Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How spinal cord disease changes walking in dogs
By Gordon-Evans, Wanda J et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2009·Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Characterization of spatiotemporal gait characteristics in clinically normal dogs and dogs with spinal cord disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 24 dogs with spinal cord disease showed noticeable changes in their walking patterns compared to 42 healthy dogs. The dogs with spinal issues had shorter strides and spent less time on their front legs, while their back legs took longer to swing forward. These differences in how they walked could help veterinarians assess the severity of neurological problems in dogs. Understanding these gait changes may lead to better treatment plans for dogs suffering from spinal cord issues.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE-To determine the spatiotemporal gait characteristics and associated covariates of clinically normal dogs and dogs with spinal cord disease. ANIMALS-42 clinically normal dogs and 24 dogs with myelopathy at spinal cord segment T3-L3. PROCEDURES-Gait was analyzed for velocity, stride length, stride time, stance time, and swing time and compared between groups with consideration of covariates, including height, weight, velocity, sex, and age. RESULTS-By use of multivariate regression, dogs with neurologic signs, compared with clinically normal dogs, had decreased stride time, stance time, and stride length in the forelimbs and increased swing time in the hind limbs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Use of spatiotemporal gait characteristics appears to have potential for use as an outcome measure for dogs with neurologic disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19951114/