Level 6 Diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy with Hydrotherapy & Level 3 Certificate in Small Animal Hydrotherapy (RQF)

Provides background information about small animal hydrotherapy, covering the properties of water, types of equipment used in hydrotherapy facilities – including pools and aquatic treadmills – and the intended therapeutic outcomes of hydrotherapy for canine and feline patients.

Introduces the foundational subjects of anatomy and physiology essential for successful hydrotherapy sessions. Covers body systems, organ function, and physiological responses that underpin the therapeutic value of aquatic exercise for small animals.

Studies gait patterns and relevant anatomical terminology, covering posture, muscle contractions, and locomotion mechanics relevant to hydrotherapy treatment planning. Introduces normal and abnormal gait characteristics in small animals.

Explores the medical, orthopaedic, and neurological conditions commonly referred for hydrotherapy treatment. Learners develop an understanding of how specific diagnoses respond to aquatic therapy and how to adapt sessions to patient presentations.

Explores the benefits, forms, and techniques of small animal massage. Covers the physiological effects of massage on soft tissue, common injuries that respond to massage therapy, and how massage integrates with hydrotherapy treatment programmes.

Covers water testing protocols, chemical balance parameters, and how to interpret test results in a hydrotherapy centre. Learners develop the practical knowledge to maintain pool and treadmill water quality in compliance with health and safety standards.

Explores the practical application of hydrotherapy from initial patient assessment through preparation, active treatment, and aftercare. Covers patient handling, entry and exit protocols, and adapting techniques to patient size, condition, and temperament.

Covers the practical application of advanced aquatic treadmill techniques, including how to adjust water level, speed, and resistance to therapeutic goals. Learners develop the ability to review patient performance and modify sessions accordingly.

Focuses on the aquatic treadmill as a primary treatment modality, with learners developing skills to design, deliver, and evaluate treadmill sessions tailored to individual patient rehabilitation goals and clinical presentations.

Examines professional administration within an animal hydrotherapy centre, including CPD requirements, professional conduct standards, roles and responsibilities of all team members, accurate record keeping, and day-to-day operational management.

Studies the veterinary referral process and health-checking protocols for small animals. Examines the professional team involved in assessing patient suitability, including veterinary surgeons, physiotherapists, and hydrotherapists, and subsequent treatment planning.

Develops understanding of small animal behaviour in hydrotherapy contexts, including safe handling techniques and how to read body language signals in dogs and cats. Equips learners to recognise stress indicators and adapt their approach to minimise patient anxiety.

Examines the aims and principles of small animal first aid, the types of emergencies that may occur in a hydrotherapy centre, and the practical application of first aid techniques including CPR, wound management, and emergency response procedures.

Explores the tissue healing process – including the phases of inflammation, regeneration, and repair – factors that may affect healing, types of pain and pain assessment, and the timing of hydrotherapy treatment in relation to the healing continuum.

Focuses on conducting advanced hydrotherapy sessions using sophisticated pool and aquatic treadmill techniques. Learners refine their clinical decision-making around modality selection, session design, and outcome measurement for complex patient presentations.

Develops knowledge of how to establish and manage a hydrotherapy business, covering the importance of brand identity, marketing strategy, and financial management including how to manage business accounts and monitor commercial performance.

Examines the role of macro- and micronutrients for canines, how nutrients support bodily functions, the structure and function of the canine digestive system, and the nutritional benefits that a well-balanced canine diet provides for rehabilitation patients.

Explores orthopaedic and neurological conditions – including hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament injuries, intervertebral disc disease, and degenerative joint disease – that respond positively to hydrotherapy, and how to manage small animals presenting with these conditions.

Examines feline-specific behaviour patterns and the welfare considerations essential for cat hydrotherapy. Covers stress recognition, safe handling techniques for feline patients in aquatic environments, and adapting treatment protocols to feline needs.

Provides detailed examination of muscles, joints, and their roles within the skeletal system. Familiarises learners with the anatomical and clinical terminology used in veterinary referrals, enabling confident communication with veterinary surgeons and specialists.

