Exploratory Retrospective Study on Rehabilitation in Dogs Affected by Acute Idiopathic Polyradiculoneuritis

Acute Canine Idiopathic Polyradiculoneuritis (ACIP) is one of the most common acute-onset peripheral neuropathies in dogs. Since there is no specific therapy, rehabilitation represents the main supporting treatment for canine patients. This exploratory retrospective study analyzes the role and effectiveness of physiotherapy rehabilitation in the treatment of ACIP, evaluating the recovery times of spontaneous walking ability and potential correlation between the considered variables that could influence its progress. The study included 12 clinical cases affected by ACIP and submitted to a physiotherapy support plan for independent gait recovery. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the number of rehabilitation sessions required for spontaneous ambulation achievement: less than 40 (Group A) and more than 40 sessions (Group B). Statistical analysis showed no significant association between qualitative variables. Given the inherent methodological limitations and small cohort size, these preliminary findings should be interpreted with caution. However, the data tentatively suggest that intensive rehabilitation strategies might support a more rapid recovery of independent ambulation, even though the number of moderate and maintenance sessions did not differ significantly between the groups. Consequently, further studies with statistical power are required to confirm these trends.