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Summary of the 2003 American Belgian Tervuren Club Health Survey
The ABTC and Dr. Richard Evans (Iowa State University) developed a survey to profile the health status of Belgian Tervuren.
The survey was distributed to club members through several mechanisms. This was a "self report survey", in that members had a choice to participate or not. Therefore it is not necessarily a representative sample of the membership of the ABTC but probably profiles of the most active members. One objective of the survey was to profile health conditions of the Belgian Tervuren and the health related concerns of Belgian Tervuren owners with the end goal to assist the ABTC in addressing health conditions and plan long term strategies for improving breed health.
Surveys were submitted from April through October 2003 and owners were permitted to include information on all dogs that were alive as of January 1, 2000. Here we present a summary of the data but the actual survey questionnaire that was sent out as well as the full survey results are published on the ABTC website in the Health Education Committee section. Thank you to all who submitted details on your dogs.
For the survey, 279 owners responded providing information on 633 Tervuren. At the time of the survey, 39% of owners reported having only a single Tervuren and 34% had two. The vast majority of Terv owners (94%) had four or fewer Tervs. Although 55% of Terv owners only had Tervs as their dog breed in residence, 77% also owned other animals, predominantly cats (44%) followed by "other" which included livestock as well as other companion species. The majority of respondents obtained their first Terv in the mid 1980’s although the dates ranged from 1962 to 2003. The majority of Terv owner respondents live in Central USA (~31%), followed by 25% in the West, 16.5% in the North East, ~ 15% in the South, and a little over 9% in the Mountain states.
Owners were active in every venue although defining a Terv as a "companion/pet" was the most common response to the question "What are your main interests? Check all that apply." Obedience was the next most common (77%) followed closely by conformation (67%) and then agility competition (65%). Herding and tracking were the next most common interests at ~44%. Twenty percent of Terv owners classified their interest as "breeder". In terms of actual participation, most Tervs participated in at least one conformation and performance event per year with ~7% and 15.7% participating in over 20 conformation and performance events per year, respectively.
At the time of the survey, most Tervs were born during 1999 and 2000. The Tervs were equally distributed between males and female (316 and 317, respectively) with 60% of those neutered/spayed. The Tervs were altered at an average age of approximately 4 years. With respect to coat color, 83% were defined as mahogany & black, 13% fawn, ~ 3% silver/grey, and only 4 Tervs were black. Most Tervs were obtained from a breeder (79%) though 14% of the Tervs were homebred; the remaining ~5% were rescued or rehomed Tervs. For bitches, the average age at first whelping was 4 ½ years. As the number of litters a bitch had increased, the number of live puppies born and weaned decreased from an average of nearly 6 puppies in the first litter to just over 3 by the last litter; these averages are consistent with studies demonstrating decreased fertility with advancing age.
Body weights for intact vs. altered were 60.2 lbs vs. 61.5 lbs for males and 46.7 lbs vs. 51.5 lbs for females, respectively. The majority of owners, or their vets, considered their Tervs to be in optimum weight (80.6%) and medium boned (72.4%). The average adult height was 24.82 inches for males and 23 inches for females. Most owners fed dry dog food (91%) as some part of the Tervs’ diet although a significant number of owners fed at some point in time, a home prepared diet, either raw or cooked, (63%). Tervs were generally kept free in the house (~80%) with a smaller proportion crated in the house (~10%); the remaining dogs were kept in a fenced yard or kennel run. Tervs were evenly divided as to whether they slept on the bed never, occasionally, or usually. As one might predict from the textbook descriptions of the Terv, Tervs were described as active (81%), trainable (~90%), and intelligent (89%). Owners also described their Tervs as outgoing (57%), friendly (77%), confident (57%), fearful of selected noises (33%), excitable (29%), calm (28%), reactive to dogs (27%), aloof (16%), and shy, timid, or fearful (19.4%).
The vast majority of owners felt that the health education provided through the ABTC was just right though 24% of respondents wanted more; similar trends were seen for the health dollars spent by ABTC. Owners stated that they would like to be better informed with regard to cancer, followed by seizures/epilepsy, and then thyroid conditions. In terms of the top issues facing Tervs, owner respondents considered temperament and epilepsy as nearly equivalent and highest ranked. Cancer was the next most highly ranked issue. The owners’ concern parallels data submitted for the 633 Tervuren. Approximately 8.5% of Tervs exhibited behavioral issues that the owner considered a problem and in the data for deceased Tervs, ~7.6% of the dogs no longer living were euthanized for behavioral problems. Fifty-four (8.5%) Tervs were reported to have had seizures and in the data for deceased Tervs, ~ 5% were no longer living as a consequence of seizures/epilepsy. Seventy (11%) Tervs were reported to have been diagnosed with some sort of cancer and in the data for deceased Tervs, 35% died as a consequence of cancer. Approximately 8% of the Tervs were identified as having thyroid deficits. The types of cancer were quite varied although mammary cancer had the highest number of dogs (10) with lymphoma and osteosarcoma each with 8 dogs. The average age of onset for mammary cancer was 9 ½ years with a range of 5 to 12 years. There were a number of dogs exhibiting various health conditions ranging, in order of reported prevalence, from neurological maladies, to orthopedic to reproductive issues, to ophthalmic, to mouth/bite issues, to dermatologic concerns, to cancers and then to many other conditions in lesser prevalence. The specific disorders and the actual number of Tervs with a particular disorder are detailed in the report’s data posted at the ABTC website.
The complete questionaire is presented below:
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2003 American Belgian Tervuren Club Health Survey |
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This survey is a collaborative effort of the Health Education Committee of the American Belgian Tervuren Club and Dr. Richard Evans of Iowa State University. We request your participation to identify the frequency of health and behavior conditions of Belgian Tervuren. This information will be used to help prioritize health research funding, and provide a new baseline against which we can measure the health of our breed. It is equally important for owners to report on their healthy dogs as well as those with health conditions so that we can more accurately estimate the prevalence of problems in our breed. |
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All information submitted is confidential, and will be tabulated by Dr. Evans at Iowa Sate University. A full report of the findings will be submitted to the ABTC for distribution to the membership. This study is funded through the generosity of the ABTC Board of Directors and the ABTC membership. |
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Your owner code is the last four digits of your driver’s license number. This will not be used to identify specific individuals, but only to link all the dogs you report as coming from one owner, for statistical purposes. Please put the dog number (1, 2, 3, etc) and your owner code at the top of each page of dog information. You need only fill out the owner information sections one time. Indicate any disease diagnosed by your veterinarian, including presumptive and confirmed (by appropriate testing or specialist) diagnoses. Please make copies of the dog information sheets for additional animals. |
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Please complete one questionnaire for each eligible dog and return it to: |
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Richard Evans, Ph.D. |
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Iowa State University |
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College of Veterinary Medicine |
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VDPAM, Room 1710 |
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Ames, IA 50011 |
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The deadline for responses is October 1, 2003. |
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Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Tracey Gilbert at 920-845-9840 or gilbertdvm@earthlink.net |
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Selection of dogs to include in the 2003 ABTC Health Survey |
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Eligible dogs are those that you owned and lived with in your home on or after January 1, 2000. Dogs born after 1/1/00 are eligible. Older dogs may still be alive or have died, as long as they were alive on the above date. Please use a separate form for each dog. If you co-own a dog, please coordinate with the other owner so that the dog is reported only once. |
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I. Owner/environment information |
Date ____________ |
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1. Code (last 4 digits of your drivers license number) |
_______ |
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2. How many Tervuren did you live with on Jan 1, 2000? |
________ |
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3. How many Tervuren are currently living with you? |
________ |
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4. Do you also currently own other breeds? |
_____Yes |
_____ No |
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5. Do you also own other pets? ( Circle all that apply) |
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Cats |
Birds |
Rabbits |
Ferrets |
Other |
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6. What year did you acquire your first Terv? |
________ |
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7. What are your main interests (check all that apply) |
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_____ Breeder |
_____ Obedience |
_____ Conformation showing |
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_____ Tracking |
_____ Herding |
_____ Agility |
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_____ Service dog |
_____ Companion/pet |
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8. In what state or country did you reside in on Jan 1, 2000? |
________ |
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9. In what state or country do you now reside? |
________ |
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II. Member input (please check only one unless otherwise indicated) |
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1. The amount of health information available to me through the ABTC: |
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_____ Too much |
______Just right |
_____Too little |
_____No opinion/don’t know |
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2. The amount of club spending on health issues: |
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_____ Too much |
______Just right |
_____Too little _____No opinion/don’t know |
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3. Health topics you would like to be better informed about: |
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4. What three diseases or problems do you feel are the most important for Tervuren today? (Rank 1-3) |
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_____ Allergies |
_____ Behavior/ temperament |
_____ Cancer |
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_____ Epilepsy |
_____ Eye diseases |
_____ Bleeding disorders |
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_____ Thyroid problems |
_____ Immune mediated disorders |
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_____ Other ____________________________ |
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III. Dog information Dog#______ |
