Dog Owner Dashboard

Diagnosis

Reliability and validity of a visual analogue scale used by owners to measure chronic pain attributable to osteoarthritis in their dogs

Summary:

“To assess validity and reliability for a visual analogue scale (VAS) used by owners to measure chronic pain in their osteoarthritic dogs.”

Conclusion:

“Although valid and reliable, the pain VAS was a poor tool for untrained owners because of poor face validity (ie, owners could not recognize their dogs’ behavior as signs of pain). Only after owners had seen pain diminish and then return (after starting and discontinuing NSAID use) did the VAS have face validity.”

Author & Journal:Hielm-Björkman, Anna K, et al, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2011
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Accuracy of pressure plate kinetic asymmetry indices and their correlation with visual gait assessment scores in lame and nonlame dogs

Summary:

“To determine the accuracy of pressure plate kinetic asymmetry indices (ASIs) for diagnosis of unilateral hind limb lameness in dogs and their correlation with visual gait assessment (VGA) scores.”

Conclusion:

“Results indicated that ASIs of PVF and VI deter- mined via analysis of pressure plate measurements were reliable indicators of clinical lame- ness in dogs, but the ASI of PVP was not. The ASI of PCA is an interesting new variable for assessment of limb loading symmetry.”

Author & Journal:Oosterlinck, Maarten, et al, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2011
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Diagnostic value of intra-articular anaesthetic in primary osteoarthritis of the hip.

Summary:

“We investigated 42 patients who were being considered for primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), but in whom it was uncertain whether the hip was the source of their pain.”

Conclusion:

“Of 33 patients who gained pain relief from their injection, 32 subsequently had successful THA. The remaining patient has not had surgery.”

Author & Journal:Crawford, R.W., et al, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1998
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Evaluation of Construct and Criterion Validity for the ‘Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs’ (LOAD) Clinical Metrology Instrument and Comparison to Two Other Instruments

Summary:

“To test the ‘Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs’ (LOAD) questionnaire for construct and criterion validity, and to similarly test the Helsinki Chronic Pain Index (HCPI) and the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI).”

Conclusion:

“LOAD is an owner-completed clinical metrology instrument that can be recommended for the measurement of canine osteoarthritis. It is convenient to use, validated and, as demonstrated here for the first time, has a correlation with force-platform data.”

Author & Journal:Walton, Myles Benjamin, et al, PLoS One, 2013
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