A biomechanical study on the hoof impact at the trot

This thesis is a study of the hoof deceleration and the propagation of impact related shock waves through the structures of the distal limb in the beginning of the stance phase. The equine limb has an in-built shock absorbing capacity, with an anatomy that gives a successive disto-proximal loading that prolongs the time of loading uptake. The repetitive impulsive loading subjected to the limb following each hoof impact has been suggested to be an important factor in the mechanical stress that if sufficiently repeated may lead to subchondral bone damage. The horses used in the study were Standardbred trotters. The deceleration pattern of fore- and hind hooves were recorded with accelerometers at different circumstances. In the first study, horses trotted at slow speed over a force plate. One accelerometer glued to the hoof wall, and one fixed to the third metacarpal bone, in order to record the transmission of impact transients. The initial impact peak was assumed to be negligible proximal to the fetlock joint. The length of the hoof braking seemed to influence on the attenuation of the following peak decelerations. In the following studies only hoof mounted accelerometers were used. In the second study the deceleration patterns of the fore- and hind hooves were compared over the force plate on a sand surface at slow trot. In the third study the hoof deceleration was compared between two different surfaces. The forth study was a field study on the hoof decelerations at different speeds (4.7-12.7 ms-1) on a training race track. The hoof deceleration is suggested to be divided into two parts. The first is characterized by large impact peak that is mainly attenuated distal to the fetlock joint. The second part is characterized by the onset of loading of the fetlock joint and the following rapid movements of distal bone segments, and the interaction between the ground surface and the hoof. The loading rate and the magnitude of the horizontal peak decelerations increase with speed and with a higher friction between the ground and hoof. The results improve the knowledge of the shock absorbing capacity of the equine limb and the mechanisms behind indicators of mechanical stress to the limb

Dental home care in dogs - a questionnaire study among Swedish dog owners, veterinarians and veterinary nurses

Background: Periodontal disease remains one of the dog's most common health issues, even though it is largely preventable by tooth brushing. Implementation of daily tooth brushing would not only improve animal welfare, but also reduce veterinary costs for the owner. There is a paucity of studies investigating attitudes, opinions and practices of dog owners, veterinarians, and veterinary nurses regarding preventative dental home care in dogs. The objective of this study was to investigate these parameters in Sweden, thereby providing a basis for improved prophylactic strategies. Methods: Validated questionnaire surveys were distributed to all Swedish dog owners (n = 209,263), veterinarians (n = 3657) and veterinary nurses (n = 1650) with e-mail addresses in the national registry. The response rates were 32% for dog owners and veterinarians, and 38% for veterinary nurses. The survey questions concerned attitudes, opinions and practices regarding dental home care, including whether dog owners received information concerning dental home care or not, and if this information resulted in implementation. Results: Attitudes, opinions and practices regarding dental home care are presented for Swedish dog owners, veterinarians, and veterinary nurses. A fundamental finding was that the absolute majority of Swedish dog owners do not perform adequate prophylactic dental home care. Considerable discrepancies were identified in the opinions of veterinary health practitioners and dog owners regarding attitudes towards dental home care and conveying of information. Several areas for improvement in the communication between dog owners and veterinary health practitioners concerning dental home care were identified. Conclusion: Our results illustrates the need for validated methods to increase dog owner compliance with dental home care recommendations. We also see a need of further education, regarding canine dental home care, among veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and dog owners. The results from this unique study constitute an important foundation for future development of prophylactic strategies, with the ultimate goal to improve dental health, and thereby animal welfare, in dogs

Dog Owners' Perspectives on Canine Dental Health - A Questionnaire Study in Sweden

