The Role of AI in Animal Rehabilitation: Help or Hurdle?

After an interesting chat with someone who works in business and AI strategy—and after hearing a fellow veterinary professional express frustration that a client had turned to ChatGPT for rehabilitation advice rather than following her prescribed plan—I started reflecting on AI’s place in the world of veterinary physiotherapy.

Let me start by saying that I’m by no means an AI expert. I see its value and potential, but I’ve also come to realise that there are real risks—especially when these conversations aren’t had openly with clients.

To my understanding, AI tools like ChatGPT don’t actually search the internet when you ask them a question. Instead, they generate answers based on patterns they’ve learned from vast amounts of text—some from reliable sources, and some not so reliable.

In simple terms, it gives you something that sounds like the “average” of everything it’s seen online. That might sound useful, but would you really trust the average of the internet when it comes to your animal’s health?

Anyone can share an opinion online, often without clinical knowledge or evidence-based understanding. And while some information is excellent, a lot of it is incomplete, out of context, or even unsafe—especially when it comes to injury management and rehabilitation.

As veterinary physiotherapists, we’re trained to assess movement, identify pain, and tailor treatment plans based on the specific animal in front of us. We study for years and gain hands-on clinical experience so we can make informed, case-specific decisions. Are we perfect? Of course not. But our work is grounded in training, accountability, and the animal’s best interest.

I’m not saying you should never question your healthcare provider, or that you shouldn’t be curious and look things up. In fact, I encourage owners to learn more about their animals’ conditions. But if you decide to follow AI-generated advice instead of your veterinary professional’s recommendations, please open that conversation first.

Sometimes—often, in fact—AI-generated guidance can be misleading or even detrimental to an animal’s recovery. If your physiotherapist or vet knows what advice you’ve read, they can help you make sense of it, and warn you of anything inaccurate or risky.

And if you don’t feel comfortable discussing it with your current provider? Find one you do trust. Open dialogue and teamwork are at the heart of effective rehabilitation.

AI can be a powerful tool for learning and exploration. But it should complement professional expertise, not replace it