New studies on Calgary’s furry friends are set to be performed, and not in a creepy, science-fiction way.
The University of Calgary has announced a new Canine Performance Lab which will help dogs stay healthy into old age by improving early detection and management of common pain and mobility issues.
Renate Weller, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary, said that the lab will help to fill a previously under-explored knowledge gap.
“In humans and in horses, we know a lot about the musculoskeletal system and how movement relates to pain, how movement relates to quality of life, how movement relates to nutrition and a circular relationship between quality of life, well-being, obesity, nutrition and exercise,” she said.
“In dogs we think we see similar phenomena; however, we have little scientific evidence, so this lab is going to look at all those relationships and to take a very holistic, transdisciplinary approach.”
Because dogs can’t put pain or discomfort into words, it’s important to have objective measures to recognize problems before and as they happen, Weller told LWC.
According to the university, pet parents will play a large role in the lab, not only in monitoring and supporting the longevity of their pups, but also in the development of UCalgary course offerings.
Calgary lab one of the first to fill research gap
UCalgary’s veterinary faculty is one of five vet schools in Canada and the only one in Alberta. Weller said that having students learn as much as possible while dealing with unique cases and patients is ideal.
“We have what’s called a distributed model, and that means in our four-year program, the fourth year is done in the workplace, so we have over 100 partner practices,” she said.
“One of those partner practices is Calgary Vet Wellness, and they are specialized in behaviour and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries.”
In addition to their rehab and behaviour classes, Calgary Vet Wellness also has training facilities offering puppy, obedience, and agility classes, among others, which give UCalgary access to a wide range of dogs.
“We are planning on getting data from puppies all the way to old age in normal dogs, where there is no diagnosed issue,” Weller said.
“We’ll look at healthy dogs of different ages, dogs who suffered from musculoskeletal problems, and we can also look at dogs of different breeds and dogs who are used for different purposes.”
Because dogs have limited ability to verbalize what they feel, having and creating objective measures of movement and behaviour are critical for recognizing problems early and tracking whether interventions are working, according to Weller.
Alberta investment in pet medicine
With the lab comes a $1.135 million investment from Champion Petfoods. Jeff Johnston, Research and Innovation Leader at Champion Petfoods, said the company is excited to begin a long-term partnership with UCalgary.
“At Champion, we believe that world-class pet nutrition is born from world-class research. That’s why, as a company founded in Alberta, we are proud to forge this long-term partnership with the experts at UCVM,” he said in a statement.
“This investment isn’t just about funding; it’s a shared vision to advance the science of healthy aging, unlock the secrets to canine vitality and set a new standard for pet wellness for years to come.”
