Epidemiology and clinical management of acute diarrhoea in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK

O'Neill, Daniel; Prisk, Lauren J.; Brodbelt, Dave C.; Church, David B.; Allerton, Fergus

Abstract

Background
Acute diarrhoea is a common canine veterinary presentation in the UK. This study
aimed to report the incidence, demographic risk factors and clinical management for
acute diarrhoea diagnosed under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019.
Methods
A cohort study design with a cross-sectional analysis was applied to anonymised
VetCompass clinical data. Risk factor analysis used multivariable logistic regression
modelling.
Results
The analysis included a random sample of 1,835 confirmed incident acute diarrhoea
cases in 2019 from an overall study population of 2,250,417 dogs. After accounting
for subsampling, the estimated one-year incidence risk for acute diarrhoea in dogs
overall was 8.18% (95% CI: 7.83–8.55). Of the first acute diarrhoea event in 2019
for the 1,835 cases, 1473 (80.27%) had only one physical visit for veterinary care
related to the acute diarrhoea. The most common comorbid clinical signs with acute
diarrhoea included vomiting (n = 812, 44.25%), reduced appetite (508, 27.68%) and
lethargy (444, 24.20%). Overall, 538 (29.32%) cases were recorded as haemorrhagic
diarrhoea. The most common clinical managements were probiotics (n = 1094,
59.62%), dietary management (807, 43.98%), antibiosis (701, 38.20%) and maropitant
(441, 24.03%). Six breeds showed increased odds of acute diarrhoea compared
with crossbred dogs: Maltese (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.25–3.77), Miniature Poodle (OR
2.17, 95% CI 1.19–3.95), Cavapoo (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.32–3.25), German Shepherd
Dog (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.29–2.22), Yorkshire Terrier (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.15–1.98)
PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324203 June 11, 2025 2 / 19
and Cockapoo (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.05–1.74). The odds of diagnosis increased in dogs aged under 3 years and dogs aged over 9 years, compared to dogs aged 4–5 years.
Conclusions
This study confirms acute diarrhoea as a common clinical condition in dogs managed under primary veterinary care, with 1-in-12 dogs diagnosed each year. The identified breed predispositions suggest some genetic element to the condition. The clinical outcomes following veterinary care appear to be very positive, with over 80% of acute diarrhoea cases not receiving a second veterinary visit. However, antibiotic use remained frequent, despite years of recommendation to the contrary and raises concerns about unnecessary antibiotic therapy for this condition.

Citation

O'Neill, D., Prisk, L. J., Brodbelt, D. C., Church, D. B., & Allerton, F. (2025). Epidemiology and clinical management of acute diarrhoea in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. PLoS ONE, 20(6), e0324203. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324203

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 1, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Jun 11, 2025
• Publication Date: Jun 11, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 16, 2025
• Journal: PLOS ONE
• Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 6
• Pages: e0324203
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324203
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324203