Disease patterns and incidence of immune-mediated disease in insured Swedish Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers

In this study, morbidity in insured Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (NSDTR) dogs from Sweden was investigated and compared with all other breeds and other retriever breeds. In addition to describing common morbidities in NSDTRs, the hypotheses that NSDTRs are predisposed to lymphoma, immune-mediated rheumatic disease (IMRD) and steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) were tested. Included in the study were 445,336 dogs; of which, 2890 were NSDTRs that had been covered by veterinary insurance from the Agria Insurance Company (Stockholm, Sweden) at some point during the years 1995-2006. Incidences of various health problems were calculated using the number of veterinary visits as the numerator and the exact time at risk as the denominator. Overall, morbidity was higher in NSDTRs compared with all other breeds, but similar compared with other retriever breeds. The most common causes of veterinary visits in NSDTRs were injuries, gastrointestinal disease and locomotor disorders, with NSDTRs at increased risk of these compared with all other breeds. The incidences for IMRD, SRMA and lymphoma were significantly higher in NSDTRs than in all other dog breeds and all other retriever breeds. The study describes morbidity in NSDTRs, and identifies several disorders to which the breed is predisposed

Insurance data for research in companion animals: benefits and limitations

The primary aim of this article is to review the use of animal health insurance data in the scientific literature, especially in regard to morbidity or mortality in companion animals and horses. Methods and results were compared among studies on similar health conditions from different nations and years. A further objective was to critically evaluate benefits and limitations of such databases, to suggest ways to maximize their utility and to discuss the future use of animal insurance data for research purposes. Examples of studies on morbidity, mortality and survival estimates in dogs and horses, as well as neoplasia in dogs, are discussed

Pilot study of locomotor asymmetry in horses walking in circles with and without a rider

Background: Horses commonly show asymmetries that manifest as left (L)-right (R) differences in vertical excursion of axial body segments. Moving on a circle confounds inherent individual asymmetries. Our goals were to evaluate individual and group asymmetry patterns and compare objective data with subjective impressions of side preference/laterality in horses walking on L and R circles. Methods: Fifteen horses walked on L and R circles unridden and ridden on long and short reins. Optical motion capture (150 Hz) tracked skin -fixed markers. Variables were trunk horizontal angle; neck-to-trunk angle; vertical range of motion (ROM) for the head, withers and sacrum; ROM for pelvic roll, pitch, and yaw; mean pelvic pitch; and ROM for hip, stifle and tarsal joints. Differences between inside and outside hind steps were determined for vertical minima and maxima of the head (HMinDiff/ HMaxDiff), withers (WMinDiff/WMaxDiff) and sacrum (PMinDiff/PMaxDiff). Subjective laterality was provided by owners. Data analysis used mixed models, first without and then with subjective laterality. Iterative k-means cluster analysis was used to associate biomechanical variables with subjective laterality. Results: PMaxDiff, PMinDiff and WMaxDiff indicated R limb asymmetry in both directions. WMinDiff indicated L (inside) fore asymmetry for L direction but was close to zero for R direction. Hip ROM was significantly smaller for the inside limb in both directions (L inside/outside: 16.7 degrees vs. 20.6 degrees; R: 17.8 degrees vs. 19.4 degrees). Stifle ROM was significantly larger for the inside limb in both directions (L: 43.1 degrees vs. 39.0 degrees; R: 41.9 degrees vs. 40.4 degrees). Taking the general direction effect into account the R hip and L stifle had larger ROM. Adding laterality to the models (seven horses L-vs. six horses R -hollow), PMaxDiff R hind asymmetry was more obvious for L-hollow horses than for R-hollow horses. L-hollow horses had greater pelvic roll ROM moving in L vs. R direction. L-hollow horses had smaller inside and greater outside hip joint ROM in L vs. R direction. R-hollow horses had a significant difference in HMinDiff between L (0 mm) and R (-14 mm) directions, indicating less head lowering at outside forelimb midstance in R direction, and larger outside tarsal ROM in R (38.6 degrees) vs. L (37.4 degrees) direction (p <= 0.05). The variables that agreed most frequently with subjective laterality in cluster analysis were pelvic roll ROM, followed by HMinDiff and PMaxDiff. Conclusion: Differences between horses walking in L and R directions were found both at group and individual levels, as well as evidence of associations with subjective laterality. Horses maintained more symmetric hip and stifle ROM and withers vertical motion when walking on the R circle. Findings suggest that left and right lateralised horses may not be perfect mirror images. Pelvic roll ROM emerged as a promising variable to determine laterality in walk as perceived by the rider, especially when considered together with other variables

Canine atopic dermatitis: validation of recorded diagnosis against practice records in 335 insured Swedish dogs

