Jane K Murray

Number and ownership profiles of cats and dogs in the UK

A random sample of 2980 households in the UK in 2007 showed that 26 per cent and 31 per cent of households owned cats and dogs, respectively. Households with gardens were more likely to own cats and dogs than households without gardens. Households in which someone was qualified to degree level were more likely to own cats and less likely to own dogs than other households. Cats were more likely to be owned by semi-urban/rural households and by female respondents. Dog ownership significantly decreased the likelihood of cat ownership, and respondents aged 65 years or more were less likely to report that their household owned a cat than younger respondents. Households with one or more dogs and children aged 11 to 15 years were more likely to own a cat than other households. The likelihood of dog ownership increased as household size increased. Dogs were more likely to be owned by rural households, and less likely to be owned by households with cats or children aged 10 years or younger. Female respondents and those aged less than 55 years were more likely to report dog ownership than other respondents. The estimated size (and 95 per cent confidence intervals) of the owned cat and dog populations in the UK in 2006 was 10,332,955 (9,395,642 to 11,270,269) cats and 10,522,186 (9,623,618 to 11,420,755) dogs.

Prevalence of obesity in riding horses in Scotland

OBESITY is a serious and largely underreported equine welfare issue. Obese horses are predisposed to the development of pathological conditions including laminitis, hyperlipaemia and strangulating lipoma ([Watson and others 1992][1], [Treiber and others 2006][2]). Obese horses may also be more

Comparison of histopathologic findings in biopsies from the duodenum and ileum of dogs with enteropathy.

BACKGROUND In the investigations of dogs with chronic small intestinal diarrhea collection of ileal biopsies lengthens procedural time and has been of uncertain value. OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether there was agreement between histologic changes present in samples of duodenal and ileal mucosa, and hence to provide initial information in the process of determining whether collection of ileal biopsies is clinically justified. ANIMALS 40 dogs with chronic small and large intestinal diarrhea from which endoscopic (in 30 cases) or surgical (in 10 cases) duodenal and ileal biopsies had been collected. METHODS Samples were reviewed concurrently by two observers (MJD and MDW) using the scoring system developed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Gastrointestinal Standardization Group. Comparisons were made by kappa analysis. RESULTS Microscopic pathology was observed in 30 cases. Only eight out of this 30 (27%) had the same histopathologic diagnosis in both the duodenum and the ileum. This dropped to 3 out of 30 (10%) if different disease severity was also considered as disagreement. Microscopic pathology would have been found in 60% and 80% of the 30 cases, if only duodenal or ileal biopsies respectively, had been available. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE There was poor agreement between histopathological findings from duodenal versus ileal biopsies with abnormalities sometimes being more readily detected in the ileum. Routine collection of ileal plus duodenal samples appears warranted when concurrent small and large intestinal diarrhea is present.

Number of cats and dogs in UK welfare organisations

It is not known how many cats and dogs are admitted to welfare organisations annually. This study produced the first estimates of the size of this population. A questionnaire was mailed out to welfare organisations during 2010, followed by a postal/email reminder and requests to non-responders for a telephone interview. The questionnaire covered areas including, the current number of cats and dogs being housed, how much of the year organisations were operating at full capacity as well as the number of cats and dogs admitted, rehomed and euthanased between January and December 2009. Responses were obtained from 54.8 per cent of organisations. Sixty-six per cent of cat welfare organisations and 48 per cent of dog welfare organisations reported that they operated at full capacity for 12 months of the year. The number of cats and dogs entering UK welfare organisations during 2009 was estimated as 131,070 and 129,743, respectively. This highlights the scale of the work performed by welfare organisations in caring for and rehoming unwanted cats and dogs annually and emphasises the urgent need to address concerns over the considerable number of these animals. This study has also produced useful baseline data, which will be essential for monitoring population changes over time.

Pet ownership is associated with increased risk of non-atopic asthma and reduced risk of atopy in childhood: findings from a UK birth cohort.

Studies have shown an inverse association of pet ownership with allergy but inconclusive findings for asthma.

A veterinary review of endurance riding as an international competitive sport

The popularity of competitive endurance riding is growing worldwide and this has led to considerable changes in the discipline (e.g., fitter and faster horses and different types of injuries), which create challenges to all involved in the sport, including veterinarians. During endurance competitions, horses are closely monitored by veterinarians throughout the ride, with the aim of removing from the competition animals whose welfare appears to be endangered. This close monitoring provides veterinarians with an insight into problems during competitions. However, there is a relatively small amount of clinically relevant, evidence-based data published on endurance horses, and this article reviews the evolution of the discipline, the published information on epidemiological data on endurance rides, the problems veterinarians face at competitions, and highlights those areas where research is warranted.

