Demography and disorders of German Shepherd Dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK

Abstract

BackgroundThe German Shepherd Dog (GSD) has been widely used for a variety of working roles. However, concerns for the health and welfare of the GSD have been widely aired and there is evidence that breed numbers are now in decline in the UK. Accurate demographic and disorder data could assist with breeding and clinical prioritisation. The VetCompassTM Programme collects clinical data on dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. This study included all VetCompassTM dogs under veterinary care during 2013. Demographic, mortality and clinical diagnosis data on GSDs were extracted and reported.ResultsGSDs dropped from 3.5% of the annual birth cohort in 2005 to 2.2% in 2013. The median longevity of GSDs was 10.3 years (IQR 8.0–12.1, range 0.2–17.0). The most common causes of death were musculoskeletal disorder (16.3%) and inability to stand (14.9%). The most prevalent disorders recorded were otitis externa (n = 131, 7.89, 95% CI: 6.64–9.29), osteoarthritis (92, 5.54%, 95% CI: 4.49–6.75), diarrhoea (87, 5.24%, 95% CI: 4.22–6.42), overweight/obesity (86, 5.18%, 95% CI: 4.16–6.36) and aggression (79, 4.76%, 95% CI: 3.79–5.90).ConclusionsThis study identified that GSDs have been reducing in numbers in the UK in recent years. The most frequent disorders in GSDs were otitis externa, osteoarthritis, diarrhoea, overweight/obesity and aggression, whilst the most common causes of death were musculoskeletal disorders and inability to stand. Aggression was more prevalent in males than in females. These results may assist veterinarians to offer evidence-based advice at a breed level and help to identify priorities for GSD health that can improve the breed’s health and welfare.

Demography and commonly recorded clinical conditions of Chihuahuas under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016

“…Male Chihuahuas were significantly more likely to be neutered than female Chihuahuas (31.8% versus 22.0%). This contrasts to the findings of many other breedrelated studies that reported higher proportional neutering in females [13,27,34,35,43,44] although male French Bulldogs were also more likely to be neutered than females [28]. Both Chihuahuas and French Bulldogs are breeds with rapidly rising popularity and consequently youthful populations.…”

“…The current study identified a higher prevalence for aggression in males compared with females (4.9% versus 3.5%). A male predisposition to aggression is supported by a substantial body of evidence for several breeds [40][41][42][43][44][45]. A deeper understanding of this predisposition, including whether different interventions may be required for male or female dogs to either prevent the development of aggressive behavior, or treat it once established requires further investigation.…”

“…There is conflicting previous evidence regarding sex predisposition to otitis externa. Although several studies have failed to show sex-related differences in otitis externa [27,28,35,43,44,63], a report based on 273 dogs presenting to teaching and referral hospitals in India identified a higher prevalence of otitis externa in male dogs compared to females [64]. Androgenic hormones may increase sebum production, which is a predisposing factor to flare up of latent otic infection, whereas oestrogens elicit an opposite response [64].…”

Rottweilers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders

“…However, it is widely reported that average longevity reduces as breed bodysize increases [ 42 , 50 – 55 ]. However, this 9.0 years longevity in Rottweilers compares poorly with the median longevity of 10.3 years reported for German Shepherd Dogs in the UK using a similar methodology and does suggest that the Rottweiler is a relatively short-lived breed [ 56 ].…”

VetCompass Australia: A National Big Data Collection System for Veterinary Science

“…VetCompass in the UK has been highly productive with the publication of peer-reviewed mortality studies on dogs [ 3 ] and cats [ 4 ]; longevity and prevalence reports on several breeds (e.g., Cavalier King Charles spaniels [ 50 ], pugs [ 51 ] and German Shepherd dogs [ 52 ]); multi-breed assessments of gastric dilation-volvulus [ 53 ], dystocia [ 54 ], diabetes mellitus [ 55 ], and audits of anti-microbial usage in companion animal practice [ 56 ]. The Australian consortium plans to apply the same methods to data on local dogs and publish matching reports so that comparison between breeds in the two countries can be made.…”