Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Common health problems and lifespan of Bulldogs in the UK in 2013
By O'Neill, Dan G et al.·Published in PloS one·2019·The Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Disorders of Bulldogs under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A Bulldog in the UK is prone to several health issues, with common problems including ear infections, skin infections, and obesity. In 2013, many Bulldogs were treated for these conditions, with ear infections affecting about 12.7% of them and skin infections about 8.8%. Unfortunately, Bulldogs have a shorter average lifespan of around 7.2 years, with males living slightly less than females. Understanding these health risks can help owners provide better care for their Bulldogs and seek timely veterinary assistance.
People also search for: Bulldog ear infection treatment · Bulldog skin problems · why is my Bulldog overweight · Bulldog health issues · Bulldog lifespan concerns
Abstract
The Bulldog is a popular companion breed in the UK despite widely reported disease predispositions. This study aimed to characterise the demography, mortality and common disorders of Bulldogs under veterinary care in the UK during 2013. VetCompass collates anonymised clinical data from UK primary-care veterinary practices for epidemiological research. The clinical records of all Bulldogs available in the VetCompass study dataset were reviewed manually in detail to extract the most definitive diagnoses recorded for all disorders that existed during 2013 and for all deaths. Bulldogs comprised 1621 (0.36%) of 445,557 study dogs. Bulldogs increased from 0.35% of the 2009 birth cohort to 0.60% in 2013. Median longevity was 7.2 years, which was lower in males (6.7 years) than females (7.9 years) (P = 0.021). The most prevalent fine-level precision disorders recorded were otitis externa (n = 206, prevalence 12.7%, 95% CI: 11.1-14.4), pyoderma (142, 8.8%, 95% CI: 7.4-10.2) and overweight/obesity (141, 8.7%, 95% CI: 7.4-10.2). The most prevalent disorder groups were cutaneous (n = 463, prevalence: 28.6%, 95% CI: 26.4-30.8), ophthalmological (292, 18.0%, 95% CI: 16.2-20.0), aural (211, 13.0%, 95% CI: 11.4-14.8), enteropathy (188, 11.6%, 95% CI: 10.1-13.3) and upper respiratory tract (171, 10.5%, 95% CI: 9.1-12.1). Provision of an evidence base on the most common disorders and causes of mortality within breeds can support owners, breeders and the veterinary profession to improve health and welfare within these breed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31188857/