Scientific Results: Cross-sectional survey of 43,517 dogs in the Dog Aging Project identifies owner-reported lifetime prevalence and characteristics of gastrointestinal disease
September 27, 2024 - 7 minutes readWho worked on this research?
Dog Aging Project Team Members:
Sarah M. Schmid
Jessica M. Hoffman
Emily N. Gould
Kate E. Creevy
Dog Aging Project Consortium
Collaborating with:
Alaina Moon of Specialty VetMed, Olympia, WA.
Where was it published?
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
What is this paper about?
Gastrointestinal (GI) signs are a common reason for dogs to present to a veterinarian. Although studies outside the United States have shown that GI diseases are among the top complaints for dogs presented for veterinary evaluation, few studies have investigated the prevalence of GI disease among dogs in the US. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of owner-reported GI disorders (ORGIDs) among dogs in the Dog Aging Project Pack. We also wanted to identify potential associations between dog characteristics (e.g., demographics, lifestyle, and health) and the reporting of specific GI conditions.This study was designed as a cross-sectional study, meaning that we looked at GI diagnoses in Dog Aging Project Pack dogs at one point in time, specifically at their initial enrollment in the Pack. We defined our prevalence as “lifetime prevalence” as it reflects the proportion of dogs who have experienced a condition at any point in their lives up to the point of the study, in this case competition of the initial Health Life and Experience Survey.
We found that 30% of Dog Aging Project Pack members, at some point in their lives up until joining the Pack, have had an owner-reported GI disorder. Infectious ORGIDs such as Giardia, were most common. Among non-infectious ORGIDs, chronic diarrhea, GI foreign bodies, anal sac impactions, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic vomiting, and acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome were most common. Dogs with ORGIDs were more likely to have a history of receiving a canned diet, probiotics, or non-prescription medications, which may indicate that dog owners are changing lifestyle practices to accommodate these GI disorders, although future longitudinal research is needed. It is important to recognize that these associations do not indicate causality. For example, dogs with non–infectious ORGIDs were more likely to have been fed canned food, but we cannot determine whether the canned food was introduced before or after the diagnosis of the ORGID.
What do these results mean for me and my dog?
The results of this study are most useful for primary care veterinarians as it confirms that gastrointestinal disease is common among companion dogs within the United States. In addition, it calls attention to what some of the more common GI diseases are among companion dogs.
As shown in previous studies, the GI parasite Giardia is common among companion dogs. This finding emphasizes the importance of routine fecal testing in dogs with gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, and/or weight loss.
To better evaluate associations among gastrointestinal disorders and lifestyle characteristics, we need to collect longitudinal data on our DAP Pack members. Make sure to fill out your Annual Follow-up Surveys (AFUS) to help us better understand gastrointestinal disease in our furry companions!
Where can I learn more?
Schmid SM, Hoffman JM, Gould EN, Moon A, Creevy KE. Cross-sectional survey of 43,517 dogs in the Dog Aging Project identifies owner-reported lifetime prevalence and characteristics of gastrointestinal disease. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2024 Sep 18:1-9. doi: 10.2460/javma.24.05.0306. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39293476.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of and characteristics associated with owner-reported gastrointestinal (GI) disease in companion dogs within the US.
METHODS
Cross-sectional owner-reported survey study of 43,517 dogs enrolled in the DAP between December 26, 2019, and December 31, 2022. Dogs were grouped on the basis of having an owner-reported GI disorder (ORGID) versus not having that ORGID at any point in their history (control group). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between dog characteristics and ORGIDs with prevalence ORs (PORs).
RESULTS
Of the 43,517 dogs in the DAP Pack, 30,677 (70%) had no history of ORGIDs and 12,840 (30%) had at least 1 ORGID. The most common ORGIDs included infectious diseases (7,580 of 43,517 [17%]), chronic diarrhea (1,316 [3%]), foreign bodies (1,086 [2%]), anal sac impactions (1,031 [2%]), pancreatitis (857 [2%]), inflammatory GI disease (615 [1%]), chronic vomiting (519 [1%]), and acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (388 [1%]). Compared to controls, dogs with noninfectious ORGIDs had greater odds of having a history of being castrated (POR, 2.55; 95% CI, 2.29 to 2.85), underweight (POR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.47 to 1.70), or fed primarily canned food (POR, 2.51; 95% CI, 2.21 to 2.85) or receiving probiotics (POR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.58 to 1.81) or nonprescription GI medications (POR, 4.06; 95% CI, 3.80 to 4.33).
CONCLUSIONS
Dog owners in the US recruited from the general public reported a high prevalence of GI disorders in their dogs. Infectious and noninfectious ORGIDs were reported with approximately equal frequency.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Dogs with ORGIDs were more likely to have a history of receiving probiotics or nonprescription GI medications, which may indicate that owners are changing lifestyle practices to accommodate these GI disorders, although future longitudinal research is needed.
Tags: Scientific Results