A Comparison Between Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training and Conventional Over-Ground Training in Dogs With Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

This study compares two methods of rehabilitation for dogs with incomplete spinal cord injuries: body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) and conventional over-ground training (COGI). The goal was to see which method leads to better and faster recovery of walking ability. Dogs with surgically treated spinal cord injuries were divided into two groups. Both groups received underwater treadmill training for the first two weeks, then one group received BWSTT and the other COGI for the next two weeks, alongside functional electrical stimulation. The study found that dogs undergoing BWSTT generally recovered faster and had better outcomes compared to those undergoing COGI. This suggests that BWSTT may be a more effective rehabilitation method for dogs with this type of injury.

• 1
  Functional recovery was achieved in 90% of all dogs, and 100% recovered bladder function, indicating the effectiveness of both rehabilitation approaches.
• 2
  The BWSTT group showed 100% recovery within an average of 4.6 weeks, while the COGI group had 78% recovery within 6.1 weeks, indicating a faster recovery with BWSTT.
• 3
  Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in recovery between the two groups (p < 0.001), favoring BWSTT over COGI in terms of Open Field Score (OFS) improvements.