Lucy, a 10-year-old golden retriever, demonstrates how to use the new underwater treadmill at UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine. Installed last fall, the treadmill is used to rehabilitate dogs that have been treated at the teaching hospital.
UGA’s new Westcoast Walker Water Treadmill was donated to the College of Veterinary Medicine last fall by the student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (SCAVMA). Purchased with proceeds from the sale of Hill’s pet foods and costing nearly $40,000, the treadmill is used to rehabilitate dogs that have undergone treatment at the teaching hospital and require low-impact exercise with increased resistance provided by being underwater. The treadmill is located in the former hydrotherapy and bathing suite in the hospital; renovations to the room cost about $8,000. The teaching hospital is self-supporting, and the necessary renovations were paid for out of the hospital’s operating budget. SCAVMA has a membership of more than 300 students. The Hill’s college pet food sales program has been managed by SCAVMA for more than five years; it provides funds used to buy equipment for the hospital and to send students to professional meetings and symposia.
Photo by Dot Paul
