Outdoor Canine Hydrotherapy Pool
Yes it was windy and wet yesterday but Lady M and I had a great time in the 30c water together. She is very partial to a squeaky rubber chicken and even played with the new Ruff Dawg Fish that I definitely had to have for the pool. Walks and Stays does offer a great service for busy mums and dads especially on wet and windy days like today!
I've tidied up our website a bit an added a video of some of the pictures Aaron has take over the past two years. Check it out below or on our https://maxiemim.nz/pawprints
I just had to go and see what all the fuss was about. I'm amazed that so many dogs were off lead and all over the place yet there were no scuffles. Despite all the tennis balls sinking to the bottom of the pool I think there will be a few tired pups out there. All for my favorite doggy charity Second Chance Tasman (it's how we ended up with or Tazman!)
Our first Rottweiler and she is a honey 🥰. A Learn2Swim session that was a success from the entry to the exit. Remember, we only met each other 5 minutes before I put a life jacket over head, subject her to a shower and then lead her to this big pool of water she's never seen before and expected her to walk down two steps then swim. Well that is "the plan". Miss M was our first dog to follow that plan to the letter. No need to be tempted by food or lifted like a suitcase onto the table. I think I'm still in shock at how perfect she did. How comfortable and safe she must have felt with Walks&Stays and us 🩵💦🐾
I'm a sucker for a big squishy dog at the best of times but getting to teach this scrumptious lad to swim made my Friday! He did so well and not once tried to climb up me to get out! Such a gentleman💦🥰🐾
Look who Walks and Stays brought to play with us on Wednesday! Lady L was such a delight. 1st Vizla in the hydrotherapy pool! 🥰
I have some toys that have been in my stock draw for far too long so I'm offering them at cost. Hopefully this means you get a bargain. Costs on each item include GST. Shipping can be arranged at your cost. Get in touch via DM if your interested! First in first served.
This is not a job, this is therapy for all involved. Miss M is the first to try our new Walks and Stays Splash N Dash package. So fitting that she be a wee honey of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. (Our first ever MaxieMim Performance client Willow is a Stafford too).
It took Miss M no time at all to learn her new words (table, step, swim). Once she knew she could get in and out by herself there was no stopping her. She is 100% water savvy, 140% ball obsessed, and 200% rocket powered. Safe to say I think she liked the experience.
More details on the new packages with Walks and Stays. Limited appointments each week so be quick to secure your dogs spot! 🩵🐾💧
Welcome to MaxieMim Performance
Thanks to those that commented on this post. The new relationship with Walks and Stays has come from some of the conversations that came from this.
We are always looking for ways to make our services accessible to more people. At the end of the day our pool is an expensive piece of equipment that takes effort to keep safe and clean for humans and dogs.
The ask for multiple dogs at a time can not be considered sorry due to the strict nature of the resource consent imposed by the council to ensure operating a dog business in a residential area doesn't negatively impact our neighbours and our beautiful environment.
There is still a lot we can offer so if any of our services don't tick your box, flick me an email with your needs and we'll see what we can do for you doggy!
MaxieMim Performance is incredibly excited to be partnering with Walks and Stays to be able to offer their canine customers the opportunity to combine a fun filled swim in our beautiful hydrotherapy pool after their adventure walk. Not a swimmer, that's OK. There's something there for you too! Of course I'm absolutely loving the rehab offer we have come up. If you are struggling to find the time to juggle appointments or just unable to manage due to their own health issues. This is for you!
Crikey, it's been a hot few days hasn't it! Having the pool has been a blessing for us and the dogs. I have been seeing a number of people in local dog groups wanting to find safe places to take their dogs for a swim. The presents of cyanobacteria/toxic algae in our water ways can make it feel like Russian Roulette every time we take our dogs for a quick dip.
This got me thinking. Could we make our pool available to people wanting to simply and safely take their dog for a swim? Is it big enough? What would be a fair price? When should we offer it? Would people come?
So, I ask you -
1: What would you pay for such an opportunity?
2: When would you most likely want to use it?
3: How long would you want your session to be?
4: Would a 5mtr x 2.5mtr pool that is 1.4mtrs deep be enough?
