Report To The Norwich Terrier Club Of America

Introduction

Materials and Methods

The Norwich Terrier Club of America provided the names and addresses of Norwich owners from a current and former club membership list. All members were contacted. An initial mailing of the survey was sent out in February 2003. Postcard reminders were sent out in March 2003 to non-respondents. A second mailing of the survey with a new cover letter was performed in May 2003 to non-respondents. Copies of the cover letters, questionnaire, and a postcard reminder, as well as a graph of responses across time are included in Appendix 1 (survey and letters to members).

A chi-square test was used to analyze the data regarding health and sex for health problems with greater than 2% difference in frequency for males and females. 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

Table 1: General survey information for the Norwich in this study

Survey Information on Norwich Terriers
Variable	No.
Total number of surveys mailed out	390
Total number of respondents	278
Non-Norwich owners/not able to complete survey	27
Overall response rate for Norwich Terriers	64.36%
Total number of dogs involved in the survey	1075
Total number of dogs currently owned by respondents	807
Females currently owned	497
Males currently owned	310
Total number of deceased dogs in survey	268
Females deceased	148
Males deceased	120

The average number of Norwich currently owned by respondents was 3.2, the median number of Norwich currently owned was one, and the number of Norwich currently owned ranged from zero to sixteen. In completing this survey, respondents were to include any Norwich they currently owned, co-owned, and those who died under their ownership. The 1,075 Norwich sample size of this study is comprised of the 807 Norwich currently owned plus the 268 deceased Norwich. Table 2 shows the information for Norwich included in this study.

Table 2: General information on the Norwich included in this study

General Information on Norwich from the Survey
Variable	No.	Mean	Median	Minimum, Maximum
Years of owning Norwich	3389	13.5	10	0.50
Norwich currently owned	807	3	1	0.16
Female Norwich currently owned	497	2	1	0.9
Male Norwich currently owned	310	1	1	0.8
Age of total currently owned (yrs)		7	6.2	0.003, 19
Age of males currently owned (yrs)		6	4	0.1, 17
Age of females currently owned (yrs)		6	5	0.1, 18
Deceased Norwich	266
Overall lifespan of deceased (yrs)		12	13	0.003, 19
Lifespan of deceased males yrs)	121	11	12	0.02, 19
Lifespan of deceased females (yrs)	145	12	13	0.003, 19

For those Norwich that were deceased, respondents were asked to give the cause of their deaths. Table 3 lists the most common causes of death in Norwich from this health survey. Out of the 266 dogs reported deceased, 167 owners reported a cause of death.

Table 3: Common causes of death in the Norwich of this study

Most Common Cause of Death in Norwich
Cause	No. of Instances
	Males	Females	Total
Old Age	33	37	70
Cancer	9	18	27
Heart	9	13	22
Kidney	8	7	15
Euthanized	6	8	14
Liver	4	7	11
Seizure	3	5	8

Respondents were also asked about the types of activities they participated in with their Norwich. Respondents could choose more than one activity. Table 4 shows their responses.

Table 4: Norwich owner activities in this study

Norwich Owner Activities
Activity	No. Owners
Pet/Companion	209
Conformation	152
Obedience	69
Earth Dog	25
Agility	39
Therapy Dog	32
Other	15

Table 5 shows the health problems listed in the survey and the number of male and female Norwich along with the percentage of total Norwich with the problem. In table 7 it list the "other" variables and the number of dogs reported exhibiting the condition. See Appendix 2.

