Timed Up and Go demonstrates strong repeatability and correlates with vigorous activity as measured by accelerometry in geriatric dogs.

OBJECTIVE

To measure repeatability within and between sessions of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test in geriatric dogs and investigate associations between TUG times and home activity as measured by accelerometry.

METHODS

Geriatric dogs were recruited in April 2024 to perform 2 sessions of TUG testing 20 days apart. Each session consisted of 3 trials separated by 1-minute rest periods. Dogs wore collar-mounted accelerometers between sessions. Client-specific outcome measures, including Canine Brief Pain Inventory and Liverpool Osteoarthritis for Dogs, were compared between sessions to ensure functional stability. Repeatability was evaluated using intraclass correlation and Bland-Altman approaches.

RESULTS

30 dogs were enrolled, of which 24 (median age, 13 years; median weight, 26 kg) met inclusion criteria for analyses. For all within- and between-sessions testing, coefficients of repeatability were < 1.63 seconds, intraclass correlation coefficients were > 0.92, and coefficients of variation were < 10%. Vigorous activity was negatively correlated with TUG times for both sessions (ρ = -0.5). No differences in client-specific outcome measures between sessions and no other correlations between activity measures and TUG times were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

The TUG test is repeatable within and between sessions in functionally stable geriatric dogs; however, differences of 2 seconds or less may represent normal variation. In-clinic TUG times correlate to vigorous activity at home, and both measures may be reflective of short-duration maximal capacity effort.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study further supports the TUG test as a reliable and valid measure of canine geriatric function.