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2002
ATCA Health Survey Results
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Surveys
were mailed to 201 ATCA members and 62 club newsletter subscribers. Sixty-four
(31.8%) club members and nineteen (30.6%) subscribers responded. This
is down 9.2% from a 43% return rate reported in the 1997 survey. Unlike
the 1997 survey, participation was open to the general public in 2002.
More than half, ninety-three surveys, were returned from owners who had
no identifiable club affiliation. In addition to the United States, surveys
were received from Australia, Canada and Scotland. In total, 176 surveys
were returned, reporting on 619 dogs, compared to eighty-six surveys returned
in 1997 |
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Background
Information on Survey Population
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The survey respondents indicated their Aussies' coat color in ninety-eight percent (n=608) of the dogs reported. Seventy-five percent (n=459) were blue/tans; twenty-four percent (n=143) were red, and one percent (n=6) were sandy. Of the 619 dogs reported, females accounted for fifty-six percent (n=322) of the survey population, while males accounted for forty-two percent (n=286), with 2% (n=11) not identifying the sex of the dog. Sixty-one percent (n=378) indicated that their dog had been altered, with no significant difference reported between the sexes. Respondents provided ages of alteration on 329 dogs. Thirty-seven percent (n=122) were altered by one year of age, with the majority (n=92) under six months of age. Twelve percent (n=41) had their dog altered between the ages of one and two years. Even though the remaining ages of three to over ten years reflect a progressive decline in the number of dogs altered, the information reported would suggest that a number of breeders continue to neuter their animals at post-breeding ages. Eighty-seven percent (n=522) of the dogs originated from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom (5.2%) and Canada (3.8%). Fourteen dogs originated from Australia. The remaining countries of origin were New Zealand, Finland, and Denmark. One dog was from Peru. Of the ninety-eight percent (n=606) who answered where they obtained their Aussie, fifty-four percent (n=329) indicated a breeder, followed by thirty-eight percent (n=231) having bred their dogs themselves. Twenty-seven (4.5%) aussies were rescues and only six (1%) were purchased from a pet store. Eight Aussies were adopted from private owners and five were obtained from other sources. Based on weights for 513 dogs, the average weight reported was 16.8 lbs. The average weight for males (n=234) , was 18.1 lbs and females (n=277) 15.6 lbs. (Gender was not indicated for two dogs in the survey reponse on weight) Note: Even though 176 surveys were returned, not every question was answered by every respondent. Percentages were calculated based on the total number of respondents who answered a particular question. |
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PART I: TOP DISEASE CONCERNS |
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When asked to list their number one health concern for the Australian Terrier, 69% of the respondents answered this question. Fifty-six percent listed diabetes as their number one concern. Nine percent indicated that allergies were their number one concern, followed by cancer, epilepsy/seizures and luxating patellas, each being ranked by 4% of the respondents as their number one health concern. Fifty-seven percent of the respondents listed their number two health concern for the Australian Terrier. Unlike the first disease concern statistics, there is not a large difference between the rankings. Again, at the top of the list is diabetes (13%), followed by allergies (12%), luxating patellas (11%) and epilepsy/seizures (10%). Only forty percent listed a third disease concern. Eye and/or vision problems were the top concern at 15%, followed by luxating patellas at 11%.
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Parent
Club Contribution
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Fifty-nine percent of the survey respondents offered 147 suggestions for the Parent Club to promote and maintain healthy Aussies. It is interesting to note how closely the top four suggestions correlate with the mission and goals of ATCA Health Committee. The top recommendation (27%) was for ATCA to continue health surveys, research, and reporting. The second highest response, at 24%, reflected concern about Breeder Honesty. These respondents felt that ATCA breeders should acknowledge and disclose health problems to other breeders and the pet-buying public. Ranking third at 18%, the respondents addressed the need for responsible and ethical practices of ATCA breeders and felt breeders should work together to eliminate health problems. Twelve percent responded that ATCA needed to promote breeder education and ten percent felt that ATCA should monitor and discipline unethical and irresponsible breeders. Eight percent of the respondents felt that affected animals should never be bred and seven percent felt that there should be little or no inbreeding, focusing instead on incorporating new blood lines. Some
of the other suggestions, ranging in one percent to five percent of the
respondents included: One respondent was satisfied with current efforts. |
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Health
Registry
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Ninety-five
percent (n=167) of all survey respondents answered the question
about a health registry. When
asked if they would participate in a registry and report on diseases found
in their Aussies, seventy-six percent (n=127) responded that they
would. Seventy-three percent (n=122) also stated that they would
participate in an open or public registry. Only five respondents
who replied they would participate in a health registry indicated they
would not participate if it were public. In the 1997 survey, 77% of the
respondents were in favor of a health registry.
