This study aimed to characterise the demography, common disorders, cause-specific mortality and life expectancy of the general population of Ragdoll cats under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019. The study used a retrospective cohort design of all cats under UK primary veterinary care within VetCompass Programme during 2019. The clinical records of a random sample of 2,025...
The French bulldog has recently become one of the most popular dog breeds in the UK, Germany, and the USA. Known for its brachycephalic facial structure, characterized by a short muzzle and flat nose, the breed is predisposed to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) and other health concerns, including gastrointestinal, dermatological, and orthopedic conditions. These...
The UK Canine Diabetes Register and Archive (UKCDRA), established in 1999, is a valuable resource of clinical data and blood samples from diabetic dogs. This study aimed to provide updated information about the epidemiology and clinical management of canine diabetes mellitus (DM) in UK veterinary practices. Data from samples submitted to UKCDRA between December 2005 and December...
The Yorkshire Terrier is a long-established and commonly owned dog breed. This study aimed to explore anonymised primary-care veterinary clinical data from the VetCompass Programme to characterise the demography, common disorders and longevity of the general population of Yorkshire Terriers in the UK in 2016. Yorkshire Terriers composed 28,032 (3.10%) of the study population of...
Several canine breeds, including boxers, Boston terriers, and French bulldogs, belong to the same phylogenetic clade and have a higher risk for high-grade oligodendroglioma (HGO) than the general canine population. Despite their shared increased risk for HGO, French bulldogs treated with immunotherapy have experienced worse survival outcomes compared to boxers and Boston terriers...
The limited genetic diversity in pedigree dog populations and the associated increased burden of inherited disease have led to calls for the development and implementation of effective population management strategies. Such strategies must be rooted in a thorough understanding of the genetic reserves and demographics of each population to be managed. Although numerous studies...
The International Partnership for Dogs, together with a rotating national host organisation, holds approximately biennial meetings called the International Dog Health Workshop (IDHW). These workshops bring together a broad range of stakeholders in dog health and welfare, including scientists and veterinary practitioners, to improve the international sharing of information and...
Beagles are a popular companion animal dog breed and are generally stated to be a healthy breed. This VetCompass study aimed to report the demography, common disorders and mortality of Beagles under primary veterinary care in the UK. Anonymised clinical records within VetCompass were followed over time to extract disorder and mortality data during 2019 on Beagles under primary...
The Wnt signaling pathway is critical for normal embryonic development. Disruptions in the Wnt signaling pathway have been linked to neurological disorders. The RAPGEF5 protein is a partner in Wnt signaling and a RAPGEF5 3-bp insertion is associated with increased risk for idiopathic epilepsy in the Belgian shepherd dog. The 3-bp insertion risk variant introduces an alanine...
Exaggerated brachycephalic features have been highlighted over the last decade by their profound effect on the health and welfare of the affected dogs. The term brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) was launched in the early 2000s and has received worldwide attention and awareness. At the same time, the popularity of brachycephalic dogs increased. This study aimed to...
Shih Tzus are a popular dog breed in the UK although there is relatively little reported information on their health. This study aimed to characterise the demography, common disorders and mortality of Shih Tzus under primary veterinary care during 2016 in the UK using de-identified clinical records from the VetCompass™ Programme. The study population of 336,865 dogs under...
The English Cocker Spaniel (ECS) is one of the most popular dog breeds in the UK but information on disorder predisposition and protection is limited. Using anonymised veterinary clinical data from the VetCompass™ Programme, this study aimed to compare disorder predisposition and protection between the ECS and the remaining dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK during 2016...
The Shar Pei is a common dog breed with a distinctive appearance caused by hyaluronosis that has been linked with several health conditions. Anonymised primary-care veterinary clinical records were explored to extract data on the demography, common disorders and mortality of Shar Pei in the UK in 2013. The study population of 455,557 dogs included 1913 (0.42%) Shar Pei. The mean...
Cortical folding is related to the functional organization of the brain. The TMF-1 regulated protein (TRNP1) regulates the expansion and folding of the mammalian cerebral cortex, a process that may have been accelerated by the domestication of dogs. The objectives of this study were to sequence the TRNP1 gene in dogs and related canid species, provide evidence of its expression...
Distichiasis is a condition characterized by aberrant hairs along the eyelid margins. The symptoms are usually mild but can lead to ulcerations and lesions of the cornea in severe cases. It is the most frequently noted ocular disorder in Norwegian Staffordshire bull terriers (SBT), with a prevalence above 18% in the adult population. A complex inheritance is assumed, but there is...
Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone neoplasia that has high welfare consequences for affected dogs. Awareness of breed and canine conformational risk factors for osteosarcoma can assist with earlier diagnosis and improved clinical management. Study of osteosarcoma in dogs also offers translational value for humans. Anonymised clinical data within VetCompass on dogs under primary...
Publicly available phenotype data and genotyping array data from two citizen science projects: “Doberman Health Surveys” and “The Doberman Diversity Project” were analyzed to explore relative homozygosity, diversity, and disorder risk according to geographical locale and breeding purpose in the Doberman. From the phenotypic data cohort, life expectancy of a Doberman at birth is 9...
The Boxer is a popular dog breed with a distinctive appearance. However, the breed has been linked with several health conditions, some of which have been associated with its moderately brachycephalic conformation and its white colouration. Anonymised primary-care veterinary clinical records were explored to extract data on the demography, common disorders and mortality of Boxers...
The English Cocker Spaniel (ECS) is a common family dog in the UK. This study aimed to describe demography, morbidity, and mortality in ECS under primary veterinary care in the UK during 2016 using data from the VetCompass™ Programme. This study hypothesised that the prevalence of aggression is higher in male than female ECS, and higher in solid-coloured than bi-coloured ECS...
Cataract is considered an important health issue in Havanese, and studies indicate a breed predisposition. Possible consequences of cataracts include lens induced uveitis, reduced eyesight, and blindness in severe cases. Reducing the prevalence of cataracts could therefore improve health and welfare significantly. The most frequently diagnosed forms of cataract in Havanese are...
Natural and anthropogenic disasters can have long-lasting impacts on the genetics and structure of impacted populations. The 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster led to extensive contamination of the local environment and the wildlife therein. Several ecological, environmental, and genetic studies reported various effects of this disaster on animal, insect, and plant...
Fear of firework noises and other loud, sudden noises (noise reactivity) is a significant problem for many dogs and may have a negative effect on both welfare and, in severe cases, the life expectancy of dogs. A wide range of behavior traits, including fear-related behaviors, have high heritability estimates in dogs. The aim of this study was to estimate genomic heritability for...
Hypothyroidism is a commonly diagnosed endocrinopathy in dogs. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and risk factors for diagnosis of hypothyroidism in UK primary-care practice. Dogs diagnosed with hypothyroidism were identified by searching electronic patient records of primary-care practices participating in VetCompass. A cohort study design estimated one-year (2016...
Lymphoma is the second most common cancer affecting Golden Retrievers and is hypothesized to arise through a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this nested case–control study was to investigate the association between potential environmental pollutant sources and lymphoma risk among Golden Retrievers participating in the Golden Retriever Lifetime...