Breed, age, sex structure, uses, diseases and injuries of service dogs in the cynological centers of the National Police of Ukraine under martial law

R. K. Chumakov; T. M. Suprovych; M. P. Suprovych; R. V. Kolinchuk; O. D. Stepanov; V. A. Kolodii; T. V. Zakharova

doi:10.15421/0225008

R. K. Chumakov Podillia State University
T. M. Suprovych Podillia State University
M. P. Suprovych Podillia State University
R. V. Kolinchuk Podillia State University
O. D. Stepanov Podillia State University
V. A. Kolodii Kamianets-Podilskyi National Ivan Ohienko University
T. V. Zakharova Podillia State University

Keywords: police dogs, dog handler center, dog injuries, dog sicknesses, breeds, gender and areas of application, polymorbidity.

Abstract

Service dogs can perform a number of functions not available to humans. They are a valuable asset to law enforcement agencies. In order to keep them healthy and ready for duty, it is necessary to have comprehensive statistics on medical problems and the various types of pathologies associated with them. We reviewed 922 records pertaining to disease and injuries, breed, age, gender, status, and areas of use for 819 service dogs that are handled by dog handlers at the National Police of Ukraine. Similar data from 2021 (853 animals and 866 records) were used for comparison. The average number of dogs in dog c ynological c enters increased from 34.1 in 2021 to 37.2 in 2023 – 2024. In the last three years t he number of females and males has equalised . Changes in the composition of females were statistically significant. The weighted average age of animals increased from 4.9 0 to 4.97 years. A decrease in the number of dogs in the age range from 3 to 6 years was detected. German and Belgian shepherds were most common breeds. A significant increase in the number of Malinois should be noted. The share of search and special dogs decreased, while the number of reserve animals increased. Injury and disease incidents were formed as categorical variables with 15 levels. The number of records in 6 groups (gastrointestinal diseases, injuries, diseases of the eyes and ears, skin diseases, joint diseases, and parasitic diseases) exceeded 5% after a thorough analysis. Limb injuries most often occur during the liquid a tion of the consequences of the destruction of infrastructure facilities, when removing rubble and searching for people in areas of destr oyed buildings, the presence of shrapnel fields after explosions and patrolling in unfamiliar terrain. The maximum number of 192 records of 13 diseases were found for the gastrointestinal tract. The largest increase was in cases of alimentary enteritis, ent e rocolitis and gastroenteritis. Among diseases of the eyes and ears, otitis media and cataracts clearly prevailed. Pathologies of the organs of vision and hearing in dogs in the near-front zone accounted for 13.5%, and 7.4% were treated in a hospital. Among skin diseases, the number of dermatitis cases decreased, but the number of sub- and allergic dermatitis cases increased. Among the pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, arthritis, bursitis, hip arthrosis and dysplasia were detected. For joints, arthritis was the biggest problem, and coxarthrosis showed the highest growth. The risk of parasitic diseases has decreased. Toxocariasis was the most commonly detected disease, and the maximum decrease was in babesiosis. The level of polymorbidity increased by 10.8%, indicating an increase in multiple pathology. For dogs on rotation, the average polymorbidity value was 1.77. The number of stress-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and trauma to the limbs increased significantly, which means that an important factor in the increase in multiple pathology was the performance of special service tasks by police dogs on the contact line and in the de-occupied territories.

References

Alho, A. M., Pita, J., Amaro, A., Amaro, F., Schnyder, M., Grimm, F., Custódio, A. C., Cardoso, L., Deplazes, P., & de Carvalho, L. M. (2016). Seroprevalence of vector-borne pathogens and molecular detection of Borrelia afzelii in military dogs from Portugal. Parasites and Vectors, 9(1), 225.

Alves, J. C., Jorge, P., & Santos, A. (2021). A survey on the prevalence of diarrhea in a Portuguese population of police working dogs. BMC Veterinary Research, 17(1), 211.

Alves, J. C., Santos, A., Jorge, P., Lavrador, C., & Carreira, L. M. (2020). Clinical and diagnostic imaging findings in police working dogs referred for hip osteoarthritis. BMC Veterinary Research, 16(1), 425.

Amiot, C. E., Gagné, C., & Bastian, B. (2022). Pet ownership and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 6091.

Anderson, K. L., O'Neill, D. G., Brodbelt, D. C., Church, D. B., Meeson, R. L., Sargan, D., Summers, J. F., Zulch, H., & Collins, L. M. (2018). Prevalence, duration and risk factors for appendicular osteoarthritis in a UK dog population under primary veterinary care. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 5641.

