Journal
VETERINARY JOURNAL
Volume 201, Issue 3, Pages 412-418Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.05.044
Keywords
Breed; Companion animal; Diarrhoea; Surveillance; SAVNET
Categories
Funding
- Dechra
- Defra
- IntervetSP
- Merial
- Novartis
- Pfizer
- University of Liverpool
- Virbac
- BSAVA
- MRC [MR/K006665/1] Funding Source: UKRI
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Using the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET), a national small animal disease-surveillance scheme, information on gastrointestinal disease was collected for a total of 76 days between 10 May 2010 and 8 August 2011 from 16,223 consultations (including data from 9115 individual dogs and 3462 individual cats) from 42 premises belonging to 19 UK veterinary practices. During that period, 7% of dogs and 3% of cats presented with diarrhoea. Adult dogs had a higher proportional morbidity of diarrhoea (PMD) than adult cats (P<0.001). This difference was not observed in animals<1 year old. Younger animals in both species had higher PMDs than adult animals (P<0.001). Neutering was associated with reduced PMD in young male dogs. In adult dogs, miniature Schnauzers had the highest PMD. Most animals with diarrhoea (51%) presented having been ill for 2-4 days, but a history of vomiting or haemorrhagic diarrhoea was associated with a shorter time to presentation. The most common treatments employed were dietary modification (66% of dogs; 63% of cats) and antibacterials (63% of dogs; 49% of cats). There was variability in PMD between different practices. The SAVNET methodology facilitates rapid collection of cross-sectional data regarding diarrhoea, a recognised sentinel for infectious disease, and characterises data that could benchmark clinical practice and support the development of evidence-based medicine. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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