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Health and Open Registry Question Results |
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Percentage Responding |
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Number |
% |
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Total Surveys Returned |
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176 |
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Total Responses to Health and Open Registry Questions |
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167 |
95% |
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Would
You Be Willing to Participate in a Health Registry?
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Yes |
127 |
76% |
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No |
40 |
24% |
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Would
You Be Willing to Participate in an Open or Public Registry?
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Yes |
122 |
73% |
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No |
45 |
27% |
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Reasons
Given for Not Participating
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None Given |
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30 |
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Only One Aussie |
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3 |
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Prefer Anonymity |
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2 |
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Have No Aussie at This Time |
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2 |
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Not Rejoining Club |
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1 |
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Rescues, No Pedigree |
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1 |
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Don't Sell Puppies |
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1 |
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Question Honesty |
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1 |
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Fear Retaliation |
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1 |
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Don't Breed |
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1 |
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More Information Needed |
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1 |
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Not Qualified |
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1 |
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TOTAL |
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45 |
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Australian
Terrier Deaths
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Cause
of Death Reported
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Percentage Responding |
Number |
% |
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Natural/Old Age |
27 |
17.3% |
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Undetermined (20 reported euthanized) |
25 |
16.0% |
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Cancer |
24 |
15.4% |
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Diabetes |
20 |
12.8% |
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Other Causes * |
9 |
5.8% |
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Accidental |
8 |
5.1% |
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Kidney Failure |
6 |
3.8% |
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Cardiovascular |
6 |
3.8% |
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Liver Disease/Failure |
6 |
3.8% |
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Cushings |
5 |
3.2% |
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Trauma |
5 |
3.2% |
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GI Disease |
4 |
2.6% |
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Stroke |
3 |
1.9% |
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AIHA |
2 |
1.3% |
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Auto Immune (unspecified) |
2 |
1.3% |
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Brain Aneurism |
2 |
1.3% |
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Viral |
2 |
1.3% |
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TOTAL DOGS REPORTED |
156 |
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OTHER CAUSES OF DEATH* |
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Pancreatitis |
1 |
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| Puritis |
1 |
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Pulmonary Embolism |
1 |
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| Respiratory Disease |
1 |
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Ruptured tumor |
1 |
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Glomerularmyencephalopathy (GME) |
1 |
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| Histoplasmosis |
1 |
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| Intervertebral Disc Disease |
1 |
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| Epilepsy |
1 |
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TOTAL |
9 |
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In 1997,
only three deaths were attributed to endocrine diseases compared to the
current statistic of twenty-five for Diabetes and Cushings Disease combined.
Cancer (n=24) still remains the top identifiable
cause of death attributed to a specific disease, followed closely
by Diabetes at 20 deaths. Deaths attributed to kidney failure remained
the same. Undetermined causes increased from 3 cases reported in 1997
to 25 cases, and old age or natural causes increased from 16 cases in
1997 to 27 in the current survey. |
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Individual
Dog Health Reports
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There were 176 Surveys returned through December 31, 2002, reporting on 619 dogs. There were 1,007 incidents of health and/or behavior problems reported among this group, indicating that a number of dogs were affected with multiple conditions at the close of the survey. The University of Missouri classified these conditions according to 18 Disease Groups and assigned specific diagnosis codes within each group. The data was sorted and compiled according to:
There
were eight disease groups that indicated a 10% or higher affected rate
among the dogs reported. They are ranked by highest number affected: |
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Disease Group |
No. of Dogs Affected |
% of Dogs Affected |
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Endocrine |
117 |
18.9% |
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Musculoskeletal |
117 |
18.9% |
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Dermatology |
97 |
15.7% |
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Behavior |
93 |
15.0% |
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Opthalmology |
81 |
13.1% |
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Gastrointestinal |
70 |
11.3% |
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Ear Problems |
67 |
10.8% |
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Reproductive |
62 |
10.0% |
| The remaining ten disease groups had affected rates of less than 10%: |
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Disease Group |
No. of Dogs Affected |
% of Dogs Affected |
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Oncology (Cancer) |
48 |
7.8% |
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Infectious |
43 |
6.9% |
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Urinary |
42 |
6.8% |
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Trauma |
42 |
6.8% |
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Drug Reaction |
36 |
5.8% |
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Neurologic |
31 |
5.0% |
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Cardiopulmonary |
23 |
3.7% |
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Immunology/Hemology |
20 |
3.2% |
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Neonatal |
10 |
1.6% |
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Toxicology |
8 |
1.3% |
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The
percentage of dogs (n=25) reported without any known health or
behavior issues was 4%.