Periodontal disease is one of the most common diseases affecting dogs, with a reported prevalence of at least 80% in dogs over 3 years of age. However, there is a lack of studies regarding dog owners' assessment of their dog's dental health, and whether they perceive clinical signs often associated with periodontal disease, i.e., dental calculus, halitosis or mobile or lost teeth. A validated questionnaire survey was distributed to all Swedish dog owners with email addresses in the national registry (n= 209,263). The response rate was 32%. The survey questions concerned opinions and practices regarding canine dental health, including assessment of dental health parameters and dog owners' ability to examine their dog's mouth. A construct (alpha = 0.76) was used to investigate dog owners' assessed symptoms of their dog's dental health in relation to background factors. Half of the respondents rated their dog's dental health as very good. However, one in four dog owners experienced difficulties when inspecting the dog's teeth. The most common reason for this difficulty was stated to be an uncooperative dog. Almost half of the dog owners reported halitosis to some degree in their dog, and almost four in ten owners reported dental calculus. One in eight dogs had been previously anesthetized for dental cleaning, and one in 12 dogs had experienced problems with gum disease, according to the owners. Owners' assessment varied significantly with the dog's age, weight, breed, breed group, sex, and concurrent disease. Owner-related factors that influenced the assessment of the dog's dental health were age, gender, education, county (urban/rural), and whether they were breeders or not. Dog owners with smaller dogs, older dogs and certain breeds predisposed to periodontal disease assessed their dog's dental health as worse than their counterparts, which is in agreement with previously reported higher prevalence of dental disease in these groups. This indicates that dog owners are able to perform relative assessment of their dog's dental health status. Our results also highlight the need for routine professional assessment of periodontal health, as well as education of dog owners and training of dogs to accept dental care procedures

Professional dental cleaning in dogs: clinical routines among Swedish veterinarians and veterinary nurses

Background Dental disease is very common in dogs and veterinary professional dental cleaning and examination, together with daily dental home care, is the foundation for good dental health. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated professional dental cleaning routines in small animal veterinary practice. A validated questionnaire survey was distributed to all veterinarians and veterinary nurses with registered e-mail addresses in the Swedish national registry (veterinarians; n = 3657, veterinary nurses; n = 1650). Response rates were 32% for veterinarians (V) and 38% for veterinary nurses (VN). Results In total, 73% (V)/96% (VN) of respondents reported that professional dental cleaning was performed at their work place under general anesthesia, and 27% (V)/18% (VN) that dental cleaning was performed under sedation. Of the respondents, 43% (V)/96% (VN) considered regular dental cleaning under general anesthesia fairly or very important, and 49% (V)/47% (VN) stated that it was sometimes important for good dental health in dogs. A majority of respondents, 84% (V)/97% (VN), reported that dental extractions were performed at their clinic, and 72% (V)/90% (VN) had access to dental radiography equipment. Conclusion A majority of Swedish veterinarians and veterinary nurses perform professional dental cleaning under general anesthesia with access to dental radiography equipment, in accordance with national and international recommendations. However, a considerable proportion of professional dental cleanings were performed under sedation only, and extractions performed without access to dental radiography equipment were common, suggesting several areas of improvement in the routines in Swedish veterinary clinics and hospitals. Our results clearly indicate the need for improved educational efforts to increase the awareness among veterinary health professionals regarding guidelines and official recommendations in canine dental care

Head and pelvic vertical displacement in dogs with induced swinging limb lameness: an experimental study

Abstract Background Swinging limb lameness is defined as a motion disturbance ascribed to a limb in swing phase. Little is known about its biomechanics in dogs, particularly about the body motions that accompany it, such as vertical head and pelvic motion asymmetry. The aim of this study was to describe the changes in vertical head and pelvic motion asymmetry in dogs with induced swinging limb motion disturbance, mimicking a swinging limb lameness. Fore- and hind-limb lameness was induced in ten sound dogs by placing a weight (200 g) proximal to the carpus or tarsus, respectively. Marker-based motion capture by eight infrared light emitting video cameras recorded the dogs when trotting on a treadmill. Body symmetry parameters were calculated, including differences between the two highest positions of the head (HDmax) and pelvis (PDmax) and between the two lowest positions of the head (HDmin) and pelvis (PDmin), with a value of zero indicating perfect symmetry. Results Induction of swinging forelimb lameness showed significant changes in HDmax (median and range: sound 1.3 mm [− 4.7 to 3.1], in the left side − 28.5 mm [− 61.2 to − 17.9] and in the right side 20.1 mm [− 4.4 to 47.5]) and, induction of swinging hind limb lameness showed significant changes in PDmax (sound 2.7 mm [− 7.4 to 7.2], in the left side − 10.9 mm [− 22.4 to 0.5] and in the right side 8.6 mm [− 3 to 30]), as well as an increased hip movement asymmetry (sound 1.6 mm [− 8.6 to 19.9], in the left side − 18.1 mm [− 36.7 to 5.4] and in the right side 15 mm [− 20.7 to 32.1]) (P < 0.05). Conclusions Induced swinging fore- and hind limb lameness resulted in significant increased asymmetry of the maximal vertical displacement movement of the head and pelvis, due to decreased lifting of the head in forelimb lameness and of the pelvis in hind limb lameness. The results suggest that asymmetry of the maximal vertical displacement of the head and pelvis (i.e. lifting) is a key lameness sign to evaluate during examination of swinging limb lameness