Bezpalova, O. I., Chishko, K. O., Bakhaeva, A. S., & Makarenko, V. S. (2022). Administratyvna dijal'nist' policii' v umovah vojennogo stanu [Administrative activity of the police under martial law]. Kharkiv (in Ukrainian).

Bezpalova, O. I., Klochko, A. M., Jafarova, O. V., Shatrava, S. O., Pchelin, V. B., Rezanov, S. A., Panova, O. O., Ivantsov, V. O., Selyukov, V. S., Kachynska, M. O., Makarenko, V. S., & Chyshko, K. O. (2019). Kinologichne zabezpechennia diyal'nosti pidrozdiliv Nacional'noyi policiyi [Canine support for the activities of national police units]. MVS Ukrayiny, KHNUVS, Kharkiv (in Ukrainian).

Bibbo, J., Curl, A. L., & Johnson, R. A. (2019). Pets in the lives of older adults: A life course perspective. Anthrozoös, 32(4), 541–554.

Błaszczyk, H. (2019). Wykorzystywanie psów służbowych w formacjach mundurowych [The use of service dogs in uniformed services]. Security Economy and Law, 25, 5–25 (in Polish).

Butler, W. P., McGinley, L. A., Smith, D. E., Burch, D. S., Thomas, T. M., & Serres, J. L. (2021). A large case series of aeromedically evacuated military working dogs with a resultant validation algorithm for the theater validating flight surgeon. Technical Report, Final Report. Vol. 84. DoD Military Working Dog Veterinary Service, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland; 3 US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Indo-Pacific, Canberra.

Chiang, J. I., Jani, B. D., Mair, F. S., Nicholl, B. I., Furler, J., O'Neal, D., Jenkins, A., Condron, P., & Manski-Nankervis, J. A. (2018). Associations between multimorbidity, all-cause mortality and glycaemia in people with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review. PloS One, 13(12), e0209585.

de Oliveira, J. K., Bortolini, M., Schaller, M., Schuchmann, R. K., Moore, B. A., & Montiani-Ferreira, F. (2020). The ophthalmic health and refractive state of working dogs in South Brazil. Open Veterinary Journal, 10(1), 22–30.

Didukh, A. V., Fasolya, V. P., & Kopystko, R. (2014). Intensive therapy for acute gastroenteritis. Bulletin of Sumy National Agrarian University, Veterinary Medicine, 1, 221–225.

Edwards, T. H., Scott, L. L. F., Gonyeau, K. E., Howard, E. H., Parker, J. S., & Hall, K. (2021). Comparison of trauma sustained by civilian dogs and deployed military working dogs. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 31(4), 498–507.

Enomoto, M., de Castro, N., Hash, J., Thomson, A., Nakanishi-Hester, A., Perry, E., Aker, S., Haupt, E., Opperman, L., Roe, S., Cole, T., Thompson, N. A., Innes, J. F., & Lascelles, B. D. X. (2024). Prevalence of radiographic appendicular osteoarthritis and associated clinical signs in young dogs. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 2827.

Evans, R. I., Herbold, J. R., Bradshaw, B. S., & Moore, G. E. (2007). Causes for discharge of military working dogs from service: 268 cases (2000–2004). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 231(8), 1215–1220.

Gareau, M. G., Silva, M. A., & Perdue, M. H. (2008). Pathophysiological mechanisms of stress-induced intestinal damage. Current Molecular Medicine, 8(4), 274–281.

Garmash, V. V. (2019). Misce kinologichnyh pidrozdiliv u strukturi nacional'noyi policiyi Ukrayiny ta v systemi ministerstva vnutrishnih sprav [Location of kynological units in the structure of the National Police of Ukraine and in the system of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs]. Law and Safety, 74, 24–29 (in Ukrainian).

Gąsiorowski, M. (2019). Use of police dogs in the Polish Police in the opinion of dog handlers. Internal Security, 11(1), 159–168.

Gelatt, K. N., & Mackay, E. O. (2005). Prevalence of primary breed-related cataracts in the dog in North America. Veterinary Ophthalmology, 8(2), 101–111.

Griffin, C. E., & DeBoer, D. J. (2001). The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XIV): Clinical manifestations of canine atopic dermatitis. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 81(3–4), 255–269.

