Table 3.
Associations of early life covariates with inflammatory bowel disease in dogs based on univariate logistic regression analyses.
| Covariates | Crude effect estimates | Multivariate models | |
|---|---|---|---|
| cOR (95% CI) | P-value | ||
| Non- modifiable; genetic and demographic factors | |||
| Maternal history of IBD | Included in model I | ||
| Non-IBD mothers vs. IBD mothers | 0.113 (0.066–0.195) | <0.001*** | |
| IBD vs. non-IBD mothers | 8.820 (5.141–15.131) | <0.001*** | |
| Dog breed | Included in model I | ||
| Non-IBD prone vs. IBD prone | 0.812 (0.709–0.930) | 0.003** | |
| IBD prone vs. non-IBD prone | 1.231 (1.075–1.410) | 0.003** | |
| Dog gender | Included in model I | ||
| Female vs. male | 0.505 (0.443–0.575) | <0.001*** | |
| Male vs. female | 1.981 (1.739–2.258) | <0.001*** | |
| Dog color | Included in model I | ||
| > 50% white coat vs. < 50% | 1.117 (0.954–1.307) | 0.169 | |
| < 50% white coat vs. > 50% | 0.895 (0.765–1.048) | 0.169 | |
| Dog age§ | 1.007 (0.987–1.027) | 0.505 | Included in model I |
| Modifiable factors | |||
| I. Prenatal period maternal factors | |||
| Mother's diet during pregnancy | Included in model II | ||
| NPMD vs. UPCD | 0.639 (0.404–1.009) | 0.055 | |
| UPCD vs. NPMD | 1.566 (0.991–2.474) | 0.055 | |
| Was the mother dewormed during/just before pregnancy? | Not included | ||
| Yes vs. no | 0.924 (0.562–1.521) | 0.757 | |
| No vs. yes | 1.082 (0.657–1.780) | 0.757 | |
| Was mother vaccinated during/just before pregnancy? | Included in model II | ||
| Yes vs. no | 1.547 (1.182–2.024) | 0.001** | |
| No vs. yes | 0.647 (0.494–0.846) | 0.001** | |
| II. Neonatal period (0–1 month of age) | |||
| Mother's diet during lactation | Included in model III | ||
| NPMD vs. UPCD | 0.653 (0.409–1.043) | 0.075 | |
| UPCD vs. NPMD | 1.532 (0.959–2.447) | 0.075 | |
| III. Early postnatal period (1–2 months of age) | |||
| Puppy's first solid diet | Included in model IV | ||
| NPMD vs. UPCD | 0.541 (0.343–0.853) | 0.008** | |
| UPCD vs. NPMD | 1.847 (1.172–2.912) | 0.008** | |
| Frequency of outdoor activity | Included in model IV | ||
| Many times/day vs. not at all | 0.588 (0.443–0.780) | <0.001*** | |
| Once/day vs. not at all | 0.677 (0.485–0.947) | 0.023* | |
| A few times/week vs. not at all | 0.859 (0.610–1.210) | 0.384 | |
| A few times/month vs. not at all | 0.999 (0.661–1.509) | 0.995 | |
| Type of flooring | Included in model IV | ||
| Slippery vs. dirt flooring | 1.137 (0.746–1.734) | 0.550 | |
| Non-slippery vs. dirt flooring | 1.223 (0.847–1.767) | 0.283 | |
| Newspaper vs. dirt flooring | 1.371 (0.953–1.973) | 0.089 | |
| Carpets vs. dirt flooring | 1.350 (0.936–1.946) | 0.109 | |
| Rest, hours/day | 1.001 (0.958–1.045) | 0.977 | Not included |
| Body condition Score | Not included | ||
| Slim vs. normal weight puppies | 1.101 (0.848–1.431) | 0.469 | |
| Obese vs. normal weight puppies | 1.009 (0.807–1.263) | 0.934 | |
| IV. Late postnatal period (2–6 months of age) | |||
| Puppy diet | Included in model V | ||
| NPMD vs. UPCD | 0.622 (0.442–0.875) | 0.006** | |
| UPCD vs. NPMD | 1.608 (1.143–2.262) | 0.006** | |
| Outdoor activity, hours/day | Included in model V | ||
| 0.5–1 vs. < 0.5 | 2.125 (1.054–4.284) | 0.035* | |
| 1–2 vs. < 0.5 | 1.928 (0.963–3.858) | 0.064 | |
| > 2 vs. < 0.5 | 1.736 (0.855–3.524) | 0.127 | |
| Rest, hours/day | 1.008 (0.983–1.034) | 0.528 | Not included |
| Type of flooring | Included in model V | ||
| Slippery vs. dirt flooring | 1.951 (0.930–4.094) | 0.077 | |
| Non-slippery vs. dirt flooring | 2.027 (0.967–4.250) | 0.061 | |
| Newspaper vs. dirt flooring | 3.864 (0.997–14.973) | 0.051 | |
| Carpets vs. dirt flooring | 1.820 (0.855–3.876) | 0.120 | |
| More than two types vs. dirt flooring | 2.249 (1.078–4.690) | 0.031* | |
| Body condition score | Included in model V | ||
| Slim vs. normal weight puppies | 1.411 (1.193–1.669) | <0.001*** | |
| Obese vs. normal weight puppies | 1.292 (0.959–1.740) | 0.092 | |
| Was the puppy vaccinated 2–4 times under 1 year of age? | Included in model V | ||
| Yes vs. no | 0.688 (0.417–1.134) | 0.143 | |
| No vs. yes | 1.453 (0.882–2.395) | 0.143 | |
| Was the puppy dewormed 2–10 times under 1 year of age? | Not included | ||
| Yes vs. no | 1.117 (0.587–2.125) | 0.736 | |
| No vs. yes | 0.895 (0.471–1.703) | 0.736 | |
cOR, Crude odds ratio; CI, Confidence intervals; IBD, Inflammatory bowel disease; NPMD, Non-processed meat based diet; UPCD, Ultra-processed carbohydrate based diet; vs., versus.
*
p < 0.05,
**
p < 0.01,
***
p < 0.001,
Bolded values indicate p < 0.2,
§
scale variable measured in years.