Effect of Swimming on Clinical Functional Parameters and Serum Biomarkers in Healthy and Osteoarthritic Dogs

Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether swimming could improve function of osteoarthritic joints in canine hip OA. Fifty-five dogs were categorized into three groups. The OA with swimming group (OA-SW; n = 22), the healthy (non-OA; n = 18) with swimming group (H-SW), and the healthy (non-OA; n = 15) without swimming group (H-NSW). All animals were allowed to swim for a total of 8 weeks (2-day period, 3 cycles of swimming for 20 minutes, and resting period for 5 minutes in each cycle). Three ml of blood was collected every 2 weeks for evaluation of the levels of biomarkers for OA, including chondroitin sulfate epitope WF6 (CS-WF6) and hyaluronan (HA). Clinical evaluation of the OA-SW group found that most parameters showed improvement (P < 0.01) at week 8 compared to pretreatment, while pain on palpation was improved (P < 0.01) at week 6. The relative level of serum CS-WF6 in the OA-SW group was found to be significantly different (P < 0.01) at weeks 6 and 8 compared with the preexercise. The levels of serum HA of the H-SW group in weeks 2–8 were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than preexercise. Conclusion, swimming over 2-day period, 8 weeks continually, can improve the function of OA joint.

Osteoarthritis in two marine mammals and 22 land mammals: learning from skeletal remains

“…Osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative joint disease is one of the most common and important non-inflammatory joint diseases in many mammalian species, such as human, dog and cat (Sarzi-Puttini et al 2005;Lawrence et al 2008;Arzi et al 2013;Nganvongpanit et al 2014). The primary characterization of this disease includes degradation of the articular surface of joints associated with thickening of the underlying bone by subchondral bone sclerosis and osteophyte formation (Sarzi-Puttini et al 2005;Buckwalter & Martin, 2006).…”

Effects of dietary calcium fructoborate supplementation on joint comfort and flexibility and serum inflammatory markers in dogs with osteoarthritis

“…Dogs in the swimming treatment groups were allowed three 20-minute swim times in an outdoor pool twice a week for a period of 8 weeks. Lameness, joint mobility, pain on palpation, weight-bearing, and overall scores of the OA-SW group were decreased (P < 0.05) on week 8 (2.48; 1.48; 1.48; 1.48; 1.19, respectively) compared to baseline (3.00; 1.76; 2.00; 2.05; 1.62, respectively) using a subjective test conducted by two veterinarians 30-minutes apart (Nganvongpanit et al, 2014). Flexion and extension of both hip joints also were improved (P < 0.05) at week 8 compared to baseline for the OA-SW group (Nganvongpanit et al, 2014).…”

“…Lameness, joint mobility, pain on palpation, weight-bearing, and overall scores of the OA-SW group were decreased (P < 0.05) on week 8 (2.48; 1.48; 1.48; 1.48; 1.19, respectively) compared to baseline (3.00; 1.76; 2.00; 2.05; 1.62, respectively) using a subjective test conducted by two veterinarians 30-minutes apart (Nganvongpanit et al, 2014). Flexion and extension of both hip joints also were improved (P < 0.05) at week 8 compared to baseline for the OA-SW group (Nganvongpanit et al, 2014). Hydrotherapy, in the form of underwater treadmill or swimming pools, is an effective form of therapy shown to improve ROM and decrease clinical signs of OA by both subjective and objective measures.…”

“…Rehabilitation therapies, such as stretching, acupuncture, and hydrotherapy, have been shown to have positive outcomes on symptoms of OA in dogs (Crook et al, 2007;Levine et al, 2010;Levine et al, 2004;Millis and Levine, 1997;Nganvongpanit et al, 2014). An at-home rehabilitation program for Labrador Retrievers (n = 8; mean age = 7.5 years) suffering from OA consisted of stretching the affected joint to full flexion and extension for 10 seconds, 10 times/day for a total of 21 days (Crook et al, 2007).…”

“…A study conducted on healthy dogs (n = 10; mean age = 5.7 years; mean BW = 25.4 kg) tested the vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), the force with the largest magnitude that the ground imparts on the body in the vertical direction, at 3 water levels (tarsal, stifle, and hip joints) and demonstrated a reduction (P < 0.001) of vGRF of 9, 15, and 62%, respectively (Levine et al, 2010). A hydrotherapy study conducted by Nganvongpanit et al (2014) assigned dogs to three treatments: OA-SW (OA + swimming; n = 22), H-SW (healthy + swimming; n = 18), and H-NSW (healthy + no swimming; n = 15). Dogs in the swimming treatment groups were allowed three 20-minute swim times in an outdoor pool twice a week for a period of 8 weeks.…”