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The Dogslife Family
Tummy trouble?
Breeding and neutering in Dogslife
Has your dog been ill? We’d like to hear about it!
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
The Dogslife Family
 Labrador Retrievers are the UK’s most popular breed with nearly 86,000 puppies registered with the Kennel Club since Dogslife started recruiting in July 2010. We now have over 3000 members and are looking at how related all the dogs taking part in the project are. We have considered the dogs’ parents (rather than their whole pedigree, although we have access to the pedigree for five generations) for reference. At present 68% of dogs are related to at least one other dog in the project, either as a sibling (brother or sister), or by sharing a parent.
You might ask why being related is important? From the study’s perspective it is very important because we “share” genes with our relatives. All puppies in a single litter can be considered to be as related as brothers and sisters. Thus each puppy in a single litter shares 50% of its genes with each other puppy, and has been exposed to the same pre- and post-birth environment as its littermates. This relatedness allows us to separate genetic influences for different “characteristics” (such as coat colour, or weight, or hip score) from the environmental ones (such as differences in exercise or feeding).
Twin studies provide an incredibly powerful way of identifying genetic risk factors for different diseases. Probably the most famous is the TwinsUK study, based at King's College London (www.twinsuk.ac.uk). This study has over 12,000 identical and non-identical twins participating across the UK. The study has identified over 400 genetic locations which are associated with over 30 disease areas including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, melanoma and baldness.
The relatedness of the Dogslife cohort will enable the study to assess genetic and environmental risk factors affecting dogs’ health over time. Thanks again to all our members for providing the valuable information that makes these studies possible.
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Tummy trouble?
The chances are your dog has almost certainly had a gastrointestinal upset at some point in their life. For many dogs, it happens more than once and currently vomiting and/or diarrhoea is the most common illness reported by owners taking part in the Dogslife project.
So you might ask, what is the most likely cause of my dog's gastrointestinal upset? The answer is that we don’t know, but we suspect that the majority are caused by viral or bacterial infections. Other causes, such as changes in diet, eating something they shouldn’t, dietary intolerances, parasites, metabolic diseases, stress or inflammatory conditions of the bowel are much less common. Because most episodes resolve quickly without treatment, the majority don’t end up with a trip to a vet (similarly, we don’t go to the doctor for most episodes of gastrointestinal upset). Consequently in most cases no specific cause is identified, either because it not looked for, or because the condition has resolved.
Dogs can occasionally catch infections which cause gastrointestinal disease in humans (such as Norovirus, Cryptosporidia, Giardia, Campylobacter and Salmonella), so if you or your dog are ill, make sure that you wash your hands before and after you come into contact with each other.
It is difficult to give general recommendations for the appropriate treatment of gastrointestinal upset as there can be so many different causes. As a general rule, if the cause is a temporary infection (as it is for most of our own episodes of gastrointestinal upset), it is advisable to withhold food for up to 12 hours and gradually reintroduce a bland food in small portions. Fluids should not be withdrawn and the dog should be given small amounts of water regularly to ensure adequate hydration. If you are at all concerned, or the clinical signs persist, contact your vet who will be able to advise you on the appropriate investigation and treatment.
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Breeding and neutering in Dogslife
This month we have added new questions to the questionnaire to gather more information on breeding and neutering of dogs participating in the project. The benefits and risks of neutering are well described in dogs, but the effects of litter numbers and sizes on dog health are less well defined. Including these questions will enable Dogslife to obtain important health information.
We are trying to find out why some members neuter their dog and others choose not to, and whether dogs are more commonly neutered before or after their first season. For dogs which have not been neutered, there are now questions asking about their reproductive history and the details of any litters that have been born.
Thank you for taking the time to update your dog’s record; all the details provided help the research enormously.
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Has your dog been ill? We’d like to hear about it!
If your dog has had any illnesses since you last visited the site (even if you have recently updated your dog’s record), Dogslife would like to hear about it! You can update your dog’s illness information at any time without completing the rest of the questionnaire (unless a data entry is due).
If your dog has had an illness you want to tell us about, then simply login to your profile at www.dogslife.ac.uk and click on the link under your dog’s graph that reads, ‘If you need to update information about an illness, you can update [your dog’s name]'s illness information’ (as circled in red in the image below). This will direct you straight to the illness section of your dog’s record where you can detail any problems they have had (don’t forget to print off a Dogslife Veterinary Health Report if you are taking your dog to the vet). If you have not been to the website for a while, this link does not appear, but you can reach the illness section by completing the questionnaire by clicking the tab on the left hand side that reads ‘Enter your dog’s monthly results’ (as circled in green in the image below).
Dogslife greatly appreciate members keeping their dog’s illness details up to date; making sure we have all the details of any ailments, illnesses, and trips to the vet provides us with important information on the health of dogs taking part in the study which is invaluable to our research. Thank you for all your help!
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We wish you a Merry Christmas!
Christmas time often brings a change of environment for our dogs with decorations, presents, extra food, and visitors in the home which they may not be used to. With this in mind, it is important to be extra vigilant about your dog’s safety as visitors coming and going may mean your dog’s usual routine changes (so they may feel a little out of sorts), and guests may not always be aware how to keep your dog secure and away from any hazards. Left-over turkey, treats, certain plants, and winter essentials (such as anti-freeze) can be dangerous to your dog, so be sure not to leave your dog unattended when potential perils are around. For more information on how to keep your dog happy and safe at Christmas please visit http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/c/christmassafety/.
Dogslife wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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There will be another prize draw soon so don't forget to come back to Dogslife (www.dogslife.ac.uk) and update your dog's record to be in with the best chance of winning!
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