Table 2 Proportional fatality and relative risk for death overall (including euthanasia, unknown method and unassisted) in dogs recorded with specific clinical signs of heat-related illness cases presenting to primary-care veterinary practices in the UK between 2016 and 2018.

From: Proposing the VetCompass clinical grading tool for heat-related illness in dogs

Presenting clinical sign

Clinical sign recorded

Clinical sign not recorded

Relative Risk

95% CI*

p-value

n

Deaths

% Fatality Rate

n

Deaths

% Fatality Rate

Unresponsive

51

43

84.31

742

47

6.33

13.31

9.85 to 17.98

< 0.001

Coma

15

14

93.33

778

76

9.77

9.55

7.42 to 12.30

< 0.001

Stupor

24

17

70.83

769

73

9.49

7.46

5.33 to 10.45

< 0.001

Multiple seizures

12

8

66.67

781

82

10.5

6.35

4.05 to 9.95

< 0.001

Gastrointestinal haemorrhage

27

14

51.85

766

76

9.92

5.22

3.43 to 7.97

< 0.001

Petechiae/purpura

18

8

44.44

775

82

10.58

4.2

2.41 to 7.32

< 0.001

Ataxia

14

5

35.71

779

85

10.91

3.27

1.58 to 6.80

0.002

Respiratory (excessive panting/dyspnoea)

545

66

12.11

248

24

9.68

1.25

0.80 to 1.95

0.321

Single seizure

30

4

13.33

763

86

11.27

1.18

0.47 to 3.01

0.724

Hypersalivation

33

4

12.12

760

86

11.32

1.07

0.42 to 2.74

0.886

Diarrhoea

76

9

11.84

717

81

11.30

1.05

0.55 to 2.00

0.887

Vomiting

193

22

11.40

600

68

11.33

1.01

0.64 to 1.58

0.980

Collapse-intermittent

250

27

10.80

543

63

11.60

0.93

0.61 to 1.42

0.741

Lethargy

379

21

5.54

414

69

16.67

0.33

0.21 to 0.53

 < 0.001

  1. Relative risk describes the risk ratio of death in heat-related illness cases recorded with this clinical sign compared to cases without this clinical sign. *CI confidence interval, n = 793.
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