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Results of
the 1997 Australian Terrier Health Survey
Characteristics
of Survey Responders
Eighty-six of 200 Australian
Terrier owners responded to the survey for a response rate of 43 percent.
Survey responders had owned Australian Terriers for a mean of 15 years,
and at that time owned a mean of three dogs. Fifty-eight percent described
themselves as breeders. When not at home, survey responders reported
keeping their dogs crated indoors (36 percent), multiple places (30
percent), loose indoors (17 percent), inside with access to the outside
(15 percent), and in kennel runs outside (2 percent). When at home,
survey responders kept dogs loose indoors (49 percent), multiple places
(38 percent), inside with access to the outside (12 percent), and in
crates indoors (1 percent). Survey responders reported being active
in the following activities: conformation (77 percent), obedience (49
percent), agility (20 percent), and earthdog (17 percent).
Litter
and Puppy Information
There were 130 litters reported
by respondents from 1992 through part of 1997. There were 599 live puppies
born and 26 still-births. There was an average of 4.8 puppies born per
litter. Forty-eight percent were female. Five percent of males had retained
(undescended) testicles. Six puppies were euthanized before weaning.
Ninety percent of puppies born alive were weaned.
The mean age at which puppies
were placed was nine weeks. Fifty percent began puppy vaccinations at
six weeks. The mean age to start fecal examinations on puppies was five
weeks, and to start deworming puppies was four weeks. Sixty-two percent
used Nemex™ brand to deworm their puppies. Fifty-seven percent
of respondents said they recorded weights on puppies, and 10 percent
said they kept height information on puppies.
General
Health Information
Eighty-nine percent reported
that they had their dogs on heartworm preventative - and 50 percent
of those kept them on some form of year-round preventative. Forty-one
percent reported using Heartgard™ brand, 29 percent used the Interceptor™
brand, and 19 percent reported using Heartgard Plus™.
Thirty-nine percent reported having had a Canine Eye Registry Foundation
(CERF) examination performed on a dog in the last five years. Of those
who had an examination done in the last five years, 36 percent were
conducted at a private clinic, 13 percent at a veterinary teaching hospital,
10 percent at a dog show eye clinic, and 41 percent at other sites.
The median price felt to be affordable for a CERF examination was $10.
Thirty-six percent reported checking their dogs for hip dysplasia in
the last five years, with 83 percent of these individuals registering
with the Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA). Forty-two percent reported
having dogs checked for luxating patellas in the last five years, with
23 percent reporting these results to OFA.
Eight percent had their dogs checked for Von Willebrand's disease.
One percent of responders reported having an Australian Terrier with
an adverse reaction to anesthesia, 6 percent to vaccines, 14 percent
to flea control products, and 11 percent to other products. Thirteen
percent reported dogs with carsickness. Seventy-seven percent would
like to see a health registry established for Australian Terriers.
Australian
Terrier Deaths
Survey responders provided
information on 65 deaths of Australian Terriers that occurred in the
last five years. Forty were reported as being euthanized, 16 as natural
deaths, 6 as accidents and 3 unknown. The median age at death was 11
years. The majority of deaths were due to cancer (14) followed by old
age (9), and kidney failure (6). Five Australian Terriers died or were
put to sleep for congenital problems - including cleft palate, lack
of a tail, hydrocephalus, or other malformations of the head. Three
were put to sleep for endocrine diseases, including diabetes and Cushing's
disease. One Australian Terrier was put to sleep for luxating patella,
and one for a portacaval shunt of the liver.
INDIVIDUAL
DOG INFORMATION
Table 1. Number
of Dogs per Survey Respondent With at Least One Dog
| NUMBER OF
DOGS LISTED |
NUMBER
OF RESPONDENTS
|
PERCENT
|
| 1 dog |
13
|
17
|
| 2 dogs |
25
|
32
|
| 3 dogs |
15
|
19
|
| 4 dogs |
5
|
6
|
| 5 dogs |
20
|
25
|
| 6 dogs |
1
|
1
|
|
TOTAL
|
79
|
**
|
** Less than 100 percent indicated.
Nearly 3 out of 4 respondents reported having more than one dog.
Table 2. Where
Did the Respondents Obtain Their Dogs?
| WHERE OBTAINED |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Breeder |
98 |
55 |
| Bred by Owner |
74 |
41 |
| Rescue |
4 |
2 |
| Other |
2 |
2 |
Most dogs in this survey were either
obtained from a breeder, or were bred by the owner.
Table 3. Gender
of Individual Dogs
| GENDER |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| |
|
|
| Female, intact |
56 |
41 |
| Female, spayed |
61 |
45 |
| Female, unknown |
18 |
13 |
| TOTAL FEMALES |
135 |
59% |
| |
|
|
| Male, intact |
39 |
42 |
| Male, neutered |
34 |
37 |
| Male, unknown |
19 |
21 |
| TOTAL MALES |
92 |
41% |
| |
|
|
| TOTAL |
227 |
100% |
Fifty-nine percent of then-owned
Australian Terriers were female. Approximately 40 percent of all reported
Australian Terriers were intact animals.
