Working Documents
NZACH Full (Professional) Membership Requirements
All full members of NZACH must evidence for registration:
- Have training in canine hydrotherapy treatment techniques.
- Hold a qualification in canine first aid.
- Have training in, keep records of and ensure water quality is of the highest standard.
- Ensure any assistants are trained to the same/equivalent high standards.
- Support safe & current best practice.
- Work under veterinary referral and liaise with veterinary surgeons and other industry professionals where appropriate. Keep detailed records of treatment and progress.
- Complete 20hours CPD per annum.
- Comply with all Health & Safety regulations and relevbant legislation.
- Premises & facilities must be maintained to the highest standards.
- Have public liability, employer’s liability (where necessary) and professional indemnity insurance.
Explanatory information for the membership requirements above:
1. Have training in canine hydrotherapy treatment. This is equivalent to L3 certificate in Canine Hydrotherapy, APL will be taken into account but committee members must agree by unanimous decision.
Training to include;
2. Hold a valid qualification in canine first aid (veterinarians and veterinary nurses exempt). Recent graduates will have the covered first aid during their courses.
NZ recognized training providers – PetTech NZ, PET First Aid and Training
3. Have training in, keep records of and ensure water quality is of the highest standard.Evidence of approved testing equipment (photometer strongly recommended) and chemical storage in video audit. Water treatment record form to be evidenced to accompany audit. Click here for an example of water treatment records.
4. Ensure any assistants are trained to the same/equivalent high standards.
5. Support safe & current practice. This does not include using a rigid pole & collar, multi-dog swimming or toys retrieved from water line. Harnesses must be ergonomic and non-restrictive. Hydrotherapist must be in pool/treadmill at all times with patient (or able to evidence the ability to positively influence gait pattern through 3 reflective case studies).
6. Work under veterinary referral and liaise with veterinary surgeons and other industry professionals where appropriate. Click here for example of veterinary referral form. Keep detailed records of treatment and progress. To be evidenced in supporting paperwork to video audit.
7. Complete 20hours CPD per annum (10% of membership will be audited yearly) Examples of recognized CPD;
8. Comply with all Health & Safety regulations and relevant legislation. See Appendix 1 for details of video audit and supporting evidence required
9. Premises & facilities must be maintained to the highest standards. See Appendix 1 for details of video audit.
10. Have public liability, employer’s liability (if relevant) and professional indemnity insurance. See Appendix 1 for details of video audit and supporting evidence required.
1. Have training in canine hydrotherapy treatment. This is equivalent to L3 certificate in Canine Hydrotherapy, APL will be taken into account but committee members must agree by unanimous decision.
Training to include;
- Canine First Aid (Veterinarians and Veterinary nurses exempt)
- Pool Water Management
- Hydrotherapy Theory (Veterinarian/Veterinary Physiotherapists exempt)
- Anatomy & Pathology (Veterinarian/Veterinary Physiotherapists exempt)
- Orthopaedic and neurological conditions (Veterinarian/Veterinary physiotherapists exempt)
- Medical conditions and implications for hydrotherapy treatment (Veterinarian / Veterinary physiotherapists exempt)
- Cautions and contraindications for hydrotherapy treatment, including pain and pain management (Veterinarian/Veterinary physiotherapists exempt)
- Hydrotherapy practical handling/behaviour skills - minimum 20hrs face to face mentorship with full NZACH member with minimum 1 yr experience (or approved overseas equivalent) for applicants whose hydrotherapy qualification is not verified by external auditors such as ABC UK.
- Hydrotherapy practical skills evidenced with a portfolio of 3 reflective case studies (written & video required) for applicants with ABC training and less than 1 yr experience and also for applicants whose hydrotherapy qualification is not verified by external auditors such as ABC UK.
2. Hold a valid qualification in canine first aid (veterinarians and veterinary nurses exempt). Recent graduates will have the covered first aid during their courses.
NZ recognized training providers – PetTech NZ, PET First Aid and Training
3. Have training in, keep records of and ensure water quality is of the highest standard.Evidence of approved testing equipment (photometer strongly recommended) and chemical storage in video audit. Water treatment record form to be evidenced to accompany audit. Click here for an example of water treatment records.
4. Ensure any assistants are trained to the same/equivalent high standards.
5. Support safe & current practice. This does not include using a rigid pole & collar, multi-dog swimming or toys retrieved from water line. Harnesses must be ergonomic and non-restrictive. Hydrotherapist must be in pool/treadmill at all times with patient (or able to evidence the ability to positively influence gait pattern through 3 reflective case studies).
6. Work under veterinary referral and liaise with veterinary surgeons and other industry professionals where appropriate. Click here for example of veterinary referral form. Keep detailed records of treatment and progress. To be evidenced in supporting paperwork to video audit.
7. Complete 20hours CPD per annum (10% of membership will be audited yearly) Examples of recognized CPD;
- NZACH aim to run 2 x best practice meetings per year – members can claim CPD per day for these which will be detailed on an individual basis depending on whether we have outside speakers (max 10hrs).
- First Aid Refresher Course
- CPD courses/webinars such as www.veterinarywebinars.com, www.onlinepethealth.com, www.vetmedteam.com, www.veterinaryteachingacademy.com
- Seminars in NZ relevant to Canine Hydrotherapy and Rehabilitation
- Off-subject training e.g. business, IT courses may count up to 5hrs
- Shadowing veterinarians during relevant surgery e.g. TPLO written up as a Case Study and signed off by the vet may count up to 5hrs.
- A minimum of 10hrs must be relevant to current clinical practice and written up as case studies/reflective log. A reflective case log is simply your normal case notes with reflection statement as to how your treatment could have been better, areas you can develop to help your next case and anything you may/could have tried differently.
8. Comply with all Health & Safety regulations and relevant legislation. See Appendix 1 for details of video audit and supporting evidence required
9. Premises & facilities must be maintained to the highest standards. See Appendix 1 for details of video audit.
10. Have public liability, employer’s liability (if relevant) and professional indemnity insurance. See Appendix 1 for details of video audit and supporting evidence required.
