Disorder predispositions and protections of Labrador Retrievers in the UK

Pegram, C; Woolley, C; Brodbelt, DC; Church, DB; O'Neill, DG

Abstract

The Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds worldwide, therefore it is important to have reliable evidence on the general health issues of the breed. Using anonymised veterinary clinical data from the VetCompass Programme, this study aimed to explore the relative risk to common disorders in the Labrador Retriever. The clinical records of a random sample of dogs were reviewed to extract the most definitive diagnoses for all disorders recorded during 2016. A list of disorders was generated, including the 30 most common disorders in Labrador Retrievers and the 30 most common disorders in non-Labrador Retrievers. Multivariable logistic regression was used to report the odds of each of these disorders in 1462 (6.6%) Labrador Retrievers compared with 20,786 (93.4%) non-Labrador Retrievers. At a specific-level of diagnostic precision, after accounting for confounding, Labrador Retrievers had significantly increased odds of 12/35 (34.3%) disorders compared to non-Labrador Retrievers; osteoarthritis (OR 2.83) had the highest odds. Conversely, Labrador Retrievers had reduced odds of 7/35 (20.0%) disorders; patellar luxation (OR 0.18) had the lowest odds. This study provides useful information about breed-specific disorder predispositions and protections, which future research could evaluate further to produce definitive guidance for Labrador Retriever breeders and owners.

Citation

Pegram, C., Woolley, C., Brodbelt, D., Church, D., & O'Neill, D. (2021). Disorder predispositions and protections of Labrador Retrievers in the UK. Scientific Reports, 11(1), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93379-2

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 21, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Dec 21, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 21, 2021
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 1
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93379-2
• Keywords: PATELLAR LUXATION; RISK-FACTORS; RADIOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE; GOLDEN RETRIEVERS; FLEA INFESTATION; ELBOW DYSPLASIA; CLINICAL SIGNS; OBESE DOGS; POMC GENE; HIP-JOINT
• Public URL: https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/output/1553403