"The need for a record of conformation altering surgeries and caesareans carried out in daily practice has never been more important" - Sean Wensley, BVA president.

Survey highlights concerns for dog health and welfare

The BVA are urging vets to report cases of conformation altering surgeries and caesareans, as new figures reveal almost 70 per cent of vets saw dogs that needed surgical interventions in the last year.

Figures from the latest BVA Voice of the Veterinary Profession Survey show that two-thirds of vets (67 per cent) reported issues that required surgery in 2015.

The Kennel Club receives over 3,200 data submissions a year from both vets and dog owners about conformation altering surgeries and caesareans. This is important to help build a picture of the current situation and facilitate measures to improve health and welfare for future generations.

But when asked about operations carried out on Kennel Club registered dogs, the majority of vets said that they do not submit data on conformation altering surgeries (60 per cent) and caesarians (65 per cent).

A further 15 per cent revealed that they never submit data, citing ‘time’ as the main reason for not doing so.

“Vets are seeing concerning trends in dog health and welfare, especially with the current public want for designer dogs and brachycephalic breeds, so the need for a record of conformation altering surgeries and caesareans carried out in daily practice has never been more important,” commented BVA president Sean Wesley.

He continued: “Owners can submit data on their dogs’ operations yet data from veterinary practices is vital for the Kennel Club’s evidence base as it offers additional validity that many owners are not able to provide, ensuring robust and informative data for now and the future.”

Other reasons vets gave for not always submitting data on surgical interventions include uncertainty around breaching client confidentiality, or believing that it is not necessary for cases that are unrelated to hereditary problems.

Vets also said that not knowing if the dog is registered with the Kennel Club, or the owners failing to provide registration details, would also prevent them from submitting data.

To support vets and practice teams to recognise the importance of submitting data, BVA has compiled FAQs on conformation altering surgery and will be taking further questions to the Kennel Club Dog Health Group.

The organisation has also produced a poster: ‘Making a difference to the future of dog health and welfare’ to encourage more vets to submit data on caesarian sections and conformation.

The BVA are aconsidering the need for similar data reporting for cats, although cats generally have a healthier population that dogs.

Both conformation altering surgeries and caesareans can be reported online.

All Kennel Club members sign documents to confirm that such issues can be reported by their veterinary surgeon.