Small animal review

Abstract

While much research in veterinary medicine is aimed at optimising diagnosis and treatment in domestic animals, it must be remembered that it is the owners of the animals that ultimately decide on which treatments they consent to be given, and it is the owners who must attempt to accurately administer medications at home. It is thus important to understand what barriers there are to client compliance with veterinary recommendations, such as education, price and competing (usually online) misinformation. The following four studies examine client attitudes to various veterinary advice and procedures. Note that not all medications mentioned in this article are licensed for the species and/or indication discussed.