Range of motion and joint angle in small breed dog during walking and swimming with and without life jacket

Abstract

Physical rehabilitation including walking exercise and hydrotherapy are currently popular used as part of the veterinary practice for canine. The movement pattern of these types of exercises are not well established. During swimming, since some breeds are unfamiliar with water, so safety is being concerned by using the life jacket. The study aimed to explore the maximal angle and range of motion (ROM) of forelimb and hindlimb joints and compare between walking and swimming. Eight healthy French Bulldogs aged 3.01±1.41 years are recruited. Two-dimensional motion was recorded during pool swimming and land walking. Maximal flexion angle (MFA), maximal extension angle (MEA) and ROM were measured by using Kinovea software. The results demonstrated 1) walking demonstrated significantly greater MFA of elbow, hip and stifle than when compared those of swimming (p<0.05) 2) only MEA of shoulder during swimming was higher than walking significantly (p<0.05) 3) ROM of shoulder, elbow and hip during swimming either with or without life jacket were greater than walking. But when comparing between swimming without and with life jacket, no significant difference was found. This finding supports the advantage of swimming as part of therapeutic exercise for dog particularly in case of reduced loading to damage joints.

Keywords: canine rehabilitation, hydrotherapy, walking, joint angle, range of motion