Sure, a walk counts as fitness for dogs, but does walking have as many benefits as hydrotherapy? Read below to find out about our service that is awesome fitness for dogs.  What Is Hydrotherapy?  Think water aerobics, but for dogs. Hydrotherapy is a non-weight bearing exercise that was designed to offer a safe, full-body workout…

Orlando dog hydrotherapy can help with so many ailments. Our facility has an indoor, heated pool and dedicated staff for them to get stronger over time. When you see your dog struggling with daily activities or struggling to walk, it might be time to consider Orlando dog hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is the use of exercises in…

Swimming is an excellent exercise for humans. It can help with arthritis and can build up cardiovascular endurance and strength, but did you know that swimming can also be useful for pups, too? Water therapy for dogs can have incredible benefits. Does your dog have trouble going on walks? Does your dog struggle trying to…

In mid-November, Bella, a 10 year old poodle, collapsed after her evening walk. Her owner took her to the emergency vet and they scheduled her for an appointment the following day at the specialty vet’s office in town.

Recently a new client came to us for hydrotherapy because her dog was turning 9 years old and she was beginning to notice he was slowing down a bit. He is a larger pit bull, and definitely heavier in the front end. She was having trouble walking and otherwise exercising him enough to keep his…

We’re often asked if we use life jackets during our dog hydrotherapy sessions at Rocky’s Retreat. The answer is no. Why? As you will see in this short video snippet, dogs often won’t move their back legs when swimming.

We had a very nice older couple come to Rocky’s Retreat the other day who just adopted a six year old springer spaniel just diagnosed with spondylosis. They were concerned about their ability to care for the dog as the disease progressed. They wanted to know if hydrotherapy could help and what else they could do for the dog.

Ginger, a 15 year old shiba/chow mix has pretty severe arthritis, as well as muscle atrophy and weakness in her hind legs. She’s been swimming with us for a number of weeks now, and during each swim session we’re working on specific techniques to maximize the movement in her rear legs and range of motion in her front legs. In a short time, there has been a noticeable improvement in both muscle tone and strength in her hind quarters.

ACL tears on dog’s knees seems to be very common these days, we hear about it all the time. Depending on the severity of the tear, it can sometimes heal on its own, other times surgery is warranted. Lulu, a bull mastiff / pit bull mix has been swimming with us for over a year initially to lose weight, then to maintain her weight. Along the way, probably because she was chasing rabbits, she tore her ACL.

We’re halfway through Baylor’s boot camp, and he’s looking good. He’s lost 7 pounds and his endurance and muscle tone is really improving. And you can now see his waistline! He still doesn’t care for swimming (imagine that for a lab) but he tolerates it. He’s now running on the treadmill instead of walking, swimming more with less rest, and he doesn’t get as winded when he plays with the other dogs.

We are the only Orlando dog boarding and Orlando doggie day care center that has an indoor heated pool for dogs. See it for yourself by scheduling a tour!

Rocky's Retreat | 2826 Shader Rd. Orlando FL 32808 | info@rockysretreat.com | (407) 295-3888