Hi All,
I'm working on a business case and funding to start up a Hydrotherapy and fitness centre for dogs. This would be for fun and fitness rather than rehabilitation.

I am struggling to find information regarding legal requirements, qualifications to open a centre. The associations have advised that to open a centre you don't need any official qualifications, but would be required in order be accredited by them. Does anyone know how this would work? Do you really not need any qualifications/understanding to run a hydro pool and canine treadmill and have customers use the facilities?? How would this work for insurance purposes?

I don't currently have any qualifications but started studying Canine first aid and want to make sure that the next course is the correct courses for the business.

Thank you

S

Speaking from a facilities maintenance perspective you would need to know about risk from legionella (water treatment etc) and possible water discharge consents when the pool is emptied and refilled. What type of building would it be in?

http://www.hawksmoorhydrotherapy.com/hawksmoor-training-centre/accredited-abc-courses/

I would think you would struggle to get a business case set up for funding on purely fun and fitness and exclude rehabilitation as that would be a large revenue stream which will be funded in many cases by insurance.

I am also looking at this for a future business I sm looking at opening but the main revenue streams will be by vet referrals if I do open anything.

I have also been told you would need specialist insurance for the business .

I have experience with chlorine based pool management but not the UV type for the hydrotherapy, so have a rough idea of what might be required. But I am also looking into doing a short water management course, and been given great advice from the pool company. Its the 'must have' requirements i'm confused with and surprised that you don't need to have any to open a centre. Building would be a warehouse unit or barn.

This gives you more information

http://www.narch.org.uk/links.cfm

Hi LJS,

Thanks for the link. Those are a couple of the courses i have been looking at and fancy doing.

There seems to be a fair bit of interest so far as an alternative form of exercise but would look at introducing rehabilitation at a later date. Vets referrals and wavers would be used still even for the fun side. I currently run fitness classes and very vary of contraindications and would be just as cautious and careful for the dogs. I have asked my current insurance company to come back to me regarding what would be required. So far the council and the associations just keep saying nothing legal is needed unless you want accreditation.

There is a hydrotherapy centre very close to where I live who do both health referrals and recreational swims. They are accredited by and a full member of the Canine Hydrotherapy Association and the owner - who  works in the centre -holds the following qualifications :

(Copied from their website)
    Introducation to Hydrotherapy
    Canine First Aid (of which a refresher course / exam is taken every two years)
    Canine Muscletal & Skeletal
    Practices and Principles of Hydrotherapy
    Conditions that benefit from Hydrotherapy
    Understanding and Management of Arthritic conditions
    Cruciate and Patella Disease Home Study Dissertation
    Hip & Elbow Dysplasia Home Study Dissertation
    Canine Aquatic Treadmill
    Pool Water Management

They won't take any dogs - even those who wish to go purely for recreational purposes - where owners haven't obtained a letter from their dog's vet to say they are suitable to undertake hydrotherapy. My dogs are very well known to the owner as I used to belong to her agility training club and she knows they are very fit but I would still need to have a letter from my vet if I wished to book my dogs in for fun swimming sessions with her.

A friend used the facilities as a part of their fitness programme for one of her competing dogs - competes at the top level and her dog is very, very fast and had a clean bill of health. On reviewing the underwater film of her session it was apparent that one hind leg had a fair bit of restriction in it's movement whilst swimming - not noticeable at all when running or training. Armed with that knowledge she was referred to a specialist who diagnosed the onset of a problem that could have ended the dog's career without very early intervention.

With this in mind I personally would only use a hydrotherapy centre where the staff were fully trained and had extensive knowledge and a lot of experience with dogs.