Canine therapy pool

by Sally Bouorm | December 1, 2012 10:56 am

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By Brian Ross

During the winter of 2010, Mac, a golden retriever, who lives with a family near Severn Bridge, Ont., was struck by a passing vehicle in front of the family’s home on Christmas Eve. Mac was excited to see his master come home and quickly ran to meet him; however, due to some confusion, he accidentally ran onto the road.

The family immediately rushed him to the nearest emergency veterinarian clinic in Barrie, Ont., where they were given the devastating news that Mac, who was just under two years old at the time, would likely never walk again. The veterinarian advised the family of the difficulties predicting the exact outcome with this type of injury, but paralysis would likely be the outcome.

Not giving up

The family, who also had another golden retriever named Jackson, brought Mac home two days later; he was still unable to move, and therefore, needed a catheter. Three days after Christmas, the family took Mac to their regular vet at which point it was determined he had not suffered any fractures; however, there was severe spinal cord trauma.

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A week later, Mac was still showing very little signs of movement—all he could do was lay on a daybed—the family returned to the vet. This examination revealed serious deterioration of Mac’s muscle mass and at this point it was decided if there was going to be any chance of recovery, Mac needed an immediate therapy program.

This was easier said than done as the nearest therapy centre that could offer a program for Mac was more than 100 km (62 miles) away. And, never mind the travel time and expense, the cost of the therapy program was far beyond the financial means of most anybody.

What about water therapy?

After a family friend suggested water therapy as an option to aid in Mac’s recovery they contacted Pool Spa Sauna Showroom (PSSS) to inquire about a used hot tub. However, after they explained the purpose of the hot tub, it was determined it would not provide a suitable therapy pool for Mac simply due to their configuration. The story touched the hearts of PSSS staff who were determined to help Mac, and as a result, an alternative plan was devised.

Upon meeting him and the family for the first time, it was readily apparent that Mac, who could barely lift his head upon greeting, needed immediate therapy or there would be a chance he would be lost. With this in mind, the family was shown the plans for a custom therapy pool and was told there would be no costs involved.

Drawing from past therapy pool experience

After confirming with Mac’s vet that the therapy program he required was for muscle regeneration, PSSS consulted with Thyme Thompson[3], a young woman the company had organized a coalition of industry suppliers and local trades to assist PSSS staff in the construction of a therapy pool in 2010 to help her recover from a spinal cord injury.

Thyme explained during her therapy sessions the therapist would tell them what to concentrate on; however, this would not be possible for canine rehabilitation. Thyme’s advice was helpful; therefore, to get Mac to focus on his rehabilitation, he required someone to hold him in place in the water, while someone would work his hind legs in a bicycle swimming motion. Everyone hoped this movement would register in Mac’s brain—and it did. If there was going to be any chance for Mac’s recovery, he had to get into the water quickly. The only roadblock was developing an effective way to hold water.

Building a unique therapy pool

Time was of the essence. After measuring Mac and the threshold of the family’s home, the preliminary sketches were turned into a drawing with complete measurements, materials were ordered, and construction began.

First on the agenda was finding a custom liner to fit the vessel as canine therapy pools are not built every day. After hearing the story, Highbury Pools Ltd., a vinyl liner manufacturer in London, Ont., stepped up to the plate and generously donated a custom fabricated liner and shipped it out within two days after being given the liner diagram.

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The therapy pool was constructed of 19-mm (0.75-in.) thick plywood, with additional support lumber used in the corners, base, and along the top edges. The bottom edges were reinforced with galvanized angle iron. All joints were glued and then fastened with screws. It was a utilitarian design, but it worked.

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Finally, the pool’s ‘fill-and-dump’ design eliminated the need for a pump, filter, heater, and chemicals. It was designed to be filled via the home water supply and be warm enough for therapy. The ideal water temperature is 21 C (70 F), which would be cool enough to prevent Mac from overheating during exercise, but warm enough to prevent him from getting chills and muscle cramps.

Since the water would be held for a few days before it was dumped and changed, it was important to keep it warm. To do this, the interior walls comprise reflective insulation under the liner, while the exterior walls are covered in 51-mm (2-in.) thick Styrofoam insulation. A custom cut 51-mm thick Styrofoam board was also designed to fit down onto the water’s surface to eliminate heat loss via evaporation. A small hole was cut into the lid to enable the use of an immersion heater. This heater, which was donated by Pet Valu in Orillia, Ont., would normally be used in a large aquarium, but in this application, to maintain the water temperature, it worked perfectly.

Once the therapy pool was assembled, it was delivered and set up in the family’s home within a week.

The water therapy regimen

Mac being a ‘water’ dog would be lifted into the therapy pool. Thanks to the water’s buoyancy, he started to use his front paws in a swimming motion, and by holding his harness, Mac would not gain any forward momentum. Essentially, it was an aquatic treadmill without his paws touching bottom. Mac’s hind legs were motivated simply by working them in a cycling motion.

The therapy routine initially involved four 30-minute sessions per week, which helped Mac start to regain muscle mass. In fact, after only two weeks of therapy, Mac wagged his tail for the first time since the accident. As therapy continued, Mac’s progress could be measured after each session.

During these therapy sessions, which were conducted solely by the family, Mac’s ‘older brother,’ Jackson, the family’s other golden retriever, would not leave his side. Mac loved the opportunity to get into the water and after five weeks of therapy he was able to take his first tentative steps[6].

For this project nobody knew if water therapy would indeed help. If it did not work, the outcome of Mac not being able to walk again was predetermined and would be tragic. However, if it did work, the therapy pool was a unit that would not be used for much more than a few months. Therefore, there was no point in being too elaborate in terms of its design or cost.

A success story

By April the following year, many people in the community had heard about Mac’s story and were asking how he was doing. In response, PSSS decided to let them see for themselves and held a ‘Meet Mac’ event, which was tied in with an awareness promotion for the local animal shelter. Mac never sat down during the event as he was excited to meet the many families, who also brought their dogs along. There were several hundred people in attendance, with many donating supplies in the attempt to fill a pickup truck for the Orillia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

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The following month, Mac participated in the ‘Friends for Life Walk-a-thon,’ benefiting Orillia’s SPCA, along with 100 other dogs, where he walked more than 1 km (0.6 miles). At this year’s walkathon, Mac walked the complete 5 km (3.1 mile) course.

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Today, Mac continues to improve. He will always have a unique style to his walk, but he is a happy dog. The custom-built therapy pool that played a key role in Mac’s recovery is stored in the PSSS warehouse and is available for loan to local veterinarian clinics and SPCA’s who may have a dog requiring similar therapy.

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Ross, founder of Pool Spa Sauna Showroom (PSSS), a family-owned and operated business with locations in Orillia and Huntsville, Ont., has been involved in the swimming pool industry since 1968. Ross, a recent recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his charitable and community work, is a certified American Concrete Institute (ACI) field testing technician and a certified pool operator (CPO). He can be reached via e-mail at brianross@wavemaker.ca[9].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/canine-therapy-pool/

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