Prevalence of disorders recorded in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England - PubMed (original) (raw)

Prevalence of disorders recorded in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England

Dan G O Neill et al. PLoS One. 2014.

Abstract

Purebred dog health is thought to be compromised by an increasing occurence of inherited diseases but inadequate prevalence data on common disorders have hampered efforts to prioritise health reforms. Analysis of primary veterinary practice clinical data has been proposed for reliable estimation of disorder prevalence in dogs. Electronic patient record (EPR) data were collected on 148,741 dogs attending 93 clinics across central and south-eastern England. Analysis in detail of a random sample of EPRs relating to 3,884 dogs from 89 clinics identified the most frequently recorded disorders as otitis externa (prevalence 10.2%, 95% CI: 9.1-11.3), periodontal disease (9.3%, 95% CI: 8.3-10.3) and anal sac impaction (7.1%, 95% CI: 6.1-8.1). Using syndromic classification, the most prevalent body location affected was the head-and-neck (32.8%, 95% CI: 30.7-34.9), the most prevalent organ system affected was the integument (36.3%, 95% CI: 33.9-38.6) and the most prevalent pathophysiologic process diagnosed was inflammation (32.1%, 95% CI: 29.8-34.3). Among the twenty most-frequently recorded disorders, purebred dogs had a significantly higher prevalence compared with crossbreds for three: otitis externa (P = 0.001), obesity (P = 0.006) and skin mass lesion (P = 0.033), and popular breeds differed significantly from each other in their prevalence for five: periodontal disease (P = 0.002), overgrown nails (P = 0.004), degenerative joint disease (P = 0.005), obesity (P = 0.001) and lipoma (P = 0.003). These results fill a crucial data gap in disorder prevalence information and assist with disorder prioritisation. The results suggest that, for maximal impact, breeding reforms should target commonly-diagnosed complex disorders that are amenable to genetic improvement and should place special focus on at-risk breeds. Future studies evaluating disorder severity and duration will augment the usefulness of the disorder prevalence information reported herein.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Murray JK, Browne WJ, Roberts MA, Whitmarsh A, Gruffydd-Jones TJ (2010) Number and ownership profiles of cats and dogs in the UK. Veterinary Record 166: 163–168. - PubMed
    1. Asher L, Buckland E, Phylactopoulos CL, Whiting M, Abeyesinghe S, et al. (2011) Estimation of the number and demographics of companion dogs in the UK. BMC Veterinary Research 7: 74. - PMC - PubMed
    1. PFMA (2012) The Pet Food Manufacturers' Association ‘Statistics’. In: Association TPFM, editor: The Pet Food Manufacturers' Association.
    1. Ownby DR, Johnson C, Peterson EL (2002) Exposure to dogs and cats in the first year of life and risk of allergic sensitization at 6 to 7 years of age. Journal of the American Medical Association 288: 963–972. - PubMed
    1. Friedmann E, Son H (2009) The human–companion animal bond: how humans benefit. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 39: 293–326. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources