Abstract
Canine rehabilitation is an interdisciplinary field that provides evaluation, assessment, and intervention to canine patients who experience or are likely to experience disability. Health promotion is the process of enabling an owner/handler to increase control over and improve the dog's health. Preventive rehabilitation is the practice of performing rehabilitation activities to strengthen a dog before an injury has occurred or before surgical intervention. Veterinary nurses, also known as veterinary technicians, specialize in hands‐on animal care including administering medications and monitoring an animal's physical and mental condition. The owner/handler of a dog receiving rehabilitation services plays an integral role in the rehabilitation team. The practice of physical therapy requires formulation and implementation of a patient management plan, devised via established clinical problem‐solving methods based on disablement models.