Cruciate ligament disease occurs in the dog’s stifle, a joint similar to the human knee.  The stifle is a joint where the tibia and femur articulate and the patella, the equivalent of the human kneecap, sits in a groove on the femur. The cruciate ligaments are bands of fibrous tissue that form an X over the patella. They prevent the stifle from twisting or extending too far.

When a dog is diagnosed with cruciate ligament disease, these ligaments have been injured or completely severed. This occurs through degeneration or trauma. The signs you dog might show include:

• Hindlimb lameness
• Stifle Swelling
• Pain
• Instability of the joint
• Loss of muscle
• Sitting ‘wonkily’
• ‘Pottery’ gait

If your dog is showing any of these signs, the veterinary surgeon will perform an orthopaedic examination. If they believe cruciate ligament disease is a possibility, they may then perform X-rays or an MRI and further assessments.

When it is confirmed that they have injured their cruciate ligament, there are four main treatments: tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA), lateral suture, tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO), and conservative management. TPLO and TTA surgeries are most commonly used and 90% of dogs have returned to normal activity!

Hydrotherapy is ideal for dogs who have cruciate ligament problems as it provides a non-weight bearing form of exercise which can help them build muscle with reduced pressure on the joints. The hydrostatic pressure of the water also helps reduce pain and swelling, while the warmth increases circulation and reduces muscle tension. The water’s resistance also helps increase muscle endurance and cardiovascular fitness. The use of hydrotherapy in the rehabilitative treatment of cruciate ligament disease has found to help the dog return to normal activity faster and with fewer secondary complications that arise from reduced use of the limb.

When you register for your dog to come to our hydrotherapy centre, we ask for lots of details about you and your pet. After we have your details, you then wait for your account to be activated, which can take a couple of weeks. You may be wondering why this is?

The Veterinary Surgeon’s Act 1966 and the Veterinary Surgeons (Exemptions) Order 2015 state that hydrotherapy can only be undertaken under the guidance of a qualified veterinary surgeon who has examined the animal. This means that before we see your dog, treatment must be approved by your veterinary surgeon. This is simply for animal welfare reasons as it ensures that only dogs who are healthy and suitable for hydrotherapy undertake sessions and dogs who have conditions which may possibly be worsened by treatment do not participate in inappropriate complementary therapies.

Therefore, when I receive all of your pet’s information, I will email your veterinary surgeon. They will look at your dog’s medical history and consider whether they would be suitable for hydrotherapy. If they are happy for them to undergo treatment, then they will sign the referral form emailed to them and send this back to me. This can often take a couple of weeks as we may need to discuss your dog and their treatment, as well as any special considerations that may be needed. Once I have received confirmation from your veterinary surgeon that your dog is ok to come and swim, we can then book them in and meet you and your lovely dog!

‘Rio Pools Construction Ltd’ is the well-established and reputable family business behind ‘Lifeworks by Rio’. Rio Pools has been trading for 50 years in the wet-leisure business and ‘Lifeworks by Rio’ is the culmination of the hundreds of years of experience that we share. We felt it would be the perfect opportunity for us to share this knowledge by running our own canine hydrotherapy and well-being centre. Our ‘Lifework’ up to this point has been involved in caring, maintaining and managing swimming pools all over the country for both private clients and the public sector. When considering the delivery of a ‘gold standard’ hydrotherapy facility of our own, we are 100% qualified and 100% determined.

Currently, we are delighted to offer ‘Hydro 1’, our purpose-built indoor swimming pool specifically designed with canine hydrotherapy in mind. We hope that demand for this facility will enable us to replicate and expands at our Charfield HQ, with possible expansion into more canine hydrotherapy with more pools or underwater treadmills, human hydrotherapy, and even possibly equine hydrotherapy! The sky is our limit!

Due to all of our years working in the pool industry, here at Lifeworks by Rio we have the benefit of a highly superior pool, with state-of-the-art water treatment.  Not only is our water filtered up to 80% more efficiently than any other canine pool we know of, it is also maintained at very low chlorine levels.  This is great news for your pet, who can enjoy a safe, almost chlorine-free swim, helping with skin, coat, and breathing. Our pool is regularly and rigorously tested by our in-house team of qualified service engineers, along with micro-bacterial checks by an approved UKAS lab.

Despite expanding our business, we are keen to keep it as family run as possible. With this in mind, we have appointed a new canine hydrotherapist and physiotherapist, Victoria Lee, who we have known since she was just 1 year old! In 1997, Rio Pools designed and built a pool for Mr & Mrs Lee senior (Victoria’s grandparents), and in 2000 we continued our relationship with her family as we then built one for her parents! It’s easy to see why we were delighted to offer Victoria a full-time position and get her back in the water! Between us we are committed to delivering the best canine hydrotherapy facility in the county. Victoria has achieved a BSc(hons) in Veterinary Physiotherapy and is also a member of the NAVP and AHPR. She has recently undertaken and passed her practical exams for her level 3 diploma in canine hydrotherapy and will be registered with NARCH once she has also finished and passed her theory. She has had lots of experience working with small animals, while working at companion animal rehabilitation and hydrotherapy centres, a veterinary practice and working at a local cattery and kennels.