Add your comments below and lets see if we can make something work for our Nelson and Tasman pups! 🐾🐾
Ever wondered what a Swim Fit session is all about? Let checkout Willow giving us a demo of her routine during her last session.
‼️You can now book these Swim Fit sessions online from our Website! No written referrals required‼️
Thank you Alita for the video work!
While we've been locked away with the dreaded covid (yes, it finally got us!) over the last week, Aaron has been replacing the non-skid matting on the steps of the pool and I've been able to connect an online booking app to the website for those wanting a quick and convent way to make a bookings.
Now you can go to the page https://maxiemim.nz/bookings, choose Hydro Fit or Hydro Therapy, click the Book Button you like. A Koalendar page will open and you can see what sessions we have available over the next 14 days. Pick the time that suits you, add your name or your dogs names along with your email address, then your done. I will then contact you and confirm your appointment.
Why not try it out and let your dog join us in the crystal clean mineral enriched warm water with an amazing view!
Please consider doing this for you and me. It isn't hard to do, it won't take long and it could save my life because I would never ever evacuate and leave my animals behind... Ever!
💙🐾 Thank you, Aaron, Miriam, Maxie and Taz 🐾💙
Please may I ask for 15 minutes of your time to help save your pets, your families pets, your friends pets, my pets.
Please look at this website: https://www.animalevac.nz/embill/
Then go over to https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/54SCGOA_SCF_0D1391E5-198F-44B9-8670-08DB66E3A6BF/emergency-management-bill
Select Create Submission
Select that you are submitting As An Individual, and No to Oral Submission.
Fill in your details
Then under "Submission on Emergency Management Bill, I/We wish to make the following comments"
You can write your comments there or simply copy and paste "I/we support the recommendations made by Animal Evac New Zealand as outlined in their www.NoAnimalLeftBehind.nz campaign"
You do not need to make any recommendations unless you have some.
Then Confirm your submission details.
Thank you from Aaron and Miriam for supporting our pets being rescued with us should we be faced with an emergency. It will save our lives as we would never leave them behind.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ― Mahatma Gandhi Quick Action Go to the Emergency Management Bill website, make a written submis…
Congratulations to Town & Country Vet clients Maizey and Vinnie! What a way to start Summer! We can't wait to take you for a swim in our Hydrotherapy Pool!🐾
Offering personalized Canine Hydrotherapy and Swimming Pet Services at MaxieMim Performance. Our team is professional, caring, committed and knowledgeable. Our Outdoor Hydrotherapy Pool is designed with the safety, health and wellbeing of your dog in mind.
Good Golly Miss Molly!
The name His Lordship the Duke of Hope is fitting for this regal old man.
Jet is a dragon hunter!
Chester is a big yummy gooey bear.
🍂Autumn Update🍂
It's been a beautiful summer and I've enjoyed swimming with your doggies. Now we are heading into cooler weather I've updated our open hours for Autumn as the morning temperature of the pool begin to drop. You can see them on our website on the Contact Us page.
We've also been talking with other dog hydrotherapy providers and several local pet owners to see how we can better cater for the needs of our local canine family members. As a result we've updated our T's & C's which allows us to simplify our services and reduce our costs. We still provide the same level of commitment, exceptional care and attention to detail as before but removed some of the barriers that we know have been deterring people. You can review the new T's & C's on our website under Important Bits.
Have a look at our new swimming for health and fitness options on our website Services page.
We look forward to swimming with your 🐾🐾best friends soon!
www.maxiemim.nz
MaxieMim Performance
We know not every dog likes to swim. We take our time to work with your dog, at their sp*ed and with what works for them. To get the most out of the hydrotherapy environment it is important that your dog feels safe with both the therapist and in the pool.
Remember Willows, not so little brother, Chester? A beautiful young stafford who didn't know how to swim, didn't want to swim, and sunk like a stone when ever he found himself in the unfortunate position of being in water deeper than his knees.
Fast forward to today and the big guy no longer needs the confidence a life jacket provides, he races to the pool, gets in by himself and swims a fish! And the best bit, loves it!
You'd be surprised how many sessions this actually took to help this young dog to not only swim but have a great time doing it!
