Proposing the VetCompass clinical grading tool for heat-related illness in dogs

Emily J Hall,Dominic Barfield,Jude Bradbury,Anne J Carter,Dan G O’Neill

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-86235-w

Emily J Hall, Dominic Barfield + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86235-w

Copy DOI

Abstract

Heat-related illness is a potentially fatal condition in dogs. Rapid and accurate recognition of the severity can improve clinical management in affected dogs and lead to better outcomes. This study explored retrospective VetCompass veterinary clinical records to investigate the clinical signs recorded for dogs presenting with heat-related illness to primary-care veterinary practice from 2016 to 2018. The relative risk of death associated with these clinical signs was reported and used to develop a novel clinical grading tool. From the clinical records of 856 heat-related illness events, the most frequently recorded clinical signs were respiratory changes (68.73%) and lethargy (47.79%). The clinical signs with the highest relative risk of death were neurological dysfunction, gastrointestinal haemorrhage and bleeding disorders. The novel VetCompass Clinical Grading Tool for Heat-Related Illness in dogs defines three grades: mild (altered respiration, lethargy), moderate (gastrointestinal signs, a single seizure, episodic collapse) and severe (neurological dysfunction, gastrointestinal haemorrhage, bleeding disorders). This novel grading tool offers a simple, evidence-based device to improve recognition of heat-related illness in dogs and promote improved decision-making for earlier interventions such as cooling and hospitalisation. This could improve outcomes and protect the welfare of dogs in the face of rising global temperatures.

Highlights

Heat-related illness is a potentially fatal condition in dogs
The diagnosis of Heat-related illness (HRI) in human medicine traditionally relies upon measurement of body temperature and assessment of neurological function using the “Classical” definitions established by Bouchama and Knochel[1]
This study aimed to (i) report the clinical presentations and outcomes of dogs presenting to primary-care veterinary clinics in the UK with HRI, and (ii) adapt the JAAMHC novel HRI classification system to develop a new clinical grading system that is based on canine first opinion data and more reliable and applicable for use in the wider population of dogs

Summary

Introduction

Heat-related illness is a potentially fatal condition in dogs. Rapid and accurate recognition of the severity can improve clinical management in affected dogs and lead to better outcomes. The novel VetCompass Clinical Grading Tool for Heat-Related Illness in dogs defines three grades: mild (altered respiration, lethargy), moderate (gastrointestinal signs, a single seizure, episodic collapse) and severe (neurological dysfunction, gastrointestinal haemorrhage, bleeding disorders). The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine Heat-Related Illness Classification (JAAMHC) has been proposed as an alternative diagnostic and triage tool for use in human patients with H RI15 This novel classification included clinical symptoms that were more objectively defined, removed the reliance upon body temperature and self-reported symptoms as diagnostic criteria, and acknowledged that HRI is a progressive rather than a static disorder within patients where increasingly severe pathology is developed with ongoing exposure to heat or failure to receive appropriate treatment (available http://www.mdpi.com/1 660-4 601/1 5/9/1 962/s 1)[15]. The JAAMHC novel classification appears better at predicting clinical outcomes for human patients with H RI15,16, enabling more appropriate and targeted treatment following initial triage

Objectives

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion