Dr. Max Gomez: Hydrotherapy Can Be Useful For Injured Dogs

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Many agree physical therapy can be essential to a person's recovery from a myriad of injuries and it turns out the same can be said for dogs, too.

As CBS 2's Dr. Max Gomez reported Friday, owners with dogs in need of physical therapy may want to consider an underwater treadmill treatment called hydrotherapy.

"Spot," an almost 2-year-old bulldog, has had three surgeries on his bad knees. And much like humans who suffer from knee problems, Spot needs physical therapy, Gomez reported.

Spot uses hydrotherapy along with other physical therapy techniques to strengthen his knees.

Therapists adjust the water level for Spot based on what he can handle, starting him off at a higher level of water to take the pressure off his painful joints, Gomez reported.

"Yes, yes each patient is different, so whatever they can do. But we always start off slowly, usually a few minutes at a time  and gradually work them up," Shawna Sheridan of the Animal Medical Center said.

At the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan, one of just a few facilities that have hydrotherapy for dogs, the cost of the treatment varies because the treadmill is usually combined with other therapy and buying a package of sessions reduces the cost, Gomez reported. But on average it's roughly $75 to $100 a session.

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