Mortality resulting from undesirable behaviours in dogs aged under three years attending primary-care veterinary practices in England

Abstract

Undesirable behaviours (UBs) are common in dogs and can jeopardise animal and human health, leading to dog abandonment and euthanasia. Dogs exhibiting UBs may have compromised welfare from underlying emotional motivations for the behaviour (e.g. anxiety) or from how owners might seek resolution (e.g. aversive techniques). The objective of this study was to estimate proportional mortality due to UBs and risk factors for death due to UBs, including death from road traffic accidents, in dogs under three years of age attending primary-care veterinary practices in England from 2009-2014. Cases were identified by searching de-identified electronic patient records from primary-care veterinary practices participating in the VetCompass Programme. The findings highlight that dogs under three years of age are at a proportionately high risk of death due to UBs (33.7%) compared with other specific causes of death (e.g. Gastrointestinal issues:14.5%). Male dogs had 1.40 times the odds of death from UB compared with females. The proportional mortality from UB for male dogs where information on the cause of death was available was 0.41. Neutered dogs had 1.94 times the odds of death due to an UB compared with entire dogs. Aggression was the most prevalent UB overall. Veterinarians had recommended referral in 10.3% of cases where dogs died due to exhibiting an UB and had dispensed nutraceutical, pheromone or pharmacological treatment to 3.0% of the UB cases that died. This study shows that undesirable behaviours require better preventive measures and treatment, 3 through further research and education of veterinarians, other professionals within the dog industry and owners.

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

“…Aggression is a complex topic and can be highly context-dependent in dogs [40] and therefore the causes of aggression and resultant treatment plans are likely to vary widely between individual dogs. The current study identified a higher prevalence for aggression in males compared with females (4.9% versus 3.5%).…”

“…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.…”

Longevity and mortality in Kennel Club registered dog breeds in the UK in 2014

“…Although euthanasia entails an artificial foreshortening of lifespan, its time of occurrence often represents the approximate point at which the dog’s life is adjudged by the owner and the veterinarian to no longer be ‘worth’ living, either for ethical reasons pertaining to impairment of quality of the dog’s life and/or due to convenience in terms of management (of illness or behaviour) [ 29 , 30 ]. The balancing of the objectives of length and quality of life has particular poignancy for euthanasia due to behavioural rather than physical health problems (notably aggression, which accounted for 85, or 1.5% of, deaths in the current study), since these undesirable behaviours may be substantially influenced by environmental influences unique to the individual, including failures in management and training or unrealistic expectations by owners on how their dog should behave [ 31 , 32 ].…”

“…Conversely, causes of death with lower median ages at death may be viewed as life curtailing and possibly of greater welfare impact in the sense of years of potential life lost (e.g. road traffic accident, 3.21 years; aggression, 3.25 years; epilepsy, 5.67 years) [ 32 ]. These disorder-based longevity data offer insights that can assist with disorder prioritisation for reforms within breeds that can optimise the welfare gains from the effort and resources expended.…”

Dogs’ Sociability, Owners’ Neuroticism and Attachment Style to Pets as Predictors of Dog Aggression

“…Nowadays, whilst many still play an important role as working dogs [3][4][5][6], the most common reason for owning a dog is companionship [7]. Despite the fact that the role of pet dogs in Western cultures has been elevated to the status of a family member [8], there are several factors that can negatively affect the quality of the dog-human bond, with aggression being the most serious [9,10]. Aggressive behavior of dogs is expressed as aggressive biting, by snapping or attacking, and aggressive threatening, by growling, barking and baring their teeth [11].…”