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Hydrotherapy for dogs at MediPaws

Support recovery and improve mobility with targeted rehabilitation

Canine hydrotherapy is popular way to support your dog recovering from surgery, managing chronic conditions, or maintaining mobility and strength. Using a state-of-the-art underwater treadmill, our rehabilitation team provides a controlled, low-impact environment to help dogs move more comfortably while rebuilding strength.

What Is Canine Hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy uses water-based exercise to support rehabilitation and improve physical function. At MediPaws, we carefully adjust the water depth, treadmill speed, and incline to suit each patient’s needs over time.

Hydrotherapy can have many benefits for your dog, including:

Reduced impact on joints: buoyancy allows movement with less pain
Improved muscle strength: particularly in muscles weakened by injury or inactivity
Better joint mobility: controlled movement helps maintain and improve range of motion
Unwind compensatory patterns: correct bad movement habits from long-term injuries
Safe, controlled exercise: ideal for dogs unable to tolerate land-based exercise

Conditions That May Benefit From Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is commonly recommended for dogs with a range of orthopaedic, neurological, and mobility-related conditions, including:

Post-surgical recovery (e.g. cruciate/TPLO surgery, orthopaedic procedures)
Arthritis and degenerative joint disease
Hip and elbow dysplasia
Spinal conditions
Neurological conditions
Muscle weakness or deconditioning
Weight management and fitness support

Procedure Overview:

Early Access Offer – 50% Off Initial Consults

Join our limited early access list and receive 50% off your initial rehabilitation consult.
Offer valid until July 2026.

Why Choose MediPaws For Hydrotherapy?

Expert-led rehabilitation support

Your dog’s care is guided by a team experienced in surgical recovery, mobility conditions, and rehabilitation planning.

Advanced hydrotherapy facilities

Our state-of-the-art water treadmill allows for tailored hydrotherapy sessions, with on-site wash facilities available so your dog can rinse off.

Low-stress, supportive environment

We focus on creating a calm, positive experience to help dogs feel comfortable and confident during treatment.

Integrated, whole-patient care

Hydrotherapy is part of a broader, collaborative approach involving our surgery, medicine, and emergency teams.

All Inclusive Hydrotherapy Packages

Initial session – $280
Revisit session – $140

Our hydrotherapy program is tailored to your dog’s condition, stage of recovery, and overall health. We also offer discounted 6- and 12-session packages.

What to expect during a session:

Our sessions typically run for around 30 minutes, including setup and drying
Most dogs spend 15-20 minutes in the water, depending on their needs
Water temperature is maintained at a comfortable level year-round
Our team supports your dog throughout the session to ensure safety and confidence

We’ll guide you on how to prepare for your appointment and what to expect after each session.

Our Rehabilitation Team

Rehabilitation

Dr Rhys Donovan

Osteopath

Hydrotherapy FAQs

What conditions are best treated with hydrotherapy?

The conditions we use the underwater treadmill for the most, and get great results with include:

Spinal surgery recovery
Cruciate ligament surgery
Hip & elbow dysplasia
Arthritis (although we find laser therapy can sometimes provide better results for some pets)
Neurological conditions
Maintaining fitness and strength

How long do your hydrotherapy sessions go for?

Like our other return treatments, allow 30 minutes – which is enough to get in the underwater treadmill, fill and empty the water, and dry them off. Typically, your dog will be in the water for 15-20 minutes.

Are there situations where my dog can't use hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy will not be suitable for your dog if it has any of the following:

Open wounds
Incontinence
Bitches in heat
If a different treatment is more suitable

Is chlorine or other chemicals used in the water?

We use bromine in our water, which is a similar chemical to chlorine, but has a less harsh smell. It is necessary for us to disinfect the water with chemicals for adequate disease prevention.

At MediPaws, we have a shower in our facilities, so that your dog can wash off after their hydrotherapy session. We also empty and refill our water tank with fresh water at the end of each week.

Can cats do hydrotherapy?

While more common for dogs, hydrotherapy can also be very beneficial for cats. The underwater treadmill is a great way to help cats recover from orthopaedic surgery, manage arthritis, regain neurological function, and lose weight.

What do I need to bring to my dog's hydrotherapy session?

Bring:

Your dog’s favourite pet treats if they have food intolerances and/or are anxious.
We recommend bringing a towel, so you can keep your dog dry on the way home. Don’t stress if you forget as we have plenty of towels on site.
If you have your own life jacket for your dog, you are welcome to bring it.

Do:

Take your dog to the toilet – we can’t stress this enough. Nothing worse than your dog’s hydrotherapy session being cut short because we have to dump the water and clean the tank. This can also impact patients after you.
Give your dog a rest from their normal morning walk on this day, especially if they’re recovering from an injury. A regular walk and underwater treadmill on the same day can sometimes be too much for a recovering dog and they can pull up sore.

Is hydrotherapy safe for my dog after surgery?

It is fine to do hydrotherapy after surgery as long as the wound is healed. We do recommend checking with your vet first to make sure they are happy that the wound is fully healed.

What temperature is your underwater treadmill?

Our underwater treadmill is usually set to 28 degrees celsius. On very cold days of winter, we’ll usually increase this temperature 1-2 degrees and on hot days of summer, we’ll cool it down a bit.