Three Things to Know
Veterinary care for pets has advanced dramatically in recent decades, with technologies like chemotherapy and joint replacement becoming available. This progress introduces a complex dilemma, as pet owners and veterinarians face emotionally and financially challenging decisions regarding advanced treatment. A study surveyed dog and cat owners in Austria, Denmark, and the UK to explore these pet owners’ views on advanced veterinary care (AVC).
The study found that pet owners largely reject the idea that AVC is unnecessary; over half believed pets should have access to sophisticated diagnostics, treatments, and care comparable to human medicine. However, owners were neutral on whether AVC has advanced excessively. Notably, UK owners were most likely to expect AVC availability in their local clinic, a view often shaped by their experiences at larger, more corporatized practices.
The primary factor influencing owners’ views on AVC is their emotional attachment to their pets. Higher attachment correlated strongly with a greater willingness to pursue or support advanced treatment options, a consistent trend across all surveyed countries.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners
The increasing availability of advanced veterinary care presents a significant dilemma, not only for dog owners and veterinarians but also for dog welfare organizations operating financial assistance programs. While these programs are vital for keeping pets with their families, especially in light of increased barriers to vet care, the expanding range of advanced treatments raises challenging questions about which procedures can and should be covered.
To navigate this complexity and maintain public trust, dog welfare organizations should proactively collaborate. By working together to establish clear, transparent guidelines for the types of advanced veterinary care their programs can support, they can set realistic expectations, minimize potential criticism, and avoid negative publicity.
The Full Picture
Veterinary care for pets has evolved significantly in recent decades. Advanced veterinary care (AVC) now offers sophisticated diagnostics and treatments once unavailable, such as chemotherapy, dialysis, and joint replacements. While AVC can dramatically improve animal outcomes, it also introduces challenges including high costs, unequal access, and complex ethical concerns. Owners may struggle with emotionally and financially burdensome decisions, while veterinarians also face ethical dilemmas, particularly when owners’ wishes conflict with pet cat and dog welfare. This is further complicated by ongoing structural changes in the veterinary industry, with increasing corporatisation affecting care delivery and costs, which in turn influence pet insurance premiums.
Owners’ expectations and emotional bonds with their pets — often seen as family — are believed to shape their attitudes toward AVC. However, there is limited research exploring these expectations from the owner’s perspective, especially across different countries with varied veterinary landscapes.
This study, titled “Cat and dog owners’ expectations and attitudes towards advanced veterinary care (AVC) in the UK, Austria and Denmark”, investigates what dog and cat owners in the UK, Austria, and Denmark expect from AVC, their willingness to pursue and support such care (including participation in clinical research), and how these attitudes relate to factors such as pet type, owner demographics, insurance, and emotional attachment. The findings aim to inform veterinary professionals, practice owners, and insurers about owner perspectives on modern veterinary care.
Study Methods
An online questionnaire focused on two main sections: Section A gathered data on respondent demographics, pet ownership, veterinary care experiences, pet insurance, and emotional attachment using the 23-item Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). It also asked owners which basic and advanced diagnostic tools they expected their regular veterinary clinic to offer and whether they had visited a veterinary specialist. Based on their responses, participants were categorized into “basic only” or “advanced” care expectation groups.
Section B explored owner attitudes towards AVC through agreement with seven statements, using a 7-point Likert scale. These statements assessed opinions on the appropriateness, accessibility, and ethical dimensions of modern veterinary medicine, including willingness to enroll pets in clinical research.
Study Results
A total of 2,117 relevant dog and cat owners completed the survey. This included a similar proportion of dog and cat owners in the UK and Denmark, while Austria had fewer dog owners but more cat owners. Pet insurance was much less common in Austria (21.3%) than in the UK (51.5%) or Denmark (56.3%).
Veterinary Practice Use and Owner Expectations
Roughly half of the surveyed owners felt their pets should have access to the same diagnostic tools as humans. Over half of all owners believed pets should have access to human-level diagnostics (50.6%), treatments (58.4%), and advanced care (63.6%). More dog owners (18.3%) than cat owners (10.3%) had taken their pet to a specialist, with Danish owners least likely to have done so.
Owners in Austria and Denmark mostly attended smaller clinics (1–3 vets), while UK owners were more likely to use larger, corporatized practices with advanced facilities. As such, UK owners most frequently expected AVC services to be readily available, followed closely by Austrian owners. Danish owners, who generally reported lower pet attachment, were least likely to expect advanced options.
Pet Owners’ Views on Advanced Veterinary Care (AVC) and Clinical Research
The study reinforced that higher emotional attachment correlates with a greater willingness to pursue or support advanced treatment options, a trend seen regardless of country. Interestingly, factors such as income, pet insurance, or household type (e.g., living alone) were not consistently linked to support for AVC, with the exception of Austria, where pet insurance holders were more supportive. Contrary to expectations, some low-income owners had higher attachment scores and were willing to pay for advanced care, suggesting that emotional connection can outweigh financial capacity.
However, owners generally rejected the notion that AVC is “unnecessary” but remained neutral on whether it has “gone too far.” The strongest influence on these attitudes across all countries was the strength of the owner’s emotional bond with their pet, as measured by the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS).
Despite expectations for veterinarians to help advance the field, fewer owners (39.0%) were willing to enroll pets in research studies. This was especially true in Denmark. Owners with higher LAPS scores were more open to this idea, and younger owners were more likely than older ones to consent, but gender, living situation, and pet species did not consistently affect willingness to participate. This hesitancy may stem from concerns over potential harm to pets or a lack of distinction between basic and clinical research.
Conclusion
This study explored the expectations and attitudes of dog and cat owners in the UK, Austria, and Denmark toward AVC, examining whether owners believe their pets should have access to diagnostic tests and treatments on par with those available to humans.
While many pet owners support access to advanced diagnostics and treatments for their animals, significant variation exists by country and personal attachment levels. Most owners did not think AVC was unnecessary but were uncertain about its potential excesses. Emotional attachment, more than demographics or financial factors, played the dominant role in shaping expectations and decisions around AVC. These findings suggest a need for further research into owner decision-making and for veterinarians to navigate complex emotional, ethical, and practical considerations in offering AVC.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Owned Dogs > Cost of Ownership > Vet Care
Year of Publication:
2024
External Link:
Corr SA, Lund TB, Sandøe P, Springer S (2024) Cat and dog owners’ expectations and attitudes towards advanced veterinary care (AVC) in the UK, Austria and Denmark. PLoS ONE 19(3): e0299315. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299315