New questionnaire to identify dog mobility issues
The questionnaire will detect mobility issues, even where they are mild.
A new questionnaire will be able to establish if a dog is experiencing mobility issues, even if they are mild.
The GenPup-M questionnaire, created by researchers at the University of Liverpool with Dogs Trust, provides veterinary surgeons with a selection of questions to ask owners about their dog’s wellbeing and physical abilities, to assess their dog’s mobility.
The researchers say that it is estimated that up to 50 per cent of UK dogs are diagnosed with reduced mobility between the ages of eight and thirteen years. However, many mobility questionnaires only monitored the condition once it had become severe.
The new questionnaire is expected to detect mobility issues even when they are mild, enabling owners to start discussing their dog’s mobility early and consider ways they can improve its welfare.
A study into the efficiency of the questionnaire was conducted by the university, assessing how well it identified mobility issues in 62 dogs. Of these dogs, 31 had mobility impairments and 31 did not.
The responses of the GenPup-M questions were then compared to the results of further specialist tests, including gait analysis, in a validated orthopaedic examination.
The results suggested that the questionnaire was accurately able to detect mobility issues, including where the impairments were early in onset. The GenPup-M questionnaire correlated positively with three other measures of canine mobility, including the gait analysis.
Natasha Clark, a veterinary surgeon and researcher in the Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science at the University of Liverpool, said: “Over time and if done at every check-up, the GenPup-M questionnaire can detect subtle changes in a dog's mobility, without the need for time consuming and expensive gait analysis. The tool can also aid vets in diagnosing and hopefully mitigating the development of mobility issues.
“Our research does not stop here and we will continue to research and develop GenPup-M to refine it as an even more effective tool for vets and dog care-givers.”
The academic paper on the questionnaire is published in the journal PlosOne.
Image © Shutterstock
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
