Yorkshire Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK - demography and disorders

The Yorkshire Terrier is a long-established and commonly owned dog breed. This study aimed to explore anonymised primary-care veterinary clinical data from the VetCompass Programme to characterise the demography, common disorders and longevity of the general population of Yorkshire Terriers in the UK in 2016.

Yorkshire Terriers composed 28,032 (3.10%) of the study population of 905,542 dogs under veterinary care in 2016. Annual proportional birth rates decreased in popularity between 2005 and 2016, from 3.54% of all dogs born in 2005 to 2.15% in 2016. The median adult bodyweight was 5.06 kg (IQR 3.81-6.49, range 1.01-15.00). Clinical records from a random sample of 3,308/28,032 (11.80%) Yorkshire Terriers were manually reviewed to extract information on all disorders diagnosed during 2016. The most commonly diagnosed disorders were periodontal disease (21.10%, 95% CI: 19.71-22.49), overgrown nail(s) (6.47%, 95% CI: 5.63-7.31), anal sac impaction (3.99%, 95% CI: 3.32-4.66), overweight/obesity (3.72%, 95% CI: 3.07-4.36) and persistent deciduous teeth (3.57%, 95% CI: 2.94-4.20). Among the 464/3,308 (14.03%) Yorkshire Terriers that died during the study period, the median age at death was 13.56 years (IQR 11.30-15.15, range 0.06-19.08). The most common disorder groups causing death were brain disorders (9.79%, 95% CI: 6.79-12.78) and kidney disorders (8.73%, 95% CI: 5.88-11.58).

The current study identifies a reducing ownership trend for Yorkshire Terriers in the UK. Disorders that are common and appear predisposed in Yorkshire Terriers include periodontal disease, persistent deciduous teeth and patellar luxation. Overall, the Yorkshire Terrier has high longevity, which is suggestive of robust overall health.