Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is disk degeneration in dogs and their death rates
By Bergknut, Niklas et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2012·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Incidence of intervertebral disk degeneration-related diseases and associated mortality rates in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A large study found that about 0.3% of dogs develop intervertebral disk degeneration-related diseases, which can lead to serious health issues. Miniature Dachshunds, Standard Dachshunds, and Doberman Pinschers were the most affected breeds, with males being more likely to develop these problems than females. The risk of these diseases increases with age, and the overall mortality rate for affected dogs was noted to be higher in males. Understanding these trends can help veterinarians diagnose and treat at-risk dogs earlier, potentially improving their outcomes.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and distribution of intervertebral disk (IVD) degeneration-related diseases in a large population of dogs of various breeds, ages, and sexes and to determine mortality rates among dogs with these diseases. DESIGN: Epidemiological study. SAMPLE: Insurance data for dogs with veterinary health-care and life insurance coverage (n = 665,249 and 552,120, respectively). PROCEDURES: Insurance claim records of 1 company in Sweden were searched to identify dogs with IVD degeneration-related diseases; incidence and mortality rates were determined for affected dogs < 12 years old and < 10 years old, respectively. Only the first paid IVD degeneration-related claim for a dog was included in incidence rate calculations. RESULTS: The incidence rate of IVD degeneration-related diseases was 27.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 27.2 to 28.4) occurrences/10,000 dog-years at risk (DYAR), indicating that approximately 0.3% of dogs/y in this population were affected. Miniature Dachshund was the most highly represented breed, followed by Standard Dachshund and Doberman Pinscher (237.1 [95% CI, 212.9 to 261.4], 141.5 [95% CI, 135.5 to 147.4], and 88.6 [95% CI, 72.1 to 105.2] occurrences/10,000 DYAR, respectively). The incidence rate of IVD degeneration-related disease was greater in male than in female dogs and increased with age. Overall mortality rate attributed to IVD degeneration-related diseases was 9.4 (95% CI, 8.9 to 9.8) deaths/10,000 DYAR and was greater in males than in females. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Differences in incidence rates among various breeds suggested a genetic involvement. Knowledge of the distribution of IVD degeneration-related diseases among dogs of various breeds and ages may facilitate early diagnosis and preemptive treatments in patients at risk for developing these diseases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22607596/