Pelvic limb joint motion increases with treadmill walking speed in healthy Beagles.

Treadmill walking speed must be standardized when interpreting pelvic limb ROM in canine gait analysis.

This prospective kinematic study evaluated the effect of four standardized treadmill walking speeds on sagittal-plane pelvic limb joint motion in eight healthy Beagles using 3-D motion analysis. Dogs were assessed at 1.1, 1.8, 2.5, and 3.2 km/h, with 10 gait cycles averaged per speed per dog. Linear mixed-effects models were used to quantify speed-related changes in peak extension angle, peak flexion angle, and range of motion (ROM) at the hip, stifle, and tarsus. Results demonstrated a significant, linear increase in ROM with speed across all three joints. For each 1 km/h increase in speed, ROM increased by 6.11° at the hip, 5.37° at the stifle, and 3.66° at the tarsus. Joint-specific patterns were identified: hip and stifle ROM increases were driven by both greater peak extension and reduced peak flexion, whereas tarsal ROM changes were predominantly attributable to decreased peak flexion. One trial was excluded after gait classification identified a trot rather than a walk, underscoring the importance of gait verification. The study provides speed-stratified normative kinematic reference values for Beagles and highlights that even modest variations in treadmill speed meaningfully alter ROM measurements. These findings have direct implications for canine rehabilitation and orthopedic assessment, emphasizing that walking speed must be standardized or statistically controlled when comparing treadmill-derived kinematic data across patients, time points, or clinical studies.

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