DGONeill

The Pug is the fifth most commonly registered UK pedigree breed but has been reported to be predisposed to several disorders including ocular, respiratory and dermatological problems. This VetCompass Programme study characterises the demography and common disorders of the general population of Pugs under veterinary care in England. The complete paper is freely available Open Access at Canine Genetics and Epidemiology.

Canine patellar luxation is one of the most common orthopaedic disorders of dogs and can lead to lameness, osteoarthritis and pain. This study using the VetCompass Programme reports on the prevalence, risk factors and clinical management of diagnosed patellar luxation cases in dogs in the UK. The full article is freely available Open Access at Canine Genetics and Epidemiology.

The first Canine Behavior and Genetics Conference was set in London in June 2015 and had 91 attendees from 10 countries. This paper is a review of the 17 oral presentations by two rapporteurs were invited to attend the conference who also give their own personal conclusions on routes forward for Canine Behavioral Science. The full version of this paper is available at Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research. Editor's Note: The link provided above points to The Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research website. The referenced paper entitled, "The First Canine Behavior and Genetics Conference: Summary and recommendations for future directions in canine behavioral science" is listed as Temporarily Unavailable. We at DogWellNet hope to be able to present content at a later date -- please check back for updates.

Hyperadrenocorticism results from chronic overproduction of cortisol and the welfare of affected dogs can be severely impacted, often showing polyuria, polydipsia,polyphagia, muscle atrophy and dermatological changes. This study within the VetCompass Programme aimed to estimate prevalence and risk factors for diagnosis with hyperadrenocorticism in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in the UK. The estimated prevalence for hyperadrenocorticism diagnosis in dogs was 0·28% (95% confidence interval: 0·25 to 0·31). Associated risk factors included breed, breed-relative bodyweight, age and insurance status. The bichon frise had 6·5 times the odds of hyperadrenocorticism compared with crossbreds. The full publication of 'Epidemiology of hyperadrenocorticism among 210,824 dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in the UK from 2009 to 2014' is available on the JSAP site.

Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder in humans, with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 0.4–1.-% per cent. Epilepsy has also been suggested to be the most common chronic neurological condition in dogs, affecting an estimated prevalence of 1.0–2.0% in referral hospital populations. But, prior to this paper, the prevalence of epilepsy in the general dog population, was unknown. The full publication of Prevalence and risk factors for canine epilepsy of unknown origin in the UK is available on the VetCompass website.

http://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/learn-zone#tab-audio-visual-library

http://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/learn-zone#tab-audio-visual-library

KEARSLEY-FLEET, L., O'NEILL, D. G., VOLK, H. A., CHURCH, D. B. & BRODBELT, D. C. 2013. Prevalence and risk factors for canine epilepsy of unknown origin in the UK. Veterinary Record, 172, 338. Epidemiological evaluation of canine epilepsy is an under-researched area. The objectives of this study were to estimate prevalence and investigate risk factors for epilepsy of unknown origin (EUO) among dogs attending primary veterinary practices in the UK. The current study highlights the clinical importance of epilepsy as a canine disorder in the UK. Increased awareness of sex and breed predispositions may assist clinicians with diagnosis. Further research is merited to evaluate the specific breed associations identified.

O'NEILL, D. G., ELLIOTT, J., CHURCH, D. B., MCGREEVY, P. D., THOMSON, P. C. & BRODBELT, D. C. 2013. Chronic kidney disease in dogs in UK veterinary practices: prevalence, risk factors, and survival. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 27, 814-821. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnosis and survival in dogs. Significant risk factors included increasing age, being insured, and certain breeds. Cardiac disease was a significant comorbid disorder. Significant clinical signs included halitosis, weight loss, polyuria/polydipsia, urinary incontinence, vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, and diarrhoea. Increased awareness of CKD risk factors and association of blood biochemistry results with survival time should facilitate diagnosis and optimize case management to improve animal survival and welfare.

MATTIN, M., O'NEILL, D., CHURCH, D., MCGREEVY, P. D., THOMSON, P. C. & BRODBELT, D. 2014. An epidemiological study of diabetes mellitus in dogs attending first opinion practice in the UK. Veterinary Record, 174, 349. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of canine diabetes mellitus (DM) in primary-care clinics in England, to identify risk factors associated with DM and to describe the survival of affected dogs. This study provides an objective assessment of canine DM using primary-care veterinary practice data and is a valuable benchmark against which future epidemiological trends in DM can be assessed and improvements in the management of DM in primary-care practice can be judged.

