Top 10 canine diseases

Jewlieee

found it interesting that Cancer went from #1 to not even being on the list in 2 years. I don't know how this list was generated. However, in the write up about it they do say that approx. 1 in 3 dogs develop cancer.

Lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma are types of cancer.

 pfft, I knew that darn it lol. Well I knew lymphoma was I just wasn't thinking. I've never heard of hemangiosarcoma.

Jewlieee

2007:

1. Lymphoma
2. Hypothyroidism
3. Hip Dyspalsia
4. Addison's Disease
5. Hemangiosarcma
6. Epilepsy
7. Cataracts
8. Allergies
9. Progressive Retinal Atrophy
10. Cardiomyopathy

 

2005 the list was:

1. Cancer
2. Eye diseases
3. Epilepsy
4. Hip Dysplasia
5. Hypothyroidism
6. Heart
7. Autoimmune Disease
8. Allergies
9. Patellar Luxation
10. Renal Dysplasia

It would be interesting to know how the list was generated -- like cardiomyopathy is on one list and 'heart' alone on th eother.  And then one says "eye diseases" and the other separates PRA and cataracts (both eye problems).

My guess would be that this is the same Dr. Schultz that is behind the Rabies Challenge.  He's pretty well respected from all I can find out. 

Yep, it looks like the 2007 list breaks out individual cancers and eye diseases rather than lumping them all together.  The second list is much more useful, IMO.  Although I wonder why they still have a broad "autoimmune disease" listing instead of breaking it into individual diseases.

I'm a little surprised that lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma are so high on the list.

A vet friend of mine says the top three diseases (health issues) for dogs:  obesity, obesity, obesity.

Myra

  Although I wonder why they still have a broad "autoimmune disease" listing instead of breaking it into individual diseases.

Having had a dog with IMHA (immune-mediated hemolytic anemia) I think there IS a reason for that -- simply because one auto-immune disease, **if survived**, leads often to more and more.  In Billy's case it was tho his immune-system was sort of stuck 'half on' -- he went from one inflammation to another, one infection to another and another and another.  It was as tho he were constantly 'sick' (ranging from vicious UTIs to a bacterial hepatitis and pancreatitis).

 We've had to switch to a pretty radical, experimental homeopathic treatment to try to restore body balance to him and get his immune system actually *working* for a change.  Dr. Demers told me "the immune system should be like a toggle switch -- it should come on ... do it's job and then go OFF.  Billy's stays in this half-on/half-off state - never getting rid of infection or allergy but just reacting, reacting, reacting, reacting ..."  We've had success so far (this is the FIRST Jan/Feb I've had him in four years where he hasn't had to be on anti-biotics to get rid of skin infections from allergies!!). 

My vets have seen it over and over (both the regular and holistic vets) -- that once a dog has an auto-immune illness, very often it spirals into another 'disease' and another -- simply because the meds are difficult and can simply send infection deeper and deeper to pop up later. 

So my guess would be it can be pretty difficult to name one particular auto-immune reaction -- IMHA is a biggie, but so many dogs simply 'react' -- with everything from body/head swelling to out of control infections, most of which can be called 'auto-immune' or 'immune-mediated' but nothing more specific.

It could just be lack of data. In those 2 years maybe that got better info. 

I'm surprised they don't have bloat on that list.

I'm surprised that allergies are so low on the list. Almost every dog I know has allergies of one type or another...

Since you got this out of a breed publication, are these figures from all breeds or just Aussies?

All breeds. They had stars next to the ones that aussies are prone to.