Assessing changes in the UK pet cat and dog populations: numbers and household ownership

The main aim of this study was to replicate methodology used to estimate the size of the UK pet cat and dog populations in 2006 and the proportion of households owning cats/dogs in 2007, to produce updated data to compare trends in ownership and population sizes. A cross-sectional study design was used to collect telephone interview data from 3155 households in the UK. 2011 UK human census data were used to predict the size of the cat and dog populations owned by households in the UK in 2011. Of the households, 23 per cent (714/3155) owned one or more cats and 30 per cent (940/3155) owned one or more dogs. There was some overlap in pet ownership with 7 per cent (210/3155) of households owning both one or more cats and one or more dogs. There was a small but significant decrease in the proportion of households that owned one or more cats in 2011 compared with 2007, with no change in the proportion owning dogs. However, overall, the total number of cats and dogs that were estimated to be owned by UK households did not change significantly between 2006 and 2011. The estimated size (and 95% CIs) of the pet cat and dog populations in the UK in 2011 was 10,114,764 cats (9,138,603–11,090,924) and 11,599,824 dogs (10,708,070–12,491,578).

Proportion of pet cats registered with a veterinary practice and factors influencing registration in the UK.

Registration of a cat with a veterinary practice is likely to be a critical factor for access to key preventative medicine. A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data in the United Kingdom on the registration status of cats and potential explanatory variables. These data were also used to identify potential sources of bias associated with selecting controls from veterinary registered populations of cats due to differences between registered and unregistered cats. Cat owners reported that 13.6% (84/616) of their cats had not been registered with a veterinary practice since living at their current address. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that unregistered cats were significantly more likely than registered cats to be entire, to have not been vaccinated within the previous year, to be living in households in Northern Ireland and in households with an annual income <£10,000.(1) Whilst the neuter status and the vaccination status of the cat are likely to result from non-registration, the household location and annual income are factors that can be used to inform future interventions designed to increase the proportion of veterinary registered cats.

Descriptive epidemiology and risk factors for eliminations from Fédération Equestre Internationale endurance rides due to lameness and metabolic reasons (2008–2011)

REASONS FOR PERFORMING THE STUDY There is limited information on international endurance rides and on risk factors for eliminations. OBJECTIVES To describe and compare the frequency of occurrence of elimination due to lameness and metabolic reasons from Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) endurance rides (≥100 km) during 2008-2011 in all countries and to assess risk factors for elimination due to lameness and metabolic reasons. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective unmatched case-control study. METHODS Data collected from the FEI website included the following: the country where the ride was held; the year; the result for each horse-rider combination; the number of entries in each class; whether the class was restricted to young riders; and the winning speed. Descriptive data were summarised, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess risk factors for eliminations due to lameness and metabolic reasons. RESULTS Between 2008 and 2011, there were 30,741 horse starts at FEI endurance rides of 100-160 km distance in 47 countries. Of all started horses, 30% were eliminated for lameness. Eliminations for metabolic reasons were recorded for 8.7% of all started horses. There was a large range of winning speeds amongst countries (10.2-29.5 km/h). Multivariable analysis revealed that the risk of elimination due to lameness was significantly associated with the country where the ride was held, the year, the distance of the ride and the number of entries. Elimination for metabolic reasons was significantly associated with the country where the ride was held, the year and the number of entries. CONCLUSIONS Differences existed among elimination rates at FEI endurance rides in different countries (2008-2011). Lameness was the most common reason for elimination globally. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE These results provide objective global data on endurance riding that can replace anecdotal information, which has been the base of opinions, decisions and regulations. The Summary is available in Chinese - see Supporting information.

Horse-, rider-, venue- and environment-related risk factors for elimination from Fédération Equestre Internationale endurance rides due to lameness and metabolic reasons

REASONS FOR PERFORMING THE STUDY There is limited information on risk factors for elimination from endurance rides. OBJECTIVES To assess risk factors for elimination for lameness and metabolic reasons from Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) endurance rides of 80-160 km distance. STUDY DESIGN Unmatched case-control. METHODS Venue-, horse- and rider-related data were collected from the FEI website. Data on weather conditions and terrain were collected at the venue. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess risk factors for elimination for lameness and metabolic reasons, respectively. RESULTS Multivariable logistic regression on 1435 horse starts revealed that the venue was significantly associated with elimination for lameness (P = 0.013). The horses previous experience at a greater distance than the current ride (odds ratio [OR] = 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-0.95, P = 0.008) and > 90 days elapsed since the last FEI ride (OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.99, P = 0.044) significantly reduced the risk of elimination for lameness. In the multivariable model for elimination for metabolic reasons, the venue (P = 0.011), increasing number of started horses (OR = 1.008, 95% CI 1.00-1.01, P = 0.001) and deep sand or soil on the track (OR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.17-3.35, P = 0.001) significantly increased the risk of elimination for metabolic reasons. CONCLUSIONS Reducing the frequency of racing may contribute to decreased risk of elimination for lameness. Competing in deep sand or soil may contribute to exhaustion, leading to elimination for metabolic reasons. Eliminations are likely to be the end result of a complex process, and not every aspect was or can be measured. Further studies with a larger number of horse starts and assessment of variables that could not be measured in this study may identify additional risk factors that can be modified.