Edmonton hydrotherapy business provides 'great relief' to local pets

A south Edmonton business is helping to rehabilitate dogs and cats who have suffered injuries.

Kira Palechek started Frisky Pup Canine Hydrotherapy and Fitness Ltd. in 2018.

She says it was the first business of its kind in the city.

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"My focus is definitely clinical and rehab. We do fun swim as well, and we do learn to swim and just fitness swims, but the majority of what I do is rehabilitation," Palechek told CTV News Edmonton on Monday.

Palechek says the secret to rehabilitation is the water temperature, which she keeps at 32 C.

"What that does is it allows for the dilation of the blood vessels to amp up the circulation, and allow very well-oxygenated blood to get through to the whole body to all the joints to any areas where there might be inflammation or pain, and effectively reducing that inflammation and pain. And so it feels very good."

She says many of her four-legged clients have arthritis.

"They come and some of them will swim, and some of them will just spend the time floating, but they still leave happy and feeling really, really rejuvenated."

"In the pool, you can exercise, you stay cool, you are supported by the water. And there's none of that force on the joints. So that's a great relief for a lot of our dogs."

Client Tamara Hauglum says her dogs love coming to hydrotherapy.

"They know where they are two blocks before they get here, they know where they're at and they start singing," she told CTV News Edmonton.

"The fact that they're comfortable in the pool makes it so much easier later on. You're not fighting them to learn to swim and get the therapy."

Palechek says she works with six to 12 pets every day, and thoroughly enjoys the work.

"Every day I wake up, it's just another happy day in the pool. It's exhausting work, can be very tiring and sometimes sad, but overall this is fabulous."

You can find the business at 11259 10a Ave.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Adel Ahmed