Table 4. Australian
Terriers with Eye or Ear Health Conditions
| PROBLEM |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Glaucoma |
0 |
0.0 |
| Hereditary
(juvenile) cataracts |
2 |
0.9 |
| Progressive
retinal atrophy (PRA) |
1 |
0.4 |
| Lens luxation |
1 |
0.4 |
| Old age cataracts |
18 |
7.9 |
| Vitreous degeneration |
1 |
0.4 |
| Eye trauma |
6 |
2.6 |
| Other eye problems |
4 |
1.8 |
| Congenital
deafness |
6 |
2.6 |
| TOTAL |
39 |
|
The most commonly reported eye
or ear health condition in Australian Terriers was old age cataracts (nearly
8 percent), followed by eye trauma (nearly 3 percent), and congenital
deafness (nearly 3 percent). Hereditary conditions such as juvenile cataracts
and PRA were uncommonly reported (less than one-half percent each).
Table 5. Australian
Terriers with Endocrine Disorders
| CONDITION |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Cushing's disease |
4 |
1.8 |
| Addison's disease |
1 |
0.4 |
| Diabetes |
8 |
3.5 |
| Hypothyroidism |
7 |
3.1 |
| Hypoparathyroidism |
0 |
0.0 |
| TOTAL |
20 |
|
Approximately 3.5 percent of Australian
Terriers were reported to have diabetes, and approximately 3 percent had
hypothyroidism. Nearly two percent were reported to have Cushing's disease.
Table 6. Australian
Terriers with Urogenital Conditions
| CONDITION |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Caesarean section |
9 |
6.7 |
| Spontaneous
abortion |
1 |
0.7 |
| Trouble whelping |
6 |
4.4 |
| Pyometra |
4 |
3.0 |
| Infertility |
6 |
2.6* |
| Retained testicles |
6 |
6.5 |
| Urinary tract
infection |
22 |
9.7* |
| Kidney disease |
2 |
0.9* |
| TOTAL |
57 |
|
* percentage of males and females
combined
Nearly ten percent of Australian Terriers were reported to have had at
least one urinary tract infection, and seven percent of females had a
caesarean section. Four percent had trouble whelping, and three percent
had pyometra. Nearly seven percent of males had retained testicles.
Table 7. Australian
Terriers with Dermatologic Conditions
| CONDITION |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Hair loss |
29 |
12.8 |
| Demodectic
mange |
4 |
1.8 |
| Skin tumors |
10 |
4.4 |
| Allergies |
44 |
19.4 |
| TOTAL |
87 |
|
Hair loss and allergies were extremely
common in Australian Terriers in this survey. Twenty of 35 dogs for whom
a cause for their allergy was listed were allergic to fleas.
Table 8. Australian
Terriers with Hematologic Conditions
| CONDITION |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Acute rodenticide
(warfarin) poisoning |
1 |
0.4 |
| Von Willebrand's
disease |
1 |
0.4 |
| Chronic anemia |
1 |
0.4 |
| Low platelets |
0 |
0.0 |
| TOTAL |
3 |
|
Hematologic conditions were extremely
uncommon in Australian Terriers.
Table 9. Australian
Terriers with Respiratory Conditions
| CONDITION |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Infectious
respiratory |
2 |
0.9 |
| Lung tumors |
1 |
0.4 |
| Nasal tumors |
0 |
0.0 |
| Trauma |
0 |
0.0 |
| TOTAL |
3 |
|
Respiratory conditions were extremely
uncommon in Australian Terriers.
Table 10. Australian
Terriers with Infectious or Parasitic Conditions
| CONDITION |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Parvovirus |
0 |
0.0 |
| Giardia |
6 |
2.6 |
| Coronavirus |
0 |
0.0 |
| Distemper |
0 |
0.0 |
| Lyme's disease |
0 |
0.0 |
| Kennel cough |
1 |
0.4 |
| Brucellosis |
0 |
0.0 |
| Heartworm |
0 |
0.0 |
| TOTAL |
7 |
|
Giardiasis was reported to have occurred
in nearly three percent of Australian Terriers in this survey.
Table 11. Australian
Terriers with Gastrointestinal Conditions
| CONDITION |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Chronic diarrhea |
6 |
2.6 |
| Lack of appetite |
0 |
0.0 |
| Megaesophagus |
0 |
0.0 |
| Inability to
gain weight |
1 |
0.4 |
| TOTAL |
7 |
|
Chronic diarrhea was reported to
occur in nearly three percent of Australian Terriers in this survey.
Table 12. Australian
Terriers with Orthopaedic Conditions
| CONDITION |
NUMBER |
PERCENT |
| Fractures |
3 |
1.3 |
| Hip dysplasia |
1 |
0.4 |
| Panosteitis |
0 |
0.0 |
| Muscle/tendon/ligament |
10 |
4.4 |
| Muscle cramps |
0 |
0.0 |
| Patellar luxation |
36 |
15.9 |
| Legge-Perthes
disease |
8 |
3.5 |
| Other orthopaedic |
0 |
0.0 |
| TOTAL |
58 |
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Approximately 16 percent of Australian
Terriers had problems with patellar luxation. Four percent had problems
with muscles, tendons, and/or ligaments - the latter usually being the
cruciate ligament. Nearly four percent of dogs were reported to have Legge-Perthes
disease. Of the dogs reported with patellar luxation, sixty-seven percent
had bilateral luxation. The median age at which luxation problems were
discovered was 2 years of age. Patellar luxation was reported as being
medial in 8 of 16 dogs in cases where the respondent knew whether the
luxation was lateral or medial.
Seven percent of Australian
Terriers had cancer and three percent had seizures.
The
ATCA Health Survey was originally reported in August, 1997
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