Animal Therapy Center « Lehigh Valley, PA

Kelsey- Senior Conditioning

Kelsey was simply the star of the Animal Therapy Center. No other dog demonstrated the benefits of hydrotherapy and therapeutic exercise quite like Kelsey did. Her cheerful Golden Retriever personality made everyone know it too. When Kelsey walked into the pool area with a big smile on her face and her tail swishing, it was time for fun.

Kelsey first came to the Animal Therapy Center as a somewhat overweight, arthritic 11 year-old, who was having trouble getting up from the floor and climbing the stairs. She had never been in water before,  but since she was a Golden Retriever we were hopeful she would tolerate hydrotherapy. We needn’t have worried; after she overcame her initial apprehension, it was hard to keep her out of the pool.

Kelsey came to the ATC every week for a year, and she mostly swam. She had two favorite pool toys and we could not tempt her to play with any others. Kelsey surpassed her owner’s goals for her; she lost weight, regained mobility and even began to frolic as in her younger days.

Sadly, Kelsey is no longer with us. At age 12 ½ she had a sudden onset of neurologic signs. Her mental status deteriorated rapidly, she stopped eating and her owner elected to euthanize her.  However, she lived a long happy life and will be fondly remembered as the star of the ATC.