Disease Surveillance in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Chow Chows in the UK (Complete)
People: David Church, David Brodbelt, Dan O'Neill
Dates: 2013 - 2014
Aims: To investigate the frequency of disorders recorded in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) and Chow Chows attending primary-care veterinary practices in the UK to assist with disorder prioritisation. The project further aimed to investigate the feasibility of linking Kennel Club pedigree data with VetCompass clinical data in individual dogs in order to evaluate the genetic basis of the disorders identified.
Objectives:
- To estimate the frequency of common disorders in CKCSs and Chow Chows attending primary-care veterinary practices in the UK.
- To explore linkage between the Kennel Club pedigree database and the VetCompass database of dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in the UK.
Relevance of project:
Three recent major UK reports examined in detail the available evidence on associations between dog breeding and welfare, concluding that pedigree dogbreeding did impose substantial welfare costs (APGAW 2009, Bateson 2010, Rooney 2009). These reports identified substantial knowledge gaps on the epidemiology of common inherited disorders in dogs that constrained disorder prioritisation for effective reforms.
This project supported by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust will generate evidence on the prevalence of common inherited disorders of CKCSs and Chow Chows in the UK that will assist with prioritisation of research and reform efforts that aim to improve the welfare of these breeds. The exploration of the potential to link clinical data to pedigree related information will pave the way for future linkage analysis between the Kennel Club pedigree database and the VetCompass database.
Funded by: Kennel Club Charitable Trust 
Academic Collaborators: Prof Paul McGreevy, Assoc Prof Peter Thomson (University of Sydney)
References
- APGAW (2009) A healthier future for pedigree dogs. The Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, London
- Bateson, P. (2010) Independent inquiry into dog breeding. University of Cambridge, Cambridge
- Rooney, N. J. (2009) The welfare of pedigree dogs: cause for concern. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 4, 180-186
Research papers
Disorders recorded in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels attending primary-care veterinary practices in England
Summers JF, O’Neill DG, Church DB, Thomson PC, McGreevy PD and Brodbelt DC. (April 2015) Canine Genetics and Epidemiology.
This work demonstrates the value of veterinary practice based, breed-specific studies in highlighting common problems and potential disease predispositions in popular dog breeds. This knowledge is invaluable to vets, dog owners, breeders and can be used to prioritise particular purebred dog health issues for investigation and targeted action.
Posters
- Disorders recorded in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels attending primary-care veterinary practices in England, SVEPM 2015
Vet Compass Project Type: Dog