Page 11 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2025

Research News

YORKIE DOGS GET GOOD TAIL INJURY RISK BENEFITS OF EARLY
BILL OF HEALTH RESEARCH DIABETES DIALOGUES

RVC VetCompass research exploring the An RVC VetCompass study has revealed Findings from RVC research offers vital
demography, clinical health and longevity which dog breeds are most likely and least information for veterinarians and owners that
of Yorkshire terriers, has revealed they likely to have a tail injury, and how such could help reduce the high early mortality
are largely healthy and long-lived dogs. injuries are clinically managed in veterinary rates associated with diabetes mellitus (DM)
Despite this, the breed is increasingly being practice. The findings offer insights for in cats.
overlooked by prospective owners. owners, breeders, veterinarians and Previous research found that around 10%
Kennel Club registration figures show policymakers to support prevention and of diabetic cats are euthanised at the time of
the once popular Yorkie falling dramatically better treatment. diagnosis. However, that figure was largely
out of favour, dropping from 0.93% of all The study examined the clinical records based on questionnaire-based research
registrations in 2013 to 0.18% in 2022. from random samples of 285 tail injury from various global locations.
However, two-thirds of dogs in the UK are cases and 285,000 controls taken from a The RVC VetCompass study aimed to
not registered and this new VetCompass wider study population of over 2,000,000 assess the true scale of mortality of cats
study shows the decline of Yorkies is less dogs under UK veterinary care in 2019. newly-diagnosed in the UK. Researchers
pronounced for unregistered dogs. The findings reveal that approximately 1 examined the characteristics and followed
in 435 of all UK dogs present for veterinary the survival of 1,053 cats with confirmed DM
care with a tail injury each year, and that in 2019. The study provides the most up-to-
boxers, English springer spaniels and date baseline data on early death among
cocker spaniels were the breeds most diabetic cats in the UK, as well as examining
likely to have a tail injury. Conversely, the risk factors for the development of DM.
French bulldog – a breed typically with a
congenitally shortened tail – was less likely
to have a tail injury.

The RVC study analysed anonymised
clinical information of 28,032 Yorkshire
terriers from a VetCompass study population
of 905,542 dogs of all breeds under UK
veterinary care during 2016. The study
revealed that the wider pet population of UK
Yorkshire terriers have a much larger body Key findings included: around one in
size to the pedigree version. every 250 UK cats live with DM each year
The study showed the breed has with Compared to breeds that were not and 10% of cats diagnosed with DM were
an average lifespan of 13.56 years, well recognised by the Kennel Club, working euthanised within three days of diagnosis
outliving the 12.00 years for dogs overall. (x 2.21) and gundog (x 1.85) groups had (usually without treatment). Burmese cats
However, the breed was found to be higher risk of tail injury, whilst the toy group were confirmed to be at increased risk of
especially prone to dental disease. Other had reduced risk (x 0.46). DM, as were the related Burmilla breed.
commonly diagnosed disorders were Pain relief and antibiotics were prescribed Bengal and Ragdoll breeds had a lower
overgrown nails, anal sac impaction and in 45.6% and 32.6% of cases, respectively. incidence than crossbred cats.
obesity. Surgical amputation was undertaken in
9.1% of cases.

Research paper: O'Neill, D.G., Witkowska, S.D., Research paper: Pegram, C., O’Neill D.G., Research paper: Waite, R. Gostelow, E. Wright,
Brodbelt, D.C., Church, D.B., and Engdahl, K.S. Edwards, A., Church, D.B. and Brodbelt, D.C. R. E. Jepson, D. C. Brodbelt, and D. G. O'Neill
(2025) ‘Yorkshire Terriers under primary veterinary care (2025). ‘Frequency and risk factors for tail injuries in UK (2025) ‘Frequency, Risk Factors, and Mortality for
in the UK – Demography and disorders’, Companion dogs under primary veterinary care’, Veterinary Record Diabetes Mellitus in 1 225 130 Cats Under Primary
Animal Health and Genetics Veterinary Care in the United Kingdom in 2019’, Journal
of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 39 (4)

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