Proportion and risk factors for death by euthanasia in dogs in the UK

Pegram, Camilla, Gray, Carol ORCID: 0000-0002-1800-4574, Packer, Rowena MA, Richards, Ysabelle, Church, David B, Brodbelt, Dave C and O'Neill, Dan G (2021) Proportion and risk factors for death by euthanasia in dogs in the UK. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 11 (1). 9145-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88342-0

Abstract

The loss of a pet can be particularly distressing for owners, whether the method of death is euthanasia or is unassisted. Using primary-care clinical data, this study aimed to report the demographic and clinical factors associated with euthanasia, relative to unassisted death, in dogs. Method of death (euthanasia or unassisted) and clinical cause of death were extracted from a random sample of 29,865 dogs within the VetCompass Programme from a sampling frame of 905,544 dogs under UK veterinary care in 2016. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to evaluate associations between risk factors and method of death. Of the confirmed deaths, 26,676 (89.3%) were euthanased and 2,487 (8.3%) died unassisted. After accounting for confounding factors, 6 grouped-level disorders had higher odds in euthanased dogs (than dogs that died unassisted), using neoplasia as the baseline. The disorders with greatest odds included: poor quality of life (OR 16.28), undesirable behaviour (OR 11.36) and spinal cord disorder (OR 6.00). Breed, larger bodyweight and increasing age were additional risk factors for euthanasia. The results highlight that a large majority of owners will face euthanasia decisions and these findings can support veterinarians and owners to better prepare for such an eventuality.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Animals, Dogs, Dog Diseases, Euthanasia, Animal, Risk Factors, United Kingdom
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	26 May 2021 10:38
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2023 22:44
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-021-88342-0
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3124090