Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Common health problems in search-and-rescue dogs over 15 years
By Seeley, Abigail C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2024·1Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: A 15-year longitudinal study of search-and-rescue dogs identifies the musculoskeletal, integumentary, and gastrointestinal systems as commonly affected.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 150 search-and-rescue dogs was monitored over 15 years to track their health, particularly looking at issues with their muscles and joints, skin, and stomach. Out of these dogs, 96 experienced at least one health problem, with the most common issues being related to inflammation and degeneration. The study found that deployment during the 9/11 attacks did not significantly affect the dogs' health, nor did their breed or sex. To help these dogs live longer, it's important to focus on preventing and managing problems in their muscles, skin, and digestive systems.
People also search for: search-and-rescue dog health issues · dog joint problems · skin problems in dogs · gastrointestinal issues in dogs · preventing health problems in working dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A longitudinal study followed search-and-rescue (SAR) dogs for 15 years to determine the incidence of health events and whether factors of deployment during 9/11, breed, or sex altered the risk of specific events. ANIMALS: 150 SAR dogs: 95 dogs deployed to the September 11 terrorist attack sites and 55 SAR dogs not deployed. METHODS: Each year, a survey was sent to the handler to collect health information until the dog died or the handler withdrew from the study. The reported health events were then categorized according to the body system affected and etiology. Incidence risk rates, with 95% CIs, were calculated for the most common types of health events. Incidence rate ratios were calculated stratified by deployment status, sex, and breed and significance assessed. RESULTS: 1 or more health event was recorded in 96 of the 150 enrolled dogs. The most affected systems were the musculoskeletal (31%; CI, 24 to 39), integumentary (22%; CI, 15 to 29), and gastrointestinal (20%; CI, 14 to 26). The health events were most commonly reported as inflammatory (45%; CI, 37 to 53) and degenerative (28%; CI, 21 to 35) in nature. There were no significant differences in incidence of health events based on deployment status to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Additionally, there was no significant effect of breed or sex on incidence of health events. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: To improve the health and longevity of SAR dogs, disease prevention and management programs should focus on reducing the health problems involving the musculoskeletal system as well as the integumentary and gastrointestinal systems.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37948846/