Rottweilers: in sickness and in health

Abstract

Objectives: Rottweilers were selected in the 19th century for protecting, herding cattle and pulling carts. However, the majority are now kept as companion animals. This study aimed to identify the demography and common disorders of Rottweilers. Methods: Dogs recorded as Rottweiler were identified from all dogs under veterinary care during 2013 in the VetCompass database of primary-care veterinary data. The clinical records of a random sample were manually examined in detail to extract data on all disorders recorded during 2013 and all deaths. Descriptive statistics reported demography, disorders and mortality. Results: Rottweilers comprised 5316 (1·17%) of 455,557 study dogs. The median bodyweight for dogs aged over 18 months was 44·9 kg (IQR: 39·4-51·0) and 42·7% were neutered. The prevalence of the most common disorders recorded among a random sample of 2198 (41·3%) Rottweilers that presented to practices during the study period examined in detail were aggression (7·46%, 95% CI 6·36-8·56), obesity (7·05%, 95% CI 5·98-8·12), otitis externa (6·14%, 95% CI 5·14-7·15) and osteoarthritis (4·69%, 95% CI 3·80-5·57). There were 415 deaths during the study period. The median age at death was 9·0 years (IQR: 7·2-10·5). The most common causes of death were collapse (14·7%), osteosarcoma (10·9%), aggression (4·2%) and lymphoma (3·5%). Statement: These findings can assist veterinarians to advise owners on predictable life expectancy and morbidity. The finding that aggression was the most common diagnosis in Rottweilers suggests strong efforts need to be made to ensure that prospective and current owners are aware of this aspect of the breed character.