(RVC) has found that the most common health problems in dogs are dental disease, obesity, and ear infections. As February is Dental Health Month, researchers hope these findings will prompt owners to as well as their ears and body weight.
RVC’s VetCompass programme includes anonymised veterinary information from over eight million UK dogs. From this pool, “a random sample of 22,333 dogs were followed for a year, identifying all health issues that were diagnosed during this time”.
Dr Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer, Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and lead author of the paper, said, “This study shows that it is really important for owners to develop strong habits of caring for their dog’s teeth, ears and weight, right from the time they first acquire a puppy. This study shows interesting and strong correlations between human and canine healthcare: the need for good dental and bodyweight maintenance.”
65.8% of the observed dogs had at least one disorder in the single year of the study
The most common health problems of dogs are dental disease (12.5%), ear infection (7.3%) and obesity (7.1%)
Male dogs had higher risk than females for 10 disorders: ear infection, aggression, coughing, seizures, foreign body, drug reaction, moist dermatitis, wound, laceration and arthritis
Female dogs had higher risk than males for four disorders: urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection, mammary lump and overgrown nails
The study showed that health in dogs generally deteriorates as dogs age, with older dogs generally having more health problems per year than younger dogs.
He added, “Given how closely the lives of humans and dogs are intertwined, this should be no surprise really; we often share the same food and exercise. Owners should work closely with their vet to plan appropriate dental and weight care programmes at each visit to their veterinary clinic.”
The study is among the largest yet exploring anonymised health records from veterinary surgeries and reporting on the most common disorders in dogs.
Hannah James, Health Research Manager at the Kennel Club and co-author of the paper, said, “As dog owners, the key priority is keeping our pets healthy and happy, but it can be difficult to put into context the most common problems that affect our canine counterparts and which areas we need to pay particular attention to in order to maintain this.
“These findings help us establish these key areas, and where we as owners, vets and organisational bodies can work towards to improve the day-to-day life of our beloved companions.”