Effect of massage therapy on pain and quality of life in dogs: A cross sectional study

Achieving the successful recovery of sled dogs is one of the key tasks for veterinary teams involved in clinical care for middle-distance sled dog competitions. This study compares the efficacy of capacitive-resistive electrical transfer (CRet) with that of massage in the treatment of lower back pain in 40 short-haired sled dogs during a medium-distance snow sled race (LekkarodTM 2021). The dogs were divided into two groups: a CRet group (20 dogs) and a massage group (20 dogs). All subjects received a single 18 min treatment session and were evaluated one hour after the end of the treatment. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed in which pre- and post-treatment pain measures were evaluated in relation to age and type of treatment. Older dogs were found to have higher significant pain scores before starting treatment. Both treatments reduce pain short-term in all cases. However, post-treatment pain values were significantly lower in dogs treated with CRet when compared to dogs treated with massage. The results show that capacitive-resistive electrical transfer has better short-term results and is beneficial in both younger and older dogs, making this technique attractive to veterinary teams working in canine sporting competitions.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Short-Term Efficacy of Capacitive-Resistive Electrical Transfer Therapy in Short-Haired Sled Dogs in Middle-Distance Competition

Benito

Jasny²,

Roger

et al. 2022

“…Massage can quickly improve the comfort and range of motion in dogs, which is reflected in behavioral changes [ 42 ]. Rilley et al (2021) [ 43 ] observed behavioral pain indicators, gait, posture, and activity in a group of 527 dogs. Based on the assessment carried out by both the dogs’ owners and physiotherapists, the researchers found that therapeutic massage significantly reduced pain perception by the animals.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selected Techniques for Physiotherapy in Dogs

Dybczyńska

Goleman

Garbiec

et al. 2022

Physiotherapy is a new dynamically developing field of science in which the original idea was to improve the care for convalescent patients. Its positive effects observed in humans suggested the need for the adaptation and implementation of human physiotherapy techniques in animal care. Dogs are the second group of animals that undergo physiotherapy most frequently. These animals are diagnosed with a number of locomotor system problems, which may be congenital and are often related to the breed or acquired. The aim of the study was to collect and systematize knowledge of animal physiotherapy with emphasis on the selection and description of the most important aspects of canine physiotherapy. The review material consisted of 59 publications, with 230 selected for the review. Physiotherapeutic treatments are applied not only for rehabilitation of animals but also in healthy animals to upgrade their sports performance and improve their welfare. A majority of physiotherapeutic approaches have been transferred from human protocols. A key issue in the achievement of therapy success is the proper selection of physiotherapeutic procedures and close cooperation between the veterinarian and the physiotherapist.

“…These pain assessments, however, do not specifically assess exercise-induced muscle soreness. Riley et al used a myofascial and musculoskeletal pain scale to evaluate the efficacy of massage therapy [ 38 ]. This scale is similar to the muscle soreness assessment developed in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Formalized Method to Acclimate Dogs to Voluntary Treadmill Locomotion at Various Speeds and Inclines

Stigall

Farr

Ramos

et al. 2022

The land treadmill is a multipurpose tool with a unique set of behavioral and physical benefits for training and assessing active dogs. Habituation to voluntary treadmill locomotion is crucial for training a dog or accurately assessing a dog’s fitness on a treadmill. Therefore, a treadmill acclimation program was developed and evaluated with working dogs in training or working dogs performing detection research. Seven of eight naive dogs became acclimated to the treadmill using the protocol developed. Two previously experienced dogs successfully conducted an acclimation assessment to test for habituation to the treadmill. A muscle soreness protocol was created to evaluate the soreness developed during the acclimation program. This detailed protocol was successful in acclimating dogs to the treadmill at various safe speeds and inclines.