Owner code _____ |
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1. Date of birth: |
_____ Month |
_____Day |
_____Year |
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2. Sex: |
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_____Male |
_____Male neutered |
_____Female |
_____ Female spayed |
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3. Color |
(check one) _____Mahogany/black |
_____Fawn |
_____Silver/grey |
_____Black |
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4. Age at neutering if neutered _____ |
Not applicable _____ |
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5.a. Bitches only—has she had a litter? |
_____ Yes |
_____No |
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If yes: Litter |
Age of dam at whelping |
# live born |
# still born |
# weaned |
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#1 |
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#2 |
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#3 |
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#4 |
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5.b. Males only—How many litters has he sired? _______ |
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6. Where did you obtain this dog? |
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_____ Breeder |
_____Pet store |
_____ Shelter |
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_____ Home bred |
_____Rescue |
_____ Rehome |
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7. As an adult, what is/was your dog's usual: |
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______Weight (lbs) |
_____ Height (in) (measured at top of shoulder) |
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8. As an adult, did your veterinarian characterize your dog as: |
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_____Obese |
_____Overweight |
_____Average/optimum |
_____ Thin |
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9. As an adult, would you characterize your dog as: |
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_____Heavy boned |
_____ Medium boned |
_____ Light boned |
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10. As an adult, which best characterizes your dog’s diet? (check all that apply) |
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_____ Canned food |
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_____Home prepared raw diet |
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_____ Dry food |
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_____Home prepared cooked food |
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11. On average, how many shows/performance events a year did/does this dog attend? |
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Conformation: |
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_____ 0 |
_____1-20 |
____21-50 |
____ >50 |
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Performance: |
_____ 0 |
_____1-20 |
____21-50 |
____ >50 |
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Dog # ______ |
Owner code _______ |
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12. How is your dog usually housed? (check the one that represents the majority of time each day) |
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_____ Crated in the house |
_____ Fenced yard |
_____Garage |
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_____ Free in the house |
_____ Kennel/ dog run |
_____ Invisible/radio fence |
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13. Does your dog sleep in your bed? |
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_____ Never |
_____Occasionally |
_____ Often |
_____Always |
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14. What is the current status of this dog? |
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_____ Alive |
_____ Died |
_____ Euthanized |
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15. If dead, age at death/euthanasia: _______ |
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16. If dead, cause of death/euthanasia: |
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_____ Trauma/accident |
_____ Cancer |
_____ Organ failure (heart, kidney, liver) |
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_____ Seizures |
_____ Old age |
_____ Behavior problems |
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_____ Other illness |
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IV. Temperament, personality |
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1. How would you describe your dog’s personality? (circle all that apply). |
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Active, energetic |
Confident |
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Submissive to people |
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Trainable |
Nervous, anxious |
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Submissive to dogs |
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Fearful |
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Aggressive to dogs |
Aggressive to people |
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Shy, timid |
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Aloof, reserved |
Has bitten a person |
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Outgoing |
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Excitable |
Fear of many loud noises |
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Friendly |
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Calm |
Fear of selected (some) loud noises |
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Intelligent |
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Reactive to dogs |
Destructive |
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2. Which of the below would you describe as being a problem with this dog? (circle all that apply). |
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Overactive |
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Aggression to dogs` |
Aggression to people |
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Shyness |
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Fearfulness |
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Excitability |
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Nervousness |
Fear of noises |
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Submissiveness |
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Hypersensitive |
Reactive to dogs |
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Destructiveness |
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IV. Health Conditions |
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For each condition listed that affected this dog, please indicate the age of onset in years. |
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Condition |
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Age at onset |
Age at onset |
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Neoplasia/cancer |
Gastrointestinal |
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Hemangiosarcoma |
Bloat |
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Lymphosarcoma/lymphoma |
Esophageal disorder/Megaesophagus |
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Cutaneous (T cell) lymphoma |
Pancreatic insufficiency |
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Mast cell tumor |
Pancreatitis |
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Osteosarcoma |
Malabsorption syndrome |
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Melanoma |
Inflammatory bowel disease |
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Squamous cell carcinoma |
Gastritis |
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Mammary (breast) |
Colitis |
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Testicular |
Chronic diarrhea or vomiting |
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Prostate |
