“Dogs recovering from an extended period of recumbency have very low endurance. This is because the first fibers lost when a muscle is immobilized are the slow-twitch fibers, most common in muscles of posture or gravity-resistance. Early endurance work for these patients may involve little more than assisted standing, with a focus on postural muscles rather than on the cardiovascular system.”

—Janet Van Dyke, DVM

From Therapeutic exercise in veterinary rehabilitation