The referral comes first, before any appointment is useful
Physiotherapists and hydrotherapists usually work under veterinary referral, which means they need your vet's agreement and a clinical reason for treatment before they put hands or water on your dog. Ask your vet for a referral letter or a clinical summary that states the problem being treated, when it began, what has already been done, and what the goal of therapy is. If your dog has had imaging, such as X-rays of hips, elbows, or spine, ask for those findings to be included or summarised, because a therapist planning exercises around a known joint problem works very differently from one treating a vague stiffness. If he has had surgery, the operation notes and the surgeon's restrictions are the most valuable pages in the folder; bring them even if they look technical, because the therapist reads them fluently.
Restrictions and current care: the pages that keep him safe
Write down, or ask the vet to confirm, exactly what your dog must not do yet. That might be no stairs, lead walks only, no jumping into a car, no swimming against a current, or a limit on session length while strength rebuilds. Add his current daily care in plain terms: what he takes each day as part of his routine, when he eats, and how he is coping at home, including whether he is weight-bearing on an affected leg, how he manages the garden, and whether he cries, pants, or goes quiet after walks. Note his weight and body condition if your vet records it, because therapists track muscle and weight change across a course and a starting figure makes progress measurable. Honest home observations complete what the clinical notes cannot show.
Vaccination and practical details the centre will ask for
Hydrotherapy centres work in shared water, so expect to be asked for an up-to-date vaccination record, and tell them about any skin wounds, ear infections, upset stomach, or recent illness, because a dog with an open wound or an infection should not be in the pool that day. Bring your insurance details if you intend to claim for the therapy, since many insurers require the referral to predate the first session and ask for the therapist's invoices and progress reports as the course goes on. Ask the centre what they want in advance versus on the day, whether they need forms signed by the vet rather than by you, and whether a first appointment is assessment only. Arriving with the referral signed and the forms complete means the first session is spent on your dog rather than on chasing a signature by phone.
Building a record that grows with the treatment
Keep every therapy report with the referral that started it. A good therapist sends progress notes covering range of movement, strength, gait changes, and how your dog tolerated the water or the exercises, and those notes matter to your vet at review appointments and to an insurer deciding whether to fund more sessions. Add your own short notes after each visit: how he moved the following day, whether he was tired or sore, and anything new he managed at home. Over a course of treatment that combined record shows whether the plan is working far more clearly than memory does. Keeping the referral, imaging summary, and session reports assembled in KinsLe's Pet Passport means any therapist, vet, or insurer who joins the picture later can read the whole story in order.