Frequency, breed predisposition and demographic risk factors for overweight status in dogs in the<scp>UK</scp>

Pegram, Camilla; Raffan, Eleanor; White, Emily; Ashworth, Alice H; Brodbelt, David; Church, David; O'Neill, D G

doi:10.1111/jsap.13325

Cited by 32 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…As a consequence, it may be prudent to immediately revise the Pug Kennel Club breed standard by replacing the current wording that the breed should ‘never to appear low on legs, nor lean and leggy’ with alternative wording that prioritises health over human appeal by promoting leanness in the breed [ 23 ]. It is worth noting that absolute bodyweight in kilograms should not be conflated with body condition score [ 25 ]. The current study reports that Pugs are highly predisposed to obesity despite having significantly lower median absolute adult bodyweight compared to non-Pugs (8.95 kg, vs 14.07 kg respectively).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is noteworthy that the median age of Pugs (2.36 years) in the current study differed markedly from non-Pugs (4.44 years). There is substantial previous evidence that advancing age is a major risk factor for the majority of common disorders affecting dogs [ 25 , 61 ]. A study of the 70 most common disorders among a sample of 22,333 dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK reported that only 13/70 (18.6%) disorder showed a median age of affected dogs that was below the median overall age of the study population (4.4 years) [ 33 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, these same facial features that humans find so appealing have also been widely associated with several conformationally-driven disorders including brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) [ 19 ], corneal ulceration [ 20 ], dystocia [ 21 ] and upper respiratory tract disorders [ 22 ]. In line with a breed standard that states that the Pug must ‘never to appear low on legs, nor lean and leggy’ [ 23 ], obesity has been reported as the most common disorder of Pugs and also that Pugs are the dog breed with the highest predisposition for obesity in the UK [ 24 , 25 ]. Predispositions to 41 disorders have been reported worldwide in Pugs [ 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Health of Pug dogs in the UK: disorder predispositions and protections

et al. 2022

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Background Pugs are a brachycephalic dog breed that has become phenomenally popular over recent decades. However, there is growing concern about serious health and welfare issues in the breed. To augment the evidence-base on the comparative health of Pugs, this study aimed to compare the odds of common disorders between Pugs and all remaining dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK during 2016. A cross-sectional study design of VetCompass clinical records was used to estimate the one-year (2016) period prevalence for the disorders most commonly diagnosed in Pugs and non-Pugs. Risk factor analysis applied multivariable logistic regression modelling methods to compare the odds of 40 common disorders between Pugs and non-Pugs. Results From a study population of 905,544 dogs, the analysis included random samples of 4308 Pugs and 21,835 non-Pugs. Pugs were younger (2.36 years, range 0.07–16.24 vs 4.44 years, range 0.01–20.46, p < 0.001) and lighter (8.95 kg, range 5.00–13.60 vs. 14.07 kg, range 1.41–85.00, p < 0.001) than non-Pugs. Pugs had 1.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.72 to 2.01) times the adjusted odds of diagnosis with ≥1 disorder than non-Pugs. Pugs had significantly increased adjusted odds for 23/40 (57.5%) common disorders. These included: brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (odds ratio [OR] 53.92; 95% CI 36.22 to 80.28), stenotic nares (OR 51.25; 95% CI 24.93 to 105.37) and corneal ulceration (OR 13.01; 95% CI 10.50 to 16.11). Conversely, Pugs had significantly reduced adjusted odds of 7/40 (17.5%) common disorders compared to non-Pugs. These included: heart murmur (OR 0.23; 95% 0.13 to 0.14), lipoma (OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.55) and aggression (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.47). Conclusions The current study highlights that predispositions outnumber protections between Pugs and non-Pugs for common disorders, suggesting some critical health welfare challenges to overcome for Pugs. Highly differing heath profiles between Pugs and other dogs in the UK suggest that the Pug has diverged substantially from mainstream dog breeds and can no longer be considered as a typical dog from a health perspective.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Health of Pug dogs in the UK: disorder predispositions and protections

et al. 2022

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“…These dogs were also perceived to have higher winter CAS, meaning they likely experienced reduced activity opportunities in winter despite their coat use. Some brachycephalic breeds including Pugs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are reported to be at increased risk of being overweight [ 58 ], meaning it is unlikely they need an additional coat in winter, and would in fact probably benefit from the additional activity, provided their respiratory function allows them to exercise safely [ 59 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Owner Perceptions of the Impacts of Seasonal Weather Variations on Canine Activity and Potential Consequences for Human–Canine Relationships

