Shorter stride length in senior dog may indicate dementia, similar to human
A shorter stride between front legs of a senior dog could be an early warning sign of dementia, similar to how a reduced step length is a sign of cognitive decline among humans, according to a study.
Changes to stride are thought to be driven by a deterioration in the function of the brain's frontal cortex and the cerebellum, responsible for planning and monitoring movement, researchers said.
Results published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science indicate that a 10-point increase in dementia score of a dog may translate into a 1.2 per cent reduction in the relative stride length of the front legs.
They also suggest that a change in stride length of one's pet should prompt owners to seek veterinary help earlier.
"Here we show that the length of front leg stride taken by dogs d...
