Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Health Survey
The mission of the Toller Health Coalition is to be leaders in the collection, research and dissemination of information, ideas, and knowledge of all issues related to Toller health. Our goal is to give members of the Toller community the resources and wisdom they need that will lead to ongoing and sustained health in their own breeding program and particularly in the breed as a whole.
The objective of this survey was to discover which diseases and conditions occur in the Toller population worldwide and what the frequency of those diseases and conditions are in the breed. It was estimated that we would need to gather information on no less than 650 Tollers and Toller owners world-wide responded by returning information on 1180 Tollers!
This survey was designed with the guidance and advice of Dr. George Padgett and covered dogs in the owners possession during the period of 1992 to July of 2002 to give a "current snapshot" of the state of Toller health. Availability of the survey was made possible through mail-outs with club newsletters, by mail to individuals who requested it and as an electronic document available through the Toller Health Coalition website (www.tollerhealth.com) and the NSDTR Club of Canada website (www.toller.ca). Additionally Pia Risku generously donated her time and effort to translate the survey into both Finnish and Swedish, and made those versions of the survey available through her own website.
The success of this survey would not have been possible
without the open cooperation of Toller owners worldwide. The results of
this survey are a direct reflection of the dedication and caring of the
Toller community.
Survey Summary
|
|
Total Surveys |
|
| Total Surveys | 1180 | |
| Males | 525 | 44.49 |
| Females | 655 | 55.51 |
| Alive | 989 | 83.81 |
| Dead | 141 | 11.95 |
| Unreported | 50 | 4.24 |
| Average Age of Reported Dogs (Alive) | 4 Years | |
| Minimum Age of Reported Dogs (Alive) | 8 Weeks | |
| Maximum Age of Reported Dogs (Alive) | 14 Years |
Country
|
|
Total Surveys |
|
| Australia | 76 | 6.44 |
| Belgium | 2 | .17 |
| Canada | 304 | 25.76 |
| Denmark | 50 | 4.24 |
| Finland | 163 | 13.81 |
| Germany | 4 | .34 |
| Netherlands | 3 | .25 |
| New Zealand | 7 | .59 |
| Norway | 7 | .59 |
| Sweden | 116 | 9.83 |
| Switzerland | 8 | .68 |
| United Kingdom | 31 | 2.63 |
| United States | 355 | 30.08 |
| Unreported | 54 | 4.58 |
Overall Health
|
|
Total Surveys |
|
| Excellent | 856 | 72.54 |
| Good | 134 | 11.36 |
| Fair | 56 | 4.75 |
| Poor | 23 | 1.95 |
| Bad | 65 | 5.51 |
| Unreported | 46 | 3.9 |
Cause of Death
|
|
Deceased Dogs |
|
| Accidental | 10 | 7.09 |
| Addisons | 3 | 2.13 |
| Birth Defect | 3 | 2.13 |
| Cancer/Tumours | 36 | 25.53 |
| Heart | 9 | 6.38 |
| Immune System | 6 | 4.26 |
| Kidney | 4 | 2.84 |
| Liver | 8 | 5.67 |
| Natural Causes/Age | 13 | 9.22 |
| Nervous System | 11 | 7.80 |
| Other | 12 | 8.51 |
| The "Other" causes of death included: single reports of pyometra, anaphylactic shock, myco-toxin poisoning, progressive paralysis, chronic allergy, distemper, diabetes, chronic genovitis, lyme disease, fear biting due to failing sight (PRA), pancreatitis, and tension pneumothorax caused by lung defect. | ||
| Skeletal | 6 | 4.26 |
| Temperament | 6 | 4.26 |
| Unknown | 8 | 5.67 |
| Dogs in the "Unknown" cause of death category range in age from 15 months to 10 years with the median age being 4.55 years. Autopsies were performed on 3 and were inconclusive. | ||
| Unreported | 6 | 4.26 |
| There were a total of 141 dogs reported as Deceased during
the survey time period. Of those 141 dogs, 30 were age 12 or older at the
time of their death. One reached the age of 16, 9 were age 15, 3
14, 8 13 and 9 were 12. Once the accidental deaths and pups euthanized
for birth defects had been factored out, the average age at time of death
was 6.4 years.
