Digital analysis of the dog’s gait as a tool for early diagnosis of locomotor dysfunction – case study

The use of digital kinematic analysis in veterinary medicine provides great opportunities to diagnose lameness in dogs. The aim of the study was to determine the lateralization of the dog's gait and to create a gait model for a given individual at walk and trot. The material used for the study was a boxer bitch. The study was carried out on a dogPACER treadmill at feed speeds allowing the dog to move at walk and trot. The analysis performed in the Noraxon MyoVideo program included the length of the step and angulation in the joints in the three phases of movement. A comparative analysis of the angle values in the joints in both gait types indicates statistically significantly larger angulation (P < 0.05) in the joints of the pelvic and thoracic limbs and a reflection of these changes in the distance between the steps taken. Deviations are most often visible for the left hip, knee and ankle joints and intensify when the gait rate increases in the initial phase of limb transfer. In addition to differences for the pelvic limbs, significant differences were found for angulation in the shoulder and elbow joints. The results indicate the advantages of kinematic analysis as a tool for early diagnosis of changes in the locomotor apparatus, which allows the implementation of appropriate therapy aimed at restoring the normal motor functions of the body.