Three-Legged Dogs In Research Study

I came across this story below in Science Daily over the holiday weekend, and thought it was worth sharing.  People have often asked us whether we thought it was harder for a dog to lose a front leg or a rear leg.  This was always difficult to answer, because it sometimes seemed to depend on the dog's size, build, and agility.  But one thing we could answer was this:  Later in life, it is definitely more difficult to be missing a rear leg, because when an old dog develops hip dysplasia, having just one rear leg to use for getting up and down is a real challenge.  Having said that, here's a study that answers the first question quite definitively.  The photo above is Ella, a beautiful three-legged model if there ever was one.

Three-Legged Dogs Boost Robot Research

Science Daily (June 30, 2010) — The new research looked at walking and running techniques in dogs with fore-limb or hind-limb amputations, using a treadmill and a set of high-tech infra-red cameras.

The scientists found different coping techniques or "compensation strategies," depending on which limb was missing, with absent fore-limbs proving more complicated.

The study, part of an EU project to improve robot efficiency and usability, is intended to help develop robots that can adapt in the event of an "injury."

The research is being presented at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Meeting in Prague on Thursday 1st July 2010.

"Natural terrestrial locomotion is designed for an even number of limbs. After limb loss (e.g. by an injury) a reorganisation of the locomotive system is required," explains Martin Groß, who is carrying out the research at the University of Jena in Germany.

Adjusting to missing a fore-limb is more difficult for the dog to deal with than for a hind-limb, according to the researchers.

If a fore-limb is missing, the remaining limbs must undergo careful adaptation to co-ordinate with each other, a process known as "gait compensation."

With a hind-leg amputation, the scientists found that the fore-limbs continue to act as they would normally in a four-legged dog, showing little or no compensation strategy.

The scientists think the reason for the difference is due to the higher loading of the fore-limbs in comparison to the hind-limbs, because of the distribution of body weight.

During the study, dogs with fore-limb and hind-limb amputations ran on a treadmill for 2 minutes at a time, which was synchronised to a set of 10 high-speed infrared cameras.

Reflective markers positioned on the skin allowed the scientists to follow the movement of separate parts of the body through time, tracing out a trajectory. They then made complex comparisons of the characteristics of movement, known as kinematics, between dogs with different limbs missing and also with the "normal" movement of four-legged dogs.

This research is currently ongoing and the scientists hope to make considerable further measurements to consolidate their findings so far.

To develop a more comprehensive understanding of locomotive activity, future work under the EU Locomorph project will examine voluntary and involuntary changes to body movement in a wide range of different animals including humans.

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Comments

[Chloe]

There was an article recently online about a British cat named Oscar who received 2 prosthetic back feet. He is apparently doing very well. I thought of him when I read your blog posting.

Love to beautiful Ella!

[Laura, Levi & Timmy]

Interesting study. I will have to keep that in mind with Timmy. His gait is different as you well know..kind of reminds you of a Kangaroo when he runs!! HA!! Maybe I should have renamed him Captain..as in Captain Kanagroo!! Nah..Timmy suits him. Hope you are settling in and Ella is gorgeous!!

[ginger]

Ella doesn't seem to be bothered by the study results. She's so pretty. She has such a sweet face.
Hugs all around,
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit

[Lynn (in Louisiana)]

Just so everyone knows... the four dogs used in this study were "found by asking dog lovers on the Internet". The researchers hope to recruit more three-legged dogs from veterinary schools for further studies. See
www.technewsdaily.com/three-legged-dogs-teach-robots-new-tricks-0794/

[Ann]

Ella is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing that study article, it was very interesting reading.

[Nina]

Truly Ella is a precious and beautiful model!

[Ev]

How is everyone dealing with the change from dry MT to humid NH summer heat? Do you have AC?

[Kathleen Rivard]

I guess my comment went off into never never land. I thought the study interesting and I would have guessed just the opposite of the findings. When will we get an updated picture of "Bella Ella"?

[Kathy and Harley]

Ella is such a beautiful dog. I don't think she even knows that there is something different about her. In my eyes and I hope in anyone who has undying love for animals, knows they are beautiful no matter what.Thank you for the information also.

[Marisa]

Geez...I sure hope these dogs came to the study missing limbs. Awful to think that the creators of the study may have amputated the limbs to facilitate their goals. Awful...but all too familiar in the research world.

[Lynn (in Louisiana)]

I saw this article on the Huffington Post last week. I immediately thought of you and even thought of sending you a link. But, you've requested no email (totally understandable) and I figured somehow you'd see it anyway!!
Please don't tell the others, but Ella is one of my favorties. :-)

[Kathleen Rivard]

That is an interesting study. It's a good thing that Bella Ella is young enough to build the muscle mass she needs to compensate for the fore leg loss. When do we get an updated photo of our beauty?

[Tracy McBride]

Very interesting - thank you for posting. Our rescued lab mix, Maggie, has a missing left hind leg and a crippled left fore leg. She is 2 now and doesn't let it slow her down though I've been concerned about her mobility when she gets older. Maggie's walk is very awkward. However, her run is a thing of grace and beauty!

[Lynne Parker]

I wonder if the scientists simply discovered what you already intuitively know from watching your charges.

I hope you are all coping with the heat up there. That kind of thing is normal for South Carolina but is a real hardship in the New England area.

[Barb Ribinski]

Seems to me that your insight into the older dog dilemma of a missing hind leg with hip dyplasia would be helpful to the scientists involved in this paper. And while your observations may not be in a scientific setting, everyday life is often the best teacher. As for Ela, she certainly is a beauty.

[Penny]

Ella, YOU are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!!!!

[Shirley * James/Portland, OR]

Ella is a true beauty!!!