Assessment of owner willingness to treat or manage diseases of dogs and cats as a guide to shelter animal adoptability

Murphy, Molly D.; Larson, Janice; Tyler, Allison; Kvam, Vanessa; Frank, Kristen; Eia, Cheryl; Bickett-Weddle, Danelle A.; Flaming, Kevan; Baldwin, Charles A.; Petersen, Christine A.

doi:10.2460/javma.242.1.46

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Owners have particular difficulty with the initial identification and ongoing assessment of chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis, with delayed perception potentially leading to delayed treatment . Differences have also been documented related to owners’ background and preference for purebred or mixed breed dogs, willingness to pursue veterinary care, and perceived benefit of medical management for conditions leading to OA (“caregiver placebo effect”) . Previous studies evaluating radiographic OA progression following surgical management of CCL rupture in dogs have included several large and giant dog breeds but did not specifically compare breed scores .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stifle joint osteoarthritis at the time of diagnosis of cranial cruciate ligament injury is higher in Boxers and in dogs weighing more than 35 kilograms

Gilbert¹,

Langenbach²,

Marcellin‐Little

et al. 2019

Vet Radiology Ultrasound

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Osteoarthritis is a ubiquitous disease in dogs. The purpose of this retrospective study was to characterize the severity and distribution of osteoarthritis (OA) within the joint and to identify differences among dog breeds in the severity of OA in the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL)-deficient stifle joint. Radiographs of 240 stifles from 51 Boxers, 66 German Shepherds, 100 Labrador Retrievers, and 23 Siberian Huskies with confirmed CCL rupture were included. Radiographs of the stifle joint were evaluated and OA severity was graded at 33 sites within and around the joint, and patella alta was graded as present or absent for a potential total stifle OA score of 100. Osteophyte size was correlated to OA severity score. Total OA scores were calculated and compared within and between breeds globally as well as at each joint site. Dogs weighing >35 kg had a higher total OA score than those weighing <35 kg. Osteoarthritis scores were highest at the apical patella, proximolateral tibia, and sesamoid bones, corresponding to the proximal, lateral, and caudal aspects of the joint, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found among the mean OA scores of various stifle joint regions. Boxer dogs had a higher total OA score than other breeds.We concluded that dogs have a consistent distribution pattern of OA within the stifle joint after CCL injury. Radiographic OA is more severe in the proximal, lateral, and caudal aspects of the joint.Boxers had more severe OA than the other breeds evaluated in the study. K E Y W O R D Scranial cruciate ligament, dog, osteoarthritis, osteophytes

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stifle joint osteoarthritis at the time of diagnosis of cranial cruciate ligament injury is higher in Boxers and in dogs weighing more than 35 kilograms

Gilbert¹,

Langenbach²,

Marcellin‐Little

et al. 2019

Vet Radiology Ultrasound

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“…Research from the PSDA (The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, 2017) suggests owners grossly underestimate the lifetime costs of dog and cat ownership, and socioeconomic factors have been linked with the disease clusters of parvovirus in Australia (Brady et al, 2012). The effort required to administer treatment of different types may impact how willing owners are to comply with recommendations (Murphy et al, 2013), as might their bond with their pet and their understanding of the need for preventative medicines (Esch et al, 2012). Owners' understanding of population immunity and the impact of this on their decisions is not known.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivators and barriers for dog and cat owners and veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom to using preventative medicines

