Kennel Club Research Articles

Evaluation of quality of life of carers of Italian spinoni with idiopathic epilepsy

The carers of all UK Kennel Club registered Italian spinoni (IS) born between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2011 were invited to participate in the study. The carers of...

Abstract P206: Dog Ownership and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Nation-wide Cohort Study

Introduction: Conflicting results surround the relationship between dog ownership and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Registration of dog ownership has been mandatory in Sweden since 2001 and it is estimated that 83% of dogs are registered. The aim of this study was to use the Swedish national dog registers to assess the association of dog ownership and incident cardiovascular disease. Methods: The study cohort was defined from the Register of the Total Population including all Swedish residents aged 40-75 years in 2001. The personal identity number was used to link records to the Longitudinal Integration Database for Health Insurance and Labor Market Studies, the National Patient Register and the Cause of Death Register for socioeconomic variables and health outcomes. Dog exposure was defined as being registered or having a partner registered as a dog owner in either the Swedish Board of Agriculture and/or the Swedish Kennel Club dog registers. Study participants with cardiovascular events before baseline or immigrating to Sweden after 1987 were excluded. Outcomes were examined independently and included coronary heart disease, heart failure, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Cox proportional hazards regression using age as time-scale was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Study subjects were censored at death, emigration or 31st December 2012. Models were adjusted for sex, marital status, presence of children <18 years in the household, country of birth, province of residence, education level and income. Results: The study population included 3 113 864 individuals, of whom 169 395 (5.4%) were dog owners. At baseline, the median age was 55 years in non-owners (interquartile range, IQR, 48 -62) and 52 years in dog owners (IQR 46-58). Dog ownership was inversely associated with hemorrhagic stroke (30 513 events, HR 0.93 [95% CI 0.88-0.98]), ischemic stroke (91 160 events, HR 0.94 [0.91-0.98]) and heart failure (67 740 events, HR 0.95 [0.91-0.99]). There was no association with coronary heart disease (165 275 events, HR 0.99 [0.97-1.01]). Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that dog owners are at a lower risk for ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke and heart failure. This relationship could be explained by a positive effect of dog ownership on daily exercise and psychosocial health or be due to unmeasured confounding. Although the cohort was free from cardiovascular disease at baseline, we cannot exclude the possibility that those individuals that buy a dog have better overall health than those that do not.

Half of 23 Belgian dog breeds has a compromised genetic diversity, as revealed by genealogical and molecular data analysis.

The genetic diversity in 23 dog breeds raised in Belgium was investigated using both genealogical analysis and microsatellite markers. Some of these breeds are native breeds, with only small populations maintained. Pedigree and molecular data, obtained from the Belgian kennel club, were used to calculate the inbreeding coefficients, realised effective population size as well as probabilities of gene origin and average observed heterozygosity. Inbreeding coefficients ranged from 0.8 to 44.7% and realised effective population size varied between 3.2 and 829.1, according to the used method and breed. Mean observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.47 to 0.73. Both pedigree and molecular methods reveal low genetic diversity and presence of bottlenecks, especially in native Belgian breeds with small population sizes. Furthermore, principal component analysis on the set of investigated diversity parameters revealed no groups of breeds that could be identified in which similar breeding strategies could be applied to maintain genetic diversity.

Puppy Temperament Assessments Predict Breed and American Kennel Club Group but Not Adult Temperament

Puppy assessments for companion dogs have shown mixed long-term reliability. Temperament is cited among the reasons for surrendering dogs to shelters. A puppy temperament test that reliably predicts adult behavior is one potential way to lower the number of dogs given to shelters. This study used a longitudinal design to assess temperament in puppies from 8 different breeds at 7 weeks old (n = 52) and 6 years old (n = 34) using modified temperament tests, physiological measures, and a follow-up questionnaire. For 7-week-old puppies, results revealed (a) puppy breed was predictable using 3 variables, (b) 4 American Kennel Club breed groups had some validity based on temperament, (c) temperament was variable within litters of puppies, and (d) certain measures of temperament were related to physiological measures (heart rate). Finally, puppy temperament assessments were reliable in predicting the scores of 2 of the 8 adult dog temperament measures. However, overall, the puppy temperament scores were unreliable in predicting adult temperament.