Covers canine laser therapy – including Class IV laser equipment, wavelength types and their therapeutic importance, conditions in small animals that benefit from laser treatment, and the health and safety responsibilities of a qualified laser therapist.

Covers the structure and function of the canine musculoskeletal system in depth, examines common orthopaedic conditions encountered in physiotherapy practice, the range of equipment required for assessment and treatment, and the professional duties of an animal physiotherapist.

Studies the clinical reasoning underpinning land-based manual exercise therapy, the risks and contraindications of land-based techniques, and the principles guiding the integration and transfer of land-based to water-based rehabilitation approaches.

Develops advanced knowledge of maintaining hydrotherapy pools and treadmills to clinical standards, covering the potential risks and hazards of inadequate maintenance, chemical management protocols, and facility compliance obligations.

Develops a range of advanced practical skills in small animal hydrotherapy, including the design and evaluation of bespoke hydrotherapy and aquatic treadmill treatment plans tailored to individual patient diagnosis, stage of recovery, and rehabilitation goals.

Examines the duty of care required to operate a hydrotherapy centre responsibly, including the implications of infectious disease management, biosecurity protocols, accurate record-keeping obligations, and the health and safety responsibilities of centre managers.

Provides in-depth exploration of small animal massage therapy, its anatomical effects on soft tissue structures, the full range of massage techniques available to practitioners, and the evidence base supporting massage for specific conditions experienced by small animal patients.

Equips learners with advanced skills to reduce patient stress during hydrotherapy sessions, interpret subtle canine body language signals, and apply safe, low-stress handling techniques that protect both the animal and the treating therapist.

Covers systematic gait analysis methodology, distinguishing normal from abnormal gait patterns across canine patients, and applying clinical reasoning frameworks to attribute gait findings to specific patient problems and formulate evidence-based treatment priorities.

Develops palpation skills for pre-treatment patient assessment, techniques for evaluating response to massage, passive range-of-motion assessment, stretching protocols, and joint mobilisation approaches with a focus on safe application and evidence-based clinical reasoning.

Analyses the composition and calorific content of commercial and home-cooked diets, the effects of obesity on rehabilitation outcomes, methods for clinician-led weight management, nutritional requirements for hospitalised patients, and diet’s role in optimising canine athlete performance.

Examines common canine sports disciplines practised in the UK, the physiological demands and injury risks associated with each, conditioning principles that underpin pre-season and in-season training, and rehabilitation frameworks for returning sporting dogs to full function.

Develops the clinical reasoning required to identify appropriate candidates for electrophysical agents, covering thermal therapies, therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and pulsed magnetic therapies – alongside safe application protocols, contraindications, and precautions.

Develops business skills for physiotherapy practice growth, covering digital platforms and social media strategy, VAT registration for small businesses, profit optimisation methods, expansion planning, and strategies for maintaining business resilience during periods of adversity.

Equips learners to deliver excellent client-facing service in physiotherapy practice – creating the right clinical environment for patients and owners, applying professional communication skills, and maintaining composure and professionalism when managing complaints.

Covers systematic assessment of canine athlete patients, formulation of treatment goals, evidence-based clinical reasoning to create treatment plans, evaluation of the sporting dog’s response to intervention, return-to-function preparation, and re-injury prevention strategies.

Examines the effects of musculoskeletal injury at cellular, tissue, and gross levels, the physiological tissue response through inflammation, regeneration, and repair phases, and how specific physiotherapy techniques can be applied to facilitate recovery from defined conditions.

Explores the importance of continuing professional development and lifelong learning for animal rehabilitation practitioners, the positive impact of ongoing education on individual practice quality, and the wider contribution of CPD to the evidence base and professional standing of the animal rehabilitation industry.

Studies the biomechanical principles governing musculoskeletal function, locomotion kinematics and kinetics, and the application of kinesiology to the design of rehabilitation programmes and conditioning strategies for small animal patients.

