Familiarity and Use of Veterinary Services by US Resident Dog and Cat Owners

Beginning with the End in Mind: Creating a Practice that Centers Equity-Part 1

The concept of equity recognizes historical and current barriers and promotes thriving for veterinary teams and people and animals in the community. Veterinary medicine lacks sociodemographic diversity; veterinarians and other team members who identify with systemically excluded groups offer valuable contributions but are at risk of workplace discrimination. Client families who face barriers for financial and other reasons are at risk of poor animal health and welfare outcomes, including separation from their animals. This article is part one of 2 articles reviewing how the concept of equity applies and could transform well-being in companion animal veterinary practice in North America.

Zoonoses and pet owners: A survey on risk perception in Northern Italy

Veterinary and human medicine are focused on the issue of emerging and re-emerging diseases, which are especially represented by zoonosis that could be a threat for public health. Zoonotic risk may come from pets: some canine and/or feline viral, bacterial, parasitic, protozoal or mycotic diseases can be transmitted directly to humans. There are several strategies to prevent the transmission of such zoonosis, and among them vaccination plays an important role. Through a survey carried out in Northern Italy aimed to collect information regarding owners' knowledge and perception of the zoonotic risks associated with three zoonoses (rabies, leptospirosis, and dermatophytosis), it was demonstrated that dog owners tend to adhere more consistently to their pets' vaccination schedules and are more receptive to changes in vaccination scheduling compared to cat owners. This study also suggests that cat owners predominantly visit veterinarians for vaccination purposes, whereas dog owners seek veterinary services for a variety of reasons. The survey highlighted the ongoing need to enhance owners' understanding of zoonoses affecting their pets and also the protective role of vaccines. Veterinarians should undertake the responsibility of educating, reassuring, and informing pet owners about the significance of vaccines for their pets and for public health.

US cat caregivers' attitudes on veterinary video telemedicine

OBJECTIVES

Many cats do not see a veterinarian on an annual basis, and their caregivers face many barriers to accessing veterinary care. A potential solution to overcome some of these barriers is video telemedicine. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand companion cat caregivers' perceptions of using veterinary video telemedicine with their cats.

METHODS

An online quantitative questionnaire was used to survey US cat caregivers on their experiences of and attitudes to using video telemedicine with their cats. Participants were required to reside in the USA, be the primary caregiver of at least one cat and be aged 18 years or older.

RESULTS

The majority (97.3%) of the 1254 respondents indicated they had never used a video telemedicine appointment with their cat(s) before; however, most (85.7%) indicated they were very or somewhat interested in using video telemedicine with their cat. Overall, caregivers perceived video telemedicine visits as less stressful for themselves (P <0.0002) and their cats (P <0.0001), and as increasing their access to veterinary care (P <0.0001) compared with in-clinic visits. Participants also indicated they would prefer a video telemedicine appointment over an in-clinic appointment for most cat behavioral concerns but preferred in-clinic appointments for most health concerns. Most respondents (51.3%) indicated they would be willing to pay a little less for a telemedicine appointment than an in-clinic visit.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Cat caregivers represent an important population that could benefit from the implementation of video telemedicine into veterinary care. Our results suggest many US cat caregivers indicate an interest and willingness to pay for video telemedicine visits to increase their access to veterinary care and reduce stress associated with veterinary visits for both themselves and their cats. Caregivers showed more interest in using video telemedicine for behavioral concerns than health concerns.

An examination of US pet owners' use of veterinary services, 2006-2018

OBJECTIVES

Examine US consumer pet-related and veterinary service expenditures and factors influencing US households' use of veterinary services.

METHODS

Descriptive analysis on pet-related and veterinary service expenditures and regression analysis on pet owners' use of veterinary services, using data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure from 2006 to 2018, with the sample size of 257,836 households, of which 73,593 had pet expenses.

