A case-control study to identify risk factors for adult-onset idiopathic megaoesophagus in Australian dogs, 2017–2018

Abstract

Background: Epidemiological investigations were carried out following detection of an outbreak of megaoesophagus in Victorian Police working dogs in early 2018 and an increase in the number of canine megaoesophagus cases reported by companion animal veterinarians in Eastern Australia starting in late 2017. VetCompass Australia data were used to quantify the incidence of canine megaoesophagus for the period January 2012 to February 2018 and a matched case-control study carried out to identify individual animal risk factors for canine megaoesophagus in 2017-2018. Results: There was a 7-fold increase in the incidence rate of canine megaoesophagus from 2014 (0.11 [95% CI 0.02 to 0.58] cases per 100,000 dogs per day) to 2018 (0.82 [95% CI 0.19 to 4.2] cases per 100,000 dogs per day). Since 2013, the incidence of megaoesophagus in Australia has shown a seasonal pattern, with greater numbers of cases diagnosed during the warmer months of the year. In the case-control study, use of Mars Petcare Advance Dermocare as a source of food was 325 (95% CI 64 to 1644) times greater for cases, compared with controls. Conclusions: Our analyses provide evidence that the feeding of Advance Dermocare was responsible for the majority of cases in the outbreak of megaoesophagus in Eastern Australia in 2017-2018. The increase in the incidence rate of megaoesophagus in Australia since 2014-2015 warrants further investigation.

A comparative analysis of two unrelated outbreaks in Latvia and Australia of acquired idiopathic megaesophagus in dogs fed two brands of commercial dry dog foods: 398 cases (2014–2018)

“…This case-control study showed that dogs with AIME were 437 (95% CI, 80 to 2,361) times as likely to have had a recent history of consuming Diet Y, compared with control dogs. 3 Furthermore, the subsequent decrease in the number of cases following the recall of Diet Y was additional evidence of the strong association between the consumption of Diet Y and the development of AIME.…”

“…As with the Latvian outbreak, the UoM conducted a matched case-control study to identify risk factors for the development of AIME. 3 Also, the VetCompass Australia database was accessed to determine the incidence of AIME in an attempt to verify the supposition that AIME was associated with consumption of Diet Y. VetCompass Australia is a database of de-identified demographic and medical information from pet owner consultations and pet examinations from hundreds of veterinary clinics around Australia. 4 Veterinary researchers can mine the database to obtain a baseline of expected incidence and unexpected increased incidence, indicative of an outbreak, of various diseases.…”

“…Texture analysis showed a lower fracture force for the kibble of Diet Y, indicative of a 17% softer kibble than typical kibble of other diets. Diet Y was also slightly acidic (pH, 4.5 [pH of most pet foods, 3 5.0]), presumably because of the inclusion of fish-based ingredients.…”

Рентгенологічне Дослідження Собаки За Наявності Розширеного Стравоходу (Клінічний Випадок)

“…Розширення стравоходу (мегаезофагус) -це патологія, яка частіше реєструється в собак і характеризується розширеним просвіту стравоходу [1]. Відповідно до літературних даних, розширення стравоходу може бути вродженим і набутим, або ідіопатичним і вторинним щодо інших захворювань [2].…”

“…Відповідно до літературних даних, розширення стравоходу може бути вродженим і набутим, або ідіопатичним і вторинним щодо інших захворювань [2]. Окремі автори зазначають, що набуте розширення стравоходу (мегаезофагус) у собак частіше є ідіопатичним (езофагоспазм) [1,3]. Причинами, що провокують набутий мегаезофагус, можуть бути системні міопатії, міастенія, гіпоадренокортицизм, дизавтономія, важкий езофагіт, отруєння Плюмбумом та аутоімунні захворювання [3,4].…”