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

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; ), the healthy (non-OA; ) with swimming group (H-SW), and the healthy (non-OA; ) 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 ( ) at week 8 compared to pretreatment, while pain on palpation was improved ( ) at week 6. The relative level of serum CS-WF6 in the OA-SW group was found to be significantly different ( ) 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 ( ) higher than preexercise. Conclusion, swimming over 2-day period, 8 weeks continually, can improve the function of OA joint. 1. Introduction One of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders in canines is osteoarthritis (OA). Dogs with OA show clinical signs including lameness, increasing immobility, and muscle weakness, which can lead to a reduction in quality of life. Although OA cannot be cured, long-term management of the disease can be very rewarding for the veterinarian and pet owner. Managing pain with pain medications is an essential first step, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotective drugs [1]. There are also physical modalities available for pain reduction [2]. Weight management and nutritional joint support are also important aspects of managing OA. Moreover, physical rehabilitation is a great way to improve mobility and keep dogs active as they age [3]. And finally there is surgical management, for example, chondrocyte transplantation, arthrodesis, and arthroplasty [4, 5]. Rehabilitation protocols in the veterinary field are modeled after those proven to be beneficial in people. Although much research has been published on the use of swimming as physical therapy for humans, there have been few controlled studies on swimming as a treatment protocol for dogs. However, many reports have shown the advantages of rehabilitation programs for dogs [6–12]. Current guidelines recommend rehabilitation methods as a first-line option for OA management. Reflect the fact that swimming, walking, and massage