Many pathogens cause disease in dogs, however, meaningful surveillance
in small companion animals is often only possible on the most impactful
diseases. We describe the first stakeholder opinion-led approach to
identify which canine infectious diseases should be prioritized for
inclusion in surveillance and control strategies in the UK. Participants
were identified through a stakeholder analysis. A multicriteria decision
analysis was undertaken to establish and weight epidemiological criteria
for evaluating diseases, and a Delphi technique was employed to achieve
a consensus among participants on the top-priority canine diseases.
Leptospirosis and parvovirus were identified as the top two endemic
diseases of concern, whilst leishmaniasis and babesiosis were the top
two exotic diseases. Respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases were
identified as the top two syndromes of concern. Findings from this study
are being used to inform the development of a future UK-wide epidemic
response strategy. This methodology could provide a blueprint for other
countries.