Data-driven life-stage classification for companion dogs and cats using age-specific diagnosis patterns in South Korea
- Author:
Jin-Young PARK
1
;
Seogjin KANG
;
Yoon Jung DO
;
Eun-yeong BOK
;
Jong Ryul PARK
;
Tae Woo KIM
;
Chang-Min LEE
;
Woong-Bin RO
;
Jang Yeop KIM
;
Dong Yun LEE
;
Heyong-Seok KIM
;
Kyung-Duk MIN
Author Information
- Publication Type:Research Report
- From:Journal of Veterinary Science 2026;27(1):e5-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objective:To classify life stages for companion dogs and cats by identifying clusters in age-specific disease proportions derived from medical records, providing a data-driven foundation for health examination programs.
Methods:We collected 505,667 medical records from 82 veterinary facilities in South Korea between 2020 and 2023. Diagnoses were standardized using GPT-4o and S-BioBERT. Following preprocessing, data from 27 facilities yielded 222,706 canine and 39,910 feline records for the final analysis. Principal component analysis and K-means clustering (K = 4) were applied to age-specific disease proportions to identify life stages.The 10 most highest-proportion diagnoses diseases were determined for each cluster.
Results:Canine life stages were classified as ≤ 1 year, 2–5 years, 6–10 years, and 11–15+ years.Feline life stages were 1–2 years, 3–8 years, 9–12 years, and 13–15+ years. In dogs, developmental diseases were common in the youngest age group, while chronic diseases were more prevalent in older groups. In cats, oral and urinary diseases were high-ranking, conjunctivitis was most common in the early stage, and chronic diseases increased with age.
Conclusions:and Relevance: Age-specific diagnosis patterns support four practical life stages for dogs and cats in South Korea. These boundaries can inform evidence-based preventive examination schedules, animal health policy, and pet insurance product design.
