Hydrotherapy — including underwater treadmill and pool swimming — provides welfare-positive rehabilitation for dogs recovering from injury, surgery, and managing chronic conditions.
Hydrotherapy for dogs provides a welfare-positive bridge between surgical recovery and return to normal function. Dogs who cannot exercise comfortably on land due to pain or neurological impairment can often move freely in water, allowing muscle maintenance and joint mobility that would otherwise be lost during recovery. The exercise also provides mental stimulation and positive physical experience during what might otherwise be a period of restricted, low-quality activity. Beyond rehabilitation, regular hydrotherapy for dogs with chronic osteoarthritis provides sustained welfare benefit by maintaining fitness and managing weight without the joint-loading consequences of land exercise.