Therapy is a splash with dogs

Three years ago, Cindy Horsfall's 5-year-old German shepherd, Ava, became paralyzed from her shoulders down. The dog might have had a stroke, said the veterinarians Horsfall consulted, and they doubted she'd ever walk again. Two suggested that she have Ava "put down."

But Horsfall had a better idea.

She'd once been involved in rehabilitating racehorses using water therapy and had long wanted to create a water-therapy center for dogs. With a dog she dearly loved needing help, the time had come.

Today, La Paw Spa may be the only facility in the state offering water therapy and massage for canine pets. Some 20 dogs and their owners come each week to the 16-foot swim spa in Horsfall's home east of Redmond.

With soothing music in the background and the scent of sweet-smelling oils burning, owners can relax in an easy chair and watch Horsfall work with their dog.

During a typical session, she will let the dog swim a couple of laps after a toy, and then she'll massage the affected area to loosen it up. As the dog swims, she may pull gently on its tail to lengthen its spine. Or she may hold the dog in her arms so it can float on its back to reverse gravity on its spine. The water is kept at 92 degrees, and three jets can be adjusted to create currents for the dogs to swim against.

Some of the canine "clients" suffer from hip dysplasia, arthritis or other infirmities related to old age. For these dogs, said Horsfall, the nonweight-bearing exercise "builds muscle safely around the joints so they can carry themselves better when they get on the land. It helps them get by, keeps them strong mentally and physically."

She used similar techniques with her own ailing Ava. In the spa, she would throw rubber toys to the far end, and Ava would swim against the jets to retrieve them. Gradually, with additional help from acupuncture, Ava used her hind legs more and more. Today, she walks with a bit of a wobble - but if she sees a chipmunk scurry across the patio, she'll run after it.

As Ava improved, Horsfall began working with dogs owned by people who had heard about her spa or who were referred by veterinary surgeons.

Seattle resident Ann Pinsky started bringing her 15-year-old collie Aurelie to La Paw Spa because Aurelie was having difficulty using her right rear leg, and physical therapy seemed a better option than putting an old dog through surgery.

"I decided I was willing to try it once," Pinsky said. "When we went there, initially Aurelie was nervous. But Cindy has an ability to very quickly establish trust. Aurelie was able to relax enough to where she was enjoying it - being handled by someone else, being immersed in water when she doesn't like water, being massaged when she'd never been massaged before. Cindy even got her to swim, which I never would have believed in a million years."

Aurelie has had two water-therapy sessions so far, and Pinsky thinks her mobility is beginning to improve.

More often, the dogs Horsfall works with are recovering from surgery. Jake, for instance, an almost-14-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, had two surgeries at Washington State University to relieve pressure on spinal nerves.

"The people at WSU thought water therapy might help him, but it was winter, I didn't have a pool, and the lake was entirely too cold," said owner Lloy Drinkard of Seattle.

Drinkard started making inquiries and found Horsfall. Jake took to the spa quickly.

"It really, truly became this oasis in the week where I could be somewhere where Jake could be free to wander and be himself, and where he could get therapy that not only helped him physically but clearly lifted his spirits tremendously," Drinkard said.

Jake died nine months after surgery for an abdominal problem, but Drinkard said he still values the time they spent at La Paw Spa in the last months of Jake's life.

"Sometimes the dogs don't walk again, but there's healing on another level," Horsfall said. "There's emotional, spiritual healing for both dog and owner."

That's part of the goal, she said - to create a healing place not just for dogs but for their owners as well.

"Dogs pick up on our attitudes," she said. "When my Ava was paralyzed, at first I was horrified. Then I tried to focus on the fact she was still here and be happy and thankful for that. She changed immediately when I changed.

"I have a lot of clients who've given up hope, a lot of dogs who've given up hope," she said. "They come in here and I try to turn that around."

Horsfall developed the water-therapy spa after more than 30 years of working with animals, attending every seminar she could on animal therapy, including equine and canine massage and canine physical therapy. For 10 years, she ran a "bed-and-breakfast" for dogs.

While some veterinarians applaud her work and refer clients to her, others question whether she should be doing anything more than playing with the dogs in the water since she is not a licensed veterinarian.

Dr. Kathy Connel, an Olympia veterinarian and president-elect of the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association, said she has done some hydrotherapy with dogs post-surgery, but that it should never be done by anyone who is not a trained medical professional or working under the supervision of one, lest an injury actually be made worse.

Horsfall said she looks forward to the day when there are formal training programs and a system of licensing for canine massage or physical therapy. She became licensed in California as a massage therapist for people and is working on getting her license in Washington. For now, she said, that's the closest thing.

"Canine rehabilitation is brand new," Horsfall said. "There's lots of work being done with racehorses, because that's a big money sport and you have to get those animals back on the track, but there's been nothing for dogs.

"It's weird - dogs are man's best friend but they've sort of been left out."

Barbara Brachtl's phone message number is 425-453-2130. Her e-mail address is bjbrachtl@cs.com

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For therapy information

La Paw Spa, a water-therapy center for dogs, can be reached at 425-222-9663 or visit www.lapawspa.com. A one-hour spa session with owner Cindy Horsfall costs $65.