Page 11 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2023

 

 

 

 

 

Page 11 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2023
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Research News






        DOG BREEDS AND                      MANAGING HEAT-RELATED               THE MOST COMMON
        UNACCEPTABLY EXTREME                ILLNESS IN DOGS                     DISORDERS DIAGNOSED IN
        CONFORMATIONS                                                           PET CATS
                                            VetCompass researchers studied cooling
        Growing concerns over health and welfare   methods used to manage heat-related   Members of the ’s VetCompass team
        impacts from extreme conformations (body   illness in dogs presented to primary care   investigated the most common disorders
        shapes) in several common dog breeds   UK veterinary practices between 2016 and   diagnosed  in  pet  cats in the  UK.  The
        have created an urgent need for reliable   2018.                        study population included 1,255,130 cats
        demographic information on the wider   Heat-related illness (HRI) is a potentially   under  primary  veterinary  care  at  clinics
        population of UK dog breeds.  An    fatal disorder that can occur in dogs following   participating in the VetCompass programme
        VetCompass epidemiological study has   exercise or exposure to hot environments.   during 2019.
        now filled this critical information gap.   While  many  risk  factors  can  affect  the   A random sample of cats was selected,
          The   study  included  the  largest  probability of HRI occurring, the priority for   and  their  clinical records were  manually
        demographic  dataset  of  dogs  in  the  UK   treating  dogs  with  HRI  is  early  and  rapid   reviewed  to  extract  the  most  definitive
        ever assembled, with 2,237,105 dogs under   reduction in their body temperature.   diagnoses recorded for all disorders in 2019.
        primary veterinary care during 2019, at                                  From  18  249  cats  sampled,  12  042
        practices participating in VetCompass.                                  (65.99%) had at least one disorder recorded
          The paper reported detailed breakdowns                                during  2019.  Males  (67.55%)  were
        on the frequency of common breeds, body                                 statistically more likely to have at least one
        conformations, bodyweight, sex, and neuter                              disorder recorded than females (64.60%).
        status.                                                                  The median age of cats with at least one
          Across all ages of dogs, the most common                              disorder  recorded  (6.88  years)  was  older
        specific breeds were the Labrador retriever                             than for cats that had no disorders recorded
        and Jack Russell terrier. However, rapidly                              (3.77 years).
        changing public preferences was evident,
        with diverging desire for breeds with
        extreme conformations being matched by
        the emergence of new designer-crossbred
        hybrid breeds.  Among dogs aged under
        one year, the most common specific breeds
        were French bulldog and cockapoo.



                                             Post-exercise dogs (image credit Anne
                                             Carter)
                                                                                 It is the largest study to date using
                                              Cold-water  immersion  and  water  spray   general practice veterinary data to report
                                            with air movement are the recommended   the prevalence of commonly diagnosed
                                            treatments for dogs with HRI, with cooling   disorders in cats in the UK.
                                            attempts strongly advised to take place   The most frequently diagnosed disorders
                                            prior to transportation for veterinary care.   in cats were periodontal disease (15.23%),
                                            However, this retrospective study found   obesity  (11.58%),  and  general  dental
          Brachycephaly was a highly popular   that just 21.70% of dogs were cooled prior   disease (9.23%).
        phenotype  for  UK  dog  owners,  with  dogs   to transport, and only 23.97% of dogs were   Awareness by owners of the high
        from  flat-faced  (brachycephalic)  breeds   cooled using the recommended methods.   frequency of dental and obesity issues
        representing 17.6% of all UK dogs, raising   These results highlight the need for clearer   in cats is important because these are
        substantial  questions  about  the  negative   messaging  to  the  public  and  to  veterinary   conditions that are amenable to prevention
        effects from our collective breed choices on   professionals  on  optimal  management  of   and control, and therefore represent real
        overall canine welfare.             dogs with HRI, with priority on promoting   welfare opportunities for pet cats.
                                            wider  sharing  of  the  advice  to  “cool  first,
                                            transport second”.
                                                                                   Research paper: O'Neill, D.G. (2023) 'A study of
                                                                                    the most common disorders diagnosed in pet
            Research paper: O'Neill, D.G., McMillan, K.M.,                      cats in the UK', Companion Animal, 28(6), 88-92,
            Church, D.B. and Brodbelt, D.C. (2023) 'Dog
        breeds and conformations in the UK in 2019:   Research paper: Hall, E.J., Carter, A.J., Bradbury,   available: http://dx.doi.org/10.12968/coan.2023.0009.
                                                J., Beard, S., Gilbert, S., Barfield, D. and O'Neill,
        VetCompass canine demography and some   D.G. (2023) 'Cooling Methods Used to Manage
        consequent welfare implications', PLoS One, 18(7),   Heat-Related Illness in Dogs Presented to Primary Care
        e0288081, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.  Veterinary Practices during 2016-2018 in the UK',
        pone.0288081
                                            Veterinary Sciences, 10(7), 465

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