Bourne hydrotherapy business Paws in Motion helps to keep dogs healthy
A new business is helping to keep dogs healthy one paw at a time.
Paws in Motion, a hydrotherapy business in Bourne, was launched by Marie Tutty, her husband Shane and step-daughter Alex at the end of last year to fill a gap in the market.
The family’s border collie Jake had surgery in 2017 after being diagnosed with cruciate ligament disease and one of the key rehabilitation treatments recommended was hydrotherapy, which resulted in Jake, now 13, making a full recovery.
Marie, who worked as payroll and human resources software consultant, said: “I could see with Jake how much he improved. Especially with dogs who get a bit stiff in their old age it really helps their joints and improves their quality of life.”
During Jake’s recovery Marie dedicated a lot of time to researching canine hydrotherapy and after noticing there weren’t many options available, she decided to train as a hydrotherapist.
The pandemic struck and the project almost came to a halt but three years later, the couple have now managed to open the specially-constructed building with a pool inside and a number of services are on offer for dogs.
“It was difficult. We were planning on doing it but the pandemic put us back an awfully long time,” said Marie.
“The initial plans were cut back, as the price of materials kept going up.”
Spotting ‘senior swim’ in the brochure, I realised this would be perfect for my 13-year-old springador Cookie, who like many Labradors, suffers with arthritis and problems with her back legs.
Ahead of the session all vet details have to be checked to ensure the dog is safe to swim.
Cookie has a reoccurring ear infection which no matter how much it is treated, seems to return.
We know water paired with an ear infection is not a good combination so the Paws in Motion team were keen to find a solution. After taking measurements of her head, they ordered a suitable snood to protect her floppy ears.
Before any swimming, a consultation must take place so the team can find out everything about the pet, from its health to its likes. This ranges from toy preference, what exercise they do and when they eat, as well as giving the dog the chance to familiarise themselves with the team.
While she isn’t the most sociable dog, and even less so in her old age (and who can blame her), Cookie’s tail was wagging the whole time and she didn’t want to leave the consultation, which gave me confidence to bring her back for the main session.
Marie, 42, explained: “I have always loved dogs. I don’t think it is a home without dogs in the house.
“We are all very much animal lovers and they are part of the family.”
Ahead of Cookie’s dip in the pool, I was instructed to ensure she was fed at least three hours before and bring a towel to stop her getting cold after her workout. With that in mind she was bundled into the back of the car and excitedly watched out the window on the way to Bourne.
While the sat nav was on to remind me how to get to Christopher’s Lane, it seems Cookie’s sense of direction was much better as she knew where she was the second the door opened.
As we went into the hydrotherapy building, Cookie was greeted with treats and a fuss before getting ready to swim.
It’s not just about getting in the pool and swimming. There is a lot of preparation work and Cookie’s usual collar was replaced with a specialist swim one and she was fitted in a harness with a short leash.
Her ears were covered, first with a synthetic rubbery cap followed by the special snood for an extra level of protection - it was an amusing sight.
While standing there slightly confused as to what was going on - and giving me a major side eye - Cookie’s paws were rinsed off in the shower.
The next stage was climbing up a ramp to get to the pool level, which I assured the team she would be fine with as water-loving Cookie is ever the explorer and never seems phased by heights or steep slopes.
But as she stood at the bottom of it, Cookie must have thought she was climbing something the size of Mount Everest and was frozen.
Despite the treats being held temptingly at the top, withevery tentative step forward was another step back.
But Marie warned that ‘it’s important not to rush’ as it could leave the dog with a negative experience associated with the pool.
After a good five minutes of trying to persuade her I was asked to call her up the ramp, and magically seeing a familiar face was enough reassurance to make her trot up to the top.
For whatever reason Cookie seems to prefer men so it was Shane who led the session.
Shane, who worked in the temperature controlled logistics industry, was collared into the business by Marie.
He said: “It is a reward when you see the progression of dogs.”
Dressed in a wetsuit he hopped in the pool and encouraged the pooch to join him down a second, but less steep, ramp.
My furry friend continued to look to me for reassurance as she slowly made her way into the water.
“It is a different experience than swimming in open water,” Marie told me. This is because the dog can see the bottom of the pool and it is a warmer temperature.
But the brave girl plodded into the water looking happy by the words of affirmation coming from Alex, who spent four years studying animal management and business at Stamford College.
For many working with family would be a nightmare but for 24-year-old Alex, it is a dream come true.
“We are all quite close and more like friends,” she said.
With her legs initially pointing stiffly outwards, Cookie began to paddle forward. It was noted immediately that she wasn’t using her back legs but after a few minutes they were in motion.
A couple of times the confused dog tried to jump back out of the pool - who knows why she was scared of the ramp but not of jumping out a pool that’s a few feet deep - but quickly she became accustomed to it.
Using a ball - her top pick when it comes to toys - Shane directed her around the pool throwing the toy and quickly picking it up to give to her as she got closer.
“It’s so she doesn’t swallow the chlorine,” he explained, with Marie adding that dogs have varying tolerance levels.
Between each lap of the pool, Shane made her take a rest on a platform in the pool. This is not only for her to have a quick breather but to allow him to perform quick health checks, such as taking her pulse.
Now having fun, she kept tossing the ball back at Shane as if to say ‘come on, throw it again’.
Now she’s an old lady, she is limited on her exercise with a game of fetch pretty much off the table incase she hurts herself by running around. While she is allowed to take a dip in summer months, generally water is forbidden too.
As an owner it was pawesome to see her have fun and getting to experience the two things she loves the most - swimming and retrieving a ball - after a couple of years of not being able to.
As well as the pure enjoyment, her back legs were improving massively with every lap of the pool.
One thing about Cookie is she doesn’t know her limits whether that comes to food, playing or exercise, but luckily Shane did and after about half an hour in the water he explained she was ready to get out.
He led her to the ramp - which she tried to jump off back into the water - where she stood for about a minute to eliminate ‘sea legs’.
Unlike half an hour prior she confidently strutted down the ramp.
All of the chlorine was rinsed off before the pooch was pampered with a nice shampoo which she sat back and enjoyed before being wrapped up in her towelling robe ready to go home.
Before we left, Marie had warned that the swim often causes dogs to release endorphins and have ‘crazy moments’ when they get home.
She was greeted by the 11-year-old Labrador Wooster and the family’s new addition, a cocker spaniel puppy called Jeeves, who had arrived just a week earlier.
Having previously got the impression she was getting a bit tired of his boisterous nature, when Cookie got back she began playing with him like a puppy, with an energy I had never seen before.
Within an hour or so she was ready for a long nap after an exciting yet exhausting day and it was no surprise as ‘swimming is four times as much work as on land’.
The Tutty family hopes that more people will see the benefits of hydrotherapy, and not just for older dogs like Cookie. Pups like Jeeves can benefit by learning the ropes.
Marie said: “The best thing is for dogs to learn to swim as a puppy in case they ever encounter a problem. What people don’t realise is they don’t all know how to swim.”
She added that often puppies develop a fear of water due to their first experiences being at the sea and associate it with being hit by waves. Paws in Motion can help.
To find out more visit https://pawsinmotionhydrotherapy.co.uk/