Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley and Sean Wiltshire.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My husband and I were living in the UK and wanted to move to America. Originally I was going to go back to the Corporate world (even though I had been self-employed for seven years in the UK) so we could achieve this. Long story short, I visited a corporate office when visiting my family in Texas and decided absolutely that I could not return to the corporate world. This got us thinking, what could we do together – what business could we run which would complement our individual attributes.
I have always been the office type but have worked with animals since I was 12 (I worked at a farm which was and still is open to the public called The Butts Farm in England), and Sean was a carpenter previously. While in the UK, we took our dog to a canine hydrotherapy session, it was then we thought – how great would it be to do this as a job? We then started researching canine hydrotherapy – how do you get trained, was there anything like it over in Texas? I have another business in the UK, which I still run now and what enabled us to move to Texas and set up Scuba Sam’s in Wylie was having someone else buy into my other business. Thankfully we were able to use capital from this buy-in to purchase the equipment and help us to get settled in a new country. A year on from opening, and we are seeing at least 40 dogs a week, and we aren’t even open on a Saturday yet! Our next step is to train up other hydrotherapist’s so that we can expand our opening hours and serve more dogs in the DFW area.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We have been really lucky – other than trying to source items which aren’t readily available over here compared to the UK, business has continued to build up nicely and the people who have helped us on our journey have been amazing. Usually, if we have come up against anything, we eventually find a solution.
Other than this, our biggest challenge has been educating the general public and American Veterinarians about what hydrotherapy is and the benefits.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Scuba Sam’s Canine Hydrotherapy?
We are Canine Hydrotherapists. We provide therapy for dogs using an underwater treadmill, heated pool and jacuzzi spa. We also offer laser therapy using one of the top machines in the market (Summus Medical Laser), have a canine chiropractor (In-Stride Chiropractic – Katie Lackey) in every other week and a canine massage therapist (Hippie Houndz – Ranna Lynn) every Thursday. Our training sets us apart – our studies were completed in the UK through one of the most well-known hydrotherapy centers (woozelbears). We are hands-on – a dog is never simply put on a leash and put in the pool or treadmill on their own. There is either one or two Therapists with the dog so that we can provide support, encouragement and apply different techniques to aid in their recovery.
We specialize in canine hydrotherapy only. However, our extensive training has meant that we have been taught to recognize and treat certain conditions. We work closely with the vets that refer to us. If we notice anything out of the norm for a patient, we will always send them back to their vet and keep the vet informed. I think what most of our clients say about us is that the setting is in a more personable environment, it’s not a hospital setting, and so the dogs that come in who may initially be anxious soon warm up to us and enjoy coming to see us. We also encourage the owners to take part in the therapy so that their pets feel at ease. That way, we get the most out of each session which in turn aids the dog’s recovery. Common things we deal with for rehab purposes include neurological conditions, post-surgery rehab (most common being for dogs who have had ACL repair). We also help with geriatric patients as the movement in the water can improve their overall mobility and strength. Apart from rehabilitation therapy, we also offer fun and fitness swims – it can get really hot in Texas, so we offer a safe place for your dogs to exercise.
Yes, you can swim your dog in a lake, but how clean is the water? Many dogs end up getting sick after ingesting lake water. Yes, you could swim your dog in your own pool but unless you have had the training, you could do more harm than good. One of the other things that set us apart is that we have a jacuzzi spa – handmade in the UK by Westcoast Hydrotherapy Ltd – an important part of our therapy sessions or as a stand-alone treatment. The water is at 90 degrees and helps to remove toxins from the muscles and increase blood flow which helps reduces stiffness, swelling and alleviates arthritic joints.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you have a dog who you think would benefit from hydrotherapy, then you simply need to ask your vet to complete our referral/consent form – we then schedule a time to conduct an initial consultation and work with you from there.
Holistic therapies are becoming more well known, so if anyone provides a service for dogs and wants to help us in building a team of like-minded individuals, then please do get in touch. Our goal right now is to find a canine physiotherapist to join us – an ideal place for someone who needs a base to work from.
We love to support local, anyone who makes homemade dogs treats or gifts, or even leashes and bandana’s – we would love to speak with you.
Support us by following us on our Instagram or Facebook page.
Pricing:
- Fitness swims are $55
- Therapy Sessions are $100
- Laser Therapy $45 per treatment
Contact Info:
- Email: enquiries@scubasams.com
- Telephone: 469-347-3748
- Website: www.scubasams.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scuba_sams/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scubasams/?ref=page_internal
