As tabulated by Dr. Margaret
Slatter, Dept. Veterinary Anatomy and Public Health, Texas A & M
University.
Introduction
The Rottweiler Health Foundation contacted us about conducting a general
health survey for Rottweilers. The
purpose was to determine the frequency of specific health problems affecting the
breed, and whether there was a relationship between sex of the Rottweiler and
the frequency of any health problems.
Materials and Methods
The questionnaire was designed to survey common health problems in
Rottweilers. Respondents were asked
to complete the survey for any dogs they currently owned, or who had died while
living with them since 1994. The
survey was divided into five main sections.
The first section asked for general information on the number of
Rottweilers currently owned, the number of years respondents had owned
Rottweilers, and what activities owners were involved in with their Rottweilers.
The second section asked for information on all Rottweilers owned since
1994 including current age or age at time of death, sex, and cause of death if
applicable. The third section
addressed specific categories of health problems in Rottweilers.
Respondents were to indicate how many of their Rottweilers had a
particular disease as well as the sex of those Rottweilers.
The fourth section examined breeding and reproductive problems in
Rottweilers, as well as puppy abnormalities.
An area for respondent opinions and suggestions was included in the last
section.
The questionnaire was distributed twice to 1200 subscribers of the ARK,
the quarterly newsletter of the American Rottweiler Club.
The first distribution of the survey appeared in the March 2000 issue,
followed by the second distribution in the July 2000 issue.
Forty-one local Rottweiler clubs in addition to the ARK, were sent the questionnaire to be included in club newsletters
at their discretion. Information on
whether these clubs distributed the survey, number of surveys distributed, and
number of times the survey was distributed is unknown.
Based on characteristics of the surveys we received (color, size, page
numbers, etc), there were at least 6 different distributors.
Ten surveys were also received from Italy, where the questionnaire was
distributed in an Italian Rottweiler club newsletter.
A separate analysis for the Italian surveys is included at the end of
this report.
A chi-squared test was used to analyze the data from this health survey.
A p-value less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically
significant and indicated a difference between males and females in the
frequency of these health problems.
Results
Over 1200 questionnaires were sent to Rottweiler owners from the United
States and Canada. The exact number
of questionnaires sent is unknown since several organizations may have
distributed the survey. Some
Rottweiler owners could have received the survey more than once if they belonged
to more than one organization. The
final sample size for this health survey was 225 Rottweiler owners.
Since the number of questionnaires mailed is unknown, we are unable to
determine an overall response rate. One
hundred and eighty-six (82.7%) respondents were willing to supply pedigree
information on dogs afflicted with a particular health problem, two (0.8%) were
possibly willing, three (1.3%) responded that this information was unavailable,
five (2.2%) were unwilling to supply this information, and 29 (12.9%) did not
respond. Information regarding the
number of respondents is shown in Table 1.
Table
1: General survey
information for the Rottweilers in this study
|
Survey Information on
Rottweilers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Variable
|
|
|
|
|
|
No.
|
|
Total number of surveys mailed out
|
|
|
|
Unknown
|
|
Total number of respondents
|
|
|
|
225
|
|
Overall response rate for Wheaten owners
|
|
|
Unknown
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total number of dogs involved in the survey
|
|
|
1035
|
|
Total number of dogs currently owned by respondents
|
|
717
|
|
Females currently owned
|
|
|
|
437
|
|
Males currently owned
|
|
|
|
280
|
|
Total number of deceased dogs in survey
|
|
|
318
|
|
Females deceased
|
|
|
|
177
|
|
Males deceased
|
|
|
|
|
141
|
The average number of Rottweilers currently owned by respondents was
three, the median number of Rottweilers currently owned was one, and the number
of Rottweilers currently owned ranged from zero to twenty-four.
In completing this survey, respondents were to include any Rottweilers
they currently owned, co-owned, and those who died under their ownership since
1994. The 1,035 Rottweiler sample
size of this study is comprised of the 717 Rottweilers currently owned plus the
318 deceased Rottweilers. Table 2 shows the information on Rottweilers included in this
study. The “no data” column is
for those Rottweilers whose owners did not provide a response for that question.
