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Early neutering of bitches increases incontinence risk
Bitches of certain breeds are more prone to early-onset urinary incontinence
Research reveals link between age and onset

Urinary incontinence affects around three per cent of bitches in the UK. The condition can be distressing and costly for owners and also harm the welfare of affected dogs, owing to an increased risk of urinary infection and dermal lesions stemming from urine-soaked skin.

The link between urinary incontinence and neutering in bitches has previously been suspected, but a study published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice provides real evidence on the extent of this relationship.

The results identified an increased risk of 2.12 times of urinary incontinence in neutered bitches compared with entire individuals. Further to this, it identified an increased risk of 1.82 of urinary incontinence in bitches neutered before six months of age compared with those neutered from six to 12 months within the first two years following surgery.

Although there are many benefits to neutering bitches, these results will help veterinary professionals to make evidence-based recommendations on the timing of neutering, whilst taking other considerations into account.

Other key findings include:
  • average age at diagnosis of UI was 2.9 years
  • average time from neuter to UI was 1.9 years.
  • bitches weighing over 30kg had 2.62 times the risk of UI compared with bitches weighing under 10 kg
  • increasing bodyweight was also associated with an increased risk of early-onset urinary incontinence.
The study also indicates that bitches of certain breeds – Irish setters, Dalmatians, Hungarian vizslas, Dobermans and Weimaraners – are more prone to early-onset urinary incontinence than other breeds; which highlights that special care needs to be taken when deciding on whether to neuter these breeds.

The research was supported by BSAVA Petsavers and collected data from anonymised veterinary clinical records of 72,971 bitches.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.