Page 11 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Page 11 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2022
P. 11

Research News





            THE TRUE RISKS OF                   FLAT-FACED DOGS AT                  MOST COMMON DISORDERS
            ANAESTHESIA IN DOGS                 HIGHEST RISK OF SKIN                OF PET HAMSTERS
                                                FOLD DERMATITIS
            An    VetCompass  study  revealed  a                                   VetCompass  research  has  revealed
            relatively  low  risk  of  death  from  sedation     VetCompass  research  has  found   the  20  most  common  disorders  in  pet
            and  general  anaesthetics  for  dogs  in  the   that  some  popular  flat-faced  dog  breeds,   hamsters.  Despite  their  popularity,  little
            UK. This up-to-date information can improve   including  the  English  bulldog,  French   research  has  been  done  into  hamster
            shared decision-making between veterinary   bulldog and pug, are at the highest risk of   health. Often purchased by parents as short-
            professionals and owners.           skin fold dermatitis. The study highlights that   commitment pets, hamsters are brought to
              The paper, ‘Mortality Related to General   although  seeming  ‘cute’  to  many  humans,   vets less frequently than other companion
            Anaesthesia  and  Sedation  in  Dogs  under   folded  skin  on  dogs  has  high  health  and   animals. They can also often be difficult to
            UK  Primary  Veterinary  Care’,  which  was   welfare implications.     handle and may hide signs of illness. These
            published  in  Veterinary Anaesthesia  and   Skin fold dermatitis is caused by friction,   factors have made it hard to get good health
            Analgesia,  used  data  from  more  than   excessive  moisture  and  lack  of  ventilation   data.
            150,000  dogs  attending  first  opinion   deep  in  folds  of  skin.  It  often  results  in
            practices around the UK.            pain  throughout  a  dog’s  life.  The  welfare   Hamsters in the UK: Health and life
              The  study  examined  the  overall  risk  of   importance has risen over the past decade   expectancy
            death for each dog with at least one sedation   due to dramatically rising popularity of some   Hamsters are hugely popular as pets in the UK and worldwide. Despite this, very
                                                                                     little is published about their health. As a prey species, hamsters ‘hide’ signs of
            and/or anaesthesia procedure. Anaesthesia   flat-faced dog breeds. Obesity and chronic   illness to protect themselves from predators so owners need to be extra vigilant
                                                                                     to spot illness.
            related  to  neutering  was  a  specific  focus   skin disease can also predispose to skin fold   This study aimed to investigate the common
                                                                                     disorders and causes of death of hamsters in the
                                                                                     UK. This information can help owners recognise
            as  these  procedures  are  so  common  and   dermatitis.                common illnesses and understand typical
                                                                                     durations of lifespan.
                                                                                            Average age at
            anaesthetic risk is a real concern for owners.  The study included anonymised veterinary   hamsters in   death of hamsters   The average age
                                                                                     Number of
                                                                                                     at death
              Among sedation/anaesthesia procedures   clinical records on more than 900,000 UK   study  in the study
            carried out for any reason, the risk was 14   dogs  under  veterinary  care.  The  results   16,605  1.75   2.0 years
                                                                                                      Males
                                                                                              years
            deaths  in  10,000  dogs  within  two  weeks,   showed  that  a  formal  diagnosis  of  skin   (21 months)  1.67 years
                                                                                                     Females
            of which 10 deaths per 10,000 were within   fold dermatitis was recorded in one in 300
            48 hours. For neutering surgeries in dogs,   dogs each year (0.37% of dogs diagnosed         Most common hamster species
            this risk was much smaller, with one death   annually). However, certain breeds showed   The Syrian (golden) hamster (73.45%) was the common species in the UK, followed by
            related  to  sedation  and/or  anaesthesia  in   much higher levels.       Djungarian (winter white dwarf) (13.77%) and Roborovski hamsters (6.35%).
            10,000  neuter  procedures.  No  association   Breeds with the highest annual proportion   Syrian hamster
            was found between the age of puppies at   of  skin  fold  dermatitis  diagnoses  were   Owners and vets have largely had to rely
            the time of neutering and risk.     English  bulldog  (6.1%);  French  bulldog   on  personal  experience,  small  research
                                                                                                          Roborovski hamster
                                                                                       Djungarian hamster
              Factors  associated  with  increased  risk   (2.7%)  and  pug  (2.1%).  Overall,  1.0%  of   studies and anecdotal reports. However, the
            of  sedation  and  anaesthetic-related  death   all  brachycephalic  dogs  were  affected   VetCompass research fills knowledge gaps.
            included:                           compared to 0.3% of dogs with the typical   The study, the largest in the world to date,
                                                medium-length skull. Purebred dogs had an   investigated anonymised veterinary clinical
              •   Older age                     increased risk (x2.5) of skin fold dermatitis   records of a random sample of almost 4,000
                                                                                              Hamster Disorders
              •   Poorer overall health         compared to crossbred dogs.         hamsters.