RESULTS

From 1980 to 2018, the proportion of households with pet-related and veterinary service expenditures increased. Since 2010, the percentage of pet-owning households using veterinary services has increased substantially. Household characteristics were examined and significantly affected the probability of both pet and veterinary expenditures. Non-White and Hispanic groups had increased pet ownership, but the likelihood of veterinary service use has not surpassed White and non-Hispanic pet owners.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the effects of household sociodemographics, particularly race and ethnicity, on using veterinary services provides insights for optimizing strategic planning for the pet industry and veterinarians. Reviewing the implications helps adjust and fine-tune strategies and influence the sustainability of the veterinary service sector by attracting different racial and ethnic groups. Future research might focus on other social and cultural factors influencing the utilization of veterinary care. The veterinary service sector can then effectively address pet care disparities, bridge existing gaps and improve economic viability.

Outcome of the Use of Clinical Reasoning Alone in Dogs with Acute Thoracolumbar Myelopathy and/or Pain

Acute thoracolumbar myelopathy is a common neurological presentation in dogs. Although certain spinal conditions present with characteristic clinical pictures, managing such cases with clinical reasoning alone (i.e., without cross-sectional imaging) has never been explored. The aim of this study was to define the outcome of patients with suspected intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE), ischaemic myelopathy (IM) or acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE) that were managed with clinical reasoning alone. The database of the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital (Cambridge) was searched for paraparetic or paraplegic dogs with suspected IVDE or IM/ANNPE that were initially managed medically without undergoing imaging. Clinical presentation and outcome were recorded. If cross-sectional imaging was subsequently performed, information about the final diagnosis was collected and compared with the initially suspected diagnosis. A total of 123 IVDE cases were collected: 81% had a successful outcome with no imaging performed; 16% had IVDE confirmed with imaging and successful outcome with surgery or medical management; and just 3% were found to have an alternative diagnosis or were euthanised without imaging. A total of 16 IM/ANNPE cases were collected: 94% had a successful outcome, and one dog was euthanised. Successful outcomes can be obtained by using clinical reasoning alone in most dogs with suspected IVDE or IM/ANNPE.

Surgical interventions and outcome in a population of canine trauma patients

OBJECTIVE

To determine signalment, injury type, trauma severity score, and outcome of canine trauma patients undergoing surgical (emergency room [ER] or operating room [OR]) and nonsurgical treatment in addition to time to surgery, specialty services involved, and cost in the OR surgery population.

DESIGN

Retrospective evaluation of medical record and hospital trauma registry data on canine trauma cases.

SETTING

University teaching hospital.

ANIMALS

One thousand six hundred and thirty dogs presenting for traumatic injury between May 2017 and July 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Demographics and outcome were compared for canine trauma patients undergoing OR surgery (12.8%, 208/1630), ER surgery (39.1%, 637/1630), or no surgical intervention (48.2%, 785/1630). Among the 2 surgical groups, 98.9% (836/845) survived to discharge compared with 92.2% (724/785) of the nonsurgical group (P < 0.0001). The OR surgical group had significantly higher median Animal Trauma Triage scores (2 vs 1, P < 0.0001) and median days in hospital (2 vs < 1, P < 0.0001) compared with the other groups. For the OR surgical cohort, electronic medical records were reviewed to determine the specialty surgery service involved, time to and duration of anesthesia and surgery, and visit cost. The most common surgery services involved were orthopedics (45.2%, 94/208) and general surgery (26.9%, 56/208). Neurology and general surgery cases required the longest median length of stay in hospital, and ophthalmology and dentistry cases required the shortest. The median cost of visit was highest in neurology ($10,032) and lowest in ophthalmology ($2305) and dentistry ($2404).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical intervention in canine trauma patients appears to be associated with higher survival rates, and among the surgery groups, mortality was highest in the ER and general surgery groups. OR surgical intervention, in particular general surgery and neurology, was associated with increased length of hospitalization, increased cost, and higher Animal Trauma Triage scores.

The Progressive Veterinary Practice

Veterinary practices must be forward-thinking to effectively serve today's pet owners and move into the future. The progressive practice considers every aspect of a pet owner's journey, from searching for a veterinarian to paying their invoice, and seeks ways to improve their experience. Many tools and methods can be used to reach these goals, while also improving efficiency and veterinary team well-being. Digital tools and artificial intelligence in particular provide significant advances that allow veterinary practices to better serve and build relationships with their clients and patients.

A comparison of owner perceived and measured body condition, feeding and exercise in sport and pet dogs

Dog obesity is a significant problem in the US and elsewhere. The purpose was to evaluate factors contributing to pet obesity in sport and pet dog owners. Owners were recruited over social media to answer a questionnaire regarding demographics, health, body condition, feeding, exercise and dog related expenses. Owners identified as pet or sport dog owners. We asked owners to measure the pelvic circumference and hock to stifle length in their dogs in order to calculate percent fat. Owners reported that their dogs were in "ideal" body condition. However, percent fat calculated from owner measurements was significantly different between groups (Sport: 16 ± 10%fat; Pet: 24 ± 10% fat; p < 0.05) and revealed that over 50% of the dogs were over fat. Owners reported feeding dogs a range of 413 to 1,133 Kilocalories (Kcal) per day that correlated well with dog size (R = 0.58; p < 0.05). The size of the treats fed was smaller in the Sport dogs (treat was pinky nail to thumbnail sized) than in Pet dogs (treat was bigger than thumb to larger than palm). Owners reported walking their dogs on leash every day for 15-45 min per session. Overall, owners did a poor job in identifying correct body condition of their dogs. This is concerning because 50% of the dogs were over fat. Better understanding of correct body condition and feeding for the level of physical activity is still a critical issue in controlling obesity in pet dogs.

Factors associated with heartworm preventative use in the golden retriever lifetime study

Introduction

Heartworm disease is preventable with use of heartworm preventatives, but the reported prevalence of heartworm preventative use in the United States is low, some estimates falling around 50% of dogs. However, there are very few estimates of prevalence and its associated factors.

Methods

We aimed to estimate prevalence and evaluate factors, including vaccination status, demographics, lifestyle, physical conditions, medications and supplements, and environment and living conditions, for their association with heartworm preventative use in a large dataset from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study (N = 2,998). Due to the large number of predictors evaluated, we built a bootstrapped elastic net logistic regression model, which is robust to overfitting and multicollinearity. Variables were evaluated by calculating covariate stability (>80%) and statistical significance (p<0.02).

Results

In our sample, the prevalence of heartworm use was 39.5%. In our elastic net model, receiving vaccinations (rabies, Bordetella, or any other vaccine), being located in the Southern U.S., being altered, having an infectious disease or ear/ nose/throat system disease diagnosis, being on heartworm preventatives in the past, currently being on tick preventative, having sun exposure in an area with concrete flooring, living in a house with more rooms with carpeted floors, and spending time on hardwood flooring inside were associated with greater odds of heartworm preventative use. Supplementation use and being in the top quartile of height were associated with lower odds of heartworm preventative use.

Discussion

The explanatory factors we identified can be used to improve client communication. In addition, target populations for educational interventions and outreach can be identified. Future studies can validate the findings in a more diverse population of dogs.

Evaluation of a Student-Led Community-Based Veterinary Clinic for Disabled Low-Income Clients: A Case Study of the University of Florida PAWS Program

People with disabilities experiencing low socioeconomic position are priority populations when considering access to veterinary care. In this population, intersectional inequities lead to adverse health outcomes for both those individuals and the companion animals they care for. Community-based veterinary clinics provide an opportunity to target these inequities from a culturally sensitive lens, intending to improve human and animal outcomes. We conducted a process evaluation of a student-led community-based clinic for this population to better understand client satisfaction, assess learning outcomes among veterinary students, and improve program delivery and services. During academic year 2020-2021, the monthly clinics had 162 appointments in total with a median 15 DVM candidates volunteering at each clinic. Clients and volunteers responded to survey questionnaires designed to elicit information about their experiences with the clinic, including open-ended questions for further elucidation of measurable indicators of client-, patient-, and student-level impact. Clients attributed enrollment in the clinic with improved quality-of-life and reduction of financial burden; the program saved clients approximately $2,050 per pet during the evaluation year. Furthermore, the clinic widely facilitated completion of the college's core Primary Care and Dentistry learning outcomes. Beyond curriculum-standard learning objectives, students also reported positive attitude changes and increased readiness to provide care to people with disabilities and people experiencing low socioeconomic position. The results of this evaluation have significant implications for both veterinary and public health pedagogy. Especially, they highlight the significance of community health practice in veterinary trainee education.

CANINE HEARTWORM INFECTION AND PROPHYLAXIS USE AMONG PET CARETAKERS FROM THE CUMBERLAND GAP REGION OF TENNESSEE, USA

The prevalence of infection with canine heartworm (CHW), Dirofilaria immitis, continues to increase across the United States, regardless of the availability of effective and affordable prophylactic products. Current reports of CHW prevalence as estimated by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) are thought to under-represent the true magnitude of the issue because pet dogs that do not receive regular veterinary care are often excluded. This study estimated the prevalence of CHW in pet dogs and associated prophylaxis use in pet dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region with a combined doorstep diagnostic testing approach and caretaker survey. Dogs tested (n = 258) during the summers of 2018 and 2019 revealed a 2.3% (6/258) prevalence in the pet dog population with 33% (2/6) being microfilaremic. Questionnaire data from caretaker interviews revealed that 41.8% (108/258) of the dogs were not receiving CHW prophylaxis. Significant predictors of CHW prophylaxis use identified through logistic regression included pet caretaker awareness of CHW as an important health issue and the use of veterinary services in the year preceding participation in the survey. These results underscore the importance of veterinary-mediated client interaction to create risk awareness of CHW disease and association with prophylaxis compliance.

Dog Owners’ Attitude toward Veterinary Antibiotic Use and Antibiotic Resistance with a Focus on Canine Diarrhea Management

An ad hoc questionnaire was designed in order to investigate AMR knowledge amongst Italian dog owners, owner expectations concerning pharmacological treatment of canine AD, and client attitudes towards and compliance with alternative strategies to antimicrobial administration. A total of 250 questionnaires were returned. Most of respondents were female, aged 36–70 and workers. More than a half of participants owned one dog with mixed breed, with Labrador retriever, golden retriever, dachshund, and border collie being the most represented breeds. On average, each dog was treated with an oral antibiotic 1.044 times per year. Intestinal diseases were among the main reasons (19%) for antibiotic prescription. Oral antibiotic courses without veterinary consultation (21%) and anticipated termination of the therapy (17.1%) were less common than reported elsewhere. The majority of respondents knew the meaning of AMR with a significant inverse association between the level of education and the tendency to administer antimicrobials without consulting a clinician (p = 0.004). Most of the owners expected a rapid recovery of clinical signs after a first episode of AD and accepted natural dietary supplementation for treating the condition. Ninety-five percent of the respondents believed that public funding should be spent to study AMR. Even though an acceptable degree of AMR awareness emerged, we feel that further efforts should be made to increase public AMR knowledge and to stimulate proactive measures to fight the phenomenon. On the other hand, the development of guidelines for the treatment of uncomplicated canine AD would help clinicians to rationalize antimicrobial use.

Factors regarding the dog owner's household situation, antisocial behaviours, animal views and animal treatment in a population of dogs confiscated after biting humans and/ or other animals

To examine the dog ownership factors characteristic to a population of dogs confiscated after a human and/ or animal-directed biting incident, we compared bite risk assessment reports of 159 confiscated dogs in the time frame 2008, 2009, 2010 (tf1) and of 215 confiscated dogs in the time frame 2020, 2021, 2022 (until mid-May; tf2). The reports were compiled by the same institute in a standardized format. We studied frequencies and chi-square pairwise comparisons (P<0.05) for 30 identified ownership factors. Overall (tf1 and tf2), 1,308 ownership factors were mentioned in the reports and reports mentioning ≥5 factors were twice as frequent in tf2 (38%) than tf1 (16%). Our data suggest that nine factors may in particular serve as a warning signal for biting incidents, as these factors were most frequently (≥15%) prevalent in the total of reported cases: having a multiple dog household, a dog reportedly roaming a neighbourhood without an owner, a dog's care tasks being transferred, a short leash and muzzle obligation served to the owner for a dog, an isolated and/ or confined keeping of a dog, a dog owner's (suspected) substance abuse, a dog owner's (suspected) animal abuse, a dog owner aggressing at confiscation of the dog and a dog owner being reported on for antisocial behaviours such as intimidation. Particularly, a dog owner's aggressive or antisocial behaviours and previous obligations to muzzle and short leash a dog (in our dataset often inappropriately adhered to by owners), may indicate that a proportion of owners of confiscated dogs, may not always be willing and/ or capable to guarantee societal safety. The results show that identification of dog ownership factors, might be useful for establishing biting incident policies and further studies should be done on preventive measures and controls.

Feline Oncogenomics: What Do We Know about the Genetics of Cancer in Domestic Cats?

Simple Summary

Cancer is a significant cause of suffering and death in domestic cats. In humans, an understanding of the genetics of different types of cancers has become clinically important for all aspects of patient care and forms the basis for most emerging diagnostics and therapies. The field of ‘oncogenomics’ characterises the alterations of cancer-associated genes that are found in tumours. Such a thorough understanding of the oncogenome of human tumours has only been possible due to a high-quality reference genome and an understanding of the genetic variation that can exist between people. Although a high-quality reference genome for cats has only recently been generated, investigations into understanding the genetics of feline cancers have been underway for many years, using a range of different technologies. This review summarises what is currently known of the genetics of both common and rare types of cancer in domestic cats. Drawing attention to our current understanding of the feline oncogenome will hopefully bring this topic into focus and serve as a springboard for more much-needed research into the genetics of cancer in domestic cats.

Abstract

Cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in domestic cats. In humans, an understanding of the oncogenome of different cancer types has proven critical and is deeply interwoven into all aspects of patient care, including diagnostics, prognostics and treatments through the application of targeted therapies. Investigations into understanding the genetics of feline cancers started with cytogenetics and was then expanded to studies at a gene-specific level, looking for mutations and expression level changes of genes that are commonly mutated in human cancers. Methylation studies have also been performed and together with a recently generated high-quality reference genome for cats, next-generation sequencing studies are starting to deliver results. This review summarises what is currently known of the genetics of both common and rare cancer types in cats, including lymphomas, mammary tumours, squamous cell carcinomas, soft tissue tumours, mast cell tumours, haemangiosarcomas, pulmonary carcinomas, pancreatic carcinomas and osteosarcomas. Shining a spotlight on our current understanding of the feline oncogenome will hopefully serve as a springboard for more much-needed research into the genetics of cancer in domestic cats.

Is Pet Health Insurance Able to Improve Veterinary Care? Why Pet Health Insurance for Dogs and Cats Has Limits: An Ethical Consideration on Pet Health Insurance

Simple Summary

The standards of veterinary medicine are increasingly approaching those of human medicine. As a result, the cost of veterinary medicine is also rising noticeably. For many veterinarians and also pet owners, the question therefore arises as to whether animal health insurance is a possible solution. Based on a thought model, we have classified pet owners into four groups according to their willingness to pay and their dispensable funds. We found that animal health insurance can reduce price discussions, but reaches its limits as soon as an animal owner can afford neither the veterinary costs nor a monthly insurance premium.

Abstract

Background: Owners often feel the cost of veterinary care is too high, as there remains a limited understanding of the cost of health care in human and veterinary medicine alike. Pet health insurance is often seen as a universal solution. However, especially for patient owners with few financial resources, both the bill at the vet and the monthly premium for pet health insurance can become a challenge. Hypothesis: Pet health insurance can prevent or ease many price discussions at the vet, but it does not offer a solution for patient owners with little financial means. Methods: In order to verify for which patient owners pet health insurance can be a solution, four theoretical groups were formed depending on the patient owner’s willingness to pay and his/her dispensable funds based on a theoretical model. Results: Dispensable funds are a factor that cannot be influenced by the veterinary surgeon. However, low dispensable funds as a result of an insufficient willingness to save (whether due to a lack of financial education or a lack of will) can be solved by pet health insurance. Willingness to pay, on the other hand, can be influenced by empathetic communication from the veterinary surgeon and thus also from pet health insurance. Nevertheless, situations remain where pet health insurance is not a solution either, because owners can neither afford the veterinary costs nor a premium for a pet health insurance.

Pet Owners' Perceptions of COVID-19, Zoonotic Disease, and Veterinary Medicine: The Impact of Demographic Characteristics

This study aimed to investigate the impact of sociodemographic characteristics on pet owners' concern about the transmission of zoonotic disease and SARS-CoV-2, and to describe owners' perceptions of veterinarians and physicians as resources for zoonoses information. Between September and October 2020, 1154 individuals completed an online survey via Qualtrics. Binary logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between owner demographics and perceptions of zoonoses and SARS-CoV-2. Most participants were minimally concerned about their pets contracting or transmitting zoonotic diseases or SARS-CoV-2, although perceptions of risk differed based on age, race, and education. Older participants were typically less concerned about the transmission of zoonotic diseases and SARS-CoV-2. Considering where participants obtained information about zoonoses, pet owners were more likely to contact their veterinarian for advice (43%) than their physician (17%). However, 17% of pet owners struggled to access veterinary care, and 51% said their access to veterinary care had become more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlight a need for further education about zoonoses and SARS-CoV-2, and suggest veterinarians may play a key role in these communications. The results also emphasize the need to address access to care issues in veterinary medicine.

Reasons for Guardian-Relinquishment of Dogs to Shelters: Animal and Regional Predictors in British Columbia, Canada

Dogs are relinquished to animal shelters for animal-related or guardian-related reasons. Understanding what drives relinquishment patterns is essential for informing intervention opportunities to keep animals with their guardians. Whereas, overall reasons for relinquishment in a given shelter system have been well explored, analysis of human and animal predictors of relinquishing for a specific reason has not been previously attempted. We used characteristics of relinquishment including year, population of the relinquishing guardian's region, health status of the dog, breed, age group, weight, and sex to predict reasons for dog relinquishment to British Columbia (BC) Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) shelters across BC between 2008 and 2019 (n = 32,081). Relinquishment trends for puppies and adult dogs were also viewed and described. From 2008-2019, the proportion of dogs relinquished relative to total intake remained consistent (range: 31-35%). Primary reasons reported by guardians were having too many dogs (19%), housing issues (17%), personal issues (15%), financial issues (10%), dog behavior (10%), and guardian health (8%). Over years, an increasing proportion of dogs were relinquished for the reason "too many" (OR = 1.16, 95% CI, 1.10-1.23, p < 0.001) and "behavior" (OR = 1.34, 95% CI, 1.26-1.43, p < 0.001), while a decreasing proportion were relinquished due to financial problems (OR = 0.94, 95% CI, 0.88-1.00, p = 0.047). Being a puppy, mixed breed, small, and from a small or medium population center predicted the reason "too many." Being a senior, Healthy, or from a medium or large population center predicted the reason "housing issues." Being a non-puppy, Healthy dog in a large population center predicted the reason "personal issues." Being a puppy, non-Healthy, female, and from a large population center predicted the reason "financial issues." Being a larger young adult or adult and Healthy predicted the reason "dog behavior." Being an adult or senior small dog from a small population center predicted the reason "guardian health." Particularly promising region-specific intervention opportunities include efforts to prevent too many animals in small population centers, improvement of pet-inclusive housing in large population centers, and providing animal care support in large population centers. Accessible veterinary services, including low-cost or subsidized care, likely benefit dog retention across BC.

Measuring Changes in Perceptions of Access to Pet Support Care in Underserved Communities

Understanding social, economic, and structural barriers to accessing pet care services is important for improving the health and welfare of companion animals in underserved communities in the U.S. From May 2018-December 2019, six questions from the validated One Health Community Assessment were used to measure perceptions of access to pet care in two urban and two rural zip codes. One urban and one rural community received services from a pet support outreach program (Pets for Life), while the other served as a comparison community. After propensity score matching was performed to eliminate demographic bias in the sample (Urban = 512 participants, Rural = 234 participants), Generalized Estimating Equations were employed to compare the six measures of access to pet care between the intervention and comparison communities. The urban community with the Pets for Life intervention was associated with a higher overall measure of access to pet care compared to the urban site that did not have the Pets for Life intervention. When assessing each of the six measures of access to care, the urban community with the Pets for Life intervention was associated with higher access to affordable pet care options and higher access to pet care service providers who offer payment options than the community without the Pets for Life intervention. Further analyses with a subset of Pets for Life clients comparing pre-intervention and post-intervention survey responses revealed statistically significant positive trends in perceptions of two of the six measures of access to pet care. This study provides evidence that community-based animal welfare programming has the potential to increase perceptions of access to pet support services.

It Keeps the Good Boy Healthy from Nose to Tail: Understanding Pet Food Attribute Preferences of US Consumers

The study provides insights for marketing managers in specialized pet supplies retailers, as well as for vets and animal welfare organizations. This study proposes a model that investigates the importance pet owners place on convenience, natural ingredients, and value and health claims as product attributes. For this purpose, an online survey with a sample size of 206 pet-owning US residents was conducted. Partial least squares structural equation modelling shows that pet food purchase involvement positively impacts subjective and objective knowledge about pet food. Subjective knowledge appears to be the strongest factor impacting the importance consumers place on all three attributes. This is followed by objective knowledge. Socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, income, and education appear to have a limited impact as predictors for the importance consumers place on the product attributes.

Just Love Me, Feed Me, Never Leave Me: Understanding Pet Food Anxiety, Feeding and Shopping Behavior of US Pet Owners in Covidian Times

The study provides insights for pet food retailers, vets and managers and volunteers at animal shelters, pet food pantries and food banks into the behavioral changes in feeding and pet food buying resulting from pet food anxiety in Covidian times. This study proposes a model that investigates the impact of pet owner's perceptions of their pet, their engagement with their pet, sociodemographic factors and the frequency of incidences where pet owners could not provide sufficient food for their pet. For this purpose, an online survey with a sample of 206 US residents was conducted. Partial least squares structural equation modelling shows that perceiving the pet as an animal or family/friend, as well as active engagement with the pet, heightens a sense of pet food anxiety. Similarly, past experiences where pet owners could not provide sufficient food for their pet impacts pet food anxiety, which leads to changes in pet food shopping and pet feeding behavior. Sociodemographic factors (biological sex, age, income and education) were not found to impact anxiety.

Ethical Challenges Posed by Advanced Veterinary Care in Companion Animal Veterinary Practice

Simple Summary

Veterinary care of companion animals, particularly dogs and cats, continues to advance, with some companion animals receiving a standard of care equal to or exceeding that of human patients. While this has the potential to improve animal welfare and benefit other stakeholders, including animal owners and veterinary team members, it also poses ethical challenges. We discuss key ethical challenges associated with AVC, including its relationship to standards of veterinary care, its potential to perpetuate poor quality of life and suffering, cost and accessibility of veterinary care, conflicts of interest, and concerns about experimentation without appropriate ethical review. We conclude by suggesting some strategies for veterinary teams and other stakeholders, such as professional bodies and regulators, to address these concerns.

Abstract

Advanced veterinary care (AVC) of companion animals may yield improved clinical outcomes, improved animal welfare, improved satisfaction of veterinary clients, improved satisfaction of veterinary team members, and increased practice profitability. However, it also raises ethical challenges. Yet, what counts as AVC is difficult to pinpoint due to continuing advancements. We discuss some of the challenges in defining advanced veterinary care (AVC), particularly in relation to a standard of care (SOC). We then review key ethical challenges associated with AVC that have been identified in the veterinary ethics literature, including poor quality of life, dysthanasia and caregiver burden, financial cost and accessibility of veterinary care, conflicts of interest, and the absence of ethical review for some patients undergoing AVC. We suggest some strategies to address these concerns, including prospective ethical review utilising ethical frameworks and decision-making tools, the setting of humane end points, the role of regulatory bodies in limiting acceptable procedures, and the normalisation of quality-of-life scoring. We also suggest a role for retrospective ethical review in the form of ethics rounds and clinical auditing. Our discussion reenforces the need for a spectrum of veterinary care for companion animals.

Detailed Assessment of Pet Ownership Rates in Four Underserved Urban and Rural Communities in the United States

Understanding pet ownership in a community is an important factor for assessing the effectiveness of animal welfare programming. Data on pet ownership were collected from 2,327 households in two urban and two rural zip codes. The percentage of households owning pets and the species owned were calculated for the individual communities, the urban and rural pairs, and the aggregate data. Findings were compared to the 2017-2018 AVMA Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook data. The rural communities had an 11.5% higher rate of overall pet keeping and a 19% higher dog ownership rate than the urban communities, but the measured cat ownership rate was similar in all four sites at an average of 19.4% (SD = 2.1%). The community-specific rates of pet ownership were different (p < .0001) than the rates predicted fromthe AVMA-recommended formula, but at 56.8%, the aggregate pet-keeping rate was exactly the same as that calculated by the AVMA. The findings reveal community-level variability in pet-keeping rates that must be accounted for when assessing pet service, emergency planning, and animal welfare programming needs.

Exploring the Relationship Between Human Social Deprivation and Animal Surrender to Shelters in British Columbia, Canada

Previous studies identify owner-related issues, such as cost and housing, as common reasons for relinquishment of companion animals to animal shelters. It is likely that the burden of surrendering for owner-related reasons falls on those who are socially vulnerable (e.g., low income, unemployed); however, very few studies have assessed social determinants as a predictor of animal relinquishment. The present study used the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD), which uses four factors of social vulnerability (Ethnocultural Composition, Economic Dependency, Residential Instability, and Situational Vulnerability) to predict risk of surrender for various reasons, of various species and breeds, and of various health statuses across British Columbia, Canada (n = 29,236). We found that CIMD factors predicted increased risk of surrender across many shelter variables. For further understanding of differences between areas in the province, the present study also analyzed the relationship between CIMD factors and animal surrender variables in two areas of interest: Metro Vancouver (n = 3,445) and Kamloops (n = 2,665), and plotted these relationships on a geospatial scale. We found that there were some similarities across areas, such as Situational Vulnerability predicting increased odds of surrendering pit bull-labeled dogs vs. all other dog breeds. There were also differences in predictors of animal surrender variables, suggesting that provision of animal services, such as veterinary care, for vulnerable groups may be specific to location. For example, whereas Ethnocultural Composition predicted increased risk of owner surrender for multiple owner-related reasons in Metro Vancouver, these same reasons for surrender were predicted by Residential Instability in Kamloops, indicating demographic differences that affect animal shelter service use. The results of this research validate the use of geospatial analysis to understand relationships between human vulnerability and animal welfare, but also highlight the need for further interventions in marginalized populations to increase retention of animals.