AUTHOR=Graves Jessica L. , McKenzie Brennen A. , Koch Zane , Naka Alexander , Spofford Nathaniel , Morrison JoAnn 

TITLE=Body weight, gonadectomy, and other risk factors for diagnosis of osteoarthritis in companion dogs

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1275964

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2023.1275964

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=OBJECTIVE
To evaluate age, sex, body weight, breed, neuter status, and age at neutering as risk factors for diagnosis of osteoarthritis in companion dogs

ANIMALS
Dogs seen as patients at Banfield Pet Hospital in the United States from 1998-2019 with a date of death in 2019. The final cohort consisted of 131,140 dogs.

METHODS
In this retrospective cohort study, Cox proportional hazard models were used to test for associations between osteoarthritis incidence and age at baseline, sex, maximum body weight, maximum body condition score, neuter status, and age at neutering. The same model was used to test these associations in 12 representative breeds, chosen based on breed weight and sample size.

RESULTS
Older age, higher adult body weight, gonadectomy, and younger age at gonadectomy were significantly associated with higher risks of osteoarthritis in the total cohort and in all 12 breeds evaluated. Higher body condition score and sex were also significantly associated with osteoarthritis but with minimal effect sizes in the overall cohort, and these risk factors were not consistently significant in all breeds tested. 

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
These results will assist veterinarians in identifying dogs at higher risk for osteoarthritis and applying appropriate diagnostic, preventative, and treatment interventions. An understanding of potentially modifiable risk factors, such as body condition, and neutering, will support evidence-based discussions with dog owners about risk management in individual patients.