A lot of people and dogs alike have benefited from hydrotherapy’s gentle multifaceted approach to physical therapy.
In particular, dogs with joint pains have found comfort and relief through the support and resistance that comes from moving in water, alongside the effects immersion has on circulation.
Hydrotherapy has been practised since ancient times, and even in the UK the practice of therapeutic bathing came in the form of thermae, the Ancient Roman baths system still found in some places today.
However, the modern history of hydrotherapy begins in the 18th century, with several parallel discoveries by the likes of Sir John Floyer and James Currie, who observed the effects of natural springs and an early example of hot and cold therapy respectively, principles used in more advanced forms in hydrotherapy today.
The true introduction to hydrotherapy, however, came thanks to Captain R. T. Claridge, who was the first to publish books in English on the subject and strongly advocated for the treatment. He did speaking tours in London, Ireland and Scotland throughout 1842 and 1843.
He was heavily inspired by a man named Vincenz Priessnitz, born in Grafenberg, Austrian Silesia (Now part of the Czech Republic), who claimed to use water to recover from broken ribs.
Captain Claridge was a patient of his, and strongly credited hydrotherapy with the treatment of his rheumatism, something that would later shape how hydrotherapy became a part of arthritis treatment for both people and pets.
As for the transition from people to animals, the rise in popularity of hydrotherapy baths was used in conjunction with previous beliefs that seawater was beneficial for lower limb injuries for animals such as horses.
Around the same time Captain Claridge was advocating for cold weather treatments, racehorses were being immersed in cold seawater to help them recover from injury.
This quickly spread to dogs through the sport of greyhound racing and from there many of the techniques to help improve the effectiveness of hydrotherapy developed.