Assessment of dog owner adherence to veterinarians’ flea and tick prevention recommendations in the United States using a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

BackgroundAdherence to a prescribed therapeutic regimen is a critical factor for achieving medication effectiveness and therefore treatment success. In the case of companion animal ectoparasite control, suboptimal owner adherence to medication recommendations is thought to be a common cause of treatment failure, and previous reports have found pet owners applying an average of 4.0–4.6 monthly flea and tick treatments per year to their dogs. This study investigated: US veterinary hospital self-reported flea and tick prevention recommendations; dog owner recollection of these recommendations; dog owner opinion on flea/tick recommendations and estimated owner flea and tick medication adherence based on veterinary hospital purchase records.ResultsVeterinarians at 24 veterinary hospitals in 4 United States regions provided their flea and tick prevention recommendations. Five hundred fifty-nine dog owners, clients of the 24 hospitals, completed a survey evaluating their recollection of the hospitals’ recommendations and their opinions regarding required treatment frequency. Almost all veterinary hospitals in this study recommended 12 months of flea and tick prevention but only 62% of participating dog owners recalled this recommendation. The average owner response was that their dogs require 10.5 months of flea and tick prevention annually. Owner opinions were significantly different among U.S. regions with pet owners in the northeast U.S. believing that they needed significantly less canine flea and tick protection than pet owners in other parts of the United States. The estimated actual flea and tick prevention coverage was 6.1 months based on owner medication purchases over a 12-month period.ConclusionsIn the United States, dog owner opinions and actions show that their flea and tick treatment adherence falls short of veterinarians’ recommendations.

Efficacy of a novel orally administered combination product containing sarolaner, moxidectin and pyrantel (Simparica Trio™) against induced infestations of five common tick species infesting dogs in the USA

“…While numerous parasite preventives are currently available for use in dogs, extensive protection against both ecto-and endoparasites usually requires multiple medications often with varying administration routes and directions [29]. Recent research in both the USA and Europe shows owner compliance in the prevention and treatment of internal and external parasites frequently falls short of expert recommendations [30][31][32][33][34]. Within the USA, 73% of dog owners in one survey believed their dog should receive year-round flea and tick preventives but only 13% actually purchased sufficient medication to achieve year-round protection [32], and owner compliance in the correct administration of canine heartworm preventive is documented as well below 100% [30,35].…”

“…Recent research in both the USA and Europe shows owner compliance in the prevention and treatment of internal and external parasites frequently falls short of expert recommendations [30][31][32][33][34]. Within the USA, 73% of dog owners in one survey believed their dog should receive year-round flea and tick preventives but only 13% actually purchased sufficient medication to achieve year-round protection [32], and owner compliance in the correct administration of canine heartworm preventive is documented as well below 100% [30,35]. The use of multiple medications may add further hurdles for owners; an analysis of clinic transaction records for 231,565 dogs receiving flea and tick medication showed approximately 66% of owners purchased insufficient protection to provide the veterinarian's recommended yearround protection [31].…”

Adherence to Veterinary Recommendations for Ectoparasiticides Purchased by Cat Owners in the United States.

“…Medication purchasing data are a reliable surrogate for medication adherence, 29 as long as the purchased medication is administered as recommended. Purchased medication may not be administered as recommended, which means adherence measured from medication purchases would then overestimate true adherence by an unknown amount.…”

“…Earlier studies found that veterinarians in the United States recommend 12 months of protection each year against eas and ticks. 8,29 Cat owners increased their adherence to this recommendation through use of a product with a longer duration of action. This is also consistent with prior data showing that treatment adherence is inversely related to dosing frequency, a critical convenience factor.…”

Compliance von Hunde- und Katzenbesitzern in der Gesundheitsvorsorge

“…Sie lässt sich nach einer Formel der American Animal Hospital Association wie folgt darstellen: Compliance = tierärztliche Empfehlung + Besitzerakzeptanz + Nachsorge durch Tierarzt und Praxisteam [12]. Die Mitarbeit des Besitzers ist also ausschlaggebend für den Behandlungserfolg [12][13] [14]. Wie gut sie letztendlich ausfällt, hängt allerdings nicht, wie häufig angenommen, allein vom Besitzer ab.…”