The Dog Mobility App

Grounded in cutting-edge research, the Dog Mobility App (DogMA) offers a user-friendly and accurate way for dog owners to monitor and better understand their dog’s mobility and wellbeing.

Background

Mobility impairments associated with musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease, affect approximately 200,000 dogs annually and pose a notable challenge to canine health and welfare.

Although musculoskeletal diseases can affect dogs of any age, the early subtle signs of gait abnormalities are sometimes missed by owners. This means that dogs may be in the latter stages of osteoarthritis progression when they are presented to veterinarians.

In response, the DogMA app was developed, allowing the early detection of mobility issues in dogs, including subtle signs of discomfort or decline that are often missed in routine care.

DogMA is backed by scientific research, led by Dr Natasha Clark, as part of her Masters and PhD work at the University of Liverpool, under the supervision of Professors Eithne Comerford and Karl Bates, and conducted in collaboration with Dogs Trust, the UK’s leading dog welfare charity.

By completing regular, guided assessments through the app, users will also have the opportunity to contribute anonymised data to ongoing research at the University of Liverpool, helping to advance the understanding of canine mobility across the UK.

Who can use it?

DogMA is completely free and can be used by:

Owners of healthy dogs
Owners of dogs with diagnosed mobility issues
Veterinary practices
Behaviourists
Trainers
Physiotherapists and other professionals concerned with canine physical health.

How does it work?

The app has been expertly developed by the Digital Innovation and Application Development team (IT Services) within the University of Liverpool, and offers a science-backed, user-friendly tool for dog owners.

Using a structured questionnaire approach, DogMA is a free app which allows owners to track changes in their dog’s mobility over time, identify early signs of musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, and receive tailored advice on whether to seek veterinary support.

When should I use this app?

Owners of healthy dogs can use DogMA for routine monitoring especially before annual or routine checks.

Veterinary practices can advise owners use DogMA as part of ongoing monitoring of dogs with a mobility condition and as part of nurse-led clinics. DogMA can also be used during pain trials to help monitor for changes.

Behaviourists can recommend owners use DogMA if they suspect pain as a cause of a dog's behavioural concerns, especially where that pain may be subtle.

Physiotherapists and other canine health professionals can use DogMA to assess a dog's mobility and understand their exercise patterns.

Features

Free app which allows you to download your dog's mobility report based on the validated GenPup-M questionnaire (Clark, 2023), and share with healthcare professionals
Diary to record your dog’s exercise and medication
Option to support research into dog mobility by sharing your dog’s anonymous data.