Haithem, M., Wael, F., Kelany, M., & Ebada, M. (2011). Field survey on most common medicinal and surgical diseases in police guard and explosive dogs from 11/2007-2/2010. Journal of American Science, 7(4), 816–826.

Harroun-White, H. E., Facciolla, C. A., & Knobbe, M. G. (2024). Noncombat injury and illness prevalence and working score percentage quantify the impact on duty availability in US Army Special Operations military working dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 262(9), 1209–1214.

Harvey N. D. (2021). How old is my dog? Identification of rational age groupings in pet dogs based upon normative age-linked processes. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 643085.

Imre, M., Farkas, R., Ilie, M., Imre, K., Hotea, I., Morariu, S., Morar, D., & Dărăbuş, G. (2013). Seroprevalence of Babesia canis infection in clinically healthy dogs from Western Romania. The Journal of Parasitology, 99(1), 161–163.

Inoue, M., Hasegawa, A., Hosoi, Y., & Sugiura, K. (2015). Breed, gender and age pattern of diagnosis for veterinary care in insured dogs in Japan during fiscal year 2010. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 119(1–2), 54–60.

Jakovljević, M., & Ostojić, L. (2013). Comorbidity and multimorbidity in medicine today: Challenges and opportunities for bringing separated branches of medicine closer to each other. Psychiatria Danubina, 25(S1), 18–28.

Jin, K., Hoffman, J. M., Creevy, K. E., O'Neill, D. G., & Promislow, D. E. (2016). Multiple morbidities in companion dogs: A novel model for investigating age-related disease. Pathobiology of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, 6, 33276.

Kania-Gierdziewicz, J., Pałka, S. E., Kozioł, K., & Gierdziewicz, M. (2018). Duty period and discharging reasons of police dogs. Scientific Annals of Polish Society of Animal Production, 9(4), 65–71.

Kelly, J. F., Ritenour, A. E., McLaughlin, D. F., Bagg, K. A., Apodaca, A. N., Mallak, C. T., Pearse, L., Lawnick, M. M., Champion, H. R., Wade, C. E., & Holcomb, J. B. (2008). Injury severity and causes of death from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom: 2003–2004 versus 2006. The Journal of Trauma, 64(S2), 21–27.

Levchenko, V., & Fasolja, V. (2008). Spread of poly morbid internal pathology in the dogs of service breeds. Scientific and Technical Bulletin of State Scientific Research Control Institute of Veterinary Medical Products and Fodder Additives and Institute of Animal Biology, 9(3), 179–183.

Levine, G. N., Allen, K., Braun, L. T., Christian, H. E., Friedmann, E., Taubert, K. A., Thomas, S. A., Wells, D. L., Lange, R. A., on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Clinical Cardiology and Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing (2013). Pet ownership and cardiovascular risk: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 127, 2353–2363.

Mey, W., Schuh-Renner, A., Anderson, M. K., Stevenson-LaMartina, H., & Grier, T. (2020). Risk factors for injury among military working dogs deployed to Iraq. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 176, 104911.

Mittal, M., Kundu, K., Chakravarti, S., Mohapatra, J. K., Singh, V. K., Raja Kumar, B., Thakur, V., Churamani, C. P., & Kumar, A. (2019). Canine babesiosis among working dogs of organized kennels in India: A comprehensive haematological, biochemical, clinicopathological and molecular epidemiological multiregional study. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 169, 104696.

Park, S., Park, G., Rieu, M.-S., Kim, T., Kim, D., Lee, S., & Kim, G. (2023). Evaluating disease patterns of military working dogs in the Republic of Korea: A Retrospective Study. Animals, 13, 1400.

Parr, J. R., & Otto, C. M. (2013). Emergency visits and occupational hazards in German Shepherd police dogs (2008–2010). Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 23(6), 591–597.

Pavlenko, Y. M., Barteneva , L. S., Matviychuk, V. P., Vynohrad , O. V., & Domenyuk, A. M. (2023). Results of the selection of dogs for the preparation for official use in the institutions of the state criminal executive service of Ukraine. Bulletin of Sumy National Agrarian University, The Series: Livestock, (2), 17–22.

Rakha, G. M., Abdl-Haleem, M. M., Farghali, H. A., & Abdel-Saeed, H. (2015). Prevalence of common canine digestive problems compared with other health problems in teaching veterinary hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. Veterinary World, 8(3), 403–411.

Scandurra, A., Alterisio, A., Di Cosmo, A., & D'Aniello, B. (2018). Behavioral and perceptual differences between sexes in dogs: An overview. Animals, 8(9), 151.