Psychometric evaluation of the canine brief pain inventory in a Swedish sample of dogs with pain related to osteoarthritis

Background: To evaluate intervention, implement evidence-based practice and enhance the welfare of dogs with naturally occurring osteoarthritis (OA), access to valid, reliable and clinically relevant outcome measures is crucial for researchers, veterinarians and rehabilitation practitioners. The objectives of the present study were to translate and evaluate psychometric properties, in terms of internal consistency and construct validity, of the owner-reported measure canine brief pain inventory (CBPI) in a Swedish sample of dogs with pain related to OA. Results: Twenty-one owners of clinically sound dogs and 58 owners of dogs with pain related to OA were included in this observational and cross-sectional study. After being translated according to the guidelines for patient-reported outcome measures, the CBPI was completed by the canine owners. Construct validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis, by repeating the principal component analysis and by assessing for differences between clinically sound dogs and dogs with pain related to OA. Internal consistency was estimated by Cronbach's a. Confirmatory factor analysis was not able to confirm the factor-structure models tested in our sample. Principal component analysis showed a two-component structure, pain severity and pain interference of function. Two components accounted for 76.8% of the total variance, suggesting an acceptable fit of a two-component structure. The ratings from the clinically sound dogs differed from OA dogs and showed significantly lower CBPI total sum. Cronbach's a was 0.94 for the total CBPI, 0.91 for the pain severity and 0.91 for the pain interference of function. Conclusions: The results indicate that the translated version of the CBPI is valid for use in the Swedish language. The findings suggest satisfying psychometric properties in terms of high internal consistencies and ability to discriminate clinically sound dogs from OA dogs. However, based on the confirmatory factor analysis, the original factor structure in the CBPI is not ideally suited to measure pain related to OA in our sample and the hypothesis of the presented two-factor structure was rejected. Further research needs to be conducted to determine whether the original psychometric results from CBPI can be replicated across different target groups and particularly with larger sample size

Comparison of Polar® RS800CX heart rate monitor and electrocardiogram for measuring inter-beat intervals in healthy dogs

The aim of the present study was to assess the criterion validity, relative reliability and level of agreement ofPolar® RS800CX heart rate monitor measuring inter-beat intervals (IBIs), compared to simultaneously recordedelectrocardiogram (ECG) in dogs.Methods: Five continuous minutes of simultaneously recorded IBIs from Polar® RS800CX and Cardiostore ECG in11 adult healthy dogs maintaining standing position were analyzed. Polar® data was statistically compared toECG data to assess for systematic differences between the methods. Three different methods for handling missingIBI data were used. Criterion validities were calculated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and corresponding95% confidence intervals (CIs). Relative reliabilities and levels of agreement were calculated by ICCsand the Bland and Altman analysis for repeated measurements per subject.Results: Correlation coefficients between IBI data from ECG and Polar® RS800CX varied between 0.73 and 0.84depending on how missing values were handled. Polar® was over- and underestimating IBI data compared toECG. The mean difference in log transformed (base10) IBI data was 0.8%, and 93.2% of the values were withinthe limits of agreement. Internally excluding three subjects presenting IBI series containing more than 5% erroneousIBIs resulted in ICCs between 0.97 and 0.99. Bland and Altman analysis (n = 8) showed mean differencewas 1.8 ms, and 98.5% of the IBI values were plotted inside limits of agreement.Conclusion: This study showed that Polar® systematically biased recorded IBI series and that it was fundamentalto detect measurement errors. For Polar® RS800CX heart rate monitor to be used interchangeably to ECG, byshowing excellent criterion validity and reliable IBI measures in group and individual samples, only less than5% of artifacts could be accepted