Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using GPS collars to track activity and treatment in dogs with elbow
By Bruno, Elizabeth A et al.·Published in PloS one·2015·Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Global positioning system derived performance measures are responsive indicators of physical activity, disease and the success of clinical treatments in domestic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) had their physical activity tracked using GPS collars to see how well they moved before and after treatment with a pain medication called Carprofen. The study found that GPS data could clearly show the difference in activity levels between healthy dogs and those with OA. After two weeks of treatment, the OA dogs showed significant improvement in their movement, nearly matching the activity levels of healthy dogs. This suggests that GPS tracking can be a helpful tool for monitoring how well dogs respond to treatment for joint pain.
People also search for: dog osteoarthritis treatment · GPS tracking for dog activity · Carprofen for dog pain relief
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of Global Positioning System receiver (GPS) derived performance measures for differentiating between: 1) different outdoor activities in healthy dogs; 2) healthy dogs and those with osteoarthritis; 3) osteoarthritic dogs before and after treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesia. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: Ten healthy dogs and seven dogs with osteoarthritis of the elbow joint (OA dogs). PROCEDURE: Healthy dogs were walked on a standard route on-lead, off-lead and subjected to playing activity (chasing a ball) whilst wearing a GPS collar. Each dog was walked for five consecutive days. Dogs with OA were subjected to a single off-lead walk whilst wearing a GPS collar, and then administered oral Carprofen analgesia daily for two weeks. OA dogs were then subjected to the same walk, again wearing a GPS collar. RESULTS: GPS derived measures of physical performance could differentiate between on-lead activity, off-lead activity and playing activity in healthy dogs, and between healthy dogs and OA dogs. Variation in the performance measures analysed was greater between individual dogs than for individual dogs on different days. Performance measures could differentiate healthy dogs from OA dogs. OA Dogs treated with Carprofen analgesia showed improvements in their physical performance, which returned to values indistinguishable from those of healthy dogs on nearly all the measures assessed. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: GPS derived measures of physical performance in dogs are objective, easy to quantify, and can be used to gauge the effects of disease and success of clinical treatments. Specific stimuli can be used to modulate physical performance beyond the self-governed boundaries that dogs will naturally express when allowed to exercise freely without stimulation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25692761/