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Labradors, the second most popular dog breed in the UK, are vulnerable to a number of health problems, according to a study published in the open access journal Canine genetics and epidemiology.
Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia, in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College of London, discovered that the most common health problems among people who retested Labrador over a period of one year were obesity, ear infections and joints.
Professor Paul McGreevy, the corresponding author, said, "People who catch Labrador are prone to many diseases, but there is a lack of accurate information about the frequency of certain health problems in the pet population. is the first study that includes a large number of reviewers, based on records collected from hundreds of British veterinary clinics, providing homeowners with information on the problems they face in Labrador retrievers. "
McGreevy added, "One of the interesting findings from our research is that the average lifespan of labrador retrievers was 12 years, but the chocolate-colored Labradors showed a life span 10% shorter than that of black or yellow Labradors. We also found that ear infections and skin diseases were more common in chocolate Labradors than non-chocolate Labradors. "
The authors suggest that the higher number of skin and ear infections in chocolate Labradors may be due to genetics. The chocolate color is recessive in dogs, which means that the chocolate color gene must be present in both parents for the puppies to be chocolate. When they target the color of the chocolate shell, breeders are more likely to use only Labradors carrying the chocolate shell gene and the reduced gene pool may include a higher proportion. elevated genes involved in ear and skin conditions.
The authors analyzed data from 33,320 labradorids in the VetCompass program, which collects electronic patient data from dogs attending veterinary practices in the United Kingdom. They extracted the disorder and mortality data from a random sample of 2,074 (6.2%) of these dogs.
Professor Paul McGreevy said, "We also found that 8.8% of Labrador retrievers are overweight or obese, making it one of the highest percentages among dog breeds in the base of VetCompass data: There were more overweight and obese dogs in sterilized males than in those who had not, but there was no such model for Labradors women. "
The authors cautioned that the study may underestimate the actual number of dogs with health problems, as the data will likely include more seriously injured animals requiring veterinary management and there may be less reports of health problems in less affected Labrador waste pickers.
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More information:
Paul D. McGreevy et al., Labrador Independents in Veterinary Primary Care in the United Kingdom: Demographics, Mortality and Disorders, Canine genetics and epidemiology (2018). DOI: 10.1186 / s40575-018-0064-x
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