Heritability of hypothyroidism in the Finnish Hovawart population.

BackgroundThe Hovawart is a working and companion dog breed of German origin. A few hundred Hovawart dogs are registered annually in Finland. The most common disease with a proposed genetic background in Hovawarts is hypothyroidism. The disease is usually caused by lymphocytic thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder which destroys the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism can be treated medically with hormone replacement. Its overall incidence could also be reduced through selection, provided that the trait shows an adequate genetic basis. The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability of hypothyroidism in the Finnish Hovawart population.ResultsThe pedigree data for the study were provided by the Finnish Kennel Club and the hypothyroidism data by the Finnish Hovawart Club. The data included 4953 dogs born between 1990 and 2010, of which 107 had hypothyroidism and 4846 were unaffected. Prior to the estimation of heritability, we studied the effects of gender, birth year, birth month, and inbreeding on susceptibility to hypothyroidism. Heritability was estimated with the probit model both via restricted maximum likelihood (REML) and Gibbs sampling, using litter and sire of the dog as random effects. None of the studied systematic effects or level of inbreeding had a significant effect on susceptibility to hypothyroidism. The estimated heritability of hypothyroidism varied from 0.47 (SE = 0.18) using REML to 0.62 (SD = 0.21) using Gibbs sampling.ConclusionsBased on our analysis, the heritability of hypothyroidism is moderate to high, suggesting that its prevalence could be decreased through selection. Thus, breeders should notify the breed association of any affected dogs, and their use for breeding should be avoided.

Breeding Restrictions Decrease the Prevalence of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels over an 8- to 10-Year Period.

BackgroundCavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) are predisposed to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Studies have indicated a strong genetic background.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a breeding scheme involving auscultation and echocardiography.AnimalsIn the Danish Kennel Club mandatory breeding scheme, 997 purebred CKCS were examined during the period 2002–2011. Each dog was evaluated 1–4 times with a total of 1,380 examinations.MethodsAuscultation and echocardiography were performed to evaluate mitral regurgitation murmur severity and degree of mitral valve prolapse (MVP). The odds of having mitral regurgitation murmur or MVP > grade 1 in 2010–2011 compared to 2002–2003 were estimated using logistic regression analysis including age and sex as covariates. Odds were estimated for dogs that were products of the breeding scheme (defined as dogs with both parents approved by the breeding scheme before breeding) and non‐products of the breeding scheme (defined as dogs with at least 1 parent with unknown cardiac status).ResultsIn 2010–2011, the odds of having mitral regurgitation murmur were 0.27 if dogs were a product of the breeding scheme compared with dogs in 2002–2003, reflecting a 73% decreased risk (P < .0001). If non‐products of the breeding scheme examined in 2010–2011 were compared with dogs in 2002–2003, no difference in odds was found (P = .49).Conclusion and Clinical ImportanceA mandatory breeding scheme based on auscultation and echocardiography findings significantly decreased the prevalence of MMVD over the 8‐ to 10‐year period. Such a breeding scheme therefore is recommended for CKCS.

Kennel Club launches pioneering genetic research

Ground-breaking research based on analysis of pedigree records maintained by the Kennel Club will assist breeders in improving genetic health and protecting the future of our dog breeds.

Inbreeding in Pembroke Welsh Corgi Population in Poland

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine changes in the coefficients of inbreeding for a comparatively new Polish population of Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Calculations were based on 780 pedigrees of dogs born between 1979 and 2010 and registered with the Polish Kennel Club. The mean inbreeding coefficients for animals born during those years varied from 0.4% to 8.93%. The lowest individual inbreeding coefficient was 0.06%, whereas the highest reached 25.1%.

