Analysis of 220,000 Dog Medical Records: Reasons for Visiting the Hospital Differ by Age Group

It has been confirmed through large-scale domestic medical data that the reasons for visiting a hospital change as a pet dog ages. The patterns of diseases appearing according to the growth stage of a dog are clearly distinguished, meaning that the points of observation owners should focus on must change by age.

According to a video by Dog Expert Man veterinarian Lee Se-won, an analysis of 222,706 pet dog medical records recorded at 27 medical institutions in Korea from 2020 to 2023 showed a distinct difference in the ranking of diseases with a high proportion of diagnoses by age group. This does not represent the prevalence (the probability of catching a disease) of a specific disease, but rather the proportion of actual diagnosis cases recorded at hospitals.

Growth stage under 1 year old: Fractures and development-related diseases stand out

For young puppies under 1 year old, issues related to growth and development were prominent. The analysis showed that 1st place was gastritis, 2nd was patellar dislocation, 3rd was retained deciduous teeth, 4th was dermatitis, and 5th was forelimb fracture. In particular, 8th place cryptorchidism, 7th place hindlimb fracture, and 3rd place retained deciduous teeth are items that characteristically appear during this period.

Retained deciduous teeth refers to a state where baby teeth remain even after permanent teeth have emerged, which is a part where owners should check the dental condition at home. Cryptorchidism is a state where a male puppy's testicles have not descended into the scrotum, requiring management as there is a risk of tumors or torsion. In the case of fractures, high activity levels, immature ability to avoid accidents, and relatively thin bones in young puppies were cited as causes. In the video, it was recommended to create an environment for small puppies so they do not jump down from high places such as sofas or beds.

2–5 years old: Ear, skin, and knee problems; 6–10 years old: Urinary and cardiovascular diseases emerge

For pet dogs between 2 and 5 years old, similar to those under 1 year old, otitis externa (1st) and patellar dislocation (2nd) still occupied the top rankings. Otitis externa is inflammation of the ear canal that causes symptoms such as shaking the head or scratching the ears, and patellar dislocation is a disease where the bone in front of the knee slips out of its groove. If the symptoms of patellar dislocation are mild, maintaining weight and muscle exercise are helpful, but if pain or lameness persists, the necessity of surgery must be determined.

During this period, skin-related diseases such as dermatitis, pyoderma, and paw dermatitis were also frequently recorded. The video explained that if skin diseases recur, it is helpful to record the timing of occurrence, season, and area. Especially since this is a period when outdoor activities increase, it is important to check whether the paws become red after walks.

When entering the 6 to 10-year-old range, the pattern of diseases changes. While the top 1st to 6th places are similar to the previous age group, from 7th place bladder stones, 8th place myxomatous mitral valve disease (canine heart disease), 9th place systemic hypertension, and 10th place kidney stones newly emerged. From this period, one must look at urinary and cardiovascular problems in addition to ears or skin. Owners should observe whether the dog urinates frequently or has hematuria, or whether it drinks more water than usual.

11 years and older senior stage: Chronic diseases such as heart and kidney are mainstream

In the senior dog stage of 11 years and older, the nature of the diseases changes completely. 1st place was taken by myxomatous mitral valve disease, a heart disease that appeared in the 2–5-year-old range, and chronic/degenerative diseases related to aging such as 3rd place systemic hypertension, 4th place kidney stones, 5th place chronic kidney disease, and 6th place cataracts dominated the top rankings. Otitis externa, which had been steadily in the top rankings since under 1 year old, fell to 2nd place.

In the case of senior dogs, it is important to check for changes through regular checkups rather than visiting the hospital after symptoms appear. According to AAHA guidelines, it is recommended that senior dogs receive blood and urine tests every 6 to 12 months and annual blood pressure evaluations.

Meanwhile, large breed dogs have different disease patterns. The age groups for large breed dogs are divided more widely into 2–7 years and 8–12 years, and parvovirus infection appeared in the top rankings for young large breed dogs, while heartworm disease appeared for young adult and middle-aged adult dogs. Therefore, owners of large breed dogs should pay attention to preventive management, including regular heartworm testing.