Epidemiology and clinical management of 1072 dogs with diabetes mellitus in a UK diabetes register

Abstract Background The UK Canine Diabetes Register and Archive (UKCDRA), established in 1999, is a valuable resource of clinical data and blood samples from diabetic dogs. This study aimed to provide updated information about the epidemiology and clinical management of canine diabetes mellitus (DM) in UK veterinary practices. Method Data from samples submitted to UKCDRA between December 2005 and December 2019 were divided into three groups according to DM aetiology: juvenile-onset, adult-onset non-dioestrus and adult-onset female entire. Epidemiological and clinical factors were analysed across groups. Breeds with more than 5 UKCDRA DM cases and/or ≥ 5000 dogs in the non-diabetic VetCompass denominator population were compared to those in the wider UK VetCompass™ population to explore breed DM risk. Results Ninety-nine breeds were represented in the study, with 25 breeds having 5 or more diabetic cases. Samoyeds and Tibetan terriers demonstrated the highest odds of DM in both of the adult-onset DM groups. Age of adult-onset DM onset co-varied with breed, with the Standard Doberman Pinscher and Rottweiler demonstrating youngest onset age. Twice daily Caninsulin (40 iu/ml porcine insulin) was the most commonly reported treatment. Twice-daily rather than once-daily insulin therapy in canine DM has become more prevalent since the archive was founded. Limitations UKCDRA does not capture detailed information on concurrent diseases or DM environmental risk factors. Conclusion This study provides an update to an earlier UKCDRA report and demonstrates shared breed-associated risk factors for adult-onset non-dioestrus and female entire DM.