A Systematic Review of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine in Sport and Companion Animals: Electrotherapy

Electrotherapy modalities are currently used in the treatment of animals, but the evidence base supporting their use has not yet been systematically reviewed. Cochrane guidelines, as adapted by the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services, were followed for this systematic review. A literature search regarding all currently known electrotherapy modalities applied to horses, dogs, and cats was conducted for the years 1980–2020 using three databases: CABI, PubMed, and Web of Science Core Collection. Of the 5385 references found, 41 articles were included in the review: 13 papers on pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMFT), 7 on neural electrical muscle stimulation (NEMS), 5 on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), 4 on static magnets, 3 on interference, 2 each on percutaneous electrical neural stimulation (PENS), bioelectricity, and diathermy, and 1 each on micro-pulsed stimulation, capacitive coupled electrical stimulation, and microwave therapy. The literature per modality was limited in quantity (mean 3.7 papers). Half of the articles were assessed to have a high risk of bias (20 high, 7 moderate, and 14 low). The existing literature used a spectrum of indications and treatment parameters, which makes comparisons and drawing conclusions to support the use of these modalities in clinical practice challenging. The current scientific evidence is not sufficient to support the clinical effects of electrotherapies for any clinical indication in horses, dogs or cats. The selected suggestive results warrant further high-quality research on PEMFT, NEMS, TENS, and PENS

Reliability of a New Bite Force Measure and Biomechanics of Modified Long Attack in Police Dogs

Information on the biomechanics of police dogs’ tasks is important in understanding their work-related injuries and dysfunctions. This study aimed to develop and test a measurement tool for dogs’ functional bite force and to report modified long attack-related kinetic and kinematic values. Twenty Finnish male police dogs, 7 German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) and 13 Belgian Shepherd Dogs, Malinois (BSDMs), were included. Dogs accelerated 25 m and bit the helper’s sleeve, fitted with three force sensors. Dogs were wearing a 3D accelerometer and were videotaped with a high-speed camera. The sleeve’s reliability for measuring the dog’s bite force was evaluated via intraclass correlation and Cronbach’s alpha. Otherwise, a Mann–Whitney U-test was used, with significance set at p = 0.05. The sleeve’s test-retest reliability was moderate to good (intraclass correlation of 0.75), and internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s alpha 0.75). The GSDs’ median bite force was 360.4 N (interquartile range (IQR) 628.6 N) and BSDMs’ 247.0 N (IQR 289.8 N). Median acceleration maximum was 7.1 gravitational force equivalent (g) and median deceleration maximum was 11.6 g, with highest recorded forces being 9.2 g and 13.1 g, respectively. The measurement sleeve was a reliable tool for measuring functional bite force in GSDs and BSDMs. Forces related to bite, approach and impact in the two breeds were reported

Reliability of a New Bite Force Measure and Biomechanics of Modified Long Attack in Police Dogs

Information on the biomechanics of police dogs’ tasks is important in understanding their work-related injuries and dysfunctions. This study aimed to develop and test a measurement tool for dogs’ functional bite force and to report modified long attack-related kinetic and kinematic values. Twenty Finnish male police dogs, 7 German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) and 13 Belgian Shepherd Dogs, Malinois (BSDMs), were included. Dogs accelerated 25 m and bit the helper’s sleeve, fitted with three force sensors. Dogs were wearing a 3D accelerometer and were videotaped with a high-speed camera. The sleeve’s reliability for measuring the dog’s bite force was evaluated via intraclass correlation and Cronbach’s alpha. Otherwise, a Mann–Whitney U-test was used, with significance set at p = 0.05. The sleeve’s test-retest reliability was moderate to good (intraclass correlation of 0.75), and internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s alpha 0.75). The GSDs’ median bite force was 360.4 N (interquartile range (IQR) 628.6 N) and BSDMs’ 247.0 N (IQR 289.8 N). Median acceleration maximum was 7.1 gravitational force equivalent (g) and median deceleration maximum was 11.6 g, with highest recorded forces being 9.2 g and 13.1 g, respectively. The measurement sleeve was a reliable tool for measuring functional bite force in GSDs and BSDMs. Forces related to bite, approach and impact in the two breeds were reported

A Systematic Review of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine in Sport and Companion Animals: Electrotherapy

