Abstract
Background . Age and breed are considered the greatest risk factors for disease incidence and mortality in companion dogs. Understanding the incidence of diseases, in relation to age and breed, would support appropriate guidance for future health care strategies and provide useful information for the early diagnosis of diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the major medical causes for dogs visiting primary-care veterinary clinics in the Republic of Korea, stratified by age and breed. Methods. A total of 15,531 medical records of canine patients were analyzed from 11 veterinary clinics who shared data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. An electronic medical record (EMR) system was used for data collection, which included the animal identification number, species, date of birth, breed, gender, neuter status, clinical information, and diagnosis. EMR data were classified using the International Classification of Disease system from the World Health Organization; signs and symptoms were identified according to breed and life stage. Results. Within the age groups, preventive medicine (16.7% CI; 15.9–17.5) was the most common cause for clinic visits for the 10 y), the incidences of heart disease, kidney disease, Cushing’s disease, and mammary tumors were higher than in the other age groups. In addition, these diseases were correlated with age groups ( p <0.05). Small and toy breed dogs comprised 74.9% of all dogs in this analysis. For all breeds, otitis externa, dermatitis or eczema, vomiting, and diarrhea were common medical problems. The incidences of these diseases were correlated with breed groups (p<0.05). Discussion. This study identified the most common medical disorders and differences in incidences of diseases, according to age and breed groups. The information from EMRs for dogs visiting primary-care veterinary clinics can provide background knowledge that is required to enable a better understanding of disease patterns and occurrence by age and breed groups. The information from this study could enable the creation of strategies for preventing diseases and enable the identification of health problems for more effective disease management in companion dogs.
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