Dogs Splash Into Good Health With Pool Therapy

There are other ways for dogs to exercise besides walking around the block. A local business offers one solution pet owners may not have heard about—canine hydrotherapy.

Splash Dog, 42 N. Broadway St., is a swimming center for dogs located in a transformed garage. It is tucked away in one of the outlets near the Cumberland traffic circle in Des Plaines.

The facility has an in-ground pool for warm water hydrotherapy and a canine chiropractic and acupuncture center. There is also a viewing area for pet owners.

Amy Thier and Traci Szwed, co-owners, said they opened the business in 2008 because they both had older dogs that benefited from swimming.

"People are more in-tune with holistic therapy for their dogs," Thier said.

Steve Kann and Margo Gertz of Chicago found Splash Dog on Facebook and brought their 11-year-old dog Thunder for hydrotherapy. Gertz said Splash Dog was more affordable than other centers in Chicago, where the cost can hit $200.

"This place is the best," Kann said.

Thier said most clients came from veterinary referrals rather than conventional advertising. Clients are required to provide proof that their dog is healthy enough to swim.

Dogs come in and swim at different levels depending on their health or age, Thier and Szwed said.

Canine hydrotherapy is not just for rehabilitation, but can help keep dogs in motion or provide a healthy way for any dog to have fun, according to Splash Dog Inc.’s website.

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