Case Report - Detecting Acute Pain in a Dog | PetPace

Acute Pain Monitoring in a Husky: From Hit-by-Car Injury to Full Recovery with PetPace

Case Report - Detecting Acute Pain in a Dog | PetPace

Acute Pain Monitoring in a Husky: From Hit-by-Car Injury to Full Recovery with PetPace

Moli, a 4-year-old, spayed female Siberian Husky cross dog who is generally in good health, was injured by a car when she ran onto the road. A PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar that Moli is wearing documented the pain and discomfort following her injury and her subsequent recovery.

Moli, a healthy and active 4-year-old, spayed female Siberian Husky cross, was hit by a car in the evening hours of Nov. 11, 2023. She suffered scraping wounds and bruises on her left hind leg and inner thigh. She was treated with antibiotics, painkillers, and an Elizabethan collar.

A PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar that Moli is wearing documented multiple changes in the days following the injury.

  • Pulse rate increased significantly from an average of 59 beats per minute to over 90 in the hours following the injury (chart 1) and to a daily average of 66 on the next day. On subsequent days, following treatment and clinical improvement, the average daily pulse gradually decreased back to its normal levels (chart 2). 
Screenshot 2023 12 10 at 15.44.16 Acute Pain Monitoring in a Husky: From Hit-by-Car Injury to Full Recovery with PetPace
Chart 1 – increased pulse rate in the hours following a mild hit-by-car injury 
Screenshot 2023 12 10 at 15.46.45 Acute Pain Monitoring in a Husky: From Hit-by-Car Injury to Full Recovery with PetPace
Chart 2 – average daily pulse increased on the day of the injury and on the next day, followed by a gradual decrease back to normal levels, corresponding with proper treatment and clinical improvement.
  • Resting pulse rate, which is the pulse rate measured specifically during times of deep rest, increased significantly and triggered a red flag in the PetPace Biometric Profile feature (chart 3). 
Screenshot 2023 12 10 at 15.47.04 Acute Pain Monitoring in a Husky: From Hit-by-Car Injury to Full Recovery with PetPace
Chart 3 – Resting pulse increases to abnormal levels immediately following an injury and later a gradual return to normal (Biometric Profile chart).
  • HRV, a marker for pain and stress, decreased significantly and triggered a red flag in the PetPace Biometric Profile feature (chart 4).
Screenshot 2023 12 10 at 15.47.18 Acute Pain Monitoring in a Husky: From Hit-by-Car Injury to Full Recovery with PetPace
Chart 4 – low HRV, indicating pain and stress following an acute injury, and gradual improvement following treatment and clinical recovery (Biometric Profile chart).
  • Activity score decreased for several days after the injury before returning to normal levels (chart 5)
Screenshot 2023 12 10 at 15.47.29 Acute Pain Monitoring in a Husky: From Hit-by-Car Injury to Full Recovery with PetPace
Chart 5 – acute decrease in activity score and gradual return to normal activity following an injury
  • Posture score decreased for several days after the injury before returning to normal levels (chart 6)
Screenshot 2023 12 10 at 15.47.45 Acute Pain Monitoring in a Husky: From Hit-by-Car Injury to Full Recovery with PetPace
Chart 6 – acute decrease in posture score (a feature measuring the frequency of posture changes) and gradual return to normal levels following an injury.

Following treatment, Moli gradually improved clinically and returned to normal behavior and activity within a few days. As described above, the collar accurately documented both the acute injury and the gradual improvement in the following days. 

“This case underscores the accuracy and value of the PetPace collar in detecting health issues quickly, followed by tracking treatment efficacy and eventual recovery and return to normal levels”,

said Dr. Asaf Dagan, DVM, DABVP, PetPace Chief Veterinary Scientist. 

Ayelet Ben-Zvi, the owner of Moli, added:

“Seeing Moli’s vitals helped us monitor her condition in the hours after the injury, making sure she is not in a life-threatening situation, and then giving us peace of mind in knowing that her recovery is moving forward as expected”.

About PetPace

Our mission is to help pets live a good, long, and healthy life. PetPace is composed of veterinarians, IoT professionals, engineers, algorithms experts, data specialists, and pet owners who founded the company in 2012. We continue to perform thorough research with top universities and research institutes worldwide to constantly improve our wearable technology abilities – to continue protecting the lives of our pets.

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