Moses has lost weight after undergoing innovative hydrotherapy treatment at Avonvale Veterinary Centres in Wellesbourne.
Moses Walks In Water As Avonvale Makes A Splash With Feline Hydrotherapy Patient
3 months ago 
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An overweight cat is feline fine again after shedding weight thanks to successful hydrotherapy treatment at a popular Warwickshire veterinary practice.
Nine-year-old Moses has undergone hydrotherapy at Linnaeus-owned Avonvale Veterinary Centres in Wellesbourne, bucking the well-known trend of cats disliking water.
However, it wasn’t always plain sailing for Moses and Avonvale’s expert team, with the vets saying they had a sinking feeling when he was an extremely reluctant patient to begin with.
Avonvale’s veterinary hydrotherapist Olivia Stokes said patience and perseverance paid off with Moses, who is now slimming down nicely thanks to the innovative treatment.
Olivia explained: “When he first came to us, Moses was nearly 10Kg in weight. His owner said he had been on diets and been encouraged to exercise before but had still not able to lose weight.
“So, we decided to try a different approach with hydrotherapy. It’s a very unusual approach in caring for cats.
“I have been in the industry for five years and a qualified hydrotherapist for almost two years and I have never experienced hydro with a cat before, so Moses was a first for me.
“That is because cats don't usually like water and, sure enough, on his first taster session Moses was not impressed at all. He needed a lot of encouragement as he resisted the treatment.
“At the start, I tried gradually increasing the water level for him, like we would for a dog, but this wasn’t well tolerated.
“I also tried all sorts of cat treats but he wasn't interested in them for long either. So, then I ran the treadmill dry with no water to just get him used to walking. I then added water and found lowering him into the treadmill worked best.
“Fast forward down the line and Moses now sits in the tank as I increase the water level, then knows exactly what to do.
“Once he has been walking for 13 minutes, I then lift him up, raise the water level further, and swim him for a couple of minutes to give him a full body workout.”
Olivia’s care and attention are now paying dividends and Moses is starting to shape up. He’s shedding weight, toning his muscles and is far more active and livelier at home.
Olivia is delighted, adding: “When Moses was at his heaviest, he was 9.7kg. At his last weigh-in, he was 9.1kg.
“That’s a loss in body weight of almost four per cent in about six weeks, which is perfect as we don't want to lose the weight too quickly.
“The important thing is that his body shape is clearly changing as he loses the fat and builds back muscle. He is also a lot more active at home and generally feeling much better in himself.
“I am very proud of Moses’ progression; he’s even walking with the incline on the treadmill now.
“I am so pleased to have been able to help him. He has helped me too. I’ve learned valuable experience in how it will be possible to run future sessions with cats here – so I feel proud of both myself and him!”
Moses’ owner Jenna Joshi, who is clinical nursing manager at Avonvale, is thrilled with her pet’s progress after all previous efforts to help him shed weight had failed.
Jenna, from Banbury, admitted: “Moses has always been a big cat but had gained a lot of weight over the last three years.
“I’d been keeping him on a strict diet but this didn’t help at all. He just was not interested in going outside, exercising or playing with toys.
“I asked my colleagues at Avonvale whether we could try hydrotherapy to help with his mobility and, hopefully, help him lose some weight.
“I could see a difference almost straightaway. After his first hydro session he came through the cat flap, which he hadn’t done in a long time.
“We are still having regular weight checks, still doing hydrotherapy and making good progress.
“It was difficult at first but now he doesn’t complain and knows exactly what he needs to do when he goes for his sessions.”
For more information on Avonvale Veterinary Centres, visit www.avonvets.co.uk or search for Avonvale Vet Centres on Facebook.
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