Rebecca Sidwell, Veterinary Physiotherapist and Lecturer in Veterinary Physiotherapy and Canine Animal Therapy, and Ruth Bentley Colquhoun, Course Manager/Lecturer in Equine and Animal Science at the college, have been leading the research.
They were supported by veterinary physiotherapy BSc Hons students Stephen Buck and Shanice Green.
The team conducted a research project to test the product’s effectiveness on supporting dogs diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the lower limb joints.
The research involved 12 dogs whose movement was analysed for three weeks to gather baseline data, before their owners were tasked with using the light wraps at specific intervals over an 11-week period.
The dogs visited the college a number of times throughout the trial and a variety of tests were conducted to measure the dogs’ range of joint motion and their movement was also videoed.
The data was then analysed and found that the dogs showed a significant improvement in their range of knee motion. A full report on the results is now being compiled.
Moreton Morrell College is part of WCG (Warwickshire College Group) and WCUC (Warwickshire College and University Centre).
Rebecca said: “DermaWrap originally began creating LED face masks for humans before branching out into the veterinary field, so this was an excellent opportunity to collaborate with an established company to test the efficacy of a product which can be used at home to support pets.
“It was also a good opportunity for the students involved to gain hands-on experience in conducting a research project.
“All of the dogs involved had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis by a vet, and we could see the animals becoming increasingly comfortable with us gathering data as the trial progressed.
“We have seen some extremely positive results, including increased limb movements. I also attended Crufts with the company to speak about the research project, and some existing users of the product also gave some positive feedback which was good to see.
“Osteoarthritis is such a debilitating disease, so it was lovely to see the animals improve during the trial and fantastic to be involved in research for a product which could make a real difference to the lives of pets with the condition.
“I would like to thank all of those who took part in the project, as this research wouldn’t have been possible without them. We now hope to use this research model to collaborate with other companies in the future.”
For more on the light wraps, visit https://healedpets.co.uk/ and for details on the courses available at WCG and WCUC, visit https://wcg.ac.uk/study