How good do we feel? We feel very proud indeed 🥰💙🐾🐾
I'd like to introduce our newest and most distinguished client, Duke. Now 14, Dukes mind and spirit (and hunger) are still sharp and full of sparkle. However his back legs are showing their age and the effects of a life living with hip dysplasia. His swim style is as elegant and gentle as he is. It has been so rewarding being part of his family's plan to make sure his body keeps up with his passion for life (and food!!).
Wow today is a typical spring day in Nelson. Beautiful sunshine 🌞and absolutely freezing 🥶.
As the days are getting longer we can finaly extend our hours a little. We are also adding Tuesdays and Thursdays.
So give us an email, text or phone to book your doggy 🐾🐾 family member in for a hydrotherapy pool session with Miriam!
Tuesday - Friday 12:30pm to 5:00pm
Most Saturdays 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Happy International Dog day! I hope all your doggy friends had the best day. I know three that did!
I simply could not be happier!! 😁 Today Maxie's circle of trust grew a little bigger. What Bonnie is doing with Vet Nurse on Wheels is exactly what we needed and I know so many more will embrace her services to compliment their dogs multidisciplinary team. Bonnie came and met Taz first a few weeks back so he can learn to have his nails trimmed with Bonnie, as he is terrified of Vet practices. The session went so well that Bonnie agreed to meet our golden girl. What I love about Bonnie is that she is able to be flexible with her session an take the time to go at the dogs pace. After a perfect greeting today the girls snuggled on the couch within a few minutes while Taz showed off his skills touching the nail grinder. Like MaxieMim Performance, Vet Nurse on Wheels is unique, flexible and customizable. Totally recommend 🐾🐾🐾🐾
We have had a fantastic week in the Hydrotherapy Pool with Willow D, Max J and Jet B but Sunday the pool is for us. It's also Tazzies 2nd Gotcha Day today so how could we not play with the water baby and budding camera man in the pool on such a beautiful sunny winter day! 🌞
We hope you all had a relaxing funday Sunday with your furry family too 🐾🐾💙
Sometimes we find ourselves in a place were heart trumps head when it comes to a dog and thier people. Jet is that dog for me and the Bovey family are his people. I've known Carolyn Bovey since I was 12. Jet came into her life when her brother adopted Jet, a tripaw Labrador Staffy mix, from The Ark here in Nelson some years back. After Carolyn's brother passed away, Jet moved in with her mum, and became a very special boy, a piece of her sons memory she could still hold. Jet adores his family and his people. He is well trained and obedient. However loosing his leg at a young age meant he missed out on important social development. So Jets world, like Maxie, is limited to his circle of trust.
I've been working with Carolyn and Jet for a few months and at the end of July, Jet and Carolyn got into the pool!
Following my instruction and under my watchful eye, Carolyn is my hands. She prepares Jet for his session, washes him, leads him to the pool and encourages him to enter exactly as I do my own dogs. Like Maxie, Jets motivation is a little stuffed toy dragon. Carolyn sets him up and away they go. The grin on both dog and his human sends a tear down my cheek. We did it! It's not normal, it's unique and it's incredibly special. Together we are enriching Jets life and safely improving his health. We've also improved Carolyn's wellbeing which is evident by the smiles on her face. Her care for Jet knows no bounds and her brother would be very proud of her for looking after his boy like this. I admit it's also cool to know another person crazy enough to put on a wetsuit and get into an outdoor pool for a dog in the middle of winter!
Who knew those two young girls that meet at Nelson Intermediate all those years ago would be doing this together 36 years later!
🐾🐾💙
Curious to see the underwater footage of how our tripaw Jet swims? Check out https://youtu.be/OtPJLpV_Dws It's awesome!
How could we not want to help this sweet Milky (Maltese/Silky) boy called Max!
Max’s owner Angela contacted me mid-month to find out if we could support his recovery from Polyradiculoneuritis (now that’s a big word!). This condition is also referred to as Coonhound Paralysis as it was introduced into dogs through the saliva of a racoon bite. This is a very rear condition, even more so here in NZ as we don’t have racoons. However, there are other ways that this condition makes its way into our canine (and feline) friends and one of those is how my new friend Max was exposed. This is a nasty condition, and it can be traumatic for your dog and owner. It can also be a challenge to diagnose as the onsite can happen several days after infection. The good thing is that this is what they call and acute condition. That means Max should make a full recovery.