Portosystemic shunt |
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Thyroid carcinoma |
Other______________________ |
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Nasal carcinoma |
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Gastric carcinoma |
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Other _____________________ |
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Hematology (blood disorders) |
Orthopedic (Muscle/bone) |
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Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) |
Arthritis |
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Hemophilia A or B |
Spnodylosis |
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Von Willebrand’s Disease |
Elbow dysplasia |
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Thrombocytopenia (low platelets) |
Hip dysplasia |
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White cell count less than 5000 |
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy |
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Bone marrow dysfunction |
Legg-Perthes |
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Other ________________________ |
Osteochondritis (OCD) Elbow |
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Neurology |
Osteochondritis (OCD) Hock |
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Dementia (senility) |
Osteochondritis (OCD) Shoulder |
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Seizures—Grand mal |
Panosteitis |
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Seizures—partial, petit mal |
Patellar luxation |
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IV disc – cervical |
Anterior cruciate rupture |
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IV disc – thoracic |
Other ligament/tendon tear |
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IV disc – lumbar |
Polyarthropathy |
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Head tilt |
Polymyopathy |
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Vestibular syndrome |
Exertional/exercise induced myositis/hyperthermia/collapse |
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Paralysis |
Deafness |
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Tremors |
Degenerative myelopathy |
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Malignant hyperthermia |
Old dog---rear leg paresis/weakness |
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Other ______________________ |
Cauda Equina Syndrome |
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Dermatology |
Other _____________________ |
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Allergies/atopy |
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Demodex |
Infectious |
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Sarcoptes scabei mites |
Ehrlichiosis |
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Chronic staph pyoderma |
Salmonellosis |
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Perianal fistulas |
Lyme disease |
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Pigment abnormalities |
Systemic fungal disease |
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Dematophytosis (fungal skin infect) |
Other ________________________ |
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Other ______________________ |
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Dog # _____ |
Owner code _____ |
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For each condition listed that affected this dog, please indicate the age of onset in years. |
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Condition |
Condition |
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Age at onset |
Age at onset |
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Ophthalmic |
Immune mediated |
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Cataracts |
Polyarthritis (immune) |
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Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) |
Systemic Lupus |
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Persistent pupillary membranes (PPM) |
Lupus- Discoid |
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Pannus -- cornea |
Auto immune hemolytic anemia |
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Pannus—third eyelid |
Dermatomyositis |
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Entropion |
Pemphigus |
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Corneal dystrophy |
Other ______________________ |
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Keratitis |
Respiratory |
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Small optic nerve |
Laryngeal paralysis |
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Micropapillae |
Rhinitis/sinusitis |
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Glaucoma |
Nasal aspergillosis |
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Other ______________________ |
Pneumonia |
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Cardiovascular |
Allergic bronchitis/pneumonia |
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Heart failure (unknown cause) |
Other______________________ |
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Cardiomyopathy |
Urinary Tract |
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Heart arrhythmia |
Bladder infections |
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Heart murmur |
Bladder stones |
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Persistent right aortic arch (PRAA) |
Renal failure |
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Pulmonic stenosis |
Incontinence |
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Subaortic stenosis |
Other_______________________ |
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Persistent ductus (PDA) |
Endocrine (hormonal) |
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Ventricular septal defect (VSD) |
Addisons disease |
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Valve dysfunction |
Diabetes mellitus |
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Hypertension (high blood pressure) |
Cushings disease |
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Other ______________________ |
Hypothyroidism |
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Reproductive (female) |
Thyroiditis |
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C-section |
Other ______________________ |
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Difficulty whelping |
Miscellaneous |
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Reabsorption/abortion |
Missing teeth |
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Chronic failure to conceive |
Undershot jaw |
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Insufficient milk |
Overshot jaw |
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Mastitis |
Wry bite |
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Irregular heat cycles |
Enamel hypoplasia |
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Pyometra/metritis |
Cleft palate |
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Poor mothering |
Other ______________________ |
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Small litters |
Drug allergy/reaction (list below) |
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Other ______________________ |
Other conditions (list below) |
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Reproductive (male) |
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Abnormal semen |
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Cryptorchid/monorchid |
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Lack of libido |
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Testicular atrophy |
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Enlarged prostate |
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Other ______________________ |
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