WaterWorkz Paw Spa

I haven’t been to WaterWorkz yet… YET…but I wanted to post this review of Dr. Shulamit Krakauer, The Roving Vet, who has an office in the WaterWorkz complex. Dr. Krakauer has been caring for my dog Bucko for about 7 years. Dr. Shuli came highly recommended, and I can’t be happier that I decided to trust Bucko’s care and treatment to her. We’ve been through a scratched cornea (healed with naturopathy and homeopathy, with no need for nasty surgery), and assorted other little ailments, bumps and bruises as well as regular check-​ups. Dr. Shuli’s way of working is such a refreshing change from what I was used to and she truly does treat her pet patients holistically, and with great compassion. I’m always so incredibly grateful after she pulls Bucko through yet another little incident, and I’m back to having a great little dog with a swagger in his step and a gleam in his eye.
I’m so grateful for your services, Dr. Krakauer. You’re such a wonderful healer. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

There are a lot of pet services in this city, but a few rise above the rest. Waterworkz offers a valuable resource but most importantly — they really, really care about their clients. They work with a variety of breeds, sizes, species and temperaments and are extremely good at adapting their style to the animal they are with. I have brought my own dogs for water therapy, as well as several dogs through the rescue I work with and the business I run, and I’ve worked mainly with Erika. She’s a terrific handler who has an amazing knack for reading and connecting with a dog: whether she is swimming a creaky senior, a shy and fearful rescue, or a dog that says «HELL NO» to water, she finds a way to work with them and speak their language. They really value their relationships with dogs and clients and the therapist will work with you to make sure your goals are met.
Tanya makes so many contributions to the local rescue community, which such a gift for mobility-​impaired dogs or understimulated shelter dogs. Only one client can swim at a time, so each donated swim is a hard cost for the facility, but they keep on giving. I am so glad to have them nearby!

When I first started bringing my dog to see Tanya and Dr. Pollen 2 years ago, I was pretty sure my old husky cross was not going to be around for long as her pain and arthritis made it hard for her to enjoy life. She is about to turn 15 years old in a couple months and bounces and plays like a much younger dog. Most people can’t believe how old she is when they meet her.
I am deeply grateful to Tanya and Dr. Pollen and all the wonderful therapists at Waterworks for giving me so much more quality time w my girl and making her golden years so much more active and comfortable.

Had our first swim with Tanya at WaterWorkz yesterday. It went great! Tanya was fantastic with my 13yr old, (not so great with strangers) dog, Bailey. Karen was great too making sure Bailey was taken care of while we settled up at the end.
Nice, clean space, 100% focused attention, and Bailey was treated like royalty. We can hardly wait for our next session. Highly recommended!

Went to WaterWorkz spa when my border collie had a sore shoulder. Tanya is fantastic! You can tell she really loves what she does! Two months of swimming and she was as good as new — so much so that she won Nationals! I can’t thank you enough!!!

Our 2 year old Boston Terrier went through knee surgery in June and we immediately started researching hydrotherapy spots. As a two year old, our pup is nothing if not high energy, and the therapy was half for rehab and half for energy release. Thankfully, Craig over at Zoomies had a great tip (I love Zoomies!
) and pointed us to Waterworkz. It foot the bill in terms of value and proximity, and more importantly, rather than being in a little tank, walking on a treadmill, she was actually swimming, playing fetch, and burning off some energy while making her little legs strong.
It should be stated that when she started, she wasn’t a fan of swimming. She’d had a few sessions at Run Free Canine some time ago and didn’t much care for the activity. We have a cabin on a lake though, so learning was very important to us.
Tanya clearly has a great deal of love for the animals she treats, and does her very best to ensure that the sessions work with your time and schedule.
Two things are incredibly important to my husband and I:
1. Value for our dollar — even though we have pet insurance, it’s important to us that what we pay for, we get.
2. Cleanliness — we didn’t want her smelling like wet dog — and we didn’t want to smell like wet dog.
Both of these factors were met and then some. We even started doing a parent swim where we got into the pool with our pup — something we’d never have done at Run Free — because the pool was so well maintained and clean. I never felt like I was actually in a «dog pool.» By the fifth session, she was jumping in after her ball and wanted nothing more than to get into the pool. awesome, and a great success.
We’ve put a Youtube video up of her on day one and one of day five if you want to see the difference. (We recommend you have speakers on!)
Day 1
Day 5

Our dog Rusty has been going to WaterWorkz since Tanya opened. Rusty turned 15 last week, and I must say that the quality of his life has been greatly enhanced through regular visits to the spa — his joint pain/​problem is really reduced, and he can now hop onto the bed for snuggles when he wants. It is great to see the puppy sparkle in his eyes whenever we visit the spa, and we really appreciate the care and friendliness that we always get with Tanya and the wonderful staff and practitioners who work there. They really care about the well-​being of Rusty!

