Hydrotherapy for man’s best friend now available in Malta

Taking dogs for a dip in a heated pool can extend their lifespan by a number of years, according to veterinary physiotherapist Rebecca Gatt.

But before rushing with your dog to the nearest heated pool for hydrotherapy – a form of physiotherapy carried out in water – a series of steps are necessary for it to be effective.

“I start by speaking to the dog’s vet, to make sure I have all the information. Then I assess them and get a history of what happened if there had been an injury. Sometimes the dog is simply overweight and needs exercise,” Ms Gatt said.

Through hydrotherapy, animals are able to exercise in a pool which is heated to 28˚C without the stresses caused by motion on hard ground.

Initially, Ms Gatt set out studying human physiotherapy, but she always wanted to work with animals and decided to pursue her Master’s degree at the Royal VeterinaryCollege in London.

Back in Malta, she started off by making home visits, carrying out standard physiotherapy for dogs, cats and even horses, before moving on to hydrotherapy. “When I worked in England, I used to see hydrotherapy used on pets all the time. This was in 2007 and it was not yet available here. I’ve wanted to open a...