People don’t usually associate hydrotherapy with dog care, and certainly not with cat care.
But don’t tell it to Mishka.
The 10-year-old golden retriever who suffers from bilateral hip dysplasia seemed to enjoy her 30-minute weekly therapy session Tuesday at a PetMassage pool at 2950 Douglas Rd. in West Toledo. Mishka is one of about 13 dogs that currently gets a hydro-massage treatment by the pool’s owner and operator Jonathan Rudinger in any given week.
“We get the benefit of the water, the benefit of the heat of the water, and the benefit of the dog’s buoyancy. All that magnifies the physical massage,” Mr. Rudinger said, noting that the water was 90 degrees.
As he spoke, Mr. Rudinger slowly waded in the pool with his one hand holding up a flotation vest the dog was wearing, by a handle. With his other hand, he slowly massaged the dog’s hips, which were submerged in the water.
Mishka’s owner John Luce said it was Mishka’s second therapy session after the first one last week.
“She loved it,” said Mr. Luce, a Swanton business owner and a retired park ranger. “And I believe I can see the benefits from it already. She slept all the way back home — so it was a good workout. And she seemed a little more mobile this week.”
During the session “the entire dog gets the massage” because its muscular system is interconnected, Mr. Rudinger said.
Along with hip dysplasia, medical conditions for which dogs receive hydrotherapy treatment at the pool include arthritis, knee tears and patellar subluxation. Also: spinal and neurological impingement, lameness, post-injury or post-surgery physical rehabilitation, decreased and restricted joint mobility, anxiety, lethargy, and malaise.
Along with dogs, two cats have also been treated at the pool so far, Mr. Rudinger said.
Unlike dogs, who usually are given hydrotherapy treatment for both physical and emotional conditions, the cats are usually treated for emotional issues originating from boredom, which, according to him, is fairly common for indoor cats.
Business “has been great,” the pool is at half-capacity, and is ready to handle an increased workload should the demand for services increase, he said.
Mr. Rudinger opened the pool about six months ago at the West Toledo site, where previously only a dry massage was provided. His wife, Anastasia, handles the books and marketing while assistant Beth Farkas runs the office, schedules appointments, and runs the website of the business.
Because of pandemic-related disruptions, it took him about a year-and-a-half to build the pool, he said. The pool is 10-by-20-feet, 4 feet deep, and has an ultraviolet water treatment system.
In the past, he operated a pet hydrotherapy pool on McGregor Lane in West Toledo from 2001 to 2008, when he sold the pool amid the recession.
Mr. Rudinger, who also offers lessons in hydro and dry massage, said he is one of the country’s pioneers of pet hydrotherapy, which is more common in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom. Practitioners regularly hold Zoom meetings to share their experiences, he said.
Sessions are offered individually or as a multi-week package. Mishka’s owner opted for the $235 five-week package. One-time treatments are also available for $50.
First Published February 23, 2022, 4:43 p.m.