I got in contact with Town & Country Vet to get the needed referral for Max to come and work with me in the hydrotherapy pool. Max has come a long way in since the onset of his condition 12 weeks ago. He has gone from having significant paralysis, not being able to move or lift parts of his body, to walking unaided but with a definite wobble. For this distinguished 12-year-old gentleman ( who btw is not fussed on water or swimming) we are going to focus on his balance, movement and gently building up some muscle tone. Max is a sweet, bright, cuddly, and relaxed little guy. I was so pleased during his initial assessment that he was able to c**k his leg and p*e on one of our poles (I know, I’m strange) as that showed me that he can already balance nicely on one hind leg again. I can't wait to see Max again today and see how he goes.
Here are some pictures of our first time in the hydrotherapy pool together last Saturday. Isn't he just gorgeous!
16 Elderberry Lane
Nelson
7011
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when MaxieMim Performance posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to MaxieMim Performance:
I've tidied up our website a bit an added a video of some of the pictures Aaron has take over the past two years. Check it out below or on our https://maxiemim.nz/pawprints
Ever wondered what a Swim Fit session is all about? Let checkout Willow giving us a demo of her routine during her last session. ‼️You can now book these Swim Fit sessions online from our Website! No written referrals required‼️ Thank you Alita for the video work!
We have had a fantastic week in the Hydrotherapy Pool with Willow D, Max J and Jet B but Sunday the pool is for us. It's also Tazzies 2nd Gotcha Day today so how could we not play with the water baby and budding camera man in the pool on such a beautiful sunny winter day! 🌞 We hope you all had a relaxing funday Sunday with your furry family too 🐾🐾💙
Willow is a bit of a shy gal. She loved swimming but wasn't sure how this pool thing worked nor what to think of this strange lady in a wetsuit. Now she tells me to hurry up with the shower cause it's time to swim! Her confidence has improved as has her stamina. We have also been able to throttle back her drive by finding an exciting toy but not one that sent her heart rate through the roof just seeing it. I just love this little blue rocket. 💙
Staffordshire Bull Terriers aren't the best design for swimming with small snouts, short legs, big chests but little Willow doesn't know that. She loves her hydrotherapy pool time. I've very grateful that her mum has let me keep up my training with her beautiful blue girl over the last couple of months. Thank you Aaron for getting this footage today and making this wee video to share.
Maxie (Miss Max) is a bullmastiff staffy cross we adopted in 2015 when she was 5 mths old.
Maxie would be the 3 dog we had adopted as adults and quickly became our 3.5 yo dog Gus’ constant companion, much to his initial disgust.
Maxie loves to run and swim. When I say run, I mean sprint. Wakapuaka in Atawhai, Nelson was paradise for Maxie. She could get up to breakneck sp*ed in no time. Charging at Gus and shoulder barging him or doing a quick body check as she flew on past.
We had been training both Gus and Maxie as sniffer dogs (clove bud oil) and Aaron was keen for them to be retrievers for ducks when he went hunting each year. Gus wasn’t the swimmer but Maxie with her abilities was perfect till one fateful day in August 2019.
We had arrived at Wakapuaka to give our kids a much needed run after work on a Friday. There were ducks sitting on the flats enjoying the puddles and Maxie had spied them. She took off like a bullet toward a duck who soon spotted this 40kg rocket hurtling towards it. Maxie slowed to a trot, massive grin on her face and circled back to us but on three legs. She had snapped her cruciate ligament in her right knee good and proper. Maxie had MMP (modified maquet procedure) performed on her knew a few days later.
Trying to crate rest Maxie for a minimum of 3 weeks was hard especially when we suddenly lost her brother Gus 11 days after her surgery. For Aaron and I it felt like life couldn’t get much worse. Our animals are our children. We were broken.