Table
2: General information on the Rottweilers
included in this study
|
General
Information on Rottweilers from the Survey
|
|
|
|
Variable
|
|
|
|
No.
|
Median
|
(Minimum,
|
No
data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maximum)
|
|
|
Years of owning Rottweilers
|
|
|
3299
|
14.5
|
(2,
47)
|
3
|
|
Rottweilers currently owned
|
|
717
|
1
|
(0,
24)
|
|
|
Age of males currently owned
|
280
|
4
|
(0.1,
13)
|
63
|
|
Age of females currently owned
|
437
|
5.5
|
(0.2,
14)
|
24
|
|
Deceased Rottweilers
|
|
318
|
|
|
|
|
Life span of deceased males (yrs)
|
141
|
9
|
(1,
13.5)
|
|
|
Life span of deceased females (yrs)
|
177
|
9
|
(1,
15)
|
|
For those Rottweilers that were deceased, respondents were asked to give
the cause of their deaths. Table 3
lists the most common causes of death in Rottweilers from this health survey,
which includes 81% of all causes of death.
Table
3: Common causes of death in the Rottweilers of
this study
|
Most Common Causes of Death
in Rottweilers
|
|
Cause
|
|
No.
of instances
|
|
|
|
Males
|
Females
|
Total
|
|
Bone
cancer
|
|
26
|
28
|
54
|
|
Cancer
(unspecified)
|
|
22
|
26
|
48
|
|
Kidneys
|
|
4
|
16
|
20
|
|
Old
age
|
|
6
|
13
|
19
|
|
Lymphosarcoma
|
|
8
|
10
|
18
|
|
Bloat
|
|
6
|
8
|
14
|
|
Heart
|
|
4
|
10
|
14
|
|
Unknown
|
|
7
|
7
|
14
|
|
Euthanized
|
|
6
|
4
|
10
|
|
Arthritis
|
|
2
|
6
|
8
|
|
Accident
|
|
4
|
3
|
7
|
|
Stroke
|
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
|
Liver
cancer
|
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
|
Liver
failure
|
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
|
Hemangiosarcoma
|
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
|
Malignant
histiocytosis
|
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
|
Melanoma
|
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
|
Pneumonia
|
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
Respondents were also asked about the types of activities they
participated in with their Rottweilers. Respondents
could choose more than one activity. Table
4 shows their responses.
Table
4: Rottweiler/Owner activities in this study
|
Rottweiler/Owner Activities
|
|
Activity
|
|
|
|
No.
of owners
|
|
Pet/Companion
|
|
|
210
|
|
Obedience
|
|
|
178
|
|
Conformation
|
|
|
152
|
|
Therapy dog
|
|
|
|
78
|
|
Herding
|
|
|
59
|
|
Agility
|
|
|
48
|
|
Other activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
Schutzhund
|
|
|
|
23
|
|
Tracking
|
|
|
|
20
|
|
Carting
|
|
|
|
16
|
|
Rescue
|
|
|
|
6
|
Table 5 shows the health problems listed in the survey and the number of
male and female Rottweilers along with the percentage of total Rottweilers with
the problem. The values for
percentage of total males or total females with a particular health problem were
small due to the large population of total male Rottweilers (421) and total
female Rottweilers (614).
