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All Outputs (255)

Calculation of standard bodyweights for dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs (2025)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Becker, S. D., Frosini, S.-M., Stapleton, L. E., Hughes, D. M., & Brodbelt, D. C. (2025). Calculation of standard bodyweights for dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. PLoS ONE, 20(2), e0318734. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318734

Standard bodyweights are an essential component of calculations that summarise many
population-level measures in companion animals, including the defined daily doses for
veterinary species (DDDVet) reporting antimicrobial usage. Standard species bo... Read More about Calculation of standard bodyweights for dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs.

Lasting lockdown love? Problem behaviour and pandemic and non-pandemic related risk factors influencing the owner-dog relationship in a UK cohort of dogs reaching early adulthood (2025)
Journal Article
Merritt, B. L., O’Neill, D. G., Brand, C. L., Belshaw, Z., Dale, F. C., Pegram, C. L., & Packer, R. M. A. (in press). Lasting lockdown love? Problem behaviour and pandemic and non-pandemic related risk factors influencing the owner-dog relationship in a UK cohort of dogs reaching early adulthood. PLoS ONE, 20(2), e0316166. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316166

The owner-dog relationship is a critical component of sustained dog ownership. Increased understanding of risk factors for weak owner-dog relationships can identify owner-dog dyads at higher risk of poor welfare outcomes, including dog relinquishment... Read More about Lasting lockdown love? Problem behaviour and pandemic and non-pandemic related risk factors influencing the owner-dog relationship in a UK cohort of dogs reaching early adulthood.

Beagles kept as companion animals in the UK – demography, disorders and mortality (2025)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Schiksnis, M. R., Brodbelt, D. C., Church, D. B., Goldberg, S., & Engdahl, K. S. (2025). Beagles kept as companion animals in the UK – demography, disorders and mortality. Companion Animal Health and Genetics, 12(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-024-00140-9

Background Beagles are a popular companion animal dog breed and are generally stated to be a healthy breed.
This VetCompass study aimed to report the demography, common disorders and mortality of Beagles under primary
veterinary care in the UK. Ano... Read More about Beagles kept as companion animals in the UK – demography, disorders and mortality.

A new future for dog breeding (2025)
Journal Article
Proschowsky, H., Arendt, M., Bonnett, B., Bruun, C., Czycholl, I., Fredholm, M., O'Neill, D., Serpell, J., & Sandoe, P. (2025). A new future for dog breeding. Animal Welfare Journal, 34, https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2024.66

The modern idea of purebred dogs has come under increasing critical scrutiny over recent decades. In light of this critical focus and other developments in society, some new trends in how companion dogs are bred and acquired have emerged. This means... Read More about A new future for dog breeding.

"Maybe we should think outside the box?" prioritisation of issues with UK not-for-profit canine health and welfare research funding using Delphi expert consensus and gap analysis (2024)
Journal Article
Skipper, A., Packer, R., & O'Neill, D. (2024). "Maybe we should think outside the box?" prioritisation of issues with UK not-for-profit canine health and welfare research funding using Delphi expert consensus and gap analysis. PLoS ONE, 19(12), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313735

Over fifty participants, who together possessed broad research, veterinary and front-line expertise from across the canine health and welfare sector, contributed to a modified Delphi study to identify the highest priority research topics in UK canine... Read More about "Maybe we should think outside the box?" prioritisation of issues with UK not-for-profit canine health and welfare research funding using Delphi expert consensus and gap analysis.

Conformation-associated health in pet rabbits in the UK: A VetCompass cohort study (2024)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Williams, A., Brodbelt, D. C., Church, D. B., & Hedley, J. (2024). Conformation-associated health in pet rabbits in the UK: A VetCompass cohort study. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.4396

Abstract Background Domestic rabbit breeds vary substantially from the wild rabbit body type. However, little is known about how the conformation of pet rabbits influences their health. Methods Data were extracted from VetCompass anonymised clinical... Read More about Conformation-associated health in pet rabbits in the UK: A VetCompass cohort study.

Later-age neutering causes lower risk of early‐onset urinary incontinence than early neutering–a VetCompass target trial emulation study (2024)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Diaz-Ordaz, K., Pegram, C., Brodbelt, D. C., Chang, Y.-M., Hall, J. L., & Church, D. B. (2024). Later-age neutering causes lower risk of early‐onset urinary incontinence than early neutering–a VetCompass target trial emulation study. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 19(7), e0305526. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305526

There is growing evidence supporting clinically important associations between age at neutering in bitches and subsequent urinary incontinence (UI), although much of this evidence to date is considered weak. Target trial emulation is an innovative ap... Read More about Later-age neutering causes lower risk of early‐onset urinary incontinence than early neutering–a VetCompass target trial emulation study.

Researcher, research thyself? Mapping the landscape of canine health and welfare research funding provided by UK not-for-profit organisations from 2012–2022 (2024)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Skipper, A. M., & Packer, R. M. . A. (2024). Researcher, research thyself? Mapping the landscape of canine health and welfare research funding provided by UK not-for-profit organisations from 2012–2022. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 19(5), e0303498. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303498

Background Research into canine health and welfare is supported by Government, charitable and private UK funding organisations. However, there is no current overall visibility or coordination of these funding activities, potentially compromising opti... Read More about Researcher, research thyself? Mapping the landscape of canine health and welfare research funding provided by UK not-for-profit organisations from 2012–2022.