As time past Maxies leg began to heal as did Aaron and I. Maxie was getting stronger and able to run (not sprint) off lead again. We swam her as much as we could at a local river. She loved it. Then without thinking we threw a frisbee into the river for her to play with. She exited the water, ran across the rocks and back into the water. Hoping we had got away with it we put her back on lead and toddled off home. Everything seemed fine till the following morning. She was now lame but this time it was her left leg. We had been warned the second cruciate could go within 18mths of the first.
This time wasn’t like the last as she wasn’t 3 legged and some days, if we kept her on lead, she appeared to be fine. So we questioned if it was in fact the cruciate and considered it could have been a fractured toe or something like this. We took it easy with her. Gave her pain relief and massage.
After 4 weeks we thought it was time to get it check by the vet. As a reactive dog this means we needed to sedate her so that the vets could check things properly. We booked her in for Thursday March 26th 2020. I’m sure you all remember that day here in NZ? It was the day well all woke up to Covid-19 Alert Level 4 Lockdown! She wasn’t going to be seen now till Alert level 2 - May 13th!
Seven long weeks we waited and stressed. If only I could swim her. By the time we had her assessed and a suspected partial tear was diagnosed but from the back of the ligament (rear apparently) she was now quiet twisted in the back end due to stepping short on her left for so long. Her once beautiful big back thighs were now hollowed as the muscles had wasted. If only I could swim her every day and she could keep active, tire herself and build up those bullmastiff thighs again. Why is there no hydrotherapy place in Nelson anymore!?
I had often thought of what I was going to do after IT. Long hours at a desk, 24*7*365 on call and the stress that comes with being in management, I knew I didn’t want to do this till I was 67. I have my own health issues and I knew I needed to start thinking about life beyond 50 (eak it’s not that too far off now!!). I had done a professional dog walking certificate the year we got Maxie and my recent weight loss surgery meant that this could be an option (that is another story that could be titled “Gus’s Gift”). I had never thought of anything else being possible for me to do with dogs till lockdown happened.
When I think back I really can only blame timing for not coming up with this sooner. I grew up around water, I love water, water is my healer. While I knew this was going to be huge for me to go back into training, this time while working full time, in something significantly different to IT, I had to do it for Maxie. I made her a promise the day we lost Gus. Her time could be short due to her breed so I was determined she would live her best life every day. Crazy dog lady? Maybe.
The more I looked into it, the more I discovered how working as a Canine Hydrotherapist would help me both physically and mentally. The clincher was Aaron backing me 100% in this crazy idea. We stood outside looking down our bank thinking, we could put a container pool here... dogs could enter ther... we could rig up a hot shower on that wall... it was only money (LOL). So we started getting quotes, contacting pool manufacturers, engineers and came up with a number... a slightly scary number, but why not, we won't die if the bank said no. We’d accept it wasn’t meant to be or come up with another plan. Our finance manager did what he could and we got that dreaded “no” from lenders but he had another idea which we followed and subsequently got our yes. Now things were getting real!
While this was going on, I was looking into how I could learn what to do. There were courses online but most meant going to Australia, America or the UK for hands on practical training. We weren’t looking at a 6week course, these were months, years and suited to vet nurses or physiotherapists. Even if I could get on one of these courses, it was going to add significant cost to the plan but that wasn’t the problem, Covid was. I had almost given up on training when I came across K9HS in the UK. I couldn’t believe it, of all the places for it to have a satellite centre - Drury, Auckland, NZ. Was this a sign??
Well last week I went to K9 Aqua in Drury Auckland and spent 4 days with Karynne and Kathleen. What an eye opener. This was not going to be easy. Until now I had only had Maxie in mind as my patient and model my thoughts based on her as clients. Now I saw who else needed this and my heart broke. Was I up for a job working with my beloved K9 and mostly only seeing them in pain due to things like cruciates damage, hip dysplasia, cancer, amputation, weight loss, stroke...
I still don’t know if I will make it but I’m more determined than ever to see this through and give it a go. I don’t want to wonder “what if” for the rest of my life, how ever long that turns out to be. But I think it’s going to be much more rewarding knowing that I could make a difference not only in my girls life but in other dogs and owners lives too. What a gift.
[to be continued - I’m not qualified yet!]
Corey at Pawshake Pet Services
Serving Nelson/Atawhai/Tasman
Fancy Fox’s Grooming Nelson and Tasman
Hill Street