The most often reported cause of death was cancer/tumours with a total of 36 dogs. Of these 36 dogs, 17 of them reached their 10th birthday. The average age of the cancer/tumour deaths was 5.5 years with ages ranging from 6 months to 15 years. The average age of death for the 19 under the age of 10 was 5.85 years. 13 deaths were attributed to natural causes/age. Other significant causes of death were: 5 due to seizures or epilepsy; 10 due to various auto-immune disorders including Addison's disease; 12 due to kidney or liver disease; 6 for aggressive behaviour; 9 due to heart failure or a heart defect. |
Diet
|
|
Total Surveys |
|
| Dry | 757 | 64.15 |
| Canned | 3 | .25 |
| Homemade (Cooked) | 22 | 1.86 |
| Raw (Bones and Raw Food) | 101 | 8.56 |
| Combined | 214 | 18.14 |
| Unreported | 83 | 7.03 |
Anesthesia/Sedation
|
|
Total Surveys |
|
| Yes | 870 | 73.73 |
| No | 288 | 24.41 |
| Unreported | 22 | 1.86 |
| Adverse Reaction* | 20 | 2.3 |
* Adverse Reactions:
Seizure(1), Vomiting, Extreme agitation, Extreme low heart
rate,
Woke up scared and disoriented
Vaccine Reactions
|
|
Total Surveys |
|
| Adverse Vaccine Reactions | 31 | 2.63 |
| Swelling, Sluggish, Tumours, Anaphylactic Shock, Auto-immune disease, Lump at vaccination site, Swelling of rear legs, Panniculitis, Nausea, High Temperature, Tiredness | ||
Altered Dogs
| Total Reported |
Total Surveys |
|
| Altered | 441 | 37.37 |
| Unaltered | 710 | 60.17 |
| Altering Not Specified | 29 | 2.46 |
| Males - Altered | 200 | 16.95 |
| Males - Unaltered | 318 | 26.95 |
| Males - Altering Not Specified | 7 | .59 |
| Females Altered | 241 | 20.42 |
| Females Unaltered | 392 | 33.22 |
| Females Altering Not Specified | 22 | 1.86 |
Breeding Females
|
|
|
|
| Number Females Bred | 208 | 17.63% of total surveys |
| Average Number of times bred | 2.3 | |
| Highest Number Litters Reported | 7 | |
| Lowest Number Litters Reported | 1 | |
| Total Number of Litters Reported | 481 | |
| Total Number of Litters Whelped by C-Section | 48 | 9.98% of litters whelped |
| Total Number of Litters Whelped Naturally | 433 | 90.02% of litters whelped |
| Highest Number Puppies Reported Whelped | 12 | |
| Highest Number Puppies Reported Alive at 8 Weeks | 12 |
|
|
|
|
| Refusal of males | 7 |
|
| Failure to Conceive* | 21 |
|
| Fetal Deaths | 25 |
|
| Produced Cleft Palates | 15 |
|
| Hard Cleft | 11 |
|
| Soft Cleft | 3 |
|
| Fading Puppies | 10 |
|
| Pyometra | 8 |
|
| Eclampsia | 6 |
|
| Mastitis | 8 |
|
| Malformed Puppy** | 9 |
|
| Swimmer Puppy | 1 |
|
| Primary Uterine Inertia | 10 |
|
| Chronic False Pregnancy | 13 |
|
| Vaginal Infection | 13 |
|
| Irregular Heats | 26 |
|
| Vaginal Stricture | 3 |
|
| Secondary Uterine Inertia | 1 |
|
| Subinvolution of placental sites | 1 |
|
| Other Comments 1 report of slight pre-eclampsia signs. 1 had a misplaced uterus which was wrapped around the bladder. 1 report of an incomplete heat cycle | ||
* Failure to Conceive
Average number of times -1.1
Minimum number of times 1
Maximum number of times 2
** Specific Malformations
Anasarca(1),
Malformed Hind Legs, Mitral Valve Infarction, Pulmonic
Stenosis,
Excessive Size, Cranial Dysraphism, Malformed Foot Pads, Broken Tail,
Non-adhered Suture Lines (full body), Megaesophagus,
Hydrocephalic,
Persistant
Right Aortic Arch
Breeding Males
|
|
|
|
| Number of Males Bred | 71 | 6.02% of total surveys |
| Number of Litters | 287 | |
| Infertility* | 7 |
|
| Cryptorchidism | 10 |
|
| Monorchidism | 8 |
|
| Abnormal Sperm | 1 |
|
| Testicular Atrophy | 3 |
|
| Lack of Interest in Female | 2 |
|
| Impotence | 1 |
|
| Produced Cleft Palates | 7 |
|
| Hard Cleft | 7 |
|
| Soft Cleft | 1 |
|
* Infertility:
Average Age of Onset 4.3
Years
Minimum Age of Onset 1
Years
Maximum Age of Onset 10
Years
|
|
|
|
| Hip Dysplasia | 54 |
|
| Elbow Dysplasia | 3 |
|
| Osteochondritis Dissecans | 3 |
|
| Panosteitis | 4 |
|
| Spondylosis | 6 |
|
| Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy | 2 |
|
| Patella Luxation | 6 |
