Do you like dogs and field medicine research?

[rkreis]

Help us help dogs and veterinarians!
Students from Midwestern University CVM are working to check a system of estimating a dog's weight from a measurement of their neck, chest and length. To help, please make sure that you have a measuring tape that measures in INCHES, a recent (within 5 days) and an accurate weight of your dog in POUNDS. Your dog should be at least 2 months of age. Thanks for doing science with us!

dogweighttape.com

dogweighttape.com

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[battie]

That's some great timing. I just inherited a very fat Golden that's getting a visit next week.

 

[DVMDream]

What's the reason for wanting to use measuring tape to estimate weight? I'm just confused on how this would be beneficial.

 

[Caiter92]

What's the reason for wanting to use measuring tape to estimate weight? I'm just confused on how this would be beneficial.

I mean, it would make weighing dogs at home way easier for owners. Plus give house call vets another option to weigh so they’re not either having to lug around a giant scale to weigh large dogs they can’t do the hold and weigh and then subtract method with. Even in clinic it could be used for giant dogs that are too terrified to get on a scale on their own and are hard to life up on to.

 

[PippyPony]

What's the reason for wanting to use measuring tape to estimate weight? I'm just confused on how this would be beneficial.

I could see how it might be helpful for at-home weight loss tracking in large dogs

Also potentially rural field medicine, like if you don't have access to a scale but want to estimate a weight more accurately than just eyeballing it (for some kind of emergency medication, idk)

 

[PippyPony]

Neck measurement and length is interesting because that's where I feel like a lot of large animal weight tapes fail -- they don't really take conformational differences into account.

 

[DVMDream]

I mean, it would make weighing dogs at home way easier for owners. Plus give house call vets another option to weigh so they’re not either having to lug around a giant scale to weigh large dogs they can’t do the hold and weigh and then subtract method with. Even in clinic it could be used for giant dogs that are too terrified to get on a scale on their own and are hard to life up on to.

Didn't think of the house call vets.

I don't trust owners to do anything accurately, based on my experiences from dealing with them.

 

[DVMDream]

I've never had a dog I couldn't get on the scale....even a large terrified one.

 

[Caiter92]

I have had a lot of dogs it has taken three or more people to get onto the scale and they were absolutely petrified. We barely got the terrified 120 pound berner on to the scale last week. I’d definitely rather not put them through that stress if there was another way to weigh them.

 

[DVMDream]

I could see how it might be helpful for at-home weight loss tracking in large dogs

Also potentially rural field medicine, like if you don't have access to a scale but want to estimate a weight more accurately than just eyeballing it (for some kind of emergency medication, idk)

You going to bust out a tape measure for ER meds or go with your rough guesstimate? I mean....they don't get deader... if you're off by a few pounds it won't be of any consequence when talking emergency meds. The few 0.x or 0.0x mls you might be off by an accurate weight dose isn't going to matter.

 

[PippyPony]

I've never had a dog I couldn't get on the scale....even a large terrified one.

Is it worth it to get them on the scale if they're large and terrified?

I think I'd strongly prefer a tape measure to a 15 min struggle that freaks out the patient before they even walk into an exam room

 

[DVMDream]

I have had a lot of dogs it has taken three or more people to get onto the scale and they were absolutely petrified. We barely got the terrified 120 pound berner on to the scale last week. I’d definitely rather not put them through that stress if there was another way to weigh them.

I've had many a tech complain about this... I make it a fun game for the dog and don't have issues. Even the terrified ones that put on the brakes and run away, I haven't had a problem. Now the aggressive ones, well, they get eyeball weight, but can't use a tape measure either on those.

I can see its use for house call vets or maybe other countries where scales are hard to come by, but doubt it'll be much use in your typical brick and mortar clinic.

I forgot about the house call thing.

 

[PippyPony]

I've had many a tech complain about this...

getting off topic, but I don't see why it is a bad thing for techs to express concern over patient fear & stress.

 

[DVMDream]

Is it worth it to get them on the scale if they're large and terrified?

I think I'd strongly prefer a tape measure to a 15 min struggle that freaks out the patient before they even walk into an exam room

Never taken me 15 minutes nor would I struggle with any dog that long... nor have I seen anyone spend that long attempting to get a weight before being successful.

The patient that terrified is already freaked out before the exam room, just the entrance to the building freaked them out.

You think a tape measure around their neck and chest won't be potentially odd/scary too?