Table 5: Descriptive statistics for health problems
in the Rottweiler survey
|
Rottweiler General Health
Survey
|
|
Health
Problem
|
|
|
No.
of
|
%
of
|
No.
of
|
%
of
|
|
|
|
|
|
males
|
421
males
|
Females
|
614
females
|
|
Skin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Demodex (mange)
|
|
|
|
11
|
2.6%
|
9
|
1.5%
|
|
Flea allergy
|
|
|
26
|
6.2%
|
29
|
4.7%
|
|
Food allergy
|
|
|
25
|
5.9%
|
27
|
4.4%
|
|
Inhalent allergy (atopy)
|
|
|
19
|
4.5%
|
14
|
2.3%
|
|
Sebaceous adenitis
|
|
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
|
Sebaceous cysts
|
|
|
|
18
|
4.3%
|
31
|
5.0%
|
|
Seborrhea
|
|
|
|
1
|
0.2%
|
5
|
0.8%
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
10
|
2.4%
|
17
|
2.8%
|
|
Ophthamology
(Eyes)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cataracts
|
|
|
27
|
6.4%
|
41
|
6.7%
|
|
Progressive retinal atrophy
|
|
1
|
0.2%
|
1
|
0.2%
|
|
Retinal dysplasia
|
|
|
|
2
|
0.5%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
9
|
2.1%
|
15
|
2.4%
|
|
Nervous
System
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Slipped disc
|
|
|
5
|
1.2%
|
8
|
1.3%
|
|
Hydrocephalus
|
|
|
|
1
|
0.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
|
Seizures/Epilepsy
|
|
|
|
6
|
1.4%
|
15
|
2.4%
|
|
Wobbler’s Syndrome
|
|
|
|
3
|
0.7%
|
2
|
0.3%
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
7
|
1.7%
|
5
|
0.8%
|
|
Orthopedic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arthritis
|
|
|
|
91
|
21.6%
|
116
|
18.9%
|
|
Cruciate rupture
|
|
|
|
28
|
6.7%
|
66
|
10.7%
|
|
Elbow dysplasia
|
|
|
|
25
|
5.9%
|
41
|
6.7%
|
|
Hip dysplasia
|
|
|
59
|
14.0%
|
68
|
11.1%
|
|
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)
|
|
|
|
15
|
3.6%
|
22
|
3.6%
|
|
Panosteitis
|
|
|
|
27
|
6.4%
|
25
|
4.1%
|
|
Spondylosis
|
|
|
|
6
|
1.4%
|
7
|
1.1%
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
6
|
1.4%
|
3
|
0.5%
|
|
Stomach
and Intestines
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Colitis
|
|
|
9
|
2.1%
|
2
|
0.3%
|
|
Inflammatory bowel disease
|
|
|
10
|
2.4%
|
12
|
2.0%
|
|
Liver disease
|
|
|
6
|
1.4%
|
6
|
1.0%
|
|
Long-term diarrhea
|
|
|
|
12
|
2.9%
|
8
|
1.3%
|
|
Megaesophagus
|
|
|
|
3
|
0.7%
|
4
|
0.7%
|
|
Stomach bloat
|
|
|
|
15
|
3.6%
|
12
|
2.0%
|
|
Stomach torsion
|
|
|
|
13
|
3.1%
|
9
|
1.5%
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
3
|
0.7%
|
4
|
0.7%
|
|
Cancer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adrenal tumor
|
|
|
|
0
|
0.0%
|
1
|
0.2%
|
|
Hemangiosarcoma
|
|
|
4
|
1.0%
|
4
|
0.7%
|
|
Lymphosarcomas
|
|
|
|
16
|
3.8%
|
18
|
2.9%
|
|
Malignant Histiocytosis
|
|
|
|
4
|
1.0%
|
4
|
0.7%
|
|
Mast cell tumor
|
|
|
|
7
|
1.7%
|
8
|
1.3%
|
|
Melanoma
|
|
|
|
5
|
1.2%
|
9
|
1.5%
|
|
Osteosarcoma/Bone cancer
|
|
|
|
36
|
8.6%
|
39
|
6.4%
|
|
Squamous cell tumor
|
|
|
|
0
|
0.0%
|
7
|
1.1%
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
20
|
4.8%
|
23
|
3.7%
|
|
Temperament
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aggressive (to other dogs)
|
|
|
|
46
|
10.9%
|
62
|
10.1%
|
|
Aggressive (to people)
|
|
|
|
23
|
5.5%
|
14
|
2.3%
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
| 
Rottweiler
Health Foundation Mission Statement