Three Things to Know
The UK currently lacks standardized protocols for managing the healthcare needs of aging dogs. To address this gap, researchers conducted a study to investigate the differences in perspectives between dog owners and veterinary professionals regarding senior dog care. The study also aimed to assess the prevalence of dedicated senior care programs within veterinary practices.
The UK currently lacks standardized protocols for managing the healthcare needs of aging dogs. To address this gap, researchers conducted a study to investigate the differences in perspectives between dog owners and veterinary professionals regarding senior dog care. The study also aimed to assess the prevalence of dedicated senior care programs within veterinary practices.
Furthermore, the study found that most veterinary practices lack specific protocols, dedicated health plans, or specialized wellness clinics for aging dogs. However, both dog owners and veterinary professionals expressed strong support for the potential utility of a bi-annual questionnaire as a valuable tool for tracking the health status of senior dogs.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners:
In parallel with the aging human population, many countries are experiencing a significant increase in the number of aging dogs. This demographic shift necessitates a deeper understanding of the unique needs of senior dogs, as evidenced by the growing body of scientific research in this area. Veterinary practices should capitalize on this opportunity to refine their services and provide more comprehensive care for aging canine patients. The bi-annual survey proposed in this study could serve as a valuable starting point for implementing such improvements.
Furthermore, the study highlighted a significant disparity in perspectives between dog owners and veterinary professionals regarding senior dog care. This emphasizes the critical need for educational initiatives within dog shelters and resource centers to ensure that owners have access to accurate and up-to-date information about the aging process in dogs. Such initiatives are crucial for empowering owners to make informed decisions about their senior dog’s healthcare.
The Full Picture
As the canine population ages, the lack of routine healthcare for senior dogs is a major welfare concern. Studies have shown that 80% of “apparently healthy” dogs over nine years old have undetected health issues when screened. This highlights the crucial need for proactive healthcare.
While senior dogs represent a significant portion of veterinary clients in the UK, current health assessments, often conducted during annual vaccinations, are often inadequate. They are limited in scope and time, and lack sufficient educational focus. Furthermore:
- Financial Barriers: Many UK senior dogs are uninsured, limiting access to veterinary care. Owners may also hesitate to seek care due to financial constraints, the inconvenience of appointments, or the stress of the experience.
- Lack of Standardized Guidelines: Unlike the United States, the UK lacks standardized protocols for managing aging dogs.
Initiatives like senior wellness clinics and pet health plans with senior options have shown promise. However, these face challenges such as cost and limited veterinary resources. While expanding preventive healthcare – including routine screenings, client education, and chronic condition management – has been proposed, its prevalence in the UK remains unclear.
This study, titled “Cross-sectional United Kingdom surveys demonstrate that owners and veterinary professionals differ in their perceptions of preventive and treatment healthcare needs in ageing dogs,” aims to:
- Compare perspectives: Understand the differing perspectives of dog owners and veterinary professionals on senior dog healthcare.
- Identify key concerns: Determine the most important health concerns for aging dogs.
- Evaluate the role of owner questionnaires: Assess the potential of pre-appointment owner questionnaires to improve preventive care for aging dogs.
Study Methods
Two questionnaires were developed for this study. The first, designed for dog owners, explored owners’ attitudes towards senior dog healthcare, their perceived needs and concerns, and their experiences with veterinary care, including communication with veterinarians and access to care. The second questionnaire, targeted at veterinary professionals,professional and practice demographics, perspectives on senior dog healthcare, and clinical observations, specifically the common health issues they observed in senior dogs and their current practices for providing care to aging dogs.
Study Results
Demographics
The study included responses from 633 dog owners and 305 veterinary professionals. The majority of dog owners were female (92%) and well-educated, with 29% holding a degree and 25% possessing a higher degree. Among veterinary professionals, 80% were veterinary surgeons and 20% were veterinary nurses. The majority of veterinary professionals were female (84%) and worked primarily in small animal (88%) and corporate practices (48%).
The dogs included in the study had a median age of 11 years. Of the dogs in the sample, 162 (26%) had passed away at a median age of 13 years. Approximately half of the dogs were insured. Nearly half of the dogs were receiving veterinary-prescribed medication, and these dogs were generally older than those not on medication. The majority of dogs in the study (84%) were neutered.
Definition of Senior
Dog owners and veterinary professionals held differing views on when a dog enters “senior” age. 61% of dog owners considered their dogs to be seniors, with the median age for this designation being 11 years. This perception varied slightly by breed size, with owners generally considering toy and small breeds to reach senior status at 11 years, while large and giant breeds were deemed seniors at 10 years. In contrast, veterinary professionals considered medium-sized dogs to be “senior” at a younger median age of 8 years.
Perceptions About Frequency of Senior Dog Healthcare and Wellness Checks
The study revealed significant differences in how dog owners and veterinarians perceive and approach senior dog healthcare.
A notable 16% of senior dog owners had not consulted a veterinarian within the past year, although their dogs were younger (median age: 9 years) than those of owners who had sought veterinary care. Older dogs, conversely, were found to visit veterinarians more frequently. The most common reasons for visits were routine health appointments (44%), new health conditions or illness (36%), and advice on euthanasia or end-of-life care (11%).