Hall

Carter

Farnworth

2021

Animals

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Climate change is leading to more instances of seasonal weather variation. Studies have explored the impact of adverse winter weather on dog walking, but the impact on the dog’s overall activity levels have not been previously considered. This study explored dog owner perceptions of the effects of both summer and winter weather on their dog’s activity levels. An international online survey recruited 3153 respondents between May and December 2018, to explore the impact of summer and winter weather conditions on baseline activity levels. Owners reported their dogs were more impacted by cold (48.2% less likely to exercise their dog in the cold) and ice (64.0% less likely), than rain (25.3% were less likely). In hot weather, over 80% of owners reported reduced exercise duration and vigour for their dogs. Carrying water or walking near water to facilitate activity in the summer was the most popular mitigation strategy (90.8%). Participation in dog sports appeared to reduce the impact of winter weather on canine activity and increase owner awareness of cooling strategies to facilitate summer activity. Strategies to promote safe activity participation are needed to maintain canine activity levels amidst rising global temperatures, including better understanding of cooling strategies for exercising dogs.

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“…Insurance status was categorised according to whether the dog was recorded as insured or not insured in the final EPR. Missing data were recorded as “Not recorded” and included as a separate category in the analysis if they accounted for >10% of the study variable, otherwise missing data were excluded [ 54 ]. Following data-checking for internal validity and cleaning in Excel (Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Corp), analyses were conducted using SPSS version 24.0 (IBM Corp).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Veterinary drug therapies used for undesirable behaviours in UK dogs under primary veterinary care

et al. 2022

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Undesirable behaviours (UBs) in dogs are common and important issues with serious potential welfare consequences for both the dogs and their owners. This study aimed to investigate the usage of drug therapy for UBs in dogs and assess demographic risk factors for drug-prescribed UBs within the dog population under primary-care veterinary care in the UK in 2013. Dogs receiving drug therapy for UB were identified through the retrospective analysis of anonymised electronic patient records in VetCompass™. Risk factor analysis used multivariable logistic regression modelling. The study population comprised 103,597 dogs under veterinary care in the UK during 2013. There were 413 drug-prescribed UBs recorded among 404 dogs. The prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event treated with a drug in 2013 was 0.4%. Multivariable modelling identified 3 breeds with increased odds of drug-prescribed UB compared with crossbred dogs: Toy Poodle (OR 2.75), Tibetan Terrier (OR 2.68) and Shih-tzu (OR 1.95). Increasing age was associated with increased odds of drug-prescribed UB, with dogs ≥ 12 years showing 3.1 times the odds compared with dogs < 3 years. Neutered males (OR 1.82) and entire males (OR 1.50) had increased odds compared with entire females. The relatively low prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event that was treated with a drug in 2013 could suggest that opportunities for useful psychopharmaceutical intervention in UBs may be being missed in first opinion veterinary practice. While bodyweight was not a significant factor, the 3 individual breeds at higher odds of an UB treated with a behaviour modifying drug all have a relatively low average bodyweight. The current results also support previous research of a male predisposition to UBs and it is possible that this higher risk resulted in the increased likelihood of being prescribed a behaviour modifying drug, regardless of neuter status.

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Frequency, breed predisposition and demographic risk factors for overweight status in dogs in theUK

Cited by 32 publications

References 48 publications

Health of Pug dogs in the UK: disorder predispositions and protections

Health of Pug dogs in the UK: disorder predispositions and protections

Exploring Owner Perceptions of the Impacts of Seasonal Weather Variations on Canine Activity and Potential Consequences for Human–Canine Relationships

Veterinary drug therapies used for undesirable behaviours in UK dogs under primary veterinary care

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