Abstract
AbstractUndesirable 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 (eg anxiety) or from the methods used by owners to resolve the problem (eg 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 (eg gastrointestinal issues: 14.5%). Male dogs had 1.40x 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 1.94x the odds of death due to a 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 a 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, through further research and education of veterinarians, other professionals within the dog industry and owners.
Highlights
Dogs are the most common mammalian companion animal in the UK, with an estimated 24%of households owning a dog (Westgarth et al, 2007; Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 2014)
In contrast to experienced dog owners, first-time owners report a higher prevalence of undesirable behaviours (UBs) in their dogs, which could reflect their limited understanding of how normal behaviour manifests in dogs
This study has reported UB as a substantial risk factor of death for dogs under the age of three years of age
Summary
Dogs are the most common mammalian companion animal in the UK, with an estimated 24%of households owning a dog (Westgarth et al, 2007; Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 2014). Human opinions about the undesirability of a behaviour are subjective and are heavily dependent on context and the human’s expectations of how a dog should behave (Jagoe and Serpell, 1996). This underlines the importance of veterinary and behaviourist input for dogs suspected of UBs. Some owners find certain UBs, such as tail-chasing, amusing and only consider these activities as a problem when the dog hurts itself or spends excessively long periods carrying out the behaviour (Burns, 2011). In contrast to experienced dog owners, first-time owners report a higher prevalence of UBs in their dogs, which could reflect their limited understanding of how normal behaviour manifests in dogs (Jagoe and Serpell, 1996) and how to respond to early signs of UBs. 3
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