Canine rehabilitation medicine in 2026 integrates physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, and acupuncture into evidence-based programmes that significantly improve welfare outcomes after injury and surgery.
Canine rehabilitation medicine delivers significant welfare benefits by reducing pain, improving mobility, and accelerating recovery from surgery and injury. Dogs that receive structured rehabilitation achieve better long-term functional outcomes than those receiving cage rest alone. The expansion of rehabilitation as a veterinary specialty is making these welfare benefits more widely accessible.