Schuh-Renner, A., Rappole, C., Mullaney, S. B., Venn, E., & Grier, T. L. (2021). Factors associated with medical problems among young non-deployed U.S. military working dogs. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 193, 105390.

Seliukov, V. S. (2023). Problemy dijal'nosti kinologichnyh pidrozdiliv nacional'noyi policiyi v umovah viyny [Problems of the activity of canine units of the National Police in the conditions of war]. Bulletin of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, 103(4), 324–332 (in Ukrainian).

Shapiro, S. S., & Wilk, M. B. (1965). An analysis of variance test for normality (complete samples). Biometrika, 52, 591–611.

Simpson, J. W. (1998). Diet and large intestinal disease in dogs and cats. The Journal of Nutrition, 128(S12), 2717S–2722S.

Solano-Gallego, L., Sainz, Á., Roura, X., Estrada-Peña, A., & Miró, G. (2016). A review of canine babesiosis: The European perspective. Parasites and Vectors, 9(1), 336.

Sonnberger, B. W., Graf, B., Straubinger, R. K., Rackl, D., Obwaller, A. G., Peschke, R., Shahi Barogh, B., Joachim, A., & Fuehrer, H. P. (2021). Vector-borne pathogens in clinically healthy military working dogs in Eastern Austria. Parasitology International, 84, 102410.

Spinella, G., Tidu, L., Grassato, L., Musella, V., Matarazzo, M., & Valentini, S. (2022). Military working dogs operating in Afghanistan theater: Comparison between pre- and post-mission blood analyses to monitor physical fitness and training. Animals, 12(5), 617.

Stephens, M. A. (1974). EDF statistics for goodness of fit and some comparisons. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 69(347), 730–737.

Suprovych, T. M., Chumakov, K. A., Suprovych, M. P., Trach, V. V., & Chumakov, R. K. (2024). Zahvoriuvanist' na vnutrishni nezarazni hvoroby sobak sluzhbovyh porid [Incidence of internal non-communicable diseases in dogs of working breeds]. Podilian Bulletin: Agriculture, Engineering, Economics, Veterynary Sciences, 42, 166–174 (in Ukrainian).

Takara, M. S., & Harrell, K. (2014). Noncombat-related injuries or illnesses incurred by military working dogs in a combat zone. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 245(10), 1124–1128.

Tamimi, N. S. M., & Wali, A. A. (2019). Health problems of Iraqi police dogs referred to Baghdad Veterinary Hospital during 2015–2017. Veterinary World, 12(7), 1046–1051.

Toffoli, C. A., & Rolfe, D. S. (2006). Challenges to military working dog management and care in the Kuwait theater of operation. Military Medicine, 171(10), 1002–1005.

Welc-Faleciak, R., Rodo, A., Siński, E., & Bajer, A. (2009). Babesia canis and other tick-borne infections in dogs in Central Poland. Veterinary Parasitology, 166(3–4), 191–198.

Worth, A., Sandford, M., Gibson, B., Stratton, R., Erceg, V., Bridges, J., & Jones, B. (2013). Causes of loss or retirement from active duty for New Zealand police German shepherd dogs. Animal Welfare, 22(2), 167–174.

Xu, D., Zhang, J., Shi, Z., Song, C., Zheng, X., Zhang, Y., Hao, Y., Dong, H., Wei, L., El-Mahallawy, H. S., Kelly, P., Xiong, W., Wang, H., Li, J., Zhang, X., Gu, J., & Wang, C. (2015). Molecular detection of vector-borne agents in dogs from ten provinces of China. Parasites and Vectors, 8, 501.

Yusupov, V. V., Antoshchuk, A. O., Prykhodko, Y. P., Kopcha, V. V., Krasiokha, Y. V., & Filippov, Y. E. (2023). Vykorystannja sluzhbovyh sobak kinologichnymy pidrozdilamy Nacional'noyi policiyi Ukrayiny dlja vyjavlennia vybuhovykh rechovyn v umovakh voennogo stanu [The use of service dogs by the canine units of the National Police of Ukraine for the detection of explosives under martial law]. Nacional’na Akademiya Vnutrishnikh Sprav, Kyiv (in Ukrainian).

Zaki, A. A., Attia, M. M., Ismael, E., & Mahdy, O. A. (2021). Prevalence, genetic, and biochemical evaluation of immune response of police dogs infected with Babesia Vogeli. Veterinary World, 14(4), 903–912.