Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Factors associated with medical problems among young non-deployed U.S. military working dogs.
- Journal:
- Preventive veterinary medicine
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Schuh-Renner, Anna et al.
- Affiliation:
- U.S. Army Public Health Center · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the health issues faced by young military working dogs (MWDs) that are not currently deployed. Researchers examined the medical records of 774 active MWDs, mostly male German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, aged between one and six years. They found that a significant number of these dogs, about 83%, had medical problems that did not require surgery, with skin issues being the most common, followed by digestive problems, dental issues, soft-tissue injuries, and musculoskeletal conditions. The study also identified factors that could increase the risk of these health problems, such as the dog's breed, sex, whether they were spayed or neutered, their training for specific duties, and their military command location. The findings suggest that understanding these health issues better can help improve the care and training of these dogs, ultimately enhancing their performance and possibly providing insights into human health.
Abstract
The goals of this project were to quantify medical problems among a population of Military Working Dogs (MWDs) and analyze factors associated with common medical conditions. Medical conditions recorded in veterinary Master Problem List (MPL) entries for 774 young, non-deployed, active MWDs were categorized and combined with demographic information to analyze risk factors. Most dogs were male (74%), German Shepherd (39%) or Belgian Malinois (31%) breeds, certified in Explosive Detection (60%), and had a dark coat color (83%). Ages ranged from one to six years, with an average of 2.6 years (± 0.5 years). Eighty-three percent of dogs had a non-surgical medical problem in their record. The most common non-surgical medical problems were dermatologic (25% of MPL entries), alimentary (21%), dental (15%), soft-tissue injury (10%), and musculoskeletal conditions (4%). Factors associated with each medical condition were breed (Odds Ratios 1.96-8.24), sex and spay/neuter status (ORs 1.78-5.77), occupational duty certification (ORs 2.65-3.62), military command location (ORs 2.32-7.44), and military branch (OR 5.16). As MWDs are a valuable asset for the Department of Defense, training and work conditions for the identified at-risk groups of MWDs should be further assessed to maximize their operational capabilities and assess the potential to serve as sentinel indicators for human diseases. Improved understanding of the most common medical problems affecting MWDs, and the identification of factors associated with these conditions, can help drive changes in their preventive care.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34144494/