10/01/2026
A recent pilot study evaluated the effects of a 10-session underwater treadmill programme across 50 dogs of varying ages and musculoskeletal conditions. What stood out immediately was the study’s clinical realism: mixed pathologies, inconsistent baselines, and the kind of patient diversity that complicates research but mirrors our caseloads perfectly.
Over five weeks, each dog completed a structured, controlled underwater treadmill protocol. The researchers reported improvements in joint range of motion across all measured joints, regardless of diagnosis or pathology. While this was a small, exploratory study, the consistency of the findings is compelling - especially given how multifactorial ROM limitations can be in chronic and degenerative disease.
If you’d like a deeper analysis of the methodology, outcomes, and clinical relevance,
watch this month’s Research Refresh in the Onlinepethealth Small Animal Membership.