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Chart
I
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Chart
II
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Results
By Disease Group
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Because of the difference in the survey population and data compilation methods between the 1997 and 2002 surveys, it may be unrealistic to draw any conclusions between the two sets of data. But, for informational purposes, when the percentage of affecteds for a particular diagnosis has a correlating diagnosis in the current survey, the numbers from the 1997 survey will be noted. In some cases, you will see an increase in the number of affected dogs over the 1997 results but a drop in the percentage of affecteds. The focus in this analysis is on the percentage of affecteds within the total dog population. Note: Due to software calculation and rounding methods, some of the percentage totals may not appear to be accurate when "cross-footed." |
| Disease
Summary By Group and Diagnosis Code Sorted in Descending Order According to Highest Affected Rate |
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ENDOCRINE DISORDERS |
Number Affected |
% of Disease Group |
% of Dogs Affected |
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Diabetes Mellitus |
61 |
52.1% |
9.8% |
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Hypothyroidism |
22 |
18.8% |
3.6% |
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Pancreatitis |
17 |
14.5% |
2.7% |
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Cushings |
12 |
10.2% |
1.9% |
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Addisons |
3 |
2.6% |
0.5% |
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Other * |
1 |
0.9% |
0.2% |
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Hyperthyroidism |
1 |
0.9% |
0.2% |
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Total |
117 |
100.0% |
18.9% |
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In 1997, only 3.4% (n=8) were reported as diabetic, compared to 9.9% in the current survey, which reflects nearly a threefold increase. This may not be indicative of the actual situation in either case because of the nature of survey methods and data calculations, but may serve as an indicator that continued monitoring is needed. The percentage of affecteds reported in 1997 for Cushings (1.7%), and Hypothyroidism (3%) do not show a significant increase in affecteds. *One case of Lymphangiectasia. |
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MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS |
Number Affected |
% of Disease Group |
% of Dogs Affected |
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Luxating Patella |
56 |
47.9% |
9.0% |
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Ruptured Cranial Cruciate Ligament |
27 |
23.1% |
4.4% |
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Arthritis |
11 |
9.4% |
1.8% |
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Legg-Perthes Disease |
10 |
8.5% |
1.6% |
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Other * |
5 |
4.3% |
0.8% |
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Undershot Jaw or Underbite |
4 |
3.4% |
0.6% |
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Hip Dysplasia |
3 |
2.6% |
0.5% |
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Overshot Jaw or Overbite |
1 |
0.8% |
0.2% |
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Total |
117 |
100.0% |
18.9% |
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Even
though the results indicate that Luxating Patella continues to be the
number one problem in this disease group, the percentage of affecteds
is lower than what was reported (15.4 %, n=36) in 1997. Perhaps
the fact that 42% of the 1997 respondents reported that they were checking
for Luxating Patellas, with 23% reporting those results to OFA could be
partly responsible for the decline. The percentage of affecteds in Legge-Perthes
Disease (3.4%, n=8) is also down from 1997 and the rate of Ruptured
Cruciate has remained steady, compared to 1997 (4.3%, n=10). |
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Number
Affected
|
%
of Disease Group
|
%
of Dogs Affected
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Other * |
29 |
29.9% |
4.7% |
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Flea Allergy Dermatitis |
29 |
29.9% |
4.7% |
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Food Allergy Dermatitis |
11 |
11.3% |
1.8% |
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Severe Allergic Dermatitis |
10 |
10.3% |
1.6% |
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Inhalant Allergy Dermatitis |
5 |
5.2% |
0.8% |
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Chewing or Biting Skin/Coat |
4 |
4.1% |
0.6% |
|
Hot Spots (significant or recurrent) |
3 |
3.1% |
0.5% |
