Carney Abigail, Williamson Peter, Taylor Rosanne M
Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Nov 26;14(23):3419. doi: 10.3390/ani14233419.
The Bullmastiff is a giant breed of dog, and there is evidence the breed is predisposed to cancer and musculoskeletal disorders, though the disease investigation of the breed is limited. This study reports on the demography, longevity and mortality of Bullmastiffs attending veterinary practices in Australia over a ten-year period. VetCompass Australia collects patient data from veterinary practices across Australia for epidemiological analysis. All patient records of Bullmastiffs available in the VetCompass Australia database during this decade period were reviewed, with demographic information on the breed inclusive of coat colour, sex, neuter status, weight and location collated. Standardised veterinary diagnostic (VeNom) codes for the most appropriate cause of death were assigned to deceased dogs. The population comprised 2771 Bullmastiffs with an overall median age of 2.8 years. Within the group, 1259 were female (45.4%), 1491 were male (53.8%), and 21 dogs (0.8%) had no recorded sex or neuter status. Dogs grew rapidly in their first year, with an average gain of approximately 1 kg every 10 days. A slower growth rate continued in their second year, and growth plateaued as adulthood was reached, with the mean body weight of adult male dogs (46.6 kg) being heavier than that of females (40.5 kg). The age at death for the group was 8.5 years. The most common causes of death in the breed were mass lesions (28.2%), old age (9.9%), musculoskeletal-related disease (9.9%) and neurological (5.3%) and behavioural disorders (4.8%). Neutering was protective against mortality from urogenital causes (OR: 0.14; CI: 0.02-0.52; = 0.003) and had a positive effect on longevity. This study provides demographic and health information on a population of Bullmastiffs attending veterinary practices in Australia, which will benefit evidence-based veterinary decisions for this breed. Additionally, the results may assist owners and breeders in making informed decisions on health risks and breeding programmes in the population.
斗牛獒是一种大型犬种，有证据表明该犬种易患癌症和肌肉骨骼疾病，不过针对该犬种的疾病调查有限。本研究报告了澳大利亚兽医诊所中斗牛獒在十年间的种群统计学、寿命和死亡率情况。澳大利亚兽医数据中心从澳大利亚各地的兽医诊所收集患者数据用于流行病学分析。对这十年间澳大利亚兽医数据中心数据库中所有可用的斗牛獒患者记录进行了审查，整理了该犬种的人口统计学信息，包括毛色、性别、绝育状态、体重和地点。为死亡犬只指定了最恰当死因的标准化兽医诊断（VeNom）代码。该种群包括2771只斗牛獒，总体中位年龄为2.8岁。在这个群体中，1259只为雌性（45.4%），1491只为雄性（53.8%），21只犬（0.8%）没有记录性别或绝育状态。犬只在第一年生长迅速，平均每10天增重约1千克。在第二年生长速度放缓，成年后生长趋于平稳，成年雄性犬的平均体重（46.6千克）比雌性犬（40.5千克）重。该群体的死亡年龄为8.5岁。该犬种最常见的死因是肿块病变（28.2%）、老龄（9.9%）、肌肉骨骼相关疾病（9.9%）以及神经（5.3%）和行为障碍（4.8%）。绝育可预防泌尿生殖系统原因导致的死亡（比值比：0.14；置信区间：0.02 - 0.52；P = 0.003），并对寿命有积极影响。本研究提供了澳大利亚兽医诊所中斗牛獒种群的人口统计学和健康信息，这将有助于为该犬种做出基于证据的兽医决策。此外，研究结果可能有助于主人和繁育者就该种群的健康风险和繁育计划做出明智决策。
