Prevalence, duration and risk factors for appendicular osteoarthritis in a UK dog population under primary veterinary care

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease diagnosed in veterinary medicine and poses considerable challenges to canine welfare. This study aimed to investigate prevalence, duration and risk factors of appendicular osteoarthritis in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. The VetCompassTM programme collects clinical data on dogs attending UK primary-care veterinary practices. The study included all VetCompassTM dogs under veterinary care during 2013. Candidate osteoarthritis cases were identified using multiple search strategies. A random subset was manually evaluated against a case definition. Of 455,557 study dogs, 16,437 candidate osteoarthritis cases were identified; 6104 (37%) were manually checked and 4196 (69% of sample) were confirmed as cases. Additional data on demography, clinical signs, duration and management were extracted for confirmed cases. Estimated annual period prevalence (accounting for subsampling) of appendicular osteoarthritis was 2.5% (CI95: 2.4–2.5%) equating to around 200,000 UK affected dogs annually. Risk factors associated with osteoarthritis diagnosis included breed (e.g. Labrador, Golden Retriever), being insured, being neutered, of higher bodyweight and being older than eight years. Duration calculation trials suggest osteoarthritis affects 11.4% of affected individuals’ lifespan, providing further evidence for substantial impact of osteoarthritis on canine welfare at the individual and population level.

Effects of a nutritional supplement in dogs affected by osteoarthritis

“…the Labrador Retriever, the German Shephard etc.) are even genetically predisposed to develop arthritis (Anderson et al, 2018). There is no known cause for primary OA, while there are a wide variety of causes for secondary OA, such as traumas, abnormal wear on the joints and cartilages, the hip or elbow dysplasia, the dislocation of the kneecap or shoulder, and dissecans osteochondritis.…”

Spontaneous dog osteoarthritis — a One Medicine vision

“…Spontaneous, slow-progressing OA occurs in multiple strains of mice, as well as in guinea pigs, Syrian hamsters, non-human primates and dogs 11 ; the histopathology and pathogenesis of dog OA most closely resemble those of primary human OA. Similar to humans, OA is also a common disease in the dog, with a prevalence that varies from 2.5% overall in UK veterinary primary care practices 12 to over 20% in dogs over 1 year old in the USA 13 . The clinically affected dog shares complex naturally occurring traits and comorbidities, such as obesity, that occur in humans, and both humans and companion dogs live into old age, share environments and activities and often receive almost identical treatments, such as long-term administration of anti-inflammatory drugs or joint replacement surgery.…”

“…Intriguingly, distinct OA type-specific epidemiological patterns exist in dogs, notably between breeds, and OA is clearly influenced by body size, obesity, sex, neuter status and age 12 . Obesity, for instance, is a known risk factor for human 19 and dog OA 20 , but evaluating its role as an independent risk factor in humans is difficult.…”

Juvenile‐onset and adult‐onset demodicosis in dogs in the UK: prevalence and breed associations

“…The current study did not have access to accompanying morphometric data (e.g. body condition) on individual dogs and therefore it was not possible to interpret the causes of differing bodyweights (Anderson et al 2018). In humans, obesity is linked to pro-inflammatory states and increased risk of various inflammatory diseases, including rosacea (Li et al 2017), an inflammatory skin disease associated with high populations of Demodex mites (Forton 2011).…”

“…body condition) on individual dogs and therefore it was not possible to interpret the causes of differing bodyweights (Anderson et al . ). In humans, obesity is linked to pro‐inflammatory states and increased risk of various inflammatory diseases, including rosacea (Li et al .…”