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Puritis (significant itching) |
3 |
3.1% |
0.5% |
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Generalized Demodectic Mange |
2 |
2.1% |
0.3% |
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Sarcoptic Mange |
1 |
1.0% |
0.2% |
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Total |
97 |
100.0% |
15.7% |
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These numbers can be somewhat misleading because of the specificity accorded the diagnoses codes for this disease group. Seven cases of dermatitis were assigned to the "Other" category because they were not specifically identified by type. Using a broader perspective, when combining all dermatitis related problems (regardless of whether they are formally classified as a food allergy dermatitis, inhalant allergy dermatitis vs. Puritis, for example), it is found to be the number one disease problem in the breed. This determination is without consideration for any of the mange cases or remaining 22 dermatological cases placed in the "other" category. Of the remaining 22 cases of dermatological problems assigned to the "other" category, sixteen (2.6% affected rate) were related to benign skin growths and tumors and three described as staph infections. Excluding cases of mange and skin tumors from the 1997 survey total for dermatologic conditions (total = 88), there were 73 cases of dermatitis-related disorders reported, for an affected rate of 31.2%, significantly higher than 2002 results. |
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BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS |
Number Affected |
% of Group |
% of Dogs Affected |
|
Noise/Thunderstorm Phobia |
18 |
19.3% |
2.9% |
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Excessive Aggression (unspecified) |
17 |
18.2% |
2.8% |
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Cannot Housebreak |
10 |
10.8% |
1.6% |
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Excessive Barking |
10 |
10.8% |
1.6% |
|
Excessive Marking |
10 |
10.8% |
1.6% |
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Severe Separation Anxiety |
10 |
10.8% |
1.6% |
|
Excessive Shyness |
7 |
7.5% |
1.1% |
|
Other * |
5 |
5.4% |
0.8% |
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Excessive Fearfulness |
5 |
5.4% |
0.8% |
|
Severe Stereotypic Behavior |
1 |
1.0% |
0.2% |
|
Total |
93 |
100.0% |
15.0% |
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* Includes descriptions of "nervous and high strung", "neurotic", "stress to change", "coprophagic," for example. |
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Number
Affected
|
%
of Disease Group
|
%
of Dogs Affected
|
|
Cataracts (Adult Onset) |
32 |
39.5% |
5.1% |
|
Other * |
19 |
23.5% |
3.1% |
|
SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome) |
8 |
9.9% |
1.3% |
|
KCS or dry eye (Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca) |
7 |
8.6% |
1.1% |
|
Frequent Eye Infections |
6 |
7.4% |
1.0% |
|
Entropian |
5 |
6.2% |
0.8% |
|
Progressive Retinal Atrophy |
3 |
3.7% |
0.5% |
|
Eyelid Problems |
1 |
1.2% |
0.2% |
|
Total |
81 |
100.0% |
13.1% |
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Cataracts remain the most significant eye problem in the breed, but the affected rate is down slightly from the 7.7% (n=18) reported in 1997 (as old-age cataracts). Like OFA for patellas, perhaps the practice of screening through CERF has accounted in part for the decline (if that is the case in reality). In the 1997 survey, 39% of the respondents reported having CERF examinations for their animals. Also, in 1997 there were no specific reports of SARDS, KCS or Entropian unless they were buried in the "Other Eye Problem" category, which numbered 4 cases. There was one case of PRA reported in 1997. * "Other" eye and vision problems included seven cases of blindness, three of which were attributed to complications of diabetes. Six respondents reported problems with runny or watery eyes. Note: Regarding the Cataracts diagnosis code, with a few exceptions, there is no indication either way how many responses reported age of onset, so the assumption could be made (because there is a separate diagnosis code for juvenile cataracts), where age was not provided, the response was categorized as adult onset. If that was the case, it may be safe to speculate based on past experience, that the majority of cases are, in fact, late onset usually associated with old age and that the assigned diagnosis code was correct. Asking the age of onset may be something to include in future health surveys to identify frequency, if any, of juvenile cataracts. |
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GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS |
Number Affected |
% of Disease Group |
% of Dogs Affected |
|
Other * |
17 |
24.2% |
2.7% |
|
Gingivitis |
14 |
20.0% |
2.3% |
|
Chronic Liver Disease/Failure |
6 |
8.6% |