Dogs nursing injuries can now be aided in their rehabilitations through swimming following the launch of hydrotherapy for pooches.

Doggy Paddle, a mother-daughter business based on the Hellesdon Park Industrial Estate on the edge of Norwich, has branched out its offering to aid canines in pain and on the mend from injury.

Originally set up solely as a swimming pool for dogs, the independent business has now expanded its offering to include hydrotherapy.

Normally used to assist humans in their rehabilitation from serious injuries, the business - run by George and Rachel Lambert - has been able to introduce it for dogs after successfully securing funding for it from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Rachel Lambert, a recent graduate of the University of East Anglia, applied for the LEP's funding through its UEA enterprise fund.

She said: "We applied to expand our leisure offering to include hydrotherapy, which allows us to assist dogs with orthopaedic problems or those that require rehabilitation post-surgery.

"The funding allowed me to undertake a small animal hydrotherapy qualification and purchase a mobile hoist for the centre and, alongside our current safety measures and cleaning protocols, this will allow us to start admitting hydrotherapy clients.

"It also means veterinary services can actively refer people to us and we can charge more per session for the same and work directly with the dogs without the owners being present.

"We are so thankful to have been awarded the funding, which is permitting us to expand and diversity our business during an otherwise difficult period."

The £7,500 grant is one of nine given out by the LEP to companies run by either UEA students or alumni locally.

The other recipients are Kaboni Energy, Teleport, Long Cat Merdia, Hutch, Grippitz, Bare Kind, Desyr and Reel Connexions.

David Ellis, director of development at the UEA, said: "It is wonderful to see exciting new businesses emerge thanks to the UEA enterprise fund.

"UEA is committed to helping those with great ideas and drive, but not necessarily the resources to thrive and the fund is a shining example of that. We are very grateful to the LEP and our community of donors who make it possible."