Two former veterinary assistants joined forces recently to provide a unique service in Kitsap: warm-water swim therapy for dogs. Business partners Janice Hill and Kendra VanNorman opened their business, SwimSpaw (www.swimspaw.com), in February to serve both injured or geriatric dogs as well as agility dogs.

The women converted two horse stalls on a Poulsbo farm and built a pool. They said they saw a need for warm-water and massage therapy when they worked for the same vet for several years. “We saw a lot of dogs come in that were injured… Our own dogs could have used this if it were available,” Hill said.

SwimSpaw is not a physical therapy clinic. Instead, the swim sessions include water exercises and massage to help dogs recovering from surgeries, geriatric dogs with ailments such as arthritis, and performance dogs in need of cross-training.

The warm water helps stimulate circulation as well as relaxes the muscles, which contributes to healing, Hill said. Water also creates resistance, which helps with muscle improvement, and buoyancy, which reduces the pressure on the joints.

Swim therapy started with horses several years ago, VanNorman said, and the techniques have since been successfully adopted for dogs. She said while they’re only serving dogs currently, they “wouldn’t be adverse to other (small) species.”

Hill and VanNorman are both certified in small animal massage, and together have more than a dozen years of experience as vet assistants. They recently hired a third person to help.

Their next goal is to add an underwater treadmill, but it likely will not happen for about a year. Hill said they’re reinvesting all the money into the business, and they paid cash for everything to get started.

Hill said the most satisfying part about the new business is watching the difference the sessions make in the dogs. “It’s great to see the dogs use the legs they couldn’t before, or geriatric dogs enjoy activities with the owners where they laid down before,” she said.