Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is joint osteoarthritis in UK dogs and who is at risk
By Anderson, Katharine L et al.·Published in Scientific reports·2018·University of Lincoln, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence, duration and risk factors for appendicular osteoarthritis in a UK dog population under primary veterinary care.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that about 200,000 dogs in the UK, particularly breeds like Labradors and Golden Retrievers, suffer from osteoarthritis, a common joint disease that can cause pain and difficulty moving. The research showed that older dogs, those with higher body weight, and neutered pets were more likely to develop this condition. Osteoarthritis can significantly affect a dog's quality of life, impacting around 11% of their lifespan. If your dog shows signs of joint pain or stiffness, it's important to consult your veterinarian for management options.
People also search for: dog joint pain symptoms · Labrador osteoarthritis treatment · Golden Retriever arthritis care
Abstract
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease diagnosed in veterinary medicine and poses considerable challenges to canine welfare. This study aimed to investigate prevalence, duration and risk factors of appendicular osteoarthritis in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. The VetCompassprogramme collects clinical data on dogs attending UK primary-care veterinary practices. The study included all VetCompassdogs under veterinary care during 2013. Candidate osteoarthritis cases were identified using multiple search strategies. A random subset was manually evaluated against a case definition. Of 455,557 study dogs, 16,437 candidate osteoarthritis cases were identified; 6104 (37%) were manually checked and 4196 (69% of sample) were confirmed as cases. Additional data on demography, clinical signs, duration and management were extracted for confirmed cases. Estimated annual period prevalence (accounting for subsampling) of appendicular osteoarthritis was 2.5% (CI: 2.4-2.5%) equating to around 200,000 UK affected dogs annually. Risk factors associated with osteoarthritis diagnosis included breed (e.g. Labrador, Golden Retriever), being insured, being neutered, of higher bodyweight and being older than eight years. Duration calculation trials suggest osteoarthritis affects 11.4% of affected individuals' lifespan, providing further evidence for substantial impact of osteoarthritis on canine welfare at the individual and population level.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29618832/