Rational decision-making in practice.

Reviewed by Zoe Belshaw, a small animal internal medicine diplomate and evidence-based veterinary medicine consultant.

Cross-sectional United Kingdom surveys demonstrate that owners and veterinary professionals differ in their perceptions of preventive and treatment healthcare needs in ageing dogs.

Perceptions of dog owners and veterinary professionals (surgeons/nurses) can influence the preventive healthcare and treatment provided to dogs, especially at the senior life-stage, when chronic diseases become more common. This study compared perceptions of healthcare of dogs as they age between dog owners and veterinary professionals. Data from two online surveys (owners:  = 633, veterinary professionals:  = 305) examined perceived need for veterinary visits and vaccinations.

Impacts of Puppy Early Life Experiences, Puppy-Purchasing Practices, and Owner Characteristics on Owner-Reported Problem Behaviours in a UK Pandemic Puppies Cohort at 21 Months of Age.

Problem behaviours are a leading cause of relinquishment and euthanasia of young dogs. Previous research has identified associations between owner-reported problem behaviours and risk factors, including how dogs were acquired as puppies, early socialisation experiences, and owners' experience levels. Puppies acquired during the 2020 phase of the UK COVID-19 pandemic ("Pandemic Puppies") were more likely to be exposed to many of these risk factors compared to puppies acquired in 2019; however, consequences for their adult behaviour are, as yet, unexplored.

"Just old age" - a qualitative investigation of owner and veterinary professional experiences of and attitudes to ageing in dogs in the UK.

Objectives: Many UK dogs live into old age, but owners may not recognise or report age-associated signs of disease which lead to negative welfare. This study investigated dog owner and veterinary professional experiences and attitudes towards ageing in dogs, how health care is offered, barriers to its delivery, and some best-practice solutions.

Materials And Methods: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 owners of 21 dogs (aged 8 to 17 years mean: 13) and 11 veterinary professional (eight veterinary surgeons, two nurses and one physiotherapist).

Owner perspectives on the impact of veterinary surgeons upon their decision making in the management of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.

Background: Idiopathic epilepsy is a prevalent canine condition that can be challenging to manage. A positive vet-owner relationship contributes to satisfaction and compliance, but its impact on management is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate owner perspectives about the impact of veterinary surgeons on decision making and management.

How much is that doodle in the window? Exploring motivations and behaviours of UK owners acquiring designer crossbreed dogs (2019-2020).

Background: Demand for intentional crosses of purebred dog breeds, often labelled 'designer crossbreeds' (e.g., Labrador Retriever X Poodle, the 'Labradoodle'), has recently increased in the UK.

Pandemic Puppies: Demographic Characteristics, Health and Early Life Experiences of Puppies Acquired during the 2020 Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK.

The UK recorded sharp rises in puppy purchasing during the 2020 phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many first-time dog owners purchasing puppies to improve their mental health during this challenging period. Government restrictions on movement and social interaction during the pandemic led to animal welfare concerns over puppies’ reduced time-sensitive exposures to key environmental and social stimuli during their critical developmental period. This study aimed to compare demographics, health and early-life experiences of puppies purchased and brought home < 16 weeks of age between 23 March−31 December 2020 (“Pandemic Puppies”), with dogs purchased and brought home < 16 weeks during the same date period in 2019 (“2019 puppies”).

Construction of a Conceptual Framework for Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Dogs With Osteoarthritis.

An owner's ability to detect changes in the behavior of a dog afflicted with osteoarthritis (OA) may be a barrier to presentation, clinical diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Management of OA also relies upon an owner's ability to accurately monitor improvement following a trial period of pain relief. The changes in behavior that are associated with the onset and relief of pain from OA can be assessed to determine the dog's health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Pandemic Puppies: Characterising Motivations and Behaviours of UK Owners Who Purchased Puppies during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.

Widespread media reports suggest that unusually high numbers of the public purchased, or sought to purchase, puppies following the first 'lockdown' phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, dubbed "Pandemic Puppies". This study aimed to explore this phenomenon by comparing pre-purchase motivations and behaviours, and purchase behaviours of UK owners purchasing puppies aged < 16 weeks from 23 March 2020-31 December 2020 with those of owners who purchased puppies during the same date-period in 2019. An online survey was conducted during November-December 2020, from which 5517 valid responses were analysed (2019 puppies: = 1148; 2020 'Pandemic Puppies': = 4369).

Could it be osteoarthritis? How dog owners and veterinary surgeons describe identifying canine osteoarthritis in a general practice setting.

Canine osteoarthritis is a common, painful condition that is typically managed in a general practice setting. Osteoarthritis may have significant negative impacts on the welfare of both dogs and their owners. Anticipated early clinical signs of canine osteoarthritis and the preferred route to its diagnosis are well described by veterinary subject experts in published literature.

"We have a ticking time bomb": a qualitative exploration of the impact of canine epilepsy on dog owners living in England.

Background: Idiopathic epilepsy is a common neurological condition in dogs. Previous research has focused on clinical aspects of seizure management in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy with little attention given to the emotional and logistical challenges for their owners. The current study aimed to explore the impacts of owning a dog with idiopathic epilepsy on owner quality of life and lifestyle, using qualitative methods.

Animal Research beyond the Laboratory: Report from a Workshop on Places Other than Licensed Establishments (POLEs) in the UK.

Research involving animals that occurs outside the laboratory raises an array of unique challenges. With regard to UK legislation, however, it receives only limited attention in terms of official guidelines, support, and statistics, which are unsurprisingly orientated towards the laboratory environment in which the majority of animal research takes place. In September 2019, four social scientists from the Animal Research Nexus program gathered together a group of 13 experts to discuss nonlaboratory research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (A(SP)A) of 1986 (mirroring European Union (EU) Directive 2010/63/EU), which is the primary mechanism for regulating animal research in the UK.

Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) in Veterinary Medicine: Applying Evidence in Clinical Practice.

Critically appraised topics (CATs) are evidence syntheses that provide veterinary professionals with information to rapidly address clinical questions and support the practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM). They also have an important role to play in both undergraduate and post-registration education of veterinary professionals, in research and knowledge gap identification, literature scoping, preparing research grants and informing policy. CATs are not without limitations, the primary one relating to the rapid approach used which may lead to selection bias or restrict information identified or retrieved.

"You can be blind because of loving them so much": the impact on owners in the United Kingdom of living with a dog with osteoarthritis.

Background: There is growing awareness that caring for a chronically ill pet may have a detrimental impact on their owner's quality of life. Companion animal orthopaedic disease has received little research interest in this context. Canine osteoarthritis is known to negatively affect the welfare of many dogs in the United Kingdom, but its consequences for their owners has not previously been described.

Slower, shorter, sadder: a qualitative study exploring how dog walks change when the canine participant develops osteoarthritis.

Background: Dog walking may have multiple physical and mental health advantages, but not all dog owners appear to benefit. Dog health is a described barrier to dog walking activity, but specific causes and impacts of reduced exercise in owners of dogs with health problems have not previously been reported. The current study used a qualitative methodology to explore the impact of canine osteoarthritis on dog walking activity.

Topics discussed, examinations performed and strategies implemented during canine and feline booster vaccination consultations.

Vaccination consultations account for a large proportion of the small animal veterinary caseload. The aim of this study was to determine the content of canine and feline booster vaccination consultations and gather opinions on strategies used to optimise these consultations. An online survey of UK veterinarians was conducted.