Table 5: Descriptive statistics for health problems in the Norwich survey

Norwich Terrier General Health Survey
Health Problem	No. of Males	% of 430 Males	No. of Females	% of 645 Females	# Dogs, sex unknown
Bone or Skeletal
Arthritis	42	9.8	32	5.0
Hip Dysplasia	3	0.7	10	1.6
Luxating Knee Cap	11	2.6	37	5.7
Neck Pain	4	0.9	7	1.1
Panosteitis	2	0.5	0	0.0
Other	8	1.9	6	0.9	2
Skin
Cheyletiella Mites	94	21.9	145	22.5
Demodectic Mange	1	0.2	5	0.8
Sebaceous Cysts	5	1.2	11	1.7
Seborrhea	8	1.9	9	1.4
Other Skin	8	1.9	10	1.6	6
Allergies
Inhalant	27	6.3	37	5.7
Food	16	3.7	13	2.0
Contact	7	1.6	13	2.0
Flea	44	10.2	65	10.1
Other allergies	12	2.8	8	1.2	13
Eyes
Cataracts	51	11.9	62	9.6
Age of Onset of Cataracts (years)	N=30	Range (1, 16)	N=32	Range (1, 16)
	mean = 9.73	median = 10	mean = 10.65	median = 11
Glaucoma	1	0.2	0	0.0
PRA	0	0.0	0	0.0
Blocked Tear Ducts	15	3.5	17	2.6
Other Eyes	8	1.9	7	1.1	4
Mouth
Missing Teeth	85	19.8	140	21.7
Parrot Mouth	3	0.7	4	0.6
Undershot Jaw	8	1.9	20	3.1
Cleft Palate	7	1.6	5	0.8
Wry Mouth	5	1.2	9	1.4
Other Mouth	21	4.9	11	1.7	8
Ears
Deafness	24	5.6	15	2.3
Chronic Infection	8	1.9	18	2.8
Drop Ear	5	1.2	3	0.5
Other Ears	2	0.5	4	0.6	6
Muscle
Inguinal Hernia	2	0.5	5	0.8
Umbilical Hernia	2	0.5	4	0.6
Myopathies	0	0.0	0	0.0
Other Muscle	1	0.2	0	0.0	0
Neurologic
Slipped Disc	7	1.6	8	1.2
Epilepsy	49	11.4	57	8.8
Horner's Syndrome	0	0.0	0	0.0
Other Neurologic	3	0.7	5	0.8	0
Blood
Anemia	0	0.0	1	0.2
Clotting Disorder	0	0.0	1	0.2
Specify Clotting Disorder	0	0.0	0	0.0
Other Blood	2	0.5	0	0.0	0
Heart/Circulatory
Congenital Defect	7	1.6	5	0.8
Specify Congenital Defect		0.0		0.0
Congestive Heart Failure	10	2.3	11	1.7
Cardiomyopathy	0	0.0	2	0.3
Other Heart/Circulatory	6	1.4	5	0.8	3
Respiratory
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	4	0.9	1	0.2
Elongated Soft Palate	24	5.6	42	6.5
Laryngeal Paralysis	8	1.9	2	0.3
Tracheal Collapse	12	2.8	11	1.7
Everted Saccules	6	1.4	10	1.6
Pneumonia	4	0.9	3	0.5
Pleural Effusion	1	0.2	0	0.0
Liver/Spleen
Hepatitis	0	0.0	2	0.3
Hepatic Shunt	0	0.0	3	0.5
Gall Stones	0	0.0	1	0.2
Other Liver/Spleen	4	0.9	4	0.6	1
Kidney/Urinary Tract
Ectopic ureter	0	0.0	0	0.0
Hydronephrosis	0	0.0	0	0.0
Incontinence	10	2.3	22	3.4
Bladder Stone	12	2.8	22	3.4
Other Kidney/Urinary Tract	5	1.2	12	1.9	2
Gastrointestinal
Inflammatory Bowel	5	1.2	4	0.6
Chronic Colitis	3	0.7	3	0.5
Chronic Vomiting	2	0.5	1	0.2
Other Gastrointestinal	5	1.2	2	0.3	0
Endocrine
Cushing's Syndrome	2	0.5	2	0.3
Addison's Disease	0	0.0	0	0.0
Hypothyroidism	7	1.6	23	3.6
Diabetes	1	0.2	0	0.0
Other Endocrine	0	0.0	0	0.0	2
Temperament/Behavioral
Fear Aggression	6	1.4	4	0.6
Dog-Dog Aggression	29	6.7	29	4.5
Phobias	49	11.4	76	11.8
Other Temperament/Behavioral	5	1.2	9	1.4	3
Autoimmune Disease
Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia	0	0.0	1	0.2
Lupus	0	0.0	1	0.2
Other Autoimmune Disease	1	0.2	1	0.2	0
Reproductive Problems
Pyometra		0.0	24	3.7
Dystocia		0.0	60	9.3
Dystocia resulted in C-section		0.0	61	9.5
Infertility	2	0.5	32	5.0
Other Reproductive Problems	8	1.9	18	2.8	3
Neonatal Problems
Still Born Puppies	60	14.0	64	9.9
Fading Puppies	29	6.7	59	9.1
Respiratory Failure (puppies up to 14 days)	11	2.6	19	2.9
Other Neonatal Problems	3	0.7	8	1.2	8
Non-malignant Tumors or Cyst Total					29
Malignant Tumors Total					31
Drug Reactions Total					21

The most common health problems were arthritis, cheyletiella mites, flea allergies, missing teeth, epilepsy, phobias, and still born puppies. The median age of onset of cataracts was 10 years in males and 11 years in females. The most common phobias for males and females were thunder and loud noises. Information concerning type and location for non-malignant tumors, specific drug and reaction, and specific vaccine and reaction was also collected by this survey.

In order to determine whether there were any associations between sex and occurrence of a particular health problem, a chi-squared test was used. A 2% difference was chosen as a level that may be of clinical importance as a difference of about 10 dogs would be involved. These health problems included arthritis, luxating knee cap, cataracts, deafness, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, dog-dog aggression, infertility, still born puppies, and fading puppies. There was an association between arthritis, luxating knee cap, other mouth, deafness, infertility, and still born puppies. Because the problem, other mouth included a variety of problems such as heavy tartar buildup, gingivitis, and bleeding gums, it was not analyzed further.

