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Background: Prognostic risk factors were identified for dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) monitored by veterinary cardiologists. The value of these measurements has not been determined in the wider primary care setting. Objectives: To evaluate whether plasma cardiac biomarkers and data obtained from routine history‐taking and physical examination are predictive of survival in dogs with DMVD attending primary care practice. Animals Eight‐hundred and ninety‐three dogs with a presumptive diagnosis of DMVD recruited from 79 primary care veterinary practices in the United Kingdom. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Primary care veterinary practitioners recorded clinical data. Plasma N‐terminal pro B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured at presentation. Cox regression models evaluated associations between risk factor variables and hazard of death (all‐cause mortality and cardiac‐related death). Flexible parametric models generated predicted survival probabilities for dogs with different combinations of prognostic risk factor variable values. Results: Dogs with higher NT‐proBNP and cTnI concentrations, higher heart rates, older dogs, females, and those reported to be exercise intolerant, dyspneic, and diagnosed with selected comorbidities had an increased hazard of death due to any cause. Dogs with higher concentrations of plasma biomarkers, higher heart rates, and heart murmur intensities, those with exercise intolerance and those receiving potent diuretics had a higher hazard of cardiac‐related death. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Cardiac biomarkers and key clinical findings identified in this study can help primary care veterinary practitioners identify dogs with DMVD that are at highest risk of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case-control study was conducted between December 2005 and August 2006 in London ( 1 ) to estimate the strength of association between early ovariohysterectomy (spaying) and urinary incontinence (sphincter mechanism incompetence), (2) to identify other risk factors for incontinence, and (3) to assess any implications of incontinence on the owner-pet relationship. Cases were defined as bitches that developed incontinence after spaying and were treated, and the controls comprised continent spayed bitches. Questionnaires from 202 cases were compared to 168 controls, and analysed using multivariahle logistic regression. No significant association between early spaying and incontinence was detected although there was a tendency that early spayed bitches were less likely to be incontinent. Docked bitches were 3.8 times more likely to be incontinent than undocked bitches; bitches weighing over 10 kg were 3.7 times more likely to be incontinent than smaller dogs; and older bitches were more likely to be incontinent (OR = 3.1-23.8) than younger animals. Some owners were found to have a negative attitude towards incontinence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and spatial distribution of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. An online questionnaire investigated the location and frequency of CanL cases diagnosed by veterinary practitioners. Further data from the practice management systems of veterinary clinics in France were provided by a financial benchmarking company in relation to all treatment and test invoice data from participating practices. The geographical and temporal web interest in leishmaniosis was explored using Google Trends. Veterinary practitioners from France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain completed 1231 questionnaires. The percentage of practice-attending dogs with a veterinary diagnosis of CanL ranged from 0.71% in France to 7.80% in Greece. However, due to regional differences in response rates, particularly in France, the mean regional estimates may better reflect the disease burden. Benchmarking data relating to approximately 180,000 dogs estimated that 0.05% of dogs attending veterinary clinics were treated for CanL or euthanased with suspected CanL in France. The regional frequency of Google web queries for leishmaniosis generally reflected the spatial patterns of disease identified from the other data sources. In conclusion, CanL was a relatively common diagnosis in veterinary clinics in many regions of the countries studied. Knowledge of CanL in endemic areas can direct the use of preventative measures and help estimate the likelihood of infection in dogs visiting or inhabiting these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]