Mobility impairment from orthopaedic and neurological conditions significantly reduces dog welfare, with rehabilitation therapy offering meaningful improvements.
Mobility impairment causes welfare compromise through pain, restricted behavioral repertoire, and reduced quality of positive experiences. Dogs that can no longer walk, jump, or play with normal ease experience significant welfare reduction. Rehabilitation therapy addresses this through structured exercise programs that rebuild strength, reduce pain, and improve neurological function. Hydrotherapy is particularly valuable as it allows beneficial exercise with reduced weight-bearing and joint loading. Owner-performed home exercise programs extend the benefit of clinical therapy between sessions. Mobility aids including wheelchairs enable dogs with paralysis to maintain social engagement and exercise. The welfare benefit of rehabilitation is now well-documented and should be considered standard of care for dogs with significant mobility impairment.