems in dogs that until last year was not available in the Atlanta area. Marna Stein is a California native who recently moved to Atlanta. She has been involved in veterinary medicine since 1991, as a Registered Veterinary Technician and also in veterinary hospital management. Marna was first introduced to swim therapy in 2000, and knew this was what she wanted to do. She attended the Animal Fitness Center in California and studied with Kathy Kern, who developed the Kern Method of “motion massage” water therapy. When her training was completed, she opened her own facility in San Jose. In May 2002 Marna moved to metro Atlanta and opened her new Canine Swim therapy facility, called Dog Paddle, in Decatur.

If you have a dog with any of the problems mentioned, ask your vet if swim therapy might help. You can contact Dog Paddle at 404-378-6159.