A cross-sectional study of insured Swedish dogs with a recorded diagnosis of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) was performed. In order to validate the correctness of this specific diagnosis in the insurance database, medical records were requested by mail from the attending veterinarians. All dogs with a reimbursed claim for the disease during 2002 were included in the original study sample (n = 373). Medical records were available for 335 individuals (response rate: 89.8%). By scrutinizing the submitted records it was determined that all dogs had been treated for dermatologic disease, and that 327 (97.6%) could be considered to have some allergic skin disease. However, as information regarding dietary trial testing was missing in many dogs the number that were truly atopic could not be determined. The clinical presentation and nature of test diet for dogs with or without response to dietary trial testing was compared for a subset of 109 individuals that had undergone such testing. The only significant difference between these two groups was that the proportion of dogs with reported gastrointestinal signs was higher in the group that subsequently responded to a diet trial. In conclusion, the agreement between the recorded diagnosis in the insurance database and the clinical manifestations recorded in the submitted medical records was considered acceptable. The concern was raised that many attending veterinarians did not exclude cutaneous adverse food reactions before making the diagnosis of CAD

Incidence, causes and outcomes of lameness cases in a working military horse population: a field study

Reasons for performing study: Lameness is a common problem in the horse. Despite this, information on the incidence of lameness in horses in the UK is restricted to studies of lameness in performance horses, racehorses or referral hospital populations. Objectives: To determine the overall incidence and common causes of lameness in a working horse population and incidence, duration and outcome of conditions observed. Study design: Prospective questionnaire study. Methods: Questionnaires were used to record lameness episodes in 294 horses in an equine military establishment. Information recorded included age, years of service, type of work, causal lesion, time taken to return to work and outcome. Lameness problems could be reported by any staff involved in the horses' care and were diagnosed by a veterinary surgeon or qualified farrier. Trends between lame and nonlame populations were compared using Chi-square analysis. Lameness diagnoses were grouped and analysed by disease category. Results: Completed questionnaires for 273 horses were analysed. The mean monthly incidence of lameness was 2.1%, equivalent to an annual rate of 25.4 cases per 100 horses per annum, with a mean of 1.2 lameness episodes per horse in the lame population. Horse age and duration of service were not significantly different between lame and nonlame populations. The most common diagnoses were cellulitis (18.6%), skin wounds (16.3%) and foot/shoeing problems (11.6%) and 88% of cases had returned to previous levels of work by the conclusion of the study. Conclusions: This initial field study showed that lameness is a common occurrence in this working military horse population and the majority of cases make a full return to work. The most common causes of lameness identified in this study and outcomes of these conditions differ from existing literature. Potential relevance: This study highlights the need for further studies of lameness in the wider horse population

Kinematic effects of the circle with and without rider in walking horses

Background: Biomechanical studies of walk, especially walk on the circle, are scarce, while circles or curved tracks are frequently used during equestrian activities. To study horse-rider-circle interactions on the circle, the first steps would be to investigate how the unridden, freely walking horse is influenced by circular movement, and then add a rider. The aim was to study horse vertical trunk movements, and sagittal cannon angles (protraction-retraction) during walk in straight-line and on the circle without rider, and on the circle with a rider using minimal influence.Methods: Ten horses were ridden by five riders, summing to 14 trials. Each trial included straight walk unridden (on concrete), and walk on 10 m diameter circles (left and right on soft surface) first lunged (unridden) and then ridden with minimal rider influence. Inertial measurement units (100 Hz) were positioned on the withers, third sacral vertebra (S3) and laterally on metacarpal and metatarsal bones (using self-adhesive bandage). Selected data were split in steps (withers and S3 vertical translations) or strides (cannon protraction-retraction) at maximum hind limb protraction, and range of motion (ROM), minima and maxima, and their timing, were extracted. Data were analyzed using mixed models with inner/outer/straight nested within unridden/ridden as fixed effect, and controlling for stride duration. Differences between: inner vs outer steps/limbs; the same step/limb unridden vs ridden; and the same step/limb straight vs inner/outer unridden; were examined for statistical significance at p &lt; 0.05.Results: Inner limbs had smaller cannon ROM than outer limbs, for example, forelimbs when ridden (inner vs outer 62 degrees vs 63 degrees) and hind limbs when unridden (53 degrees vs 56 degrees). Forelimb cannon ROM was the largest for straight (65 degrees). Hind limb ROM for straight walk (55 degrees) was in-between inner (52-53 degrees) and outer hind limbs (56-57 degrees). Vertical ROM of S3 was larger during the inner (unridden/ridden 0.050/0.052 m) vs the outer step (unridden/ridden 0.049/0.051 m). Inner (0.050 m ) and outer steps (0.049 m) unridden had smaller S3 ROM compared to straight steps (unridden, 0.054 m). Compared to when unridden, withers ROM was smaller when ridden: inner hind steps unridden/ridden 0.020 vs 0.015 m and outer hind steps 0.020 vs 0.013 m. When ridden, withers ROM was larger during the inner hind step vs the outer.Conclusion: The outer hind limb had greater cannon pro-retraction ROM, compared to the inner limb. Larger croup ROM during the inner step appears to be coupled to increased retraction of the outer hind limb. Knowledge of magnitudes and timing of the horse's movements on the circle in unridden and ridden walk may stimulate riders to educate eye and feel in analyzing the execution of circles, and stimulate further studies of the walk, for example, on interactions with rider influence, natural horse asymmetries, or lameness

Mortality due to trauma in cats attending veterinary practices in central and south-east England

