Timed up and go demonstrates strong interrater agreement and criterion validity as a functional test in geriatric dogs

Abstract

Abstract OBJECTIVE To measure interobserver agreement for 4 functional tasks and their summed geriatric functional score (GFS) and correlate tasks and GFS with client-specific outcome measurements (CSOMs): Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) pain severity, CBPI pain interference, and Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs. ANIMALS 89 geriatric dogs were recruited between April and September 2023 from staff, friends, and clients of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine with a median age of 11.0 years and weight of 26.4 kg. METHODS Dogs underwent 4 sequential functional tests: timed up and go (TUG), cavallettis, figure 8s, and down to stands. Two observers independently scored each dog. The GFS was calculated based on the summed scores of the individual tests. Additional information collected included signalment, weight, measurements reflecting the comorbidities of aging (body condition score and muscle condition score), and CSOMs. RESULTS Strong interrater agreement was found for all functional tests. The TUG in seconds (sTUG) and figure 8s demonstrated significant (P < .05) moderate to strong correlations to all CSOMs. The GFS showed similar significant correlations with all CSOMs except CBPI pain severity; however, when correlating individual tests to CSOMs, only figure 8s and TUG were significantly contributing to GFS results. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis defined highly functional dogs as those completing the sTUG in under 3.83 seconds. The sTUG represented the best test for geriatric function given it was objective, reliable, correlated well to CSOMs, and could help identify highly functioning dogs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The sTUG appears to be the first practical and reliable functional test of canine geriatric mobility.