DOGSLIFE: A COHORT STUDY OF LABRADOR RETRIEVER HEALTH

Studies of animals that visit primary and secondary veterinary centres dominate companion animal epidemiology. Dogslife is a research initiative that collects data directly from owners about the health and lifestyle of Kennel Club (KC) registered, Labrador Retrievers (LR) in the UK. The ultimate aim is to seek associations between canine lifestyle and health. Analyses of a selection of data from Dogslife regarding the height, weight and health of 4,307 LR up to four years of age are reported here. There was considerable variation in height and weight measurements indicative of a highly heterogeneous population. Chocolate coloured dogs were heavier than their yellow and black counterparts. Illness reports were dominated by gastrointestinal and skin-related signs that were not associated with veterinary visits. Illness incidence rates peaked before the dogs reached six months of age. These data provide a unique insight into the young lives of LR in the UK.