![]() ![]() Disorder frequencies were obtained by reviewing all clinical health information for these dogs, as recorded by primary-care veterinary practitioners between July 2007 and July 2013. ![]() Study dogs were identified from an extensive archive of electronic patient records held by the VetCompass animal surveillance programme. This study describes the health disorders most frequently recorded across a large group of Cavalier King Charles spaniels (CKCSs) presented for primary health care in England. Further studies using electronic patient records in other breeds could highlight their potential disease predispositions.Ĭoncerns have been raised regarding breed-related health issues in purebred dogs, but reliable information on the extent of particular problems within individual breeds remains sparse. This work highlights the value of veterinary practice based breed-specific epidemiological studies to provide targeted and evidence-based health policies. However, cardiac disease (and MVD in particular) continues to be of particular concern in this breed. Study findings suggest that many of the disorders commonly affecting CKCSs are largely similar to those affecting the general dog population presented for primary veterinary care in the UK. The five most common disorder categories were cardiac (affecting 31.7% of dogs), dermatological (22.2%), ocular (20.6%), gastrointestinal (19.3%) and dental/periodontal disorders (15.2%). The most common specific disorders recorded during the study period were heart murmur (541 dogs, representing 30.9% of study group), diarrhoea of unspecified cause (193 dogs, 11.0%), dental disease (166 dogs, 9.5%), otitis externa (161, 9.2%), conjunctivitis (131, 7.4%) and anal sac infection (129, 7.4%). Clinical data associated with veterinary care were recorded in 1749 (93.3%) of these dogs. 1875 dogs (75 KC registered and 1800 of unknown KC status, 52% of both groups) were randomly sampled for detailed clinical review. In total, 3624 dogs were recorded as CKCSs within the VetCompass database of which 143 (3.9%) were confirmed as KC-registered via microchip identification linkage of VetCompass to the KC database. Confirmation of breed using available microchip and Kennel Club (KC) registration data was attempted. This study used large volumes of health data from UK primary-care practices participating in the VetCompass animal health surveillance project to evaluate in detail the disorders diagnosed in a random selection of over 50% of dogs recorded as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs). Electronically stored patient health records from primary-care practice are emerging as a useful source of epidemiological data in companion animals. Concerns have been raised over breed-related health issues in purebred dogs, but reliable prevalence estimates for disorders within specific breeds are sparse.
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