At the runway's center is a force plate - a metal plate linked to a computer that measures and records the animals' exerted force while running at top speed. The camera runs at 250 or 500 frames per second, depending on how fast the dog is moving. I'll want to track these forces during development as the puppies become more stable in their locomotion. During a test week, puppies and dogs will run one day and have x-rays on another. A local veterinarian will give the dogs a light anesthesia and x-ray their hindlimbs to determine the growth stage of the bones and condition of hip joints.
Veterinarians can identify advanced stages of dysplasia.
But in the early disease stage, when the cartilage begins to break down, dysplasia can't be detected because cartilage is virtually transparent in x-rays. We want to see if we can pick up movement patterns that might hint that an animal will become dysplastic. That would help because although we might not be able to prevent dysplasia, we could lessen the effects by, for example, making sure the animal doesn't become overweight. Student researchers have taken a great interest in the study, Biknevicius says, adding that the playful puppies have had a large appeal. The students assist with all aspects of the research, both testing the dogs and performing data analysis.