Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How dog owners notice and act on signs of pain in their dogs
By Kogan, Lori R et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2024·Colorado State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dog owners' perceptions and veterinary-related decisions pertaining to changes in their dog's behavior that could indicate pain.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of dog owners found that many were unsure about how to recognize signs of pain in their pets and when to seek veterinary care. After receiving brief educational information about canine pain, owners reported feeling more concerned about their dog's behavior changes and were more likely to take their dog to the vet. Most found a specific pain scale helpful for assessing their dog's pain level and communicating with their veterinarian. This suggests that even a little education can significantly improve how owners respond to their dog's potential pain.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Assess dog owners' concern levels and veterinary care decisions pertaining to behaviors that might signify pain before and after receiving brief pain-related educational information. Additionally, evaluate dog owners' perceptions of a modified version of the Colorado State University Canine Acute Pain Scale to identify their dog's pain level, determine whether they should take their dog to the veterinarian, and describe their dog's pain to their veterinarian. SAMPLE: 367 survey respondents who resided in the US and were the primary caretaker of at least 1 dog. METHODS: An electronic survey was created in Qualtrics and distributed via Prolific. Data were analyzed. RESULTS: When assessing differences between participants' concern levels before and after educational pain-related information, significant differences were found for 2 of the 3 scenarios. Significant differences were also found between participants' veterinary-related behaviors before and after educational pain-related information for all 3 scenarios. The most common reasons for not seeking immediate veterinary care included elements related to cost, convenience, and dog-related stress during veterinary visits. Most participants reported finding the Canine Acute Pain Scale useful for identifying their dog's pain level (89%), determining whether they should take their dog to the veterinarian (84%), and describing their dog's pain to their veterinarian (89%). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Owners' interpretations of and subsequent actions (or inactions) to behaviors that might suggest pain carry great implications for companion animals' overall well-being. Following exposure to brief educational material about signs and symptoms of canine pain, owners in our study reported significant increases in stated concern related to their dog's change in behavior and intention to seek veterinary care. These findings suggest that even very brief pain-related educational material can have a positive impact on owners' perceptions of canine behavioral changes and increase the possibility that they will seek veterinary care.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39032508/