O'NEILL, D. G., CHURCH, D. B., MCGREEVY, P. D., THOMSON, P. C. & BRODBELT, D. C. 2013. Longevity and mortality of owned dogs in England. The Veterinary Journal, 198, 638-643. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023313004486?via%3Dihub Improved understanding of longevity represents a significant welfare opportunity for the domestic dog, given its unparalleled morphological diversity. Clinical health data from 102,609 owned dogs attending first opinion veterinary practices (n = 86) in England were analysed. The current findings highlight major breed differences for longevity and support the concept of hybrid vigour in dogs.

MATTIN, M. J., BOSWOOD, A., CHURCH, D. B., LÓPEZ-ALVAREZ, J., MCGREEVY, P. D., O'NEILL, D. G., THOMSON, P. C. & BRODBELT, D. C. 2015. Prevalence of and risk factors for degenerative mitral valve disease in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, n/a-n/a. To date, epidemiological studies on degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) in dogs have largely reported referral caseloads or been limited to predisposed breeds. Analysis of primary-care data to identify factors associated with DMVD would help clinicians identify high-risk individuals and improve understanding. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of and identify risk factors for DMVD in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England. Animals Cases were identified within the electronic patient records of 111,967 dogs attending 93 practices. Four hundred and 5 dogs were diagnosed with DMVD (diagnosed cases) and a further 3,557 dogs had a heart murmur (HM) consistent with DMVD (possible cases). Methods Retrospective cross-sectional study design. Prevalence was adjusted for the sampling approach. Mixed effects logistic regression models identified factors associated with DMVD. Results Prevalence estimates of diagnosed DMVD and HMs consistent with DMVD (both diagnosed and possible cases) were 0.36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29–0.45) and 3.54% (95% CI: 3.26–3.84) respectively. In the multivariable analysis, males had higher odds of diagnosed DMVD than did females (odds ratio [OR] 1.40, 95% CI: 1.12–1.74). Insured dogs had increased odds of DMVD compared with noninsured dogs (OR 3.56, 95% CI: 2.79–4.55) and dogs ≥20 kg had approximately half the odds of DMVD diagnosis compared with dogs <20 kg (OR 0.51, 95% CI: 0.36–0.74). Strong associations between a DMVD diagnosis and individual breeds and age were identified. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Degenerative mitral valve disease was a common disorder in practice-attending dogs. Knowledge of identified risk factors for DMVD could improve clinical diagnosis and direct future research.

SHOOP, S., MARLOW, S., CHURCH, D., ENGLISH, K., MCGREEVY, P., STELL, A., THOMSON, P., O'NEILL, D. & BRODBELT, D. 2015. Prevalence and risk factors for mast cell tumours in dogs in England. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 2, 1. Mast cell tumour (MCT) appears to be a frequent tumour type in dogs, though there is little published in relation to its frequency in dogs in the UK. The current study aimed to investigate prevalence and risk factors for MCTs in dogs attending English primary-care veterinary practices. Electronic patient records from practices participating in the VetCompass animal surveillance project between July 2007 and June 2013 were searched for MCT diagnosis and MCT prevalence for the entire dataset and specific breed types were calculated. Descriptive statistics characterised MCT cases and multivariable logistic regression methods evaluated risk factors for association with MCT. This study highlights a clinically significant prevalence of MCT and identifies specific breed types with predisposition to MCT, potentially aiding veterinarian awareness and facilitating diagnosis.

Concerns have been raised over breed-related health issues in purebred dogs, but reliable prevalence estimates for disorders within specific breeds are sparse. Electronically stored patient health records from primary-care practice are emerging as a useful source of epidemiological data in companion animals. This study used large volumes of health data from UK primary-care practices participating in the VetCompass animal health surveillance project to evaluate in detail the disorders diagnosed in a random selection of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs). Study findings suggest that many of the disorders commonly affecting CKCSs are largely similar to those affecting the general dog population presented for primary veterinary care in the UK. However, cardiac disease (and MVD in particular) continues to be of particular concern in this breed.