The Role of Gait Analysis in Veterinary Rehabilitation of Dogs

Gait analysis is essential in veterinary rehabilitation, providing a comprehensive assessment of a dog's movement to identify abnormalities and develop rehabilitation programs. It is crucial for diagnosing pathologies affecting locomotion and monitoring rehabilitation effectiveness, ensuring optimal recovery and improved quality of life. Canine anatomy, particularly the musculoskeletal system, provides a fundamental understanding of gait biomechanics and locomotion. By understanding canine locomotion, including different gait types, biomechanical functions, and patient related factors influencing movement (breed, age, health conditions, etc.), a therapist can perform a comprehensive gait analysis through subjective and, or objective methods, such as visual observation, kinematic analysis, and force plate analysis. This provides insights into a dog's health and enables the identification and diagnosis of gait issues, including orthopedic conditions like hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament ruptures, and neurological disorders such as degenerative myelopathy. Rehabilitation interventions, including manual and physical therapy, hydrotherapy, and electrotherapy, target recovery of specific biomechanical functions by strengthening muscles, improving joint range of motion, and enhancing neuroplasticity. These modalities are often used in combination to optimize recovery and avoid compensatory effects. Early intervention of a multimodal approach allows for optimal recovery of localized conditions while maintaining whole-body health to avoid compensatory secondary effects of an injury. Using gait analysis to assess patients throughout rehabilitation provides feedback on intervention effectiveness, and enables adaptation to the patient's needs. Additionally, maintaining animal welfare standards is important to ensure humane interventions that minimise pain and discomfort throughout the rehabilitation process. A comprehensive understanding of canine anatomy and biomechanics, combined with practical application of gait analysis, enables veterinary professionals to provide optimal care for dogs during gait rehabilitation, improve patient outcomes and enhance their overall well-being.