How do I build a hydrotherapy tank for my dog cheap?
Ok, I asked another question about helping my arthritic dog loose weight and one of the answers was hydrotherapy – which I think is great. Unfortuantely no one in a 65 mile radius has a hydro therapy tank!
I have about 0 I could spend on the project, I live in a rural area so I have access to all sorts of feed tanks and stuff – does anyone have any ideas? Any info?
My dog is a medium/large size so the tank will need to be a minimum of 3 feet deep. Plus, with winter coming I need something I can set up and work in my basement, so it needs to be somewhat leak free and small enough to get down the basement steps I guess. Any ideas or help would be great!
I have access to tools and I’m somewhat competent using them, and I have a friend who’s an electrician and might help if anything electrical is needed.
Mostly I want the tank to be safe! Second I want it to be a good work out for my dog.
My dog is under vet supervision, he’s on a weight loss diet (he literally eats 1 cup of quality dry dog food and he weighs 70lbs, he’s about 15-20lbs overweight), the issue is that he isn’t loosing weight, it’s been over a year and because of his arthrits he can’t really be walked, so I want to try hydrotherapy. He needs to loose the wieght because it will make him feel much *much* better, the vet agrees. I’ve called every vet clinic and groomer and asked within 65miles of where I live and none know of a place that offers hydrotherapy near here – if I were capable I would drive 150 miles and take him weekly, but that would cost wayyy too much, which is why building a hydrotherapy tank is my best(only) option!
What I’m thinking of/need help with is a way to generate a current that my dog will have to swim against in a safe, effective way .
Building a hydro-therapy tank will cost much more than $100. There are numerous medications that vets prescribe to help animals with arthritis. Contact your vet and see what they can prescribe to help. Also, gently massaging your dogs limbs daily will help a lot.
Here is a website that talks about canine hydro-therapy- click “pool finder” at the top to see if there is one closer to your location than you found:
http://www.k9hydrotherapy.co.uk/poolinfo.html
Hmmm, I’ve never tried to do this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Try PennySaver or craigslist.org to find a spa/jacuzzi shell that someone is looking to get rid of. I’ve seen them go for cheap to free. If you plug the holes somehow, I’d imagine that it would be a great sized hydrotherapy tank.
Or, you could get teh largest horse trough you can find. Hopefully you can find one that is just wide enough for your dog to turn when he reaches the end.
Good Luck! I hope it goes well!
Hey Rat — Don’t know much about hydro — I feel for you and the dog. Must have some pain..
Rat the only thing I can think of is at the feed and grain store… Right up the ole alley… When I was kid we lived near a horse racing track… I made a few friends. I saw the groomer put horse liniment on the horse legs and wrap with cloth strips .. He told me the legs get sore the message and the oil and wrap helps the horse..
I don’t know if Poochie is going to tollerate hydro. use a swimming pool pump to circulate the water in a tank… You have a small tank get a small motor.. Talk to your buddy — ya know — the plumber…
I am not sure how to build a hydro therapy tank for your dog, but as the Director of a breed-specific rescue (greyhounds), here are some other, much less expensive alternatives to help your dog both loose weight and also help the artritis (greyhounds being very prone to arthritis in later years)…
For Weight loss:
Has your vet checked the dog’s thyroid levels? An underproductive thyroid will cause a dog to put on more weight and not be able to take it off as easily.
Reduce the dog’s food intake by 1/3. Yes, the dog may still appear hungry, but he will also become more active, and this will also help him to lose weight. If he is having problems staying out of stuff he shouldn’t eat because he is always hungry, substitute frozen raw green beans for some of his food. It will make him feel fuller, but it has a much lower calorie count than kibble, and will help him take off the weight. If he doesn’t want to eat the beans, than he isn’t starving.
Feed dry kibble wetted down with lots of water. They will fill up on the water and eat slower, which also helps them feel full sooner.
Only feed 2 times a day. Never leave food out for your dog to ‘graze’ on. You have much better control if you only feed at specific times and specific amounts. If you have more than one dog, feed them in crates to keep them from stealing each other’s food. It’s not cruel to crate, it’s smart.
Take more frequent but shorter walks. If your dog can’t handle a long walk, do what he can manage, even if it’s only up and down the driveway. Walk on grass instead of pavement as the grass is more giving and easier on the joints.
For the arthritis:
Give your dog glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM suppliments. There are some very good ones made especially for dogs on the market today. I have added a link to one we use in adoptions below. You may also find some at your local grocery store or Walmart in the vitamin section. I use the double strength for the dogs and put one tablet in their food per meal.
Massage helps the joints feel less painful. You can use an absorbing rub, but most dogs don’t like the hot/cold feel of that stuff, and licking it off can be a problem. Try to find an herbal rub instead of using something like BenGay. Clove oil works well as does Arnica Gel (see 2nd link below).
Try accupuncture or chiropractic for your dog. Many vet practices are now offering both of these alternative or homeopathic remedies. Both have worked well for some dogs. Do what works for your dog.
Your vet can give the dog some cortisone shots to help with inflamation and pain management. You can also give one 81 mg. enterically coated asprin (NOT Ibuprophen, Naproxin Sodium, or Anecetaphetamin) or there are animal specific NSAIDs that you can get from your vet: Dermaxx and Rhimadyl are two good choices.
Hopefully, there will be one ot two of these suggestions that will work for you and your dog. If not, here is a source for a dog pool that might work for you… (see the 3rd link below)
Please keep me posted on how this all works out!