BackgroundRottweilers are reportedly predisposed to many disorders but accurate prevalence information relating to the general population are lacking. This study aimed to describe demography, mortality and commonly recorded diseases in Rottweilers under UK veterinary care. Clinical health records within the VetCompass Programme were explored for disorders recorded during 2013.ResultsRottweilers comprised 5321 (1.17%) of 455,557 dogs attending 304 clinics. Annual proportional birth rates dropped from 1.75% in 2006 to 1.07% in 2013. Median adult bodyweight overall was 44.9 kg (IQR 39.55–51.00, range 20.00–88.80). Median male adult bodyweight (48.5 kg, interquartile range [IQR] 43.0–54.0, range 20.0–88.8) was heavier than female (41.5 kg, IQR 37.0–46.4, range 21.1–73.5) (P < 0.001). Median longevity overall was 9.0 years (IQR 7.2–10.5, range 0.0–17.0). Median female longevity (9.5 years, IQR 7.8–11.0) was greater than male (8.7 years, IQR 6.8–10.1) (P = 0.002). The most common causes of death were neoplasia (33.0%), inability to stand (16.0%) and mass-associated disorder (7.1%).At least one disorder was recorded for 60.31% of Rottweilers. The most prevalent specific disorders recorded were aggression (7.46%, 95% CI 6.40–8.64), overweight/obesity (7.06%, 95% CI: 6.02–8.21), otitis externa (6.14%, 95% CI: 5.18–7.23) and degenerative joint disease (4.69%, 95% CI: 3.84–5.66). Male Rottweilers had higher prevalence than females for aggression (9.36% versus 5.47%, P = 0.001) and pyotraumatic dermatitis (4.05% versus 1.76%, P = 0.001). Aggression was more prevalent in neutered than entire females (7.5% versus 3.1%, P = 0.003) but did not differ between neutered and entire males (9.6% versus 9.0%, P = 0.773). The most frequent disorder groups were musculoskeletal (12.01%, 95% CI: 10.69–13.45), dermatological (10.96%, 95% CI: 9.69–12.35), gastro-intestinal (195, 8.87%, 95% CI: 7.72–10.14), undesirable behaviour (7.96%, 95% CI: 6.87–9.18) and neoplasia (7.96%, 95% CI: 6.87–9.18).ConclusionsThe current study assists prioritisation of health issues within Rottweilers. Rottweilers are relatively short-lived and neoplasia is a common cause of death. The most common disorders were aggression, overweight/obesity, otitis externa and degenerative joint disease. Males were significantly heavier, shorter-lived and predisposed to aggression than females. These results can alert prospective owners to potential health issues and optimise sex selection decision-making.

OBJECTIVESRottweilers were selected in the 19 th century for protecting, herding cattle and pulling carts. However, the majority are now kept as companion animals. This study aimed to identify the demography and common disorders of Rottweilers. METHODSDogs recorded as Rottweiler were identified from all dogs under veterinary care during 2013 in the VetCompass database of primary-care veterinary data. The clinical records of a random sample were manually examined in detail to extract data on all disorders recorded during 2013 and all deaths. Descriptive statistics reported demography, disorders and mortality. RESULTSRottweilers comprised 5,316 (1.17%) of 455,557 study dogs. The median bodyweight for dogs aged over 18 months was 44.9 kg (IQR: 39.4-51.0) and 42.7% were neutered.The prevalence of the most common disorders recorded among a random sample of 2,198 (41.3%) Rottweilers that presented to practices during the study period examined in detail were aggression (7.46%, 95% CI 6.36-8.56), obesity (7.05%, 95% CI: 5.98-8.12), otitis externa (6.14%, 95% CI 5.14-7.15) and osteoarthritis (4.69%, 95% CI: 3.80-5.57).There were 415 deaths during the study period. The median age at death was 9.0 years (IQR: 7.2-10.5). The most common causes of death were collapse (14.7%), osteosarcoma (10.9%), aggression (4.2%) and lymphoma (3.5%). STATEMENTThese findings can assist veterinarians to advise owners on predictable life expectancy and morbidity. The finding that aggression was the most common diagnosis in Rottweilers suggests strong efforts need to be made to ensure that prospective and current owners are aware of this aspect of the breed character.