 

[DVMDream]

getting off topic, but I don't see why it is a bad thing for techs to express concern over patient fear & stress.

Never said it was. Why do you take things out of context?

 

[PippyPony]

Poor unsuspecting DVM student posts research project looking for help with data gathering, and gets the whole validity of their project questioned. Yeesh.

Sorry OP. I don't have a dog right now but I would participate if I did.

 

[DVMDream]

Poor unsuspecting DVM student posts research project looking for help with data gathering, and gets the whole validity of their project questioned. Yeesh.

All I did was ask how this would be of benefit in the field. A question that any person running a research project should easily and happily be able to answer.

You all came on and gave legitimate places where it could be used--- house call vets (which dead serious, I didn't even think about) and rural areas. Then I added in thinking about it more that this could maybe help vets in say third world countries where scales might be limited. I am happy to see there are some legitimate places this could be utilized and look forward to seeing what comes of the topic.

I disagree on how beneficial you think it would be in brick and mortar clinics based on my experience in dealing with even terrified dogs. We don't have to agree on everything. If you want to bust out a measuring tape for a terrified dog, great, go for it. I will keep using desensitization, treats and motivation and get the dog on the scale. Neither method is more "right" or "wrong".

Why exactly is it wrong to ask someone how their research will provide benefit to the community as a whole?

 

[mmmdreamerz]

All I did was ask how this would be of benefit in the field. A question that any person running a research project should easily and happily be able to answer.

You all came on and gave legitimate places where it could be used--- house call vets (which dead serious, I didn't even think about) and rural areas. Then I added in thinking about it more that this could maybe help vets in say third world countries where scales might be limited. I am happy to see there are some legitimate places this could be utilized and look forward to seeing what comes of the topic.

I disagree on how beneficial you think it would be in brick and mortar clinics based on my experience in dealing with even terrified dogs. We don't have to agree on everything. If you want to bust out a measuring tape for a terrified dog, great, go for it. I will keep using desensitization, treats and motivation and get the dog on the scale. Neither method is more "right" or "wrong".

Why exactly is it wrong to ask someone how their research will provide benefit to the community as a whole?

I think it’s a tone thing IMO because honestly I read your response similarly to Pippy. It’s one thing to say “hey, I’m interested in your project, can you explain what you guys are trying to do?” And “I'm just confused on how this would be beneficial.“

One is inherently more supportive/positive. The OP wasn’t asking for opinions on the usefulness of their project, just help with it.

Which word your posts however you want, obv...and this maybe wasnt your intent, I’m just explaining how it came off to me and maybe what Pippy meant (though I would never claim to speak for her).

 

[itsrocky]

For the big spooky pups, my clinic has one of those Canis Major exam tables and honestly it is the best. You can lower it down, entice them to step on up—which honestly many of them seem to do just fine—and then you raise it up and you have a weight and a good place to examine them. I love it!

and as everyone has already said I’ll likely be doing some field stuff at my new job and suckkkkk at estimating weights, so it’ll be interesting to see what this research finds.

 

[DVMDream]

I think it’s a tone thing IMO because honestly I read your response similarly to Pippy. It’s one thing to say “hey, I’m interested in your project, can you explain what you guys are trying to do?” And “I'm just confused on how this would be beneficial.“

One is inherently more supportive/positive. The OP wasn’t asking for opinions on the usefulness of their project, just help with it.

Which word your posts however you want, obv...and this maybe wasnt your intent, I’m just explaining how it came off to me and maybe what Pippy meant (though I would never claim to speak for her).

It has been repeated on here numerous times to assume positive intent.

The problem here, is that most of us don't know each other personally and, if we did, we'd realize we're being ridiculous picking apart the way they word something on an internet forum as we'd know they don't mean it negatively.


No, the OP wasn't asking for opinions on the usefulness of the project, nor was I going to give any. I was simply asking how they see their project being of benefit. Which will be the top question asked if you ever develop a research project that needs to be funded. Why this project and how is it beneficial?

I was curious how they are going to use this information. I still am, since people here didn't allow the OP to answer him/herself regarding how they are wanting to utilize the information found.

 

[Lupin21]

And if good intent is not your personal take, perhaps neutral is as good as it gets until you gather more information. The best discussions start with simple, well thought out replies. Leave hostility at the door and come into a welcomed conversational environment. Eager to listen and respond with renewed understanding.

 

[that redhead]

Interesting concept. I'll check my dog, but I wonder if he'll skew the data with his Corgi body