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Feeding Patterns and Medical Diagnosis Frequency in a National Survey of Older Dogs
Author(s) -
Hollar Regina L.,
Schiefelbein Heidi M.,
Stone Becky A.,
MacLeay Jennifer M.,
Wernimont Susan M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.09892
Subject(s) - demographics , labrador retriever , medicine , breed , german shepherd dog , beagle , medical history , veterinary medicine , physical examination , animal welfare , family medicine , pediatrics , demography , surgery , zoology , sociology , biology , ecology
Veterinarians and owners are often concerned with the nutrition of dogs, but most knowledge of real‐world pet feeding practices is anecdotal. A survey was conducted among owners of dogs aged ≥ 5 yrs at general practice veterinary clinics across the United States (2016–2017). Owners participated in a clinic visit with their dog, and demographics including age and breed were collected. Veterinarians documented the dog’s medical history and completed a physical exam including Body Fat Index (BFI) rated using a visual scale. Owners completed a nutrition survey by estimating the proportions of dry, wet, human food, treats, and other foods (including homemade petfoods) offered to their dog the prior day. Complete nutrition survey information was obtained from 992 dogs (5.0 to 20.8 yrs, median 9.4 yrs); of these 982 (99%) had complete medical histories. Dogs represented 15 states: PA (17%), CO (17%), NY (12.7%), IL (8.5%), VA (7.9%), FL (7.8%), MO (6.8%), NJ (5.0%), MI (4.6%), MD (4.5%), TX (3.3%), LA (2.5%), GA (1.5%), CT (0.6%), and CA (0.2%). In addition to mixed breeds, 115 dog breeds were reported by owners, most commonly: Labrador Retriever (13.1%), Golden Retriever (5.3%), Shih Tzu (3.9%), Other (3.7%), German Shepherd (3.7%), Dachshund (3.3%), Yorkshire Terrier (3.1%), Beagle (2.7%), Bichon Frise (2.6%) and Pug (2.4%). Giant breeds together represented 3.8% of all dogs. The 10 most common diagnoses observed in the medical history were mild/moderate dental/gum disease: 83.7%, benign tumors (including lipomas): 46.2%, overweight/obese: 34.8%, otitis (in which atopic dermatitis was ruled out): 20.3%, arthritis (elbow, stifle, back, and/or neck): 19.6%, atopic dermatitis: 15.3%, hypothyroidism: 13.1%, sebaceous cysts: 11.3%, arthritis of the hip: 10.7%, urinary tract infection: 10.0%. BFI as assessed by vets at the time of the survey ranged from 10 to 70, median 30; 69.2% dogs had a BFI of 20 or 30 while 23.5% had a BFI of 40 or more. 92.5% of dogs were offered any dry food while 72.6% of dogs were offered ≥ 90% of their intake as dry food and 19.5% of dogs were offered exclusively dry food. 23.6% of dogs were offered any wet food; 2.6% were offered ≥ 90% of their intake as wet food and only 0.7% of dogs were offered exclusively wet food. 58.8% of dogs were offered any treats, 32.0% of dogs were offered any human food, and 5.0% were offered other food, including homemade petfoods. Most owners of older dogs fed predominantly dry food and only a minority fed wet food exclusively. Treats and human food were commonly offered. The frequency of breeds and diagnoses observed in this population were generally similar to other national surveys; this analysis provides important information about feeding patterns among older dogs. Support or Funding Information This study was funded by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.