Our 12 year old Boston Terrier dislocated his left rear leg in a roughhousing incident. He had considerable residual pain and was really in need of rehab/​therapy to recover. We found WaterWorkz & decided to give hydrotherapy a go. From the moment we arrived we could tell this is a special place. They are dedicated, compassionate, professional & truly caring. The results of the treatments have been nothing short of amazing. Our dog 100% recovered. In fact, he’s stronger and fitter than he’s been in a few years. He (& to be honest, I) look forward to our weekly swim sessions. Counterintuitively, he comes out of the sessions full of energy, despite all the exertion.
I highly recommend this business.

I took 2 of my border collies to Waterworkz for some winter exercise. They’ve done therapeutic swims before, but this is the first time I got to go in the water with them! Tanya and Jolena reviewed the rules with the collies (no in/​out privileges, you have to stop and rest every now and again) and then they were off! They swam hard for 35 minutes, and even then it was hard to convince them to leave the pool.
My dogs are active sport dogs. Both compete in herding, and Rex also competes in agility. I like the idea of swimming them in the winter, when their exercise options are more limited. The no-​impact benefits of swimming, especially in warm water, are well-​documented. That you can join the dogs in the water fun is just a bonus.
There’s tons of parking right outside the facility, and the dogs truly have the run of the place. After their swim, my border collies slept very soundly. Can’t wait to go back for our next swim!

It might sound strange, «I take my dog to an indoor swimming pool». The fact is WaterWorkz Paw Spa is all about rehabilitation. The spa is sorta secondary although looks relaxing.
So here’s the deal, our puppy injured his front right leg running up our back stairs. The injury was not worthy of rushing him to emergency, but it was clear he sprained or twisted something. So, we did what we would do as humans in that situation by limiting his activities. This seemed to work and with in 2 weeks he was back to normal. A couple days later he starts limping on the same leg due to excessive running and falling at the park. Back to rest he goes… it heals and It happens again!!! WTF!
At this point we’re thinking about taking him to the vet. I know what they’ll say and do, we’d need xrays and the cost will be upwards of $ 500. We have pet insurance so it’s not a problem, but more principal. I have an issue with someone telling me something I already know and having my wallet rapped while doing so.
We found WaterWorkz after searching online for indoor pools for pets. We came to the conclusion that his right leg was weaker then his left due to his injury and his muscles were out of wack. With some swimming, limited exercising we seemed to fix his issue and both legs are equally strong now after a couple months of swimming at Waterworks Paw Spa.
If your pet is young, old, injured or just loves the water, give WaterWorkz a try. They offer free swim, swim class, rehabilitation and some holistic vet services.

At first you might think, a spa for your dog? I don’t even go to the spa for myself so the idea of a dog spa to me seems preposterous.
When we originally came here it was not for their spa service. They have a full holistic veterinary service that came recommended by my (and Casey’s) favourite dog daycare Canine Corner. This is when we discovered their 20′ x 9′ pool.
Ok I admit, I’m interested now. You see Casey is the kind of dog that is not a natural swimmer, it would be really nice to play fetch with him in water. Right away I booked an appointment to go for a swim
So for the first session we start by letting Casey run around the establishment, getting used to the place. A lot of sniffing, rolling and tail wagging.
We then move to the pool area and the instructor does her magic and slowly introduces Casey to the water as he is a little timid to go in. After 15 minutes of work Casey is now swimming all around the pool going after different toys. After lots of swimming Casey was towel dried then went to mad little sprints around the pool — that’s one happy dog.
For our next session I will be jumping in the pool with Casey as you can have a private swim with your pet in a comfortable safe environment. I don’t have to worry about him running way, and I don’t have to freeze my a** off in a cold lake.
So if you are looking for something different to do with your dog I highly recommend this, especially if you are interested in introducing your dog in to water. The people there have a passion for dogs and it shows, you will be left with one very tired, happy hound when you come home.