Owner beliefs regarding the frequency of necessary veterinary visits varied, with nearly half believing annual check-ups were sufficient for healthy senior dogs, while 14% indicated they would only seek care if their dog became ill. In contrast, 73% of veterinary professionals recommended biannual check-ups for senior dogs.
Vaccination practices also differed, with 28% of the sample not receiving vaccinations in the past year. This was attributed to various factors, including the belief that older dogs do not require vaccinations (33%), the misconception that vaccinations are limited to puppyhood (29%), and reliance on titer testing (17%). On the other hand, 92% of veterinarians supported annual booster vaccinations for senior dogs, acknowledging exceptions for specific health conditions or lifestyle factors. These findings highlight a clear need for improved communication and shared understanding between owners and veterinarians regarding the optimal care of aging dogs.
Veterinary Practices Setup
The study revealed a lack of standardized protocols for senior dog consultations within many veterinary practices. While 85% of veterinary professionals recognized the need for distinct consultation approaches for senior dogs, 89% reported their practices lacked standardized guidelines.
Although 83% of practices offered general healthcare plans, only 19% included plans specifically tailored to senior dogs, and only 14% offered dedicated senior wellness clinics. When offered, these clinics typically included a comprehensive range of services such as full clinical examinations, blood profiles, urinalysis, blood pressure measurements, and in-depth discussions on diet, dental care, exercise, and chronic disease management. However, many clinics were ultimately discontinued due to various constraints, including time limitations, space constraints, staffing shortages, or low client uptake. Despite these challenges, 37% of veterinary professionals expressed interest in restarting senior wellness clinics.
Among dog owners, 25% enrolled their dogs in veterinary health plans, and these dogs were significantly younger than those not enrolled. Only 7% of all dogs, and 10% of dogs considered old by their owners, had attended senior wellness clinics. Among owners of older dogs who had not attended a senior wellness clinic, 29% reported that such clinics were not offered by their veterinary practice, while 71% were simply unaware of their availability. While 43% of owners indicated they might consider attending a senior wellness clinic if offered, 20% expressed their willingness to attend only if the clinic was offered at no cost.
Common Health Conditions and Clinical Signs
The most commonly reported health conditions in senior dogs included musculoskeletal issues (47%), dental problems (35%), skin conditions (29%), and sensory loss such as hearing (29%) and eyesight (27%). Notably, over 50% of cases involving hearing loss, dementia, breathing problems, and glaucoma were not officially diagnosed by a veterinarian.
Among clinical signs, slowing down on walks (57%) was the most frequent, typically observed in dogs aged 9-13 years. Dental issues, such as tartar (52%) and bad breath (42%), were prevalent from 6 to 10 years of age. Other common signs included skin lumps or swellings, excessive sleeping, and symptoms of sadness or lethargy.
Owners who witnessed the symptoms in their dogs often demonstrated less urgency to seek veterinary care for observed clinical signs compared to their peers who were asked about hypothetical scenarios. This was particularly true for issues such as dental problems, musculoskeletal difficulties, and excessive sleeping. This reluctance stemmed from the tendency to attribute these signs to normal aging rather than underlying health issues. This perception, which aligned with veterinary professionals’ observations of common owner misconceptions, often delayed necessary veterinary care. In contrast to owner perceptions, 85-100% of veterinary professionals emphasized the importance of seeking veterinary advice for all common clinical signs in senior dogs. Educating owners about differentiating between normal aging and actual health issues was deemed critical for improving preventive care and ensuring timely intervention for aging dogs.
Future Health Care Resources
The study explored the potential of questionnaires as a valuable tool for identifying potential health problems in senior dogs. A high proportion of both owners (89%) and veterinary professionals (82%) expressed willingness to utilize such questionnaires. Both groups favored a six-month interval. However, owners displayed slightly greater openness to monthly or annual intervals. While most professionals preferred to personally review the completed questionnaires, some advocated for the involvement of nursing teams or the implementation of automated analysis systems. Reservations regarding the use of questionnaires included concerns about time constraints, prior negative experiences with questionnaires, and potential challenges with ensuring owner compliance.
Conclusion
The study highlighted a significant gap between owner and veterinarian perceptions regarding the need for veterinary care in aging dogs. Owners frequently attributed common clinical signs to normal aging, leading to delayed or missed diagnoses. To address this critical issue, a new resource was developed: the BSAVA PetSavers Ageing Canine Toolkit (ACT). This toolkit incorporates a checklist of commonly missed clinical signs, designed to improve communication and awareness between owners and veterinary professionals. By facilitating regular screening and enabling timely interventions, the toolkit has the potential to significantly improve the overall health and welfare of aging dogs.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Owned Dogs > Offering Better Care > Vet Care
Year of Publication:
2024
External Link:
Wallis LJ, Radford AD, Belshaw Z, Jackson J, Kubinyi E, German AJ and Westgarth C (2024) Cross-sectional United Kingdom surveys demonstrate that owners and veterinary professionals differ in their perceptions of preventive and treatment healthcare needs in ageing dogs. Front. Vet. Sci. 11:1358480. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1358480