Small animal Review

One of the group's latest papers examines the prevalence of commonly diagnosed disorders in UK dogs under primary veterinary care. O' Neill et al (2021) randomly sampled approximately 2.5% of dogs from a database of nearly a million, in order to report the frequency of common disorders and how they were affected by signalment. Unsurprisingly, periodontal disease (prevalence at precise-level 12.5%), otitis externa (7.3%) and obesity (7.1%) were the most common disorders. At the group level, skin disorders and enteropathy were also common. The study identified a number of associations between commonly diagnosed disorders and signalment. The authors note that these findings can help vets prioritise preventative care and could be used to improve the provision of targeted support for at-risk demographic subsets.

A disease-specific paper published using VetCompass data examines hypoadrenocorticism (Addison's disease) in dogs. Hypoadrenocorticism may be under-diagnosed, especially as its clinical signs can mimic those of other diseases. A study by Schofield et al (2021) estimated the frequency, clinical approaches and risk factors for hypoadrenocorticism in dogs managed in UK primary practice. Pre-existing and new cases in the year 2016 were identified from the database and were then categorised by diagnosis as laboratory-confirmed or presumed. A total of 177 cases were identified, giving a 1-year period prevalence of 0.06%. Lethargy, anorexia and vomiting were the most common clinical signs reported, hence why it can be hard to diagnose the condition without a pre-existing high index of suspicion. Out of 53 cases for which data were available, 47 had hyperkalaemia and 46 hyponatraemia, with a median sodium:potassium ratio of 19:0. There was an association between laboratory confirmation of diagnosis and breed, age, neuter and insurance status. Ten (5.6% of cases) were recorded as ‘atypical’, but the authors note there is no standard consensus on the definition of atypical hypoadrenocorticism. Three of these cases had endogenous aldosterone concentration measured. The Standard Poodle had 51 times higher odds of hypoadrenocorticism compared to crossbreeds. Labradoodles and West Highland White Terriers were also predisposed. The authors note that this is the first epidemiological study of hypoadrenocorticism in primary care in the UK.