RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS OF THE 28th ECVIM-CA CONGRESS

Canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) is a progressive parenchymal lung disease of unknown origin and poorly understood pathophysiology that mainly occurs in old West Highland white terriers (WHWTs). Not all dogs from the WHWT breed develop CIPF, which suggests the involvement of triggering factors in the onset and/or progression of the disease. To assess potential triggers, an online questionnaire–based survey was submitted to WHWTs owners. The questionnaire was accessible during a 3‐month period in 3 different languages (English, French, and Dutch) and was distributed to WHWTs owners and breeders through social medial and emails. Questions were divided into sections regarding owner, dog (clinical and diagnostic data for CIPF), environment (house and surroundings, compost, ventilation, air conditioning, humidification, asbestosis, smoking, and household maintenance), grooming, and veterinary care (vaccination, deworming, and comorbidities). Completed questionnaires were received from 458 WHWTs owners from various countries including principally USA (n=193), Australia (n=62), France (n=56), UK (n=39), and Belgium (n=30). Thirty‐eight questionnaires were discarded due to lack of essential data resulting in a total amount of 420 exploitable responses, 138 of which concerning a CIPF affected WHWT. Median age reported at CIPF diagnosis was 11.5 years (range 2– 6.8). Inspiratory crackles were noticed in 82.3% of dogs. Seventy‐three out of 138 (52.9%) CIPF WHWTs were dead at the time of questionnaire completion. The overall survival time after diagnosis was 1.4 years (0–8.5). Cause of death was CIPF‐related in 76.7% of cases. In order to assess potential triggers associated with CIPF, each CIPF dog was matched to one unaffected WHWT by age. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used for group comparison (CIPF vs. CTRL). Statistical significance was set at a P‐value ≤ 0.05. Parameters significantly associated with CIPF included genetic relationship with another dog affected with CIPF (P=0.025), living in an old house (P=0.012), absence of a ventilation system (P<0.0001), and frequent grooming in dedicated facilities (P=0.001). CIPF dogs were at increased risk of cardiac disease (P=0.001), most likely due to the development of secondary pulmonary hypertension, and at decreased risk of endocrine disease (P=0.01) compared with CTRL. The preliminary results of this survey suggest an association between CIPF, genetic background and environmental factors such as old non‐ventilated houses or grooming habits. Further analysis of the results of the questionnaire are ongoing.