How common is mitral valve disease in dogs in England

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To date, epidemiological studies on degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) in dogs have largely reported referral caseloads or been limited to predisposed breeds. Analysis of primary-care data to identify factors associated with DMVD would help clinicians identify high-risk individuals and improve understanding. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of and identify risk factors for DMVD in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England. ANIMALS: Cases were identified within the electronic patient records of 111,967 dogs attending 93 practices. Four hundred and 5 dogs were diagnosed with DMVD (diagnosed cases) and a further 3,557 dogs had a heart murmur (HM) consistent with DMVD (possible cases). METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study design. Prevalence was adjusted for the sampling approach. Mixed effects logistic regression models identified factors associated with DMVD. RESULTS: Prevalence estimates of diagnosed DMVD and HMs consistent with DMVD (both diagnosed and possible cases) were 0.36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29-0.45) and 3.54% (95% CI: 3.26-3.84) respectively. In the multivariable analysis, males had higher odds of diagnosed DMVD than did females (odds ratio [OR] 1.40, 95% CI: 1.12-1.74). Insured dogs had increased odds of DMVD compared with noninsured dogs (OR 3.56, 95% CI: 2.79-4.55) and dogs &#x2265;20 kg had approximately half the odds of DMVD diagnosis compared with dogs <20 kg (OR 0.51, 95% CI: 0.36-0.74). Strong associations between a DMVD diagnosis and individual breeds and age were identified. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Degenerative mitral valve disease was a common disorder in practice-attending dogs. Knowledge of identified risk factors for DMVD could improve clinical diagnosis and direct future research.