Electrotherapy modalities are currently used in the treatment of animals, but the evidence base supporting their use has not yet been systematically reviewed. Cochrane guidelines, as adapted by the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services, were followed for this systematic review. A literature search regarding all currently known electrotherapy modalities applied to horses, dogs, and cats was conducted for the years 1980–2020 using three databases: CABI, PubMed, and Web of Science Core Collection. Of the 5385 references found, 41 articles were included in the review: 13 papers on pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMFT), 7 on neural electrical muscle stimulation (NEMS), 5 on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), 4 on static magnets, 3 on interference, 2 each on percutaneous electrical neural stimulation (PENS), bioelectricity, and diathermy, and 1 each on micro-pulsed stimulation, capacitive coupled electrical stimulation, and microwave therapy. The literature per modality was limited in quantity (mean 3.7 papers). Half of the articles were assessed to have a high risk of bias (20 high, 7 moderate, and 14 low). The existing literature used a spectrum of indications and treatment parameters, which makes comparisons and drawing conclusions to support the use of these modalities in clinical practice challenging. The current scientific evidence is not sufficient to support the clinical effects of electrotherapies for any clinical indication in horses, dogs or cats. The selected suggestive results warrant further high-quality research on PEMFT, NEMS, TENS, and PENS

The effect of manually facilitated flexion of the thoracic spine on the interspinous space among horses with impinging dorsal spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae

Impinging dorsal spinous processes (IDSP) are typically diagnosed and graded using radiography, during which the effect of the horses' thoracolumbar posture on the interspinous spaces is not commonly considered. Posture can be altered from a spontaneous, relatively extended, or lordotic, position by manual facilitation of thoracic flexion ('thoracic lift'). This study aimed to ascertain if the thoracic vertebral interspinous space distances were increased by using facilitated thoracic flexion to alter the posture in horses diagnosed with IDSP. Seven horses of mixed breed and sex, median age 9.1 years (interquartile range, 7.2-12.4 years), with a diagnosis of thoracic IDSP with no history of spinal surgery, were included in the study. Two sets of radiographs were obtained. The initial set was taken in the horses' spontaneous posture and the second in the manually facilitated flexed posture. Each image was anonymised allowing blinded measurement of the interspinous spaces. Analysis was performed using Hodges-Lehmann median differences estimates. An increase in the median interspinous space distance was achieved after manual facilitation of thoracic flexion at every thoracic intervertebral space (5th-18th thoracic [T] vertebra). The greatest median increase was seen between T7-T8 and T12-T13 (3.1 mm and 3.0 mm, respec-tively) whereas the lowest median increase was seen between T17-T18 (0.7 mm). In this study, thoracic inter-spinous space distances could be increased by using manual facilitation to alter the thoracic posture in horses with IDSP, which could affect grading and decision making.Peer reviewe

Effect of Femoral Head and Neck Osteotomy on Canines’ Functional Pelvic Position and Locomotion

The long-term effect of femoral head and neck osteotomy (FHO) on the locomotory system of dogs was evaluated. The study comprised an owner questionnaire and an orthopaedic examination, anatomical measurements, and pressure-sensitive walkway analysis for dogs. Linear mixed effect models were used for statistical analysis. Ten dogs with a median of 2.5 years since their unilateral FHO were included. According to the questionnaire results, nine dogs had returned to a normal physical activity level. Muscle atrophy (p = 0.005), less extension in the coxofemoral joint (p = 0.003), and less static weight bearing on the FHO limb (p = 0.003) were observed. No consistent pattern regarding tilt or position of the pelvis was noted when measuring height of the tuber ischii (p = 0.39). Five of the dogs tilted away from, and five towards the FHO side when measured from the tuber sacrale with a Myrin goniometer. No differences regarding stance time, swing time, or peak pressure between the FHO and non-FHO limb were seen in trot (p = 0.70, p = 0.26, and p = 0.91, respectively). Over the long term, the FHO limb has muscle atrophy, decreased coxofemoral extension, and decreased static weight bearing. However, this does not seem to affect the trot of the dogs. Dog owners considered the outcome of surgery to be good or excellent

A dynamic model to analyze the sustainability of extensive common-pasture-based livestock husbandry in Sahel

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Part I of Finnish Agility Dog Survey: Training and Management of Competition-Level Agility Dogs

Knowledge regarding training, competition, and management routines of agility dogs is lacking. Through a retrospective online questionnaire, Finnish owners and handlers of 745 competition-level agility dogs provided information on training routines and management of these dogs during one year free of agility-related injuries. Competition routines were collected from the national competition results database. Most dogs trained agility 1–2 times a week, with a median active training time of 18 min a week. Dogs competed in a median of 2.1 runs per month at a speed of 4.3 m/s. Common field surfaces were different types of artificial turfs and dirt surface. Warm-up and cool-down were established routines, and 62% of dogs received regular musculoskeletal care. Moreover, 77% of dogs underwent conditioning exercises, but their frequency was often low. Additionally, dogs were walked for a median of 1.5 h daily. Pearson’s chi-squared and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to evaluate the association between a dog’s competition level and training and competition variables. A dog’s competition level was associated with competition (p < 0.001) and training frequency (p < 0.001); dogs at higher levels compete more but train less than dogs at lower levels. This study provides information on training, competition, and management routines of competing agility dogs