Epidemiology of heat-related illness in dogs under UK emergency veterinary care in 2022 (2024)
Journal Article
Beard, S., Hall, E. J., Bradbury, J., Carter, A. J., Gilbert, S., & O'Neill, D. G. (2024). Epidemiology of heat-related illness in dogs under UK emergency veterinary care in 2022. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.4153

Background: Dogs are exposed to increasing environmental risk for developing heat-related illness (HRI), with 2022 recorded as the hottest year to date in the UK and most of Europe. Methods: This study used VetCompass data to report the incidence ris... Read More about Epidemiology of heat-related illness in dogs under UK emergency veterinary care in 2022.

Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK (2024)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Kendy Tzu-yun, T., Dave C, B., & David B, C. (2024). Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 26(5), 1098612X241234556. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612x241234556

ObjectivesThe aims of the present study were to generate the first life tables for the UK companion cat population overall as well as broken down by sex and breed status, and to quantify associations between mortality and traits such as sex, neuter s... Read More about Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK.

The epidemiology of tick infestation in dog breeds in the UK (2024)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Komutrattananon, R., Hartley, A., Brodbelt, D., & Church, D. (2024). The epidemiology of tick infestation in dog breeds in the UK. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13727

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the prevalence and risk factors for tick infestation in
dogs in the UK based on anonymised electronic patient records.
Materials and Methods: Clinical records of dogs under veterinary care in 2016... Read More about The epidemiology of tick infestation in dog breeds in the UK.

Demography, commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality of guinea pigs under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019—A VetCompass study (2024)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Taffinder, J. L., Brodbelt, D. C., & Baldrey, V. (2024). Demography, commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality of guinea pigs under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019—A VetCompass study. PLoS ONE, 19(3), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299464

Introduction
Guinea pigs are popular as domestic pets but there is limited information on the health of the
wider pet population. This study aimed to report demography, commonly diagnosed disorders
and mortality of guinea pigs under UK primary vet... Read More about Demography, commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality of guinea pigs under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019—A VetCompass study.

Target Trial Emulation: Does surgical versus non-surgical management of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs cause different outcomes? (2024)
Journal Article
Pegram, C., Diaz-Ordaz, K., Brodbelt, D. C., Chang, Y.-M., von Hekkel, A. F., Wu, C.-H., Church, D. B., & O’Neill, D. G. (2024). Target Trial Emulation: Does surgical versus non-surgical management of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs cause different outcomes?. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 106165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106165

Target trial emulation applies design principles from randomised controlled trials to the analysis of observational data for causal inference and is increasingly used within human epidemiology. Using anonymised veterinary clinical data from the VetCo... Read More about Target Trial Emulation: Does surgical versus non-surgical management of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs cause different outcomes?.

Dental disease in companion rabbits under UK primary veterinary care: frequency and risk factors (2024)
Journal Article
Jackson, M., Burn, C., Hedley, J., Brodbelt, D., & O'Neill, D. (2024). Dental disease in companion rabbits under UK primary veterinary care: frequency and risk factors. Veterinary Record, https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.3993

Background-
Some prior evidence has suggested rabbits with lop ear and brachycephalic skull conformations have higher dental disease risk. This retrospective cohort study reports the frequency and conformational risk factors for primary-care veterin... Read More about Dental disease in companion rabbits under UK primary veterinary care: frequency and risk factors.

Demography, common disorders and mortality of Shih Tzu dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK (2024)
Journal Article
O'Neill, D., Brodbelt, D., Church, D., & Dale, F. (2024). Demography, common disorders and mortality of Shih Tzu dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 11(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-023-00135-y

Background Shih Tzus are a popular dog breed in the UK although there is relatively little reported information
on their health. This study aimed to characterise the demography, common disorders and mortality of Shih Tzus
under primary veterinary c... Read More about Demography, common disorders and mortality of Shih Tzu dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK.

Impacts of Puppy Early Life Experiences, Puppy-Purchasing Practices, and Owner Characteristics on Owner-Reported Problem Behaviours in a UK Pandemic Puppies Cohort at 21 Months of Age (2024)
Journal Article
Brand, C., Brand, C., O'Neill, D., Belshaw, Z., Dale, F., Merritt, B., Clover, K., Tay, M., Pegram, C., & Packer, R. (2024). Impacts of Puppy Early Life Experiences, Puppy-Purchasing Practices, and Owner Characteristics on Owner-Reported Problem Behaviours in a UK Pandemic Puppies Cohort at 21 Months of Age. Animals, 14(2), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020336

Problem behaviours are a leading cause of relinquishment and euthanasia of young dogs. Previous research has identified associations between owner-reported problem behaviours and risk factors, including how dogs were acquired as puppies, early social... Read More about Impacts of Puppy Early Life Experiences, Puppy-Purchasing Practices, and Owner Characteristics on Owner-Reported Problem Behaviours in a UK Pandemic Puppies Cohort at 21 Months of Age.