                                                                                      Most common disorders diagnosed in hamsters in the UK
              •   More urgent surgeries           The breeds with the highest predisposition   From  a  list  of  the  20  most  common
                                                                                                             ‘Wet tail’*
              •   Certain  breeds  such  as  Rottweilers   (compared to cross bred dogs) for skin fold   disorders  across  all  hamster  species,  the
                                                                                                        Disorder not diagnosed
                                                                                               Bite injuries from other hamsters
                  and  West  Highland  white  terriers   dermatitis were English bulldog (x49.1 times   most  common  disorders  were  ‘wet  tail’
                                                                                                                  On
                                                                                                                 average,
                                                                                               Overgrown nails
                                                                                                                hamsters had
                  compared with mixed breeds    risk),  French  bulldog  (x25.9),  pug  (x16.3),   (diarrhoea  or  liquid  discharge)  (7.33%),
                                                                                                                one disorder
                                                                                           Overgrown incisor teeth
                                                                                                                 diagnosed
                                                                                                        The most
                                                                                                                 in their
                                                basset (x10.7), cocker spaniel (x7.5), Shar   bite  injuries  from  other  hamsters  (5.88%),
                                                                                             Traumatic injury
                                                                                                       common causes
                                                                                                                 lifetime.
                                                                                                       of deaths were ‘wet
                                                                                           Abdominal lump
              The  team  also  investigated  whether   Pei (x6.4), boxer (x4.6) and Cavalier King   overgrown  nails  (4.13%),  overgrown  front
                                                                                                      tail’* (7.88%), abdominal
                                                                                                      lump (6.40%), cancerous
                                                                                            Conjunctivitis  growth (5.38%) and
                                                                                                       difficulty breathing
            brachycephalic  breeds  were  associated   Charles spaniel (x4.5).      teeth (3.98%) and traumatic injury (3.80%).
                                                                                           Eye discharge
                                                                                                         (3.99%).
            with higher risk. Surprisingly, longer-nosed   Considering which part of the body was   Awareness  of  these  findings  on  one  of
                                                                                            Diarrhoea
            ‘dolichocephalic’ breeds showed four times   affected,  breeds  with  extreme  flat  faces   the UK’s most popular small pets can help
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                                                                                         1
                                                                                             2
                                                                                     0
                                                                                             Percentage of hamsters affected (%)
            the  odds  of  sedative/anaesthetic-related   (English bulldog, French bulldog and pug)   owners  know  what  conditions  to  look  out
            death compared with medium-length nose   showed  high  levels  of  facial,  nasal,  and   for  and  help  set  realistic  expectations  for
                                                                                          *In the context of this study, ‘wet tail’ describes any liquid discharge
                                                                                              or soiling around the back-end of the hamster.
            dogs, whereas no additional risk was seen   periocular  locations.  The  lips  were  the   hamster  lifespans.  The  average  lifespan
                                                                                     CONCLUSIONS:
            in flat-faced breeds.               dominant  location  in  the  spaniel  breeds   was 1.75 years.
                                                                                        Awareness of   The high frequency
                                                                                                      of nail, dental and
                                                (Cocker spaniel and Cavalier King Charles)   typical age of death    trauma problems
                                                                                       of 1.75 years can
                                                                                                       highlights the
                                                                                       help build realistic
                                                                                       expectations for
                Research paper: Shoop-Worrall, O'Neill,   and the West Highland white terrier.  owners (especially   importance of good
                                                                                        Research paper: O’Neill et al. (2022)
                                                                                                      diet, exercise and
                                                                                                      husbandry  to keep
                                                                                        children).
                Viscasillas and Brodbelt (2022) ‘Mortality related                        ‘Demography, disorders and mortality of pet
                                                                                                      hamsters healthy.
            to General Anaesthesia and Sedation in Dogs under UK                    hamsters under primary veterinary care in the UK in
                                                                                               Substantially
                                                                                               shorter average
            Primary Veterinary Care’. Veterinary Anaesthesia and   Research paper: O’Neill et al (2022) ‘Ironing out   2016’. Journal of Small Animal Practice   can encourage
                                                                                                              This research
                                                                                              lifespans for female
                                                                                              hamsters suggests
            Analgesia.                              the wrinkles and folds in the epidemiology of skin   that owners should   owners with sick
                                                                                                             hamsters to seek
                                                fold dermatitis in dog breeds in the UK’. Nature   be vigilant for age-  prompt veterinary
                                                                                               related health
                                                Scientific Reports                            problems earlier in   attention.
                                                                                               female hamsters.
                                                                                              CLICK TO READ THE FULL STUDY
                                                                                     O’Neill et al. (2022) “Demography, disorders and mortality of pet hamsters under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016” Journal of Small Animal Practice
                                                                                     VetCompass /vetcompass carries out welfare research based on anonymised clinical information shared from over 30%
                                                                                     of UK veterinary practices. We are very grateful to the owners and veterinary professionals who contribute to VetCompass research.
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