Table 6: Information on the association between sex and occurrence of health problems.

Association between sex and health problems in Norwich
Health Problems	No. with problem	No. without problem	P-value
Arthritis			0.002
Male	42	388
Female	32	613
Luxating knee cap			0.01
Male	11	419
Female	37	608
Cataracts			0.2
Male	51	379
Female	62	587
Deafness			0.005
Male	24	406
Female	15	630
Epilepsy			0.2
Male	49	381
Female	57	588
Hypothyroidism			0.06
Male	7	423
Female	23	622
Dog-Dog Aggression			0.1
Male	29	401
Female	29	616
Infertility			< 0.001
Male	2	428
Female	32	613
Still born			0.04
Male	60	370
Female	64	581
Fading Puppies			0.2
Male	29	401
Female	59	586

Discussion

The major cause of death in Norwich was old age, caner, and heart problems.

The most common activity that owners were involved in with their Norwich in this study was pet/companionship. Other common activities included conformation and obedience.

The most common health problems in the male Norwich of this study were arthritis, cheyletiella mites, flea allergies, missing teeth, epilepsy, phobias, and still born puppies. The most common health problems in the female Norwich of this study were also arthritis, cheyletiella mites, flea allergies, missing teeth, epilepsy, phobias, and still-born puppies.

Appendix 1: included cover letters

Your name has been selected to participate in the Norwich Terrier health survey. This survey has be commissioned by the Norwich Norfolk Terrier Club of America and will be conducted by Dr. Margaret Slater at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A & M University. Dr. Slater has conducted similar surveys for other breed clubs and has earned the reputation as being an expert in the field of health surveys.

It is our intent to mail this survey to people that own or have owned Norwich Terriers. The survey is not intended cover health issues related to the Norfolk Terrier. If you have received this survey and do not own or never have owned, a Norwich please notify Dr. Slater.

The value of any survey is predicated upon the response rate to the survey. It is very important that you take a few minutes and complete the survey, even if you do not currently own a Norwich, and return it promptly. The future direction of our breed's health research could be decided by the information you provide.

You can be assured that all your answers will remain strictly confidential. Dr. Slater will code all responses and only she will know the name of the responder, which is necessary for tracking purposes. Only the codes will be entered into the computer and the club will only receive summary information so that no one person's responses could be singled out and identified.

If you have questions about the survey or need help filling it out you may contact Dr. Slater by phone xxx-xxx-xxxx, Fax xxx-xxx-xxxx or e-mail xxxxxxx@xxx.xxxx.xxx . Remember, your participation is very important. Help us help our Norwich.

Sincerely,

George G. Jeiltes, Jr. V.M.D.
Chairman Norwich Health and Genetics Committee
The Norwich Norfolk Terrier Club of America

                                                                  May 9, 2003

Dear Norwich Terrier Fancier;

Several weeks ago you were sent a Norwich Terrier health survey from Dr. Margaret Slater at Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine. As of this date, Dr. Slater has not received your completed survey. If you have returned your survey and received this letter in error, thank you very much for your participation.

I cannot emphasize enough how important your participation in this survey is to the future of the breed. It is important that Dr. Slater has as many responses as possible in order to generate useful statistical information regarding the most important health issues facing our breed. This information, along with the financial support of the National Club and fanciers of the breed, will allow us support research efforts directed at dealing with these health problems

Even if you no longer have a Norwich but did have one in the past, your information is valuable to us. Please answer those questions that you can and return the survey as soon as possible. If you do not have any Norwich Terriers that are eligible for the survey, please let Dr. Slater know. If you have questions about the survey or just do not understand a question contact Dr. Slater. Her contact information is:
             Dr. Margaret Slater
             Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx
             Fax: xxx-xxx-xxxx
             E-mail: xxxxxxx@xxx.xxxx.xxx
             Address: Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Public Health
                         College of Veterinary Medicine
                         Texas A&M University,
                         College Station, TX 77843-4458

Please take a few minutes to fill out and return the survey. The information you provide now may benefit Norwich Terriers for years to come. Thank you!

