Table 1 Demography and causes of death for euthanased dogs (n = 26,676) and dogs that died unassisted (n = 2487) attending primary-care veterinary practices in the VetCompass Programme in the UK during 2016.
From: Proportion and risk factors for death by euthanasia in dogs in the UK
Variable | Category | Euthanasia count (%) | Unassisted death count (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Breed | Crossbreed | 6053 (22.7) | 458 (18.4) |
Purebred—other | 6839 (25.6) | 721 (29.0) | |
Labrador Retriever | 2315 (8.7) | 145 (5.8) | |
Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 2077 (7.8) | 134 (5.4) | |
Jack Russell Terrier | 1463 (5.5) | 119 (4.8) | |
German Shepherd Dog | 989 (3.7) | 115 (4.6) | |
Yorkshire Terrier | 919 (3.4) | 116 (4.7) | |
West Highland White Terrier | 897 (3.4) | 98 (3.9) | |
Border Collie | 855 (3.2) | 69 (2.8) | |
Cocker Spaniel | 850 (3.2) | 62 (2.5) | |
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 703 (2.6) | 130 (5.2) | |
Boxer | 587 (2.2) | 45 (1.8) | |
Shih-tzu | 534 (2.0) | 52 (2.1) | |
Golden Retriever | 466 (1.7) | 27 (1.1) | |
Rottweiler | 472 (1.8) | 28 (1.1) | |
Bulldog | 208 (0.8) | 78 (3.1) | |
Pug | 151 (0.6) | 41 (1.6) | |
Chihuahua | 200 (0.7) | 34 (1.4) | |
Not recorded | 98 (0.4) | 15 (0.6) | |
Bodyweight (kg) | < 10 | 4397 (16.5) | 535 (21.5) |
10 to < 20 | 4570 (17.1) | 418 (16.8) | |
20 to < 30 | 3878 (14.5) | 290 (11.7) | |
≥ 30 | 3833 (14.4) | 340 (13.7) | |
Not recorded | 9998 (37.5) | 904 (36.3) | |
Age at death (years) | < 6 | 2387 (9.7) | 557 (22.4) |
6 to < 9 | 3113 (12.6) | 473 (19.0) | |
9 to < 12 | 7277 (27.3) | 698 (28.0) | |
12 to < 15 | 9503 (38.5) | 549 (22.1) | |
≥ 15 | 4076 (16.5) | 165 (6.6) | |
Not recorded | 320 (1.2) | 45 (1.8) | |
Sex-Neuter status | Female entire | 4887 (18.3) | 532 (21.4) |
Female neutered | 7799 (29.2) | 667 (26.8) | |
Male entire | 6369 (23.9) | 681 (27.4) | |
Male neutered | 7544 (28.3) | 602 (24.2) | |
Not recorded | 77 (0.3) | 5 (0.2) | |
Insurance | Non-insured | 22,209 (83.3) | 2028 (81.5) |
Insured | 4467 (16.7) | 459 (18.5) | |
Vet Group | 1 | 11,442 (42.9) | 1058 (42.5) |
2 | 7556 (28.3) | 843 (33.9) | |
3 | 1813 (6.8) | 95 (3.8) | |
4 | 5737 (21.5) | 467 (18.8) | |
5 | 128 (0.5) | 24 (1.0) | |
Grouped-level disorder | Neoplasia | 2658 (11.6) | 86 (6.8) |
Collapsed | 2558 (11.1) | 100 (7.8) | |
Mass | 1843 (8.0) | 23 (1.8) | |
Behaviour disorder | 1679 (7.3) | 7 (0.5) | |
Brain disorder | 1634 (7.1) | 96 (7.5) | |
Musculoskeletal disorder | 1356 (5.9) | 20 (1.6) | |
Poor quality of life | 1301 (5.7) | 2 (0.2) | |
Heart disease | 1047 (4.6) | 251 (19.7) | |
Enteropathy | 853 (3.7) | 66 (5.2) | |
Lower respiratory tract disorder | 850 (3.7) | 97 (7.6) | |
Spinal cord disorder | 815 (3.5) | 4 (0.3) | |
Kidney disease | 771 (3.4) | 19 (1.5) | |
Inappetence | 518 (2.3) | 6 (0.5) | |
Endocrine system disorder | 446 (1.9) | 30 (2.4) | |
Lethargy | 372 (1.6) | 12 (0.9) | |
Haematopoietic disorder | 335 (1.5) | 26 (2.0) | |
Upper respiratory tract disorder | 308 (1.3) | 34 (2.7) | |
Traumatic injury | 260 (1.1) | 217 (17.0) | |
Foreign body | 59 (0.3) | 16 (1.3) | |
Complication associated with clinical care | 52 (0.2) | 27 (2.1) | |
Other | 3293 (14.3) | 135 (10.6) |