Belshaw

Robinson

Dean

et al. 2018

Preventive Veterinary Medicine

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Routine use of preventative medicines is advocated as part of responsible dog and cat ownership. However, it has been suggested that the number of owners in the United Kingdom (UK) using preventative medicines to protect their pets is in decline. The aim of this novel study was to use a qualitative methodology to explore the attitudes of pet owners and veterinary surgeons in the UK to using preventative medicine products in dogs and cats. Preventative medicine was defined as "a drug or any other preparation used to prevent disease, illness or injury." Semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone with owners and veterinary surgeons who had recently participated in a preventative healthcare consultation. Thematic analysis of transcribed recordings of these interviews identified four themes. This paper reports the theme related to motivators and barriers to using preventative medicines. Owners' understanding varied widely about the importance of preventative medicines for pets, as did their confidence in the safety of prescription products. A good relationship with their veterinary surgeon or practice, seeing adverts on the television about specific diseases, advice from a breeder and having personally seen infected animals appeared to be motivators for owners to use preventative medicines. Concern about adverse events and uncertainty about the necessity of using preventative medicines were barriers. Owners who trusted their veterinary surgeons to advise them on preventative medicine products described little use of alternative information sources when making preventative medicine choices. However, owners who preferred to do their own research described reading online opinions, particular in relation to the safety of preventative medicines, which they found confusing. In contrast, veterinary surgeons described broad confidence in the safety and efficacy of prescription preventative medicines and described protection of pet health as a strong motivator for their use. Several expressed some concern about being seen to "sell" products, which may present a barrier to their advocacy. Veterinary surgeons were unsure about owners' level of understanding of the necessity of preventative medicines, particularly in relation to vaccinations, and few recalled instigating conversations with owners about product safety. Owner uncertainties about preventative medicine products may not be adequately addressed in the consulting room. This first qualitative study to investigate dog and cat preventative medicines suggests strategies are needed to increase discussion between pet owners and veterinary surgeons in the UK about the necessity, safety, efficacy and cost of preventative medicines.

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“…However, people often don't realize the time, energy, and monetary cost of working with a dog with behavioral problems. The study conducted by Murphy et al (2013), in which veterinarians ranked behavioral and medical problems, showed that owners were willing to treat a disorder as directed by the veterinarian and spend money on veterinary services. This makes sense, because the dogs in that research study very likely had attachment bonds with their owners and their owners thus viewed them as family members.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study by Murphy et al (2013) asked veterinarians to rank 120 medical and behavioral disorders in dogs as to whether the dog was healthy, treatable, manageable, or unhealthy, and to provide their opinion of what owners would do with dogs that presented these problems. The authors also conducted a parallel survey of 424 dog owners.…”

Section: Factors Contributing To Dog Adoptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical, Behavioral, and Abuse Status Characteristics: Predictors of Perceived Adoptability, Appeal, and Resource Demands of Shelter Dogs

et al. 2021

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Animal shelters commonly experience difficulties finding homes for dogs with pre-existing medical or behavioral issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the various factors that contribute to people's willingness to consider adopting dogs with different behavioral and medical needs and backgrounds. A web-based survey was created using the Qualtrics platform. The sample size for this study was (n = 752). Results from generalized linear mixed models and latent regression models showed that, overall stimulus, dogs described as having behavioral issues were viewed as less adoptable, less appealing, and more demanding of resources than dogs described as having medical issues. However, while women perceived dogs with behavioral issues as less adoptable than dogs with medical issues, men viewed dogs with behavioral issues as more adoptable than dogs with medical issues. Dogs described as friendly were perceived as most adoptable followed by (in order) dogs with an abuse history, dogs with allergies, and dogs that jumped/pulled. Dogs with diabetes or separation anxiety were perceived as least adoptable. Dogs described as having a history of abuse were viewed as more adoptable, more affectively appealing, and less demanding of resources than dogs with either medical or behavioral issues. Participants who currently had a dog or who were raised with a dog as a child tended to view stimulus dogs as more adoptable than their counterparts who didn't currently have a dog or who didn't have a dog as a child. Married persons viewed dogs as more adoptable than unmarried persons, and younger persons viewed dogs as more adoptable than older persons. Understanding the attitudes/beliefs of potential dog adopters toward various medical and behavioral issues provides animal rescue and adoption groups with valuable information on how

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Assessment of owner willingness to treat or manage diseases of dogs and cats as a guide to shelter animal adoptability

Abstract: These results provide a baseline indication of community willingness to address medical or behavioral conditions in dogs and cats. These considerations can be used in conjunction with Asilomar Accords recommendations to assess adoptability of cats and dogs in animal shelters.

Cited by 16 publications

References 4 publications

Stifle joint osteoarthritis at the time of diagnosis of cranial cruciate ligament injury is higher in Boxers and in dogs weighing more than 35 kilograms

Stifle joint osteoarthritis at the time of diagnosis of cranial cruciate ligament injury is higher in Boxers and in dogs weighing more than 35 kilograms

Motivators and barriers for dog and cat owners and veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom to using preventative medicines

Medical, Behavioral, and Abuse Status Characteristics: Predictors of Perceived Adoptability, Appeal, and Resource Demands of Shelter Dogs

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