Sincerely,

George G. Jeitles, Jr. V.M.D.
Norwich Terrier Health Chair

Appendix 2: Table 7

"Other" Variables with Male and Female Occurences >2 %
*Signify that the number and sex were not reported		No. of Dogs
Bone or Skeletal
	Torn ACL	5
	spinel ops	1
	center back disc problem	1
	chest pain	1
	portal systemic shunt	1
	minor issues with knee	1
	knee out at birth	1
	occasional leg pain	1
	2 bitches did not pass OFA for patella	2
	*leg perth
	*OCD
Skin
	Sarcoptic Mange	3
	hot spots	9
	itchy skin	1
	dry skin	1
	2 odd patches on back	1
	unknown skin problem	1
	*seasonal dry skin
	*hot spots
	*occasional itching-hot spots
	*skin problems-not tested
Allergies
	Vaccines	11
	Frontline	1
	Pyrethrines	1
	Skin sensitivity-licks paws	2
	Allergic to everything	1
	unknown skin problem	1
	Nasal Congestion	1
	Postpharyngeal edema	2
Eyes
	watery eyes	1
	narrow eye ducts	1
	macular degeneration	1
	lenticular sclerosis	1
	iris atropy at 10 years	1
	ingrown lashes	1
	eye infection with crusty stuff	1
	dry eye syndrome	1
	diminished vision	3
	corneal dystrophy	1
	blindness-caused by brain tumor	1
	blindness in old age	2
	*persistent pupillary membranesn iris to iris
	*floating specks on eyes
	*conjunctivities
Mouth
	Tartar problems	10
	Gum Disease	8
	Over bite	5
	Cleft Palate	4
	Tooth extractions	2
	Crooked teeth	3
Heart/Circulatory
	Enlarged Heart	7
	Heart failure	3
	congestion in lungs & chest	1
	*Enlarged Heart
Kidney/Urinary Tract
	Urinary Tract Infections	6
	Kidney Failure	6
	Stones	1
	Kidney Infections	2
	Cancer	1
	Did not specify	1
	*kidney disease
Temperament/Behavioral
	too soft	1
	snarler - harmless	1
	shy	1
	separation anxiety	1
	protects owner	1
	pees & poops on rug	1
	neurotic anxiety	1
	nervous when traveling in vehicles	1
	humans under 3 feet tall	1
	foot shy	1
	fear barking to unknown people, not aggressive	3
	dislikes leash, food aggressive	1
	*attacks other dogs
	*aggression usually same sex directed
	*'very dominant towards me & dogs & word no
Reproductive Problems
	uterine inertia	3
	undescended testicle	6
	trouble getting to conceive	3
	thinning uterine lining	2
	shriveled testicle	2
	pushed ok but puppies too large	3
	ovarian cyst	2
	open fontral	1
	false pregnancy	1
	3 surgeries on shaft around penis	1
	irregular heat cycle	2
	*c-sections
	*problems resulted in OHE

Appendix 3: Table 8

These are the responses verbatim from the owners.

Non-malignant Tumors or Cyst (specify type & location)
1 bitch-stomach
10 year bitch cyst rear right mammary gland age 10
1m, 2f in senior years
2 had puppy bumps on head
2 mammary tumors
2 older males have had small skin tumors
3-left side neck, left side, underside
button tumor
cyst
cyst on mouth
cysts on inside of upper right hind leg
F lipoma-chest
fat lumps-2 F
fatty cyst-male-left rear leg
fatty mass in chest cavity
fatty tumor
histocytoma
many sebaceous cyst-back,tail
non malignant ovarian cyst
on old males pad
polyp on throat
sebaceous cyst
sebaceous cyst-skin
sebacious cyst on female
skin tags on older dogs
subcutaneous cyst-upper abdomen
tumor on spinal cord of male dog...unknown type

Malignant Tumors (specify type and location)
1 male-genital urinary tract
1f - tumor in head and abdomen
2 mammaory tumors
brain tumor
breast cancer -1F
breast cancer, tumor in chest-heart failure
cancer breast
carcinoma-lungs
female had malignant type of tumor
F-everywhere
hemangiosarcoma-liver
large mammary tumor-1F,bladder tumor9urethra)-1F
left elbow & mammary glands
lesion on lip
lymph cancer
lymphoma
lymphosarcoma
malignant melanoma metastatic-1 male
mammary tumor-1 female 13 years
mass cell on skin/neck of female, rear leg of male
mass cell tumor-left thigh,2growths-1 internal
mast cell
mast cell (stage 1) on belly
melanoma-lip-male 8 year old
mouth (1 female)
throat
tumor in sinus cavity-1 female

Drug Reactions (specify drug and reaction)
1f - immovar, 1f - dropofol, 1m - holiday fogger
cefa tabs - cause vomiting in F
dentistry(anesthesia?) almost died
f - cramp-like behavior after appl. of "top spot"
female - soreness after rabies vac, required vet
frontline
Hydroxazine - seizure
isofluorene F
lepto
lepto
prytherines/seizures
rabies shot-1M, 1F
rabies-isclemic dermatopathy
revolution-seizures
rimadyl-1M severe intestina bleeding
seens many vaccine induced vasculitis
theodore-stopped breathing
torbutrol
vitamin K