Examines the multidisciplinary teamwork (MDT) approach in veterinary care and sports medicine, how collaboration between veterinary surgeons, physiotherapists, hydrotherapists, and nutritionists benefits patients and clients, and how the MDT model from human healthcare is being adapted for the veterinary sector.

Investigates the evidence base for strength and conditioning exercises in animal rehabilitation, the range of exercises applicable to small animal patients, starting-point assessment, patient progression frameworks, and the contraindications and precautions associated with strength and conditioning programmes.

Provides an in-depth study of the physical principles behind electrical rehabilitation therapies: thermal therapies, therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation (including NMES and TENS), pulsed magnetic field therapy, and shockwave therapy – alongside patient benefit profiles and clinical indications for each.

Examines the musculoskeletal system at cellular and gross levels and how different body systems – including the respiratory, cardiovascular, haematological, and biochemical systems – respond to strength training and conditioning, equipping learners to design physiologically informed exercise programmes.

Explores how ageing affects cells, organs, the musculoskeletal system, and other body systems in small animals, the role of diet and exercise in modulating the ageing process, and how to assess, clinically reason, and adapt treatment programmes for geriatric patients with neurological and orthopaedic conditions.

Equips learners to evaluate and select appropriate research methodologies based on clinical research questions, distinguish between qualitative and quantitative approaches, and apply evidence-based methodology to their day-to-day practice and the Level 6 research project requirement.

Covers welfare assessment frameworks for dogs, cats, and rabbits in hydrotherapy and physiotherapy settings, tools for monitoring health and care needs over time, and the impact of stress and pain-related behaviour changes on animal welfare and treatment efficacy.

Studies tissue changes following immobilisation after injury, appropriate remobilisation timelines and strategies during rehabilitation, and the specific tissue responses to strength training and endurance conditioning – providing the physiological grounding for progressive rehabilitation programme design.

Covers the anatomical structures of the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems, the anatomical structure of the cell and its component functions, the causes of cellular damage, and how different types of injury affect cell viability and tissue integrity. Includes guidance on home environment preparation and exercise prescription in relation to healing stage.

Examines the principles and goals of rehabilitation exercise prescription, how differences in patient morphology impact rehabilitation planning for small animals, and the range of rehabilitation settings – from clinic to home – in which physiotherapy and hydrotherapy interventions may take place.

Provides a detailed exploration of physiotherapy techniques used in veterinary rehabilitation sessions, covering how to select, use, and maintain treatment equipment, and how to apply techniques to enhance a patient’s strength, range of motion, and balance throughout their rehabilitation journey.

Examines the behavioural implications of pain in canine and feline patients, how patient behaviour changes in response to fear and discomfort, approaches to managing aggressive patients safely, and behavioural modification and training techniques to create positive therapeutic experiences. Includes neurological examination techniques and spinal reflex assessment to evaluate neurological function. Encompasses the 800+ supervised clinical placement hours required for Level 6 completion.

Provides the opportunity to explore the common injury presentations for which patients are referred to rehabilitation, the process of creating patient-centred treatment goals, and the design and evaluation of integrated hydrotherapy and physiotherapy treatment plans that reflect best clinical practice.

Examines the professional practice framework for veterinary physiotherapy and small animal hydrotherapy, covering effective communication standards, professional codes of conduct, the ethics and legislation surrounding professional rehabilitation practice, and the professional membership options available to qualified physiotherapists.

Through a supervised research project, learners develop the skills to formulate a clinical research question, conduct structured investigation using appropriate methodology, analyse findings, and present conclusions in a format consistent with professional veterinary rehabilitation scholarship.

Focuses on implementing competent, compassionate, and safe animal handling in clinical physiotherapy settings, including health and safety precautions required to deliver a safeguarded service, professional behaviour requirements for veterinary physiotherapists, and how to maintain accurate, legally compliant professional records.

Covers skeletal development in juvenile small animal patients, growth plate physiology and the particular vulnerabilities of growing animals to specific injuries, and how physiotherapy and rehabilitation approaches must be adapted to account for the developmental stage of juvenile canine and feline patients.