Recent research points to the most common diseases of the Labrador Retriever
A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) shows a general picture of the health of Labrador Retrievers in the UK and notes that arthritis is an especially prevalent disorder in this breed. The study, led by the RVC's VetCompass ™ program, compared the health of a random sample of 1,462 Labrador Retrievers with 20,786 other breed dogs and collected a list of the 35 most common disorders in both groups of dogs, including arthritis, infection ear, and obesity.
Of the 35 most common disorders, the findings show that, overall, the Labrador Retriever has a higher risk in 12 of them (34.3%) and a lower risk in 7 (20.0%). In the remaining 16 (45.7%) disorders, there was no difference in terms of detected risk. This research is important as it helps to provide owners with guidance on what health concerns they should be aware of to seek veterinary advice as soon as possible.
By focusing specifically on the most common disorders, the researchers were able to focus on the problems that most commonly affect these dogs.
Additional key findings include:
Labradors are at significantly increased risk of arthritis (x 2.8), lipoma (x 2.5), kennel cough (x 2.3), laceration (x 2.2), stiffness (x 2.1) , papilloma (x 1.7), wet dermatitis (x 1.7), obesity (x 1.6), lameness (x 1.6), postoperative wounds (x 1.6), otitis (x 1.5) and diarrhea (x 1.4).
Labradors have a reduced risk of patella luxation (x 0.2), heart murmur (x 0.2), flea infestation (x 0.2), retention of deciduous teeth (x 0.3), dental disease ( x 0.4), aggression (x 0.4) and impaction of the anal sacs (x 0.7).
Key information to detect diseases early
This new study shows that the Labrador Retriever is a unique breed with a disorder profile quite different from other breeds. Owners can now better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their dogs and therefore provide the best possible care for them.
Bill Lambert, Health, Welfare and Breeder Services Executive at The Kennel Club, notes: “It is important that research, such as this study funded in part by The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, is conducted so that both breeders and Owners of this breed can ensure that these popular dogs are healthy, happy, well cared for and well behaved. This data allows us to continue to monitor and improve the health of the breed and provide the many responsible breeders with the tools they need to do the same. "
Camilla Pegram, VetCompass ™ epidemiologist at RVC and author of the article, comments: “The Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed of dog in the UK and therefore they are frequently seen by veterinarians in the clinic. As a result, the disorders are often perceived to be more common in the Labrador Retriever than other dog breeds, when this could be due to their relative popularity. To take this into account, we compared the risk in dogs of this breed to the risk in all other dogs for a variety of common disorders to reliably identify the disorders to which they are predisposed or protected. "
Dr. Dan O'Neill, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Epidemiology at RVC and co-author of the paper, adds: "The results of this study provide owners of this breed with key information to detect diseases early in their dogs. . Truly, sharing is caring. "
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