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2017 RRCUS HEALTH SURVEY RESULTS

October 2017: RRCUS conducted a health survey for Ridgeback owners to report information regarding health and medical conditions in their own dogs. The information would be used to direct current and future educational efforts as well as the allocation of funding for research. The information was for dogs which lived or had lived with owners during the past 15 years. Diseases and medical conditions listed must have had a confirmed veterinary diagnosis to be entered into the survey.

Survey Details

  • Open to any Ridgeback owner
  • Data collected from March 13 - August 8, 2017
    • 21 categories, 174 data points
  • 551 individual responses
    • 326 RRCUS members (60%)
    • 225 non - members (40%)
    • 529 responses from US/Canada
    • 22 responses from other countries
  • Information on 2,897 dogs entered
    • Disease states and medical conditions diagnosed by veterinarian

Epidemiological Terminology

  • Epidemiology
    The study of the distribution and determinants of health - related states or events in specified populations and the application of study results to control health problems
  • Incidence
    Number of new cases in a fixed time period / Number of dogs at risk
  • Prevalence
    Number of cases of a disease / Number of dogs at risk
  • Routinely collected health data
    Data or statistics that are routinely collected by an agency or organization
    "Routinely" implies that the data is not collected for a specific research project but is collected anyway
  • Reported Cases
    Based on previously collected routine data such as medical records or registry data, not specifically collected for a scientific purpose, information from reported group only and not entire at - risk population
  • Observational studies
    Study factors are only observed but not altered or managed in any way
    "Experience trial"

Diseases and Conditions Categories

  • Behavior
  • Blood disorders
  • Cancer
  • Cardiac
  • Dental/Oral
  • Digestive
  • Endocrine
  • Ears
  • Eyes
  • Immune - mediated
  • Infectious
  • Liver/Spleen
  • Musculoskeltal
  • Nervous System
  • Parasites
  • Reproductive
  • Respiratory
  • Skin
  • Toxicology
  • Urinary
  • Other

Behavior - Top 5

  • Pica - 276
  • Aggression towards other dogs - 250
  • Storm phobias - 216
  • Separation anxiety - 206
  • Copraphagia - 178

Cancer - Top 5

  • Mast Cell Tumor - 300
  • Lymphoma - 136
  • Hemangiosarcoma - 109
  • Mammary Tumor - 74
  • Osteosarcoma - 52

Cardiac - Top 5

  • Murmur - 145
  • Inherited Ventricular Arrhythmia - 21
  • Arrhythmia - 16
  • Sudden death, cardiac origin - adult, unknown diagnosis - 16
  • Sudden death, cardiac origin - juvenile, unknown diagnosis - 6

Dental - Top 5

  • Tooth Fracture - 312
  • Tooth Extraction - 259
  • Malocclusion - 104
  • Root Canal - 29
  • Oral Melanoma - 7

Digestive - Top 5

  • Bloat - 69
  • Pancreatitis - 62
  • Megaesophagus - 37
  • Cleft Palate - 15
  • Gastric Ulcers - 6

Endocrine - Top 5

  • Hypothyroidism (non - autoimmune) - 94
  • Hypothyroidism (autoimmune) - 74
  • Cushing's Disease - 17
  • Insulinoma - 5
  • Diabetes Mellitis - 4

Ears - Top 5

  • Otitis/Infection - 241
  • Hematoma - 124
  • Ear Tip Split/Laceration - 39
  • Deafness, Adult - 23
  • Deafness, Juvenile - 6

Eyes - Top 5

  • Entropion - 28
  • Cataracts - 19
  • Corneal Ulcer - 15
  • Glaucoma - 14
  • Blindness - 9

Immune - Top 5

  • Food Allergies - 154
  • Adverse Reactions, Vaccines - 141
  • Atopic/Allergic Dermatitis - 100
  • Autoimmune Thyroiditis - 44
  • Onychodystrophy - 30

Infectious - Top 5

  • Respiratory Disease Complex - 531
  • Lyme Disease - 107
  • Parvo - 50
  • Anaplasmosis - 33
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - 9

Liver/Spleen - Top 3

  • Splenic Mass, benign - 44
  • Splenic Rupture - 36
  • Chronic Hepatitis - 3

Musculoskeletal - Top 6

  • Osteoarthritis - 114
  • Trauma, other - 86
  • Panosteitis - 67
  • Trauma, lure coursing - 53
  • Elbow Dysplasia - 40
  • Trauma, hit by car - 39

Nervous System - Top 5

  • Degenerative Myelopathy - 98
  • Degenerative Disc Disease - 38
  • Epilepsy - 30
  • Laryngeal Paralysis - 29
  • Wobbler - 5

Parasites - Top 5

  • Roundworms - 199
  • Tapeworms - 122
  • Hookworms - 57
  • Whipworms - 57
  • Giardia - 29

Reproductive - Top 7

  • C Section - 158
  • Vaginitis - 74
  • Mastitis - 73
  • Dystocia - 55
  • Cryptorchid - 39
  • Prostatic Infection/Abscess - 25
  • Prostatic Hyperplasia - 24

Respiratory - Top 5

  • "Kennel Cough" - 440
  • Pneumonia, general - 29
  • Pneumonia, aspiration - 12
  • Influenza - 12
  • Diaphragmatic Hernia - 4

Skin - Top 6

  • Lipomas - 732
  • Skin Tumors, benign - 264
  • DermoidSinus - 150
  • DemodecticMange - 66
  • Tick Infestation - 54
  • InterdigitalCysts - 29

Toxicoses - Top 6

  • Spider Bite - 97
  • Food Toxins - 37
  • Snake Bite - 35
  • Exposure to Human Drugs - 31
  • Mushrooms/Plants - 31
  • Rodenticide - 19

Urinary - Top 4

  • Urinary Tract Infection - 301
  • Chronic Kidney Disease - 37
  • Urinary Stones - 30
  • Lyme Nephritis - 7

Top 30

Lipomas - 732
Respiratory Disease Complex - 531
      "Kennel Cough" - 440
Tooth Fracture - 312
      Tooth Extraction - 259
Urinary Tract Infection - 301
Mast Cell Tumor - 300
Pica - 276
Skin Tumors - 264
Otitis (ear infections) - 241
Aggression, other dogs - 250		 Storm Phobia - 216
Separation Anxiety - 206
Roundworm Infection - 199
Coprophagia - 178
Trauma, all - 178
Hypothyroidism - 168
Cesarean Section - 158
Food Allergies - 154
Dermoid Sinus - 150
Skin Tumors - 145
Adverse Reactions to Vaccines - 141		 Lymphoma - 136
Ear Hematoma - 124
Tapeworm Infection - 122
Osteoarthritis - 114
Hemangiosarcoma - 109
Lyme Disease - 107
Bite Malocclusion - 104
Atopic/Allergic Dermatitis - 100
Dermoid Sinus - 98
Spider Bite - 97


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