Effect of question design on dietary information solicited during veterinarian-client interactions in companion animal practice in Ontario, Canada

MacMartin, Clare; Wheat, Hannah; Coe, Jason B.; Adams, Cindy L.

doi:10.2460/javma.246.11.1203

Cited by 26 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…The manner in which veterinarians pose questions in obtaining a diet history from clients has also been found to impact the completeness and accuracy of the information obtained (MacMartin et al, 2015). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey of owner motivations and veterinary input of owners feeding diets containing raw animal products

Morgan

Willis

Shepherd

2017

PeerJ

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BackgroundThe practice of feeding of diets containing raw animal products (RAP) to pets (dogs and cats) is discouraged by veterinary organizations and governmental public health organizations. Nevertheless, the practice of feeding RAP to pets is increasing in popularity. Pet owner motivations for feeding RAP diets to pets have not been explored and the benefits of RAP diets remain largely anecdotal. We hypothesized that pet owners feeding RAP diets would not rely on veterinary advice in choosing their pet’s diet. We also hypothesized that these owners would have lower levels of trust in veterinary advice with respect to nutrition relative to pet owners not feeding RAP.MethodsAn anonymous web-based survey was developed to identify pet owner motivations for feeding RAP diets, and to characterize the veterinarian-client relationships of individuals feeding RAP diets.ResultsThere were 2,337 respondents and 2,171 completed surveys. Of survey respondents, 804 reported feeding RAP at the time of the survey. While 20% of pet owners feeding RAP relied on online resources to determine what or how much RAP to feed, only 9% reported consulting with a veterinarian in making decisions about feeding RAP. Pet owners feeding RAP reported lower levels of trust in veterinary advice both ‘in general’ and ‘with respect to nutrition’ than pet owners not feeding RAP. Most pet owners reported that a discussion regarding their pet’s nutrition does not occur at every veterinary appointment.DiscussionPet owners feeding a RAP diet have lower trust in veterinary advice than pet owners not feeding a RAP diet. Owners feeding RAP are more reliant on online resources than their own veterinarian in deciding what and how much RAP to feed. Pet owners perceive that nutrition is not discussed at most veterinary appointments. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the veterinarian-client communication with regards to nutrition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey of owner motivations and veterinary input of owners feeding diets containing raw animal products

Morgan

Willis

Shepherd

2017

PeerJ

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“…Within the same archive that our data were obtained, MacMartin et al (17) showed that veterinarians typically restricted their queries to singular form, “what” prefaced questions such as “what kind of food is she on?” or “what do you feed him?” Such singular form questions may narrow the resulting discussion and eliminate possible topics, such as supplementary foods, treats, table scraps, mousing, and so forth. MacMartin et al (17) also found that 89% ( n = 57) of their total sample of clients only reported one or two food items and veterinarians treated these responses as adequate answers, as the majority of veterinarians did not pursue any information about further food items the animal consumes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Partial transcripts had been transcribed verbatim for previous analysis by Hannah Wheat and Clare MacMartin (17), and additional transcription of visits containing weight and diet talk that met selection criteria was provided by the primary author. Our interpretivist approach was influenced by the standards of communication set in the Calgary-Cambridge Guides (CCG) (31, 32).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Incorporating nutritional assessment into regular patient care is critical for maintenance of health and prevention of disease and injury (15, 16). The specific formulation of questions asked by the veterinarian can influence the precision and comprehensiveness of the nutritional history taking (17). Furthermore, German (18) suggested that incorporation of nutritional assessment and recommendations regarding the care of small animals helps to develop a partnership between the owner and veterinary healthcare team, resulting in healthier pets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Feline Obesity in Veterinary Medicine: Insights from a Thematic Analysis of Communication in Practice

et al. 2017

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Feline obesity has become a common disease and important animal welfare issue. Little is known about how, or how often, veterinarians and feline-owning clients are addressing obesity during clinical appointments. The purpose of this qualitative study was to characterize verbal and non-verbal communication between veterinarians and clients regarding feline obesity. The sample consisted of video-recordings of 17 veterinarians during 284 actual appointments in companion animal patients in Eastern Ontario. This audio-visual dataset served to identify 123 feline appointments. Of these, only 25 appointments were identified in which 12 veterinarians and their clients spoke about feline obesity. Thematic analysis of the videos and transcripts revealed inconsistencies in the depth of address of feline obesity and its prevention by participating veterinarians. In particular, in-depth nutritional history taking and clear recommendations of management rarely took place. Veterinarians appeared to attempt to strengthen the veterinary–client relationship and cope with ambiguity in their role managing obesity with humor and by speaking directly to their animal patients. Clients also appeared to use humor to deal with discomfort surrounding the topic. Our findings have implications for communication skills training within veterinary curricula and professional development among practicing veterinarians. As obesity is complex and potentially sensitive subject matter, we suggest a need for veterinarians to have further intentionality and training toward in-depth nutritional history gathering and information sharing while navigating obesity management discussions to more completely address client perspective and patient needs.

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“…Although it is widely accepted that being overweight negatively influences health, life-span and quality of life [ 13 , 14 ], the majority of owners tend to underestimate the problem [ 15 , 16 ] without recognising this condition as an illness. Furthermore, veterinarians often struggle in establishing an effective interaction and communication with clients when dealing with nutritional issues, especially with respect to obesity [ 17 , 18 ]. Additionally, the veterinary healthcare team often finds it difficult to convince owners to adhere to the weight reduction programme for obese pets; “ Many veterinary healthcare teams are reluctant to tell a client that their pet is obese ” [ 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaner, Healthier, Happier Together––A Family-Centred Approach to Weight Loss with the Overweight Dog and Her Caregivers

Candellone

Morgan²,

Buttignol³

et al. 2017

Veterinary Sciences

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Obesity represents a one of the most significant healthcare issues facing human and companion animal populations worldwide. A complex relationship commonly exists between owners and their companion animal, particularly around feeding behaviour. Obese companion animals commonly live alongside caregivers who are also struggling with their own body weight. This case report highlights the importance of a family-centred approach to canine obesity as a way to engage with the pet’s caregivers to help maximize their compliance towards the successful implementation of a tailored weight loss programme. Lara, an overweight dog weighing 35 kilos with a body condition score (BCS) of 7–7.5/9, was referred for a nutritional assessment. A comprehensive, pro-active and multidisciplinary protocol, tailored towards a family-centred approach, was established. After a 16-week programme, Lara reached the target body weight. The caregivers’ compliance was assessed as being excellent; they also reassessed their individual lifestyle and were able to increase awareness towards their own nutritional issues and body weight perception, resulting in weight loss in all caregivers. Lara’s case report represents how a family-centred approach can lead to successful patient weight loss and to a modification in the caregivers’ way of thinking about nutrition and their own lifestyle, with the final goal of living a healthier and longer life together.

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Effect of question design on dietary information solicited during veterinarian-client interactions in companion animal practice in Ontario, Canada

Abstract: Results suggested that question design can influence the accuracy and completeness of a nutritional history. These findings can potentially provide important evidence-based guidance for communication training in nutritional assessment techniques.

Cited by 26 publications

References 51 publications

Survey of owner motivations and veterinary input of owners feeding diets containing raw animal products

Survey of owner motivations and veterinary input of owners feeding diets containing raw animal products

Feline Obesity in Veterinary Medicine: Insights from a Thematic Analysis of Communication in Practice

Leaner, Healthier, Happier Together––A Family-Centred Approach to Weight Loss with the Overweight Dog and Her Caregivers

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