Curve control, development and phenotypic bad formations in poodle the city of Medellin

ABSTRACT Objective. Quantifying phenotypic malformations and make a curve control and development of the breed Poodle puppies in the city of Medellin. Materials and methods. We analyzed 60 individuals, 30 females and 30 males were measured and weighed from 2 to 12 months of age with these data, build a table and a control growth curve and after about 12 months of age there were the Phenotypic malformations, which are considered by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and Cynological International (FCI). Results. Of the specimens analyzed, 10% had bone spurs, cryptorchidism 20%, 5% had polidoncia a year old, with teeth retained teeth more often. Conclusions. In an effort to find examples of smaller faults have been committed at the time of mating, resulting in increased phenotypic malformations found in the study, this work also provide veterinarians, another tool for assessing pediatric puppies Poodle race in the city of Medellin.

Trends in genetic diversity for all Kennel Club registered pedigree dog breeds.

BackgroundInbreeding is inevitable in closed populations with a finite number of ancestors and where there is selection. Therefore, management of the rate of inbreeding at sustainable levels is required to avoid the associated detrimental effects of inbreeding. Studies have shown some pedigree dog breeds to have high levels of inbreeding and a high burden of inherited disease unrelated to selection objectives, implying loss of genetic diversity may be a particular problem for pedigree dogs. Pedigree analysis of all 215 breeds currently recognised by the UK Kennel Club over the period 1980–2014 was undertaken to ascertain parameters describing the rate of loss of genetic diversity due to inbreeding, and the presence of any general trend across all breeds.ResultsThe trend over all breeds was for the rate of inbreeding to be highest in the 1980s and 1990s, tending to decline after 2000. The trend was comparable in very common and rarer breeds, although was more pronounced in rarer breeds. Rates of inbreeding over the entire period 1980–2014 were not correlated with census population size. The existence of popular sires was apparent in all breeds.ConclusionThe trends detected over 1980–2014 imply an initial excessive loss of genetic diversity which has latterly fallen to sustainable levels, even with modest restoration in some cases. The theory of genetic contributions, which demonstrates the fundamental relationship of inbreeding and selection, implies that popular sires are the major contributor to high rate of inbreeding.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40575-015-0027-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Peak limb forces experienced by dogs jumping at kennel club jump heights

Peak limb forces experienced by dogs jumping at kennel club jump heights

Trance-like syndrome in bull terriers

TRANCE-like syndrome (TLS) in bull terriers (BTs) has long been recognised by breeders and owners, with many considering them typical of the breed. Episodes consist of a hypokinetic gait with...

Ten inherited disorders in purebred dogs by functional breed groupings.

BackgroundAnalysis of 88,635 dogs seen at the University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from 1995 to 2010 identified ten inherited conditions having greater prevalence within the purebred dog population as compared to the mixed-breed dog population: aortic stenosis, atopy/allergic dermatitis, gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), early onset cataracts, dilated cardiomyopathy, elbow dysplasia, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, intervertebral disk disease (IVDD), and hepatic portosystemic shunt. The objective of the present study was to ascertain if disorders with higher prevalence in purebreds were restricted to particular breed group classifications within the purebred population, specifically the American Kennel Club breed grouping or groups with genomic similarities based upon allele sharing. For each disorder, healthy controls seen at the hospital during that same time period were matched for age, weight, and sex to each affected dog to determine risk of disease presentation in the purebred group as compared to that of the mixed-breed population. To enhance reliability of the analyses, sampling of matched healthy to affected dogs was repeated 50 times. For each comparison, the purebred subgroups to mixed-breed odds ratio was determined as was the mean P value used to test this ratio.ResultsFor aortic stenosis, GDV, early onset cataracts, dilated cardiomyopathy, elbow dysplasia, epilepsy, and portosystemic shunt, most purebred groups were not statistically distinct from the mixed-breed population with higher prevalence in purebreds restricted to distinct subsets of purebred dogs. The conditions of atopy/allergic dermatitis, hypothyroidism, and IVDD were more pervasive across the purebred population with many groups having higher prevalence than the mixed-breed population. The prevalence of IVDD in purebred terrier groups was statistically lower than that observed for mixed-breed dogs.ConclusionsThe results offer an assessment of the distribution of inherited disorders within purebred dogs and illustrate how mixed-breed and subpopulations of purebred dogs do not differ statistically in prevalence for certain disorders. Some disorders appear linked to common ancestors providing insight into disease allele origin whereas others may be due to selection for common structural morphology. Knowledge of the origin of a condition may aid in reducing its prevalence in the dog population as a whole.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40575-015-0021-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dogslife: A cohort study of Labrador Retrievers in the UK