|
| Chondrodysplasia | 3 |
|
| Overshot | 3 |
|
| Undershot | 11 |
|
| Wry Mouth | 3 |
|
| Brachydactyly (Short Toe Anomaly) | 3 |
|
| Degenerative Disk Disease | 3 |
|
| Herniated Disk | 9 |
|
| Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear | 8 |
|
| Arthritis | 6 |
|
| Lumbrosacral Stenosis | 1 |
|
| Other Comments - Among the Skeletal Other Comments were singular comments about teeth - misaligned, missing premolar, retained baby tooth, weak enamel, extra tooth, rotten and needing extraction - a possible case of spondylosis, one report of damaged cruciate ligament without a tear, one suspected but undiagnosed case of OCD, one dog with deformed tail vertebrae. Additionally there was one report each of a shorter hind leg, and abnormal front leg bone growth. One report each of slipped disk, and calcified disk. | ||
Endocrine Systems
|
|
|
|
| Diabetes Mellitus | 1 |
|
| Hypothyroid | 22 |
|
| Hyperthyroid | 1 |
|
| Pancreatitis | 3 |
|
| Addisons* | 12 |
|
| Diabetes Incipitus | 1 |
|
| Other Comments 1 report of thyroid in the gray zone, 1 where the thyroid is equivocal. 1 dog may require additional tests for cushings disease, tests at time of survey indicated chronic active kidney disease. 1 dog developed one episode of high sodium levels, no cause found. 1 ruptured spleen, no cancer found. 1 had no adrenal glands present at time of autopsy (cause of death Addisons disease). | ||
| *Addisons additional information from Survey |
| Females 9
Males 3 Deceased 4 Average Reported Age Addisons Onset - 2.35 Years Minimum Reported Age Addisons Onset - 15 Weeks Maximum Reported Age Addisons Onset - 8.16 Years Average Reported Age of Addisons Dog at time of Survey 5.3 Years Minimum Reported Age of Addisons Dog at time of Survey 1 Years Maximum Reported Age of Addisons Dog at time of Survey 10 Years Average Reported Death Age - 3.25 Years Minimum Reported Death Age 2 Years Maximum Reported Death Age 6 Years Death Cause: 3 Addisons; 1 Immune problems |
Eyes
|
|
|
|
| PRA* | 18 |
|
| Cataracts | 16 |
|
| Distichiasis | 42 |
|
| Entropion | 2 |
|
| Optic Nerve Hypoplasia | 1 |
|
| Corneal Dystrophy | 5 |
|
| Micropupil | 1 |
|
| Retinal Folds | 1 |
|
| Nuclear (lens) Sclerosis | 1 |
|
| Corneal lipid deposits | 2 |
|
| Other Comments There were 5 reports of chronic eye infections, 6 of missing or blocked tear ducts and 3 with chronic tearing. One dog, age 7, was reported blind with no cause listed. 1 has retinal scarring listed as a possible reaction to the bordatella vaccine. 1 corneal ulcer was reported. | ||
* PRA Average Age of Onset - 5.7
Years
Minimum Age Onset
3 Years
Maximum Age Onset
10 Years
Also diagnosed with Cataracts
5 dogs
|
|
|
|
| Tumours (Benign) | 28 |
|
| Mammary Gland | 13 |
|
| Testicular | 2 |
|
| Leukemia | 2 |
|
| Lymphoma | 7 |
|
| Fibrosarcoma | 3 |
|
| Osteosarcoma | 2 |
|
| Mastosarcoma (Mast Cell Tumours)* | 3 |
|
| Melanoma | 5 |
|
| Hemangiosarcoma | 4 |
|
| Histiocytoma | 4 |
|
| Squamous Cell Carcinoma | 1 |
|
| Schwannoma (Peripheral nerve sheath tumors) | 1 |
|
| Other Comments - Three dogs had lung tumours, one thyroid cancer, one a suspected tumour in the head, one stomach cancer, a suspected melanoma, cancer of the urethra, and cancer of the bladder - one each. | ||
* Mastosarcoma Locations:
Lymph node (back of hind
leg), Groin, Chest Wall
Hearing
|
|
|
|
| Deafness* | 55 |
|
| Chronic Ear Infections | 13 |
|
* Deafness:
Hearing Average Age of Adult
Onset 9.8 Years
Minimum Age of Adult Onset
(excluding those born deaf) 4 Years
Maximum Age of Onset - 14
Years
Blood
|
|
|
|
| Anemia | 5 |
|
| Neutropenia | 1 |
|
| High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) | 1 |
|
| Eosinophilia | 1 |
|
| Other Comments - while there were three sub-categories under the heading "Blood" in the survey, the only reported condition was "Anemia"; there were no dogs reported under the sub-headings "von Willebrand's disease" , nor under "Hemophilia". | ||
|
|
|
|
| Allergies* | 46 |
