Disease patterns and incidence of immune-mediated disease in insured Swedish Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.

In this study, morbidity in insured Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (NSDTR) dogs from Sweden was investigated and compared with all other breeds and other retriever breeds. In addition to describing common morbidities in NSDTRs, the hypotheses that NSDTRs are predisposed to lymphoma, immune-mediated rheumatic disease (IMRD) and steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) were tested. Included in the study were 445,336 dogs; of which, 2890 were NSDTRs that had been covered by veterinary insurance from the Agria Insurance Company (Stockholm, Sweden) at some point during the years 1995-2006. Incidences of various health problems were calculated using the number of veterinary visits as the numerator and the exact time at risk as the denominator. Overall, morbidity was higher in NSDTRs compared with all other breeds, but similar compared with other retriever breeds. The most common causes of veterinary visits in NSDTRs were injuries, gastrointestinal disease and locomotor disorders, with NSDTRs at increased risk of these compared with all other breeds. The incidences for IMRD, SRMA and lymphoma were significantly higher in NSDTRs than in all other dog breeds and all other retriever breeds. The study describes morbidity in NSDTRs, and identifies several disorders to which the breed is predisposed.

Disease patterns in 32,486 insured German shepherd dogs in Sweden: 1995-2006.

The aims of this retrospective study were to describe the morbidity and mortality in German shepherd dogs (GSD) in Sweden, based on insurance data, and to test the hypothesis that GSDs are predisposed to immune-related diseases. Morbidity was defined as incidence rates and based on veterinary care events. Mortality was defined as mortality rates and based on life insurance data. The study included 445,336 dogs, 7.3 per cent GSDs, covered by both veterinary care and life insurance between 1995 and 2006 in the Swedish insurance company Agria (Agria Insurance Company, Stockholm, Sweden). For veterinary care events (morbidity) GSDs were most over-represented for immunological disease, with a relative risk (RR) of 2.7, compared with the risk in all other breeds combined. The most common disease category (morbidity) in GSDs was skin disorders with an incidence rate of 346.8 cases per 10,000 dog years at risk. The highest RR for cause of death in GSDs compared with all other breeds was for skin conditions (RR=7.8). Locomotor disorders were the most common cause of death in GSDs. The GSD is predisposed to immune-related disorders, such as allergies, circumanal fistulae and exocrine pancreatic atrophy, with significantly increased risk compared with all other breeds.