Studies of animals that visit primary and secondary veterinary centres dominate companion animal epidemiology. Dogslife is a research initiative that collects data directly from owners about the health and lifestyle of Kennel Club (KC) registered Labrador Retrievers (LR) in the UK. The ultimate aim is to seek associations between canine lifestyle and health. A selection of data from Dogslife regarding the height, weight and lifestyle of 4307 LR up to four years of age is reported here.The majority of the dogs were household pets, living with at least one other pet, in families or households with more than one adult. The dogs typically ate diets of dried food and daily meal frequency decreased as the dogs aged. Working dogs spent more time exercising than pets, and dogs in Wales and Scotland were exercised more than their counterparts in England. Dogs in households with children spent less time exercising than dogs in other types of households. There was considerable variation in height and weight measurements indicative of a highly heterogeneous population. The average male height at the shoulders was 2–3cm taller than the UK breed standard. Dog weights continued to increase between one and four years of age. Those with chocolate coloured coats were heavier than their yellow and black counterparts. Greater dog weight was also associated with dogs whose owners reported restricting their dog’s exercise due to where they lived.These findings highlight the utility of wide public engagement in the collation of phenotypic measures, providing a unique insight into the physical development and lifestyle of a cohort of LRs. In combination with concurrently collected data on the health of the cohort, phenotypic data from the Dogslife Project will contribute to understanding the relationship between dog lifestyle and health.

Changing club culture

Abstract ‘The Kennel Club [has] no interest in the health of the dogs that it registers’ is a criticism that a new breed of breeder wants to address.

Idiopathic Epilepsy in the Italian Spinone in the United Kingdom: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Predictors of Survival and Seizure Remission

BackgroundThere is lack of data on idiopathic epilepsy (IE) in the Italian Spinone (IS).ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of IE in the IS in the United Kingdom (UK) and to investigate predictors of survival and seizure remission.AnimalsThe target population consisted of 3331 IS born between 2000 and 2011 and registered with the UK Kennel Club (KC). The owners of 1192 dogs returned phase I questionnaire. Sixty‐three IS had IE.MethodsPopulation survey. The owners of all UK KC‐registered IS were invited to complete the phase I questionnaire. Information from the phase I questionnaire and veterinary medical records was used to identify IS with IE and obtain data on treatment and survival. Additional information was obtained from owners of epileptic IS who completed the phase II questionnaire.ResultsThe prevalence of IE in the IS in the UK was estimated as 5.3% (95% CI, 4.03–6.57%). Survival time was significantly shorter in IS euthanized because of poorly controlled IE compared with epileptic IS that died of unrelated disorders (P = 0.001). Survival was significantly longer in IS with no cluster seizures (CS) (P = 0.040) and in IS in which antiepileptic medication was initiated after the second seizure rather than after ≥3 seizures (P = 0.044). Seizure remission occurred only in 3 IS.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThe prevalence of IE in IS (5.3%) is higher than in dogs (0.6%) in the UK. Idiopathic epilepsy in IS has a severe phenotype. Antiepileptic medication initiation after the second seizure and aggressive treatment of CS may improve survival.

Prevalence of disorders recorded in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels attending primary-care veterinary practices in England.

