Dog health spa opens in Rimington

Steve and Poppy Maney and their daughter Daisy at their Canine Health & Hydro centre at Howgill Farm.

At the end of a farm lane in Rimington is Canine Health and Hydro, created at Howgill Farm by Steve Maney and Poppy Redman with help from Poppy’s dad, Stuart Redman.

Steve and Poppy already run Daisy’s Dog Grooming salons, named after their toddler daughter Daisy, and made a major investment for their health spa with help from a DEFRA rural development grant.

They converted a barn and kitted it out with the latest equipment to help injured dogs get better, make fat dogs lose weight, and get any dog healthier and happier.

Steve is so confident dog owners will notice the difference in their pets that he and Poppy are offering the first session free of charge for a limited period.

Steve, a registered canine masseur and hydrotherapist, said: “There are really two sides to our service. Rehabilitation is one and fun and fitness is the other.

“We liaise with local vets and get a lot of referrals from them. We treat dogs with dysplasia, spinal injuries, arthritis, ligament damage and so on. It’s treatable due to the dog being weightless in the water.”

Steve carries out massage treatment in the pool or in the dry, and physiotherapy treatment is done by a visiting physio who is registered with ACPAT, the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy.

BIG STAR: Steve in the pool with Simba, winner of TV's "Top Dog Model" title.

On the fun and fitness side, the farm’s nine acres includes an outdoor training course, there’s an indoor dog gym and the pool is Steve’s pride and joy. “A minute in the pool is the equivalent of a minute’s running, but with no impact on the joints,” he says.

A regular TV star visitor is Simba, the huge leonberger dog that won ITV’s “Top Dog Model”, who goes for weekly hydrotherapy sessions.

There are even pool parties for dogs, and after a little basic training their owners can even join their pets in the water.

Steve and Poppy ran dog grooming salons in Kent before selling up and moving to Lancashire, and set up Daisy’s Dog Grooming salons at Padiham and Colne, now joined by the new Daisy’s at Rimington.

They also run a grooming academy with five-week courses and weekend courses at Rimington for people interested in dog grooming.

And for those clients who are particularly proud of their pooches, Poppy is also a talented photographer specialising in dog portraits.

The business has a website: www.caninehealthandhydro.com.