Page 11 - Clinical Connections - Summer 2024
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Research News






        PREGNANCY LOSS IN                   RVC RESEARCH PREDICTS               THE MOST COMMON
        THOROUGHBREDS AND                   LIFE EXPECTANCY OF CATS             DISORDERS IN UK PET
        INBREEDING                                                              GUINEA PIGS
                                            RVC  researchers,  in  collaboration  with
        RVC  researchers,  in  collaboration  with   Taiwan’s National Chung Hsing University,   RVC  research  has  identified  the  most
        Cornell  University,  found  that  inbreeding   have taken a major step forward in how we   common disorders recorded in pet guinea
        is  a  contributing  factor  to  mid  and  late-  understand  lifespan  in  cats  and  revealed   pigs in the UK. Several of these common
        term pregnancy loss (MLPL), but not early   new  information  on  factors  influencing   conditions are linked to sedentary lives.
        pregnancy loss (EPL) in Thoroughbreds.   mortality rates.                The guinea pig is a hugely popular pet in
          It  is  the  first  study  exploring  the  effect   Using   records   from   the   RVC’s   the UK. Prospective owners often consider
        of  genomic  inbreeding  levels  on  late  term   VetCompass  programme,  researchers  them  docile  and  easy  to  care  for.  These
        pregnancy  loss  in  the  horse  and  will  help   analysed  data  from  7,936  cats  under   beliefs  may  reflect  limited  awareness  of
        inform mating choices to minimise the risk   primary veterinary care in the UK that died   common disorders and a lack of research
        of miscarriages.                    between  January  2019  and  March  2021.   into pet guinea pig health.
          As horses with desirable traits are highly   The results were broken down by breed and   The  RVC  VetCompass  research
        prized for breeding, inbreeding is a common   sex and presented in ‘life tables’.  investigated anonymised veterinary clinical
        practice.  However,  excessive  inbreeding                              records of a random sample of 3,785 from
        increases  the  probability  of  uncovering                             51,622 guinea pigs under primary veterinary
        homozygous  recessive  genotypes,  which                                care in the UK.
        have  previously  been  associated  with  an
        increased  risk  of  retained  placenta  and
        lower semen quality in horses.





                                              Life  tables  predict  the  remaining  life
                                            expectancy and probability of death across
                                            a range of one-year age bands.
                                              Understanding typical remaining lifespan
                                            can support owners and veterinarians when   Researchers analysed diagnosis and
                                            making  complex  decisions  about  the  best   mortality  information  to  learn  more  about
                                            treatment  option  to  protect  a  cat’s  overall   the most common disorders diagnosed and
          Approximately 5 to 10 per cent of equine   wellbeing and even whether to rehome an   lifespans.
        pregnancies  end  in  early  pregnancy  loss.   older cat.               Overgrown nails was the most commonly
        A further 7 per cent of pregnancies are lost                            recorded  disorder,  with  a  one-year
        after  day  70  from  gestation.  However,  the   Key findings include:  frequency  of  26.55%.  Other  commonly
        association  between  genomic  inbreeding   •  The  overall  average  life  expectancy   recorded  disorders  included  ringworm
        levels and pregnancy loss in horses had not   from  the  first  year  of  life  for  UK   (6.02%),  corneal  ulcers  (4.99%),  anorexia
        been previously investigated.          companion cats was 11.7 years.   (4.04%) and abscess (4.02%).
          Therefore, the researchers analysed DNA   •  Females had a 1.33-year longer overall   Males  had  shorter  lifespans  overall  and
        samples from 189 mares, including a control   life expectancy than males.  were predisposed to bite injuries and dental
        group.                                •  Burmese  and  Birman  breeds  had  the   disorders. Females were more susceptible
          The  study  found  that  Thoroughbred   greatest overall life expectancy, at 14.4   to eye disorders.
        pregnancies lost in mid and late gestation   years,  followed  by  crossbreed  (11.9   The  findings  can  help  veterinary  teams
        had  significantly  higher  inbreeding  metrics   years) and Siamese (11.7 years).  improve  clinical  care  and  provide  owners
        than  UK  Thoroughbred  adults.  However,   •  Sphynx cats had the shortest overall life   with  evidence-based  information  so  they
        pregnancies lost early in gestation showed   expectancy, at 6.8 years.  can provide more natural living conditions.
        no  significant  difference  in  inbreeding
        metrics compared to the adults.
                                                Research paper: Tzu-yun Teng, K., Brodbelt,   Research paper: O’Neill, D.G., Taffinder, J.L.
                                                D.C., Church D.B., and O’Neill, D.G., (2024) ‘Life   Brodbelt, D.C, Baldrey, V. (2024) ‘Demography,
            Research paper: Lawson J.M., Shilton C.A.,   tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for   commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality of guinea
            Lindsay-McGee V., Psifidi A., Wathes D.C.,
        Raudsepp T., et al. ‘Does inbreeding contribute to   mortality in cats in the United Kingdom’. Journal of   pigs under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019 – A
        pregnancy loss in Thoroughbred horses?’ Equine   Feline Medicine and Surgery  VetCompass Study’. PLOS ONE
        Veterinary Journal






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