Is animal physical therapy a new approach within veterinary medicine?
The idea of applying rehabilitation principles and techniques to animals is not new in the United States. In fact, many of the treatment protocols for humans were developed in the 1960’s using animal models. The very foundation of our traditional physical therapy practice is linked to veterinary medicine. Interest in the practice of animal physical therapy gained momentum in the late 1980’s and throughout the 1990’s due to the influence of classic texts, national presentations, legislation by the APTA and AVMA, the formation of the Animal Physical Therapist Special Interest Group as well as research and client demand.