BackgroundConcerns have been raised over breed-related health issues in purebred dogs, but reliable prevalence estimates for disorders within specific breeds are sparse. Electronically stored patient health records from primary-care practice are emerging as a useful source of epidemiological data in companion animals. This study used large volumes of health data from UK primary-care practices participating in the VetCompass animal health surveillance project to evaluate in detail the disorders diagnosed in a random selection of over 50% of dogs recorded as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs). Confirmation of breed using available microchip and Kennel Club (KC) registration data was attempted.ResultsIn total, 3624 dogs were recorded as CKCSs within the VetCompass database of which 143 (3.9%) were confirmed as KC-registered via microchip identification linkage of VetCompass to the KC database. 1875 dogs (75 KC registered and 1800 of unknown KC status, 52% of both groups) were randomly sampled for detailed clinical review. Clinical data associated with veterinary care were recorded in 1749 (93.3%) of these dogs. The most common specific disorders recorded during the study period were heart murmur (541 dogs, representing 30.9% of study group), diarrhoea of unspecified cause (193 dogs, 11.0%), dental disease (166 dogs, 9.5%), otitis externa (161, 9.2%), conjunctivitis (131, 7.4%) and anal sac infection (129, 7.4%). The five most common disorder categories were cardiac (affecting 31.7% of dogs), dermatological (22.2%), ocular (20.6%), gastrointestinal (19.3%) and dental/periodontal disorders (15.2%).Discussion and conclusionsStudy findings suggest that many of the disorders commonly affecting CKCSs are largely similar to those affecting the general dog population presented for primary veterinary care in the UK. However, cardiac disease (and MVD in particular) continues to be of particular concern in this breed.Further workThis work highlights the value of veterinary practice based breed-specific epidemiological studies to provide targeted and evidence-based health policies. Further studies using electronic patient records in other breeds could highlight their potential disease predispositions.

Genetic Structure Analysis of Tatra Shepherd Dog Population From Tatra Mountain Region

Abstract The aim of the work was to analyze the genetic structure of the population of Tatra Shepherd dogs, registered in branches of Polish Kennel Club from Tatra Mountain Region. Data were pedigrees of 102 Tatra Shepherd dogs (33 males and 69 females) born between 1994 and 2011. Inbreeding and relationship coefficients, as well as effective number of founders and ancestors, were calculated. These statistics give the picture of genetic diversity of the population. Average inbreeding coefficient was 7.17%, whereas average relationship coefficient was 18.20%. The number of inbred animals and the mean FX values steadily increased over time. Twenty-six of 80 inbred animals had inbreeding coefficients higher than 10%. The effective number of founders was relatively high in relation to the population size (the effective number of ancestors was four times lower) and both were similar to the results of studies of other authors on different dog breeds. The total contribution of only 4 ancestors was enough to explain 50% of the gene pool of the population. Therefore, mating of related animals should be avoided in order to prevent the further increase of inbreeding level, because almost all Polish and foreign Tatra Shepherd dogs living now originate from the population under study.

The challenges of pedigree dog health: approaches to combating inherited disease.

The issue of inherited disorders and poor health in pedigree dogs has been widely discussed in recent years. With the advent of genome-wide sequencing technologies and the increasing development of new diagnostic DNA disease tests, the full extent and prevalence of inherited disorders in pedigree dogs is now being realized. In this review we discuss the challenges facing pedigree dog breeds: the common pitfalls and problems associated with combating single gene mediated disorders, phenotypic selection on complex disorders, and ways of managing genetic diversity. Breeding strategies incorporating screening schemes have been shown to be successful in significantly reducing the prevalence of an inherited disorder and improving the overall health in certain breeds. However, with 215 breeds officially recognized by the Kennel Club in the United Kingdom and 396 inherited disorders currently identified, many breeds have reached the point at which successfully breeding away from susceptible individuals at a population-wide scale will require new genomic selection strategies in combination with currently available breeding schemes. Whilst DNA-based tests identifying disease causing mutation(s) remain the most informative and effective approach for single gene disorder disease management, they must be used along with current screening schemes, genomic selection, and pedigree information in breeding programs in the effort to maintain genetic diversity while also significantly reducing the number of inherited disorders in pedigree dogs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40575-015-0014-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Exploring weight data on over 100,000 Swedish dogs of various breeds

Methods Our study-data on weight at 12 months of age for more than 100,000 dogs of various breeds from the dog database at the Swedish Kennel Club (SKK) have enabled us to: – provide a reference for further studies by characterizing distribution of adult body weights in various breeds, also stratified by other factors, e.g. sex. – explore how weight influences hip and elbow status recorded in the same database. – investigate how to combine these data with recording of body condition score and to merge them with diagnostic information as insurance claim data.