Echocardiographic, dopplerfluxometric and thermographic evaluation of adult healthy dogs submitted to different frequencies of whole-body vibration using the TheraPlate vibrating platform

Abstract

Vibrating platforms (VP) are devices that produce rhythmic mechanical vibrations that propagate throughout the body generating the Whole-body vibrations (WBV). They are used in protocols for physical rehabilitation exercises and in the adjuvant treatment of various conditions in human patients. Information on the effects of different WBV frequencies on the echocardiographic, dopplerfluxometric and thermographic parameters of adult healthy dogs is not present in the literature, fact that reinforces the importance of the current study and also it's potential for novelty. The aims of this study is to evaluate the acute effects of different frequencies of WBV using TheraPlate PV by evaluation of echocardiography, dopplerfluxometry and superficial infrared thermographic imaging in adult healthy dogs. At least 10 adult healthy dogs, medium to large size, breed and sex varied will be used. Dogs will undergo a single WBV session with different frequencies of vibration, starting at the frequency of 30 Hz for 5 minutes, increasing to the frequency of 40 Hz for 5 minutes and finishing with the frequency of 50 Hz for 5 minutes. The evaluation of the superficial temperature, by infrared thermography, of the regions of the gluteal muscles, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris of both limbs; and dopplerfluxometric evaluation of the femoral and carotid arteries and the echocardiogram will be performed before the dogs are submitted to WBV session, between the increase of the vibration frequencies and after the WBV session. Hemogram and renal, hepatic and muscular serum biochemical blood values will be assessed before the WBV session and after the WBV session. Statistical analysis will be used for analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated samples, with contrasts by Tukey test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Data that do not assemble the normality characteristics will be used Friedman test. For comparison between the four groups of the study, analysis of variance for independent samples (ANOVA One way) for normal data, and Kruskal-Wallis test, for data outside the normality conditions will be used. Differences will be considered significant with p  0.05.