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Life expectancy and the risks of serious diseases in dogs are related to the color of their coat.
An amazing new Australian study has examined the health consequences of Labradors, one of the most popular dog breeds in the world.
The chocolate labs have lives much shorter than their black and yellow cousins, much to the surprise of those who led the study.
The Sydney University team analyzed 33,000 veterinary patient records from the UK, including Labradors of all colors, and also found that chocolate dogs had a higher incidence of flesh and skin problems. skin.
This unusual finding comes as new analyzes show that the average veterinary bill in Australia is $ 200 per visit.
A poll conducted by the finder.com.au comparison site from 1,077 pet owners revealed that they were taking their pets to the vet at least once a year.
He also analyzed pet insurance costs for each dog breed in Australia and found that Labradors was attracting an "above average" premium because of the risk perceived by subscribers.
The yellow and black Labradors live longer and are less sick than their chocolate cousins. Image: Mark Stewart
The average age of non-chocolate labs was 12.1 years, more than 10% higher than chocolate labs at 10.7 years, according to research from the University of Sydney.
Paul McGreevey, who led the study, said the prevalence of ear inflammation was also twice as high among chocolate Labradors, who were four times more likely to suffer from pain. Some kind of dermatitis.
"Relationships between coat color and disease may reflect an unintended consequence of breeding some pigmentations," said Professor McGreevey.
"Because the color of chocolate is recessive in dogs, the gene of this color must be present in both parents so that their puppy is chocolate.The breeders targeting this color are therefore more likely to raise only pups. Labradors carrying the chocolate coat gene. "
Chocolate labs are more prone to diseases and diseases of the ears and skin. Image: Annette Dew
The resulting reduced gene pool for chocolate-colored dogs could include a greater proportion of genes responsible for diseases of the ear and skin, he said.
In the general population of Labrador, the most common health problems were obesity, ear infections and joints.
"We found that 8.8% of Labradors in the UK are overweight or obese, making it one of the highest percentages among dog breeds in the database," said the Professor McGreevey.
The most common causes of death in chocolate manufacturing labs were musculoskeletal disorders and cancers, he said.
Labrador is the most popular dog breed in Australia and chocolate labs account for about half of buyers' demand. Image: PAA
Labradors have been Australia's favorite dog breed for five years because of their loyalty, friendliness and intelligence. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Golden Retriever were the second and third most popular in 2017.
Research shows that 62% of the country's 8.9 million households have a pet. The finder.com.au analysis revealed that they would shell out $ 1.3 billion worth of veterinary bills this year.
Color research and the link between death and disease risk among Labradors will now be replicated in Australia to see if similar results occur.
The researchers also want to explore all possible links between pigmentation and health in a wider range of dog breeds.
"This report can help breeders and veterinarians prioritize strategic approaches to solving the health problems of people recovering from Labrador," said McGreevey.
"The results can alert potential owners about potential health issues and inform race-specific welfare checks."
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