The internet has been found to be a popular source for human health information. However, there is a lack of information on pet owners' use of the internet to source pet health information and implications for the owner-veterinarian relationship. Therefore, the aim of this study was to address this gap in knowledge by focusing on UK pet owners' general use of the internet to find online pet health information and the impact of this behaviour on the owner-veterinarian relationship. An online survey targeting UK pet owners resulted in 571 respondents. Respondents reported the most frequently used source for pet health information was the internet (78.6 per cent), followed by their veterinarian (72 per cent). Veterinarians and other pet owners, however, were rated as the most trustworthy sources. The topics searched for most often online were specific medical problems (61.3 per cent) and diet/nutrition (58.5 per cent). Regarding the owner-veterinarian relationship, 42.1 per cent of participants reported discussing information they found online 'sometimes' with their veterinarian. When asked if their veterinarian recommended specific websites, nearly half (49.6 per cent) stated that their veterinarian 'never' made such recommendations, yet over 90 per cent said they would visit veterinarian-recommended websites.

Dog bite injuries are a significant public health problem and many are sustained by children. These injuries can be complex, both physically and psychologically, and in rare cases fatal. This paper will review current evidence-based approaches to treatment, explore identified patterns in biting incidents and discuss the effectiveness of prevention strategies. Safe management of these patients requires a comprehensive approach. Physical injuries need to be accurately assessed with a high index of suspicion for underlying injuries, particularly in younger children less able to communicate. Treatment depends on severity and location, but all bites must be irrigated to reduce the risk of infection but may not always require prophylactic antibiotic use. Careful exploration of the circumstances in which the bite occurred is essential to make safeguarding decisions and prevent future bites. Reducing the incidence of paