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Philpotts I, Blackwell EJ, Dillon J, Tipton E, Rooney NJ. What Do We Know about Dog Owners? Exploring Associations between Pre-Purchase Behaviours, Knowledge and Understanding, Ownership Practices, and Dog Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:396. [PMID: 38338039 PMCID: PMC10854595 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite many dogs living in homes in the UK, there is still more to know about the welfare of those individual animals. Past research has shown that owners' thoughts and behaviours have a substantial impact on their dog's welfare. This study aimed to better understand owners' pre-purchase behaviours, knowledge and understanding, and ownership practices, and explore any associations between these factors and their dog's welfare. We conducted further analysis of the data collected by People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) for their 2017 PDSA Animal Welfare (PAW) Report (n = 1814). We extracted variables to describe owner demographics (7), pre-purchase behaviours (1), knowledge and understanding (4), welfare indicators, (2) and ownership practices (4), and we tested for an association between these variables. We found more pre-purchase research was carried out by younger respondents and those with a higher education level. Also, more research was associated with feeling more informed about the five welfare needs and knowing to seek help for behaviour from appropriate sources. Overall, the study found several novel and significant results worthy of note and further exploration but did not find any strong connections between the variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izzie Philpotts
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Group, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK; (E.J.B.); (N.J.R.)
- School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Emily J. Blackwell
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Group, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK; (E.J.B.); (N.J.R.)
| | - Justin Dillon
- IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, London WC1H 0AL, UK;
| | - Emma Tipton
- PDSA, Whitechapel Way, Priorslee, Telford TF2 9PQ, UK;
| | - Nicola J. Rooney
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Group, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK; (E.J.B.); (N.J.R.)
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Golding E, Neavyn Neita A, Walshe N, Hanlon A, Mulcahy G, Duggan V. Survey of the knowledge and perceptions of horse owners in Ireland of common clinical conditions and their impact. Equine Vet J 2023; 55:270-281. [PMID: 35575027 PMCID: PMC10084215 DOI: 10.1111/evj.13589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the primary decision-maker for their horse's health and welfare, owners' knowledge of clinical conditions may impact their horse's health. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the emotional impact of equine illness on the owner can be severe but research is lacking. OBJECTIVES To evaluate horse owners' self-declared knowledge of eight common equine health conditions and perceptions of the quality of information available; to ascertain respondents' perceptions of the severity of impact on their horse of the conditions and potential emotional impact on themselves and to establish the factors of greatest concern to owners when their horse has a health condition and influential factors on end-of-life decisions. STUDY DESIGN Online survey of horse owners. METHODS An online survey comprising three sections was created: respondent demographics; vignettes of clinical conditions; concerns and decision-making regarding illness and euthanasia. Vignettes focused on arthritis; Pars Pituitary Intermedia Dysfunction; Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS); gastric ulcers; high intestinal worm burden; dermatophilosis ('mud rash'); quidding and head tossing; and equine asthma. Respondents were self-selecting. The survey was circulated for completion by horse owners residing in Ireland and Northern Ireland obtaining 491 valid responses. RESULTS Respondents declared that they had the highest knowledge of mud rash, with 84.1% rating their knowledge as very good compared to 42% of respondents for EMS. There was positive correlation between the perceived impact on their horse and emotional impact on the owner for all conditions ranging from weak (arthritis 0.36, P < 0.001) to strong (EMS 0.62, P < 0.001). Pain, discomfort, and quality of life were reported as the most common concerns when their horse has a medical condition or when considering euthanasia. MAIN LIMITATIONS Potential bias among respondents towards computer literate owners, with good literacy and interest in equine health conditions. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of equine health conditions, perceived impact of conditions on the horse and emotional impact on their owners varied significantly between conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Golding
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aoife Neavyn Neita
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nicola Walshe
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alison Hanlon
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Grace Mulcahy
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Vivienne Duggan
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Hiby E, Agustina KK, Nattras Atema K, Bagus GN, Girardi J, Harfoot M, Haryono Y, Hiby L, Irawan H, Kalalo L, Purnama SG, Subrata IM, Swacita IBN, Utami NWA, Januraga PP, Wirawan DN. Dog Ecology and Rabies Knowledge of Owners and Non-Owners in Sanur, A Sub-District of the Indonesian Island Province of Bali. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:ani8070112. [PMID: 29976915 PMCID: PMC6070915 DOI: 10.3390/ani8070112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study gained an understanding of dog demographics, owner behaviour, and knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to rabies in three villages in Sanur, Bali, providing insights for an intervention to improve responsible dog ownership. A combination of a census of all dogs, street surveys of roaming dogs, and a Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey was used to study both dogs and people. A total of 6009 dogs were recorded, of which only 3.3% appeared to be unowned; unowned dogs had poorer welfare and were more likely to be wary of attempted approaches by people. The source of dogs, method of confinement used by owners, and whether dogs were sterilised differed between three breed types; purebred dogs, mixed breed, and Bali dogs (native breed). Three variables were found to have significant effects on the chances of not being vaccinated: age, dog type, and confinement. A mean of 3.81 roaming dogs per km of street surveyed was recorded along 28 sub-village routes. Responses to attitude statements showed that most people had a positive attitude towards dogs and vaccination and did not agree with culling. Knowledge of appropriate bite treatment and symptoms of rabies in dogs was good.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kadek Karang Agustina
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University, Jln. PB Sudirman, Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | | | - Gusti Ngurah Bagus
- BAWA, Jl. Anak Agung Gede Rai no. 550, Br. Kertha Wangsa, Lodtunduh, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Janice Girardi
- BAWA, Jl. Anak Agung Gede Rai no. 550, Br. Kertha Wangsa, Lodtunduh, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Mike Harfoot
- UNEP-WCMC, 219 Huntingdon Rd, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, UK.
| | - Yacinta Haryono
- BAWA, Jl. Anak Agung Gede Rai no. 550, Br. Kertha Wangsa, Lodtunduh, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Lex Hiby
- Conservation Research Ltd., Cambridge, CB22 5AL, UK, .
| | - Hendra Irawan
- BAWA, Jl. Anak Agung Gede Rai no. 550, Br. Kertha Wangsa, Lodtunduh, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Levin Kalalo
- BAWA, Jl. Anak Agung Gede Rai no. 550, Br. Kertha Wangsa, Lodtunduh, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Sang Gede Purnama
- Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Jln. PB Sudirman, Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - I Made Subrata
- Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Jln. PB Sudirman, Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Ida Bagus Ngurah Swacita
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University, Jln. PB Sudirman, Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Ni Wayan Arya Utami
- Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Jln. PB Sudirman, Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Pande Putu Januraga
- Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Jln. PB Sudirman, Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
| | - Dewa Nyoman Wirawan
- Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Jln. PB Sudirman, Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia.
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Norman R, Wills AP. An Investigation into the Relationship between Owner Knowledge, Diet, and Dental Disease in Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus). Animals (Basel) 2016; 6:E73. [PMID: 27854241 DOI: 10.3390/ani6110073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Dental disease is a serious problem in small mammals, with cases in rabbits well documented. Guinea pigs also suffer from this condition, yet the literature investigating the underlying causes in guinea pigs is limited. Owners of guinea pigs were surveyed to investigate what they fed their animals. It was discovered that there was no relationship between the overall diet of the animals and whether or not they had been diagnosed with dental disease or displayed clinical signs of the disease. However, the environment was important, with animals that had access to the outside, including the use of runs on both concrete and grass, less likely to display clinical signs of disease. Some of the clinical signs of dental disease in guinea pigs, including difficulty eating, were related to dental problems. These findings are important, as many guinea pigs may not have continuous access to the outdoors. Dental disease is a serious welfare concern, as many owners may not pick up on the clinical signs, leaving animals susceptible to pain, dysphagia, malnutrition, and secondary infection. It is important that owners are aware of key clinical signs, particularly in multi-animal households where monitoring food consumption may be challenging. Abstract Recent studies have highlighted a high prevalence of dental disease in domestic guinea pigs, yet the aetiology of this multi-factorial disease is still unclear. Factors that have been associated with dental disease include feeding a diet that is high in energy but low in fibre, feeding an insufficiently abrasive diet, a lack of dietary calcium, and genetics. As many of these factors relate to the husbandry requirements of guinea pigs, owner awareness of dietary requirements is of the utmost importance. An online questionnaire was created based on previous research into the husbandry and feeding of rabbits. Guinea pig owners were asked to answer questions on the clinical history of their animals and their diet and management. In total, 150 surveys were completed for 344 guinea pigs, where owners of multiple animals could complete the survey for individuals. According to the owners, 6.7% of guinea pigs had been clinically diagnosed with dental disease, but 16.6% had signs consistent with dental disease. The specific clinical signs of having difficulty eating (Exp(B) = 33.927, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.301, p < 0.05) and producing fewer or smaller faecal droppings (Exp(B) = 13.733, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.149, p < 0.05) were predictive for the presence of dental disease. Having access to an outside environment, including the use of runs on both concrete and grass, was significantly related to not displaying clinical signs of dental disease (Exp(B) = 1.894, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.021, p < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between owner knowledge, guinea pig diet, and dental disease in the study population. This study highlights the importance of access to the outdoors for the health and welfare of guinea pigs in addition to the need for owners to be alert to key clinical signs. A relationship between diet and dental disease was not identified in this study; however, the underlying aetiological causes of this condition require further investigation.
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