Objectives: To identify important demographic and spatial factors associated with the risk of trauma and, more specifically, road traffic accident‐related mortality, relative to other diagnoses in cats. Methods: A sample of 2738 cats with mortality data derived from the VetCompass primary‐care veterinary database was selected for detailed study. Generalised linear models investigated risk factors for mortality due to trauma and due to road traffic accidents versus other causes

Rater agreement of visual lameness assessment in horses during lungeing

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Lungeing is an important part of lameness examinations as the circular path may accentuate low‐grade lameness. Movement asymmetries related to the circular path, to compensatory movements and to pain make the lameness evaluation complex. Scientific studies have shown high inter‐rater variation when assessing lameness during straight line movement. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to estimate inter‐ and intra‐rater agreement of equine veterinarians evaluating lameness from videos of sound and lame horses during lungeing and to investigate the influence of veterinarians’ experience and the objective degree of movement asymmetry on rater agreement. STUDY DESIGN: Cross‐sectional observational study. METHODS: Video recordings and quantitative gait analysis with inertial sensors were performed in 23 riding horses of various breeds. The horses were examined at trot on a straight line and during lungeing on soft or hard surfaces in both directions. One video sequence was recorded per condition and the horses were classified as forelimb lame, hindlimb lame or sound from objective straight line symmetry measurements. Equine veterinarians (n = 86), including 43 with >5 years of orthopaedic experience, participated in a web‐based survey and were asked to identify the lamest limb on 60 videos, including 10 repeats. The agreements between (inter‐rater) and within (intra‐rater) veterinarians were analysed with κ statistics (Fleiss, Cohen). RESULTS: Inter‐rater agreement κ was 0.31 (0.38/0.25 for experienced/less experienced) and higher for forelimb (0.33) than for hindlimb lameness (0.11) or soundness (0.08) evaluation. Median intra‐rater agreement κ was 0.57. CONCLUSIONS: Inter‐rater agreement was poor for less experienced raters, and for all raters when evaluating hindlimb lameness. Since identification of the lame limb/limbs is a prerequisite for successful diagnosis, treatment and recovery, the high inter‐rater variation when evaluating lameness on the lunge is likely to influence the accuracy and repeatability of lameness examinations and, indirectly, the efficacy of treatment

Mortality in over 350,000 Insured Swedish dogs from 1995–2000: I. Breed-, Gender-, Age- and Cause-specific Rates

This study presents data on over 350,000 insured Swedish dogs up to 10 years of age contributing to over one million dog-years at risk (DYAR) during 1995–2000. A total of 43,172 dogs died or were euthanised and of these 72% had a claim with a diagnosis for the cause of death. The overall total mortality was 393 deaths per 10,000 DYAR. Mortality rates are calculated for the 10 most common breeds, 10 breeds with high mortality and a group including all other breeds, crudely and for general causes of death. Proportional mortality is presented for several classifications. Five general causes accounted for 62% of the deaths with a diagnosis (i.e. tumour (18%), trauma (17%), locomotor (13%), heart (8%) and neurological (6%)). Mortality rates for the five most common diagnoses within the general causes of death are presented. These detailed statistics on mortality can be used in breed-specific strategies as well as for general health promotion programs. Further details on survival and relative risk by breed and age are presented in the companion paper [14]

Head and pelvic movement asymmetries at trot in riding horses in training and perceived as free from lameness by the owner

Recent studies evaluating horses in training and considered free from lameness by their owners have identified a large proportion of horses with motion asymmetries. However the prevalence, type and magnitude of asymmetries when trotting in a straight line or on the lunge have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to objectively investigate the presence of motion asymmetries in riding horses in training by identifying the side and quantifying the degree and type (impact, pushoff) of forelimb and hind limb asymmetries found during straight line trot and on the lunge. In a cross-sectional study, vertical head and pelvic movement symmetry was measured in 222 Warmblood type riding horses, all without perceived performance issues and considered free from lameness by their owners. Body-mounted uni-axial accelerometers were used and differences between maximum and minimum head (HDmax, HDmin) and pelvic (PDmax, PDmin) vertical displacement between left and right forelimb and hind limb stances were calculated during straight line trot and on the lunge. Previously reported symmetry thresholds were used. The thresholds for symmetry were exceeded in 161 horses for at least one variable while trotting in a straight line, HDmin (n = 58, mean 14.3 mm, SD 7.1), HDmax (n = 41, mean 12.7 mm, SD 5.5), PDmax (n = 87, mean 6.5 mm, SD 3.10), PDmin (n = 79, mean 5.7 mm, SD 2.1). Contralateral and ipsilateral concurrent forelimb and hind limb asymmetries were detected in 41 and 49 horses, respectively. There was a linear association between the straight line PDmin values and the values on the lunge with the lame limb to the inside of the circle. A large proportion (72.5%) of horses in training which were perceived as free from lameness by their owner showed movement asymmetries above previously reported asymmetry thresholds during straight line trot. It is not known to what extent these asymmetries are related to pain or to mechanical abnormalities. Therefore, one of the most important questions that must be addressed is how objective asymmetry scores can be translated into pain, orthopedic abnormality, or any type of unsoundness