A Multicenter Observational Study Comparing Survival of Pugs and Dogs of Other Breeds With Protein-Losing Enteropathy

Background

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) in dogs often carries a guarded prognosis, and it is unclear if survival differs among breeds.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Survival of pugs with PLE is shorter than that of other breeds of dogs with PLE.

Animals

Forty-seven pugs and 148 dogs of other breeds were diagnosed with PLE at seven United Kingdom (UK) referral hospitals.

Methods

Retrospective, multicenter observational study. Case records were reviewed to identify dogs diagnosed with PLE. Cox's proportional hazards regression was used to determine variables associated with survival.

Results

Median (interquartile range) survival in pugs with PLE and dogs of other breeds was 104 (22–719) days and 759 (61–1632) days, respectively (p = 0.002). The hazard of death was higher in pugs (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.961; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.108–3.741; p = 0.002) than in other dogs. Neutrophil counts in peripheral blood were associated with an increased hazard of death (HR change per 1 × 10⁹/L: 1.045; 95% CI: 1.014–1.077; p = 0.004), whereas cobalamin concentration (HR: 0.995; 95% CI: 0.991–0.999) and cobalamin supplementation (HR: 0.517; 95% CI: 0.271–0.988) were positively associated with decreased hazard of death. A time-dependent effect on survival was identified for serum globulin concentrations, whereby globulin concentration was positively associated with hazard of death in dogs surviving 61–959 days (HR: 1.126; 95% CI: 1.040–1.219) and > 959 days (1.253; 95% CI: 1.048–1.497), but not 0–60 days (HR: 0.949; 95% CI: 0.891–1.011 days).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Results of our observational study suggest a worse prognosis for pugs with PLE compared to a selection of dogs of other breeds seen at UK referral centers.