|
| Chronic Hot Spots ** | 12 |
|
| Sebaceous Cysts | 36 |
|
| Flea Dermatitis | 18 |
|
| Umbilical Hernia | 52 |
|
| Sebaceous Adenitis | 2 |
|
| Demodex | 7 |
|
| Lipoma | 5 |
|
| Cutaneous Vasculopathy | 1 |
|
| Squamous Papilloma | 2 |
|
| Hair follicle dysplasia | 1 |
|
| Sarcoptic Mange | 1 |
|
| Other Comments 1 dog had lip folds surgically altered to prevent rash from constant wetness. Another suffers from soreness/infection on lower lip folds. 1 report of depigmentation on nose leather. 1 inflamed external anal sphincter (erosive disease). Reports of black pigment on otherwise pink eye rims and nose. 12 reports of rashes/skin infections and 4 of dry skin. | ||
* Allergy Causes:
Pollen, Ragweed, Pigweed,
Grass, Insect Bite, Fleas and Treatments, mold,
trees, cigarette smoke,
9 listed as "seasonal"
** Hot Spot Causes:
vaccinosis, diet, salt water,
"nervous itch"
|
|
|
|
| Stenosis (Total)* | 6 |
|
| Pulmonic Stenosis | 5 |
|
| Mitral Valve | 3 |
|
| Patent Ductus Arteriosis | 1 |
|
| Other Comments 8 dogs reported with mild heart murmurs, 2 with tricuspid regurgitation, one 3 year old died from a thrombo embolism, 1 microcardia | ||
* Stenosis:
5 cases of Pulmonic Stenosis
reported, 1 case not specified
|
|
|
|
| Meningitis | 12 |
|
| Viral Meningitis | 1 |
|
| Aseptic Meningitis | 8 |
|
| Unspecified Meningitis | 3 |
|
| Epilepsy* | 10 |
|
| Seizures | 13 |
|
| Hydrocephalus | 3 |
|
| Horners Syndrome | 1 |
|
| Other Comments - Additional information taken from the "Other Comments" section of the Nervous System category included three dogs termed "aggressive", one described as "extremely neurotic", one who "really can't control herself", another described as a "fly catcher" and two more described as nervous and anxious. | ||
* Average Age Epilepsy Onset 2.55 Years
Minimum Age Epilepsy Onset
1 Year
Maximum Age Epilepsy Onset
6 Years
|
|
|
|
| Portosystemic Shunt | 2 |
|
| Small Liver | 4 |
|
| Chronic Active Hepatitis | 1 |
|
| Chronic Progressive Lobular Dissecting Hepatitis | 1 |
|
| Other Comments 3 dogs were listed as suffering liver failure in old age. 2 had elevated alkaline phosphate. For one dog, no diagnosis was ever made, condition had not been seen by pathologist. | ||
|
|
|
|
| Ectopic Ureters | 1 |
|
| Glomerulonephritis | 2 |
|
| Other Comments 5 dogs were reported with kidney infections, 2 reported bladder stones, 4 reported kidney failure. 1 reported the kidneys were in the wrong location. | ||
|
|
|
|
| Immune-mediated Poly-arthritis | 13 |
|
| Thrombocytopenia | 3 |
|
| Autoimmune hemolytic anemia | 1 |
|
| Systemic lupus erythematosis | 3 |
|
| Immune-mediated Orchitis | 2 |
|
| Demodex | 2 |
|
| Nodular Granulomatous Episcleritis | 1 |
|
| Reactive Histiocytosis | 1 |
|
| Sterile idiopathic panniculitis | 1. |
|
| Primary Congenital Lymphedema | 1 |
|
| Other Comments It was noted that one case of Thrombocytopenia might be the result of tick bites. There was one case each of symptoms resembling poly-arthritis and lupus but no diagnosis had been made at time of survey. One immunological kidney inflammation. One report of an un-named gastro-intestinal problem that was immune mediated. 3 dogs were reported to have decreased/underactive immune systems. The case of Primary Congenital Lymphedema was deemed by Cornel to be non-inherited. | ||
|
|
|
|
| Irritable Bowel Syndrome | 7 |
|
| Genetic Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency | 2 |
|
| Megaesophagus | 5 |
|
| Food Allergies* | 12 |
|
| Impacted Anal Glands | 6 |
|
| Other Comments - Five dogs were reported as suffering from occasional gastric upsets, or gastritis, one with acute gastrointestinal upsets of unknown cause, one with irritable colon, one with chronic bowel inflammation, but not specified as being IBD. One dog is reported to vomit every 3-4 days, but no cause has yet been found, and one suffers from occasional blood in stool, with no cause offered. One had a hernia in the rectum. | ||
* Confirmed Food Allergies: