Dogs can be prone to certain diseases based on their breed, which can impact their lifespan.
In each issue of Today’s Veterinary Practice, Pet Health by the Numbers correlates article topics with statistics provided by Banfield Pet Hospital (banfield.com). These statistics are extracted from data collected from the medical records of nearly 2.4 million dogs and 480,000 cats presented to more than 890 Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2014.
Learn more about data collection by reading Welcome to Pet Health by the Numbers (January/February 2014 issue) and Key Findings from the State of Pet Health 2014 Report (May/June 2014 issue).
The following tables outline the prevalence of dog breeds—presented to Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2014—that are discussed in this issue’s article, Breed-Specific Respiratory Disease in Dogs: From Bulldogs to Terriers.
Path to Pet Wellness: In this issue, Dr. Elizabeth Rozanski highlights several important breed-specific respiratory diseases. How frequently do we see dogs of these breeds in everyday small animal practice? These interesting data from Banfield Pet Hospital answer that question. Taking a look at these numbers, we see that several breeds commonly seen in small animal practice—Labradors, bulldogs, Yorkies, and huskies—are prone to disorders affecting the airways and lungs.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) recently released its list of the most popular breeds in 2014,1 with the Labrador winning for the 24th consecutive year. Interestingly, the prevalence of bulldogs is increasing, with the most recent AKC numbers bringing English bulldogs up to the number 4 spot, and French bulldogs up to number 9, beating out rottweilers and dachshunds. Siberian huskies are another popular breed, coming in at number 13 on the AKC charts. Even the less common breeds mentioned by Dr. Rozanski, such as the Westie (AKC number 37) and Norwich terrier (AKC number 94), are important. Since we don’t see dogs of these breeds often, it is crucial to be aware of breed-specific differential diagnoses.
Make your diagnostic job easier: get to know the specific diseases affecting breeds seen in your geographic area.
U.S. Climate Regions
MIDWEST: IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI
NORTHEAST: CT, DE, MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI; no Banfield hospitals in ME, VT, or WV
NORTHERN PLAINS: CO, MT, NE, SD; no Banfield hospitals in WY or ND
PACIFIC NORTHWEST: ID, OR, WA
SOUTHEAST: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA
SOUTHERN PLAINS: KS, OK, TX
SOUTHWEST: AZ, CA, NM, NV, UT
References
- American Kennel Club, Stephen Smith. Most popular dog breeds in America. Available at akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america.