BackgroundBrachycephalic dog breeds are increasingly common. Canine brachycephaly has been associated with upper respiratory tract (URT) disorders but reliable prevalence data remain lacking. Using primary-care veterinary clinical data, this study aimed to report the prevalence and breed-type risk factors for URT disorders in dogs.ResultsThe sampling frame included 170,812 dogs attending 96 primary-care veterinary clinics participating within the VetCompass Programme. Two hundred dogs were randomly selected from each of three extreme brachycephalic breed types (Bulldog, French Bulldog and Pug) and three common small-to medium sized breed types (moderate brachycephalic: Yorkshire Terrier and non-brachycephalic: Border Terrier and West Highland White Terrier). Information on all URT disorders recorded was extracted from individual patient records. Disorder prevalence was compared between groups using the chi-squared test or Fisher’s test, as appropriate. Risk factor analysis used multivariable logistic regression modelling.During the study, 83 (6.9 %) study dogs died. Extreme brachycephalic dogs (median longevity: 8.6 years, IQR: 2.4-10.8) were significantly younger at death than the moderate and non-brachycephalic group of dogs (median 12.7 years, IQR 11.1-15.0) (P < 0.001). A higher proportion of deaths in extreme brachycephalic breed types were associated with URT disorders (4/24 deaths, 16.7 %) compared with the moderate and non-brachycephalic group (0/59 deaths, 0.0 %) (P = 0.001).The prevalence of having at least one URT disorder in the extreme brachycephalic group was higher (22.0 %, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 18.0-26.0) than in the moderate and non-brachycephalic group (9.7 %, 95 % CI: 7.1-12.3, P < 0.001). The prevalence of URT disorders varied significantly by breed type: Bulldogs 19.5 %, French Bulldogs 20.0 %, Pugs 26.5 %, Border Terriers 9.0 %, West Highland White Terriers 7.0 % and Yorkshire Terriers 13.0 % (P < 0.001). After accounting for the effects of age, bodyweight, sex, neutering and insurance, extreme brachycephalic dogs had 3.5 times (95 % CI: 2.4-5.0, P < 0.001) the odds of at least one URT disorder compared with the moderate and non-brachycephalic group.ConclusionsIn summary, this study reports that URT disorders are commonly diagnosed in Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Border Terrier, WHWT and Yorkshire Terrier dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England. The three extreme brachycephalic breed types (Bulldog, French Bulldog and Pug) were relatively short-lived and predisposed to URT disorders compared with three other small-to-medium size breed types that are commonly owned (moderate brachycephalic Yorkshire Terrier and non-brachycephalic: Border Terrier and WHWT).

No abstract

Mastitis affects breastfeeding mothers everywhere and management obstacles often lead to cessation of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding mastitis is commonly managed with antibiotics despite lack of clear infectious etiology. With the emerging problem of antibiotic resistance, novel managements are required. We present the case of a 34-year-old woman with 6 pregnancies and 3 children (gravida 6, parity 3) who had 5 cases of mastitis within 6 months treated with multiple courses of antibiotics. The patient underwent with osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to the affected breast over 2 sessions and was taught how to perform self-myofascial release. Techniques are shown in an accompanying Supplemental Video. As of this report, the patient had been symptom free for 1 year. Future research, including a clinical trial of OMT, is required to determine whether osteopathic physicians can effectively manage recurrent lactational mastitis.

New introductions necessitate ongoing studies to keep producers updated about current trends. Consumer preference study results for poinsettia cultivars may interest breeders, wholesale producers, and retail consumers. An online consumer preference survey, conducted from 15 December 2020 to 19 January 2021, was posted in the Qualtrics software platform. Email distribution lists and Facebook were both used to promote the online survey. The survey link was accompanied by a description introducing the project’s purpose and expressing gratitude for participation. Qualtrics automatically collected participants’ data. The survey was closed, and the data were collected on 19 January 2021 from 792 respondents. This study aimed to identify consumer preferences for traditional red, white, or pink poinsettia cultivars and novelty selections. The topmost preferred poinsettia cultivars are “Princettia Queen Pink”, “Winter Rose Dark Red”, “Ice Punch”, “Christmas Mouse”, “Princettia Pure White”, and “Princettia Hot Pink”. The color of poinsettia cultivars did not significantly affect the respondents’ willingness to pay. However, pot size substantially impacted their willingness to pay for poinsettias. Respondents were willing to pay USD 4.89, 8.13, 12.11, and 17.14 per pot for the 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-inch potted poinsettias, respectively. Some of the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents influenced their decisions on how much they were willing to pay for poinsettias.