VIDEO: Hydrotherapist helps save beloved dog after owners spend almost £20k on vets bills

Steve Maney who runs Canine Health and Hydro in Rimington stepped in to help 20-month-old golden retriever Benjie after his owners were told that they had to either amputate his leg or put him down.

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Jeanette Hamer and her partner Tony Keates were given the bad news after Benjie injured his leg during a stay at a boarding kennels in the summer.

But the distraught couple refused to believe there was no other alternative.

And after spending £17,000 on vets bills they eventually found help from Mr Maney who got the golden retriever back on his feet at a cost of just over £1,000.

The pair, who own Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in Arnside, initially took Benjie to a vet where they were told it “wasn’t good news”.

Jeanette and Tony, 54, were advised to take Benjie to a team in Liverpool who discovered he had a blood clot in his injured front leg that had to be removed.

It was not until a neurologist suggested a different type of help in September that the publicans found hydrotherapist Steve Maney who runs Canine Health and Hydro in Rimington and Benjie started to improve.

Jeanette, 49, said the initial outlook for their much-loved family pet was devastating.

She said: “In the beginning, Ben’s leg was just dangling and he couldn’t walk. It was horrendous.

“He was in so much pain and his leg had swollen up like a balloon.

“They were on about amputation but mostly leaning towards putting him down.”

“Steve and Benjie just fell in love with each other.

“They built a special bond and he lived up there with him, swimming morning, day and night.”

After sessions in the water, physiotherapy and massages, Benjie was taken back to Liverpool for a check up.

Faced again with amputation, Jeanette then took the dog to a practice in Surrey where a scan showed Benjie was regaining feeling in his leg.

But things took a turn for the worse when the vets discovered nodules on his lungs believed to be cancer brought on by the trauma of his injuries.

The couple decided to bring Benjie home to “let him live his life”.

Just before Christmas, Benjie finally put one paw in front of the other and walked properly after four months of rehabilitation in the water.

And although the future of their pet is unknown, Jeanette and Tony have their fingers crossed for now.

Mr Maney, who helped to set up Canine Health and Hydro at Howgill Farm, Rimington, three years ago, said: “We do this on a day-to-day basis and it’s just that this case was particular because the odds were firmly stacked against him.

“Jeanette and Tony came to us for Benjie’s first assessment which hundreds of dogs do in the pool and water treatment centre.

“From that we made our decision and we saw that there was hope for him.

“We put Benjie through intensive rehabilitation for four months which included swimming and physiotherapy and he also had massage girls that helped him a lot.

“This went on and on until he was able to walk again which was great news.

“It was really a lovely story bit it was a really tough journey for him.

“We have tougher cases all the time but what made this stand out as much as it did was the fact that Benjie wanted to work hard.”

The business, in Howgill Lane, was established three years ago and employs eight people at the site.

Hydrotherapy has been a common equine practice for the past 40 years.

As with people, swimming is beneficial in horses as it conditions the muscular and cardiovascular systems without subjecting the limbs to damage.

Steve is also a fully-trained dog groomer and over the last seven years has groomed more than 5,000 dogs of all breeds and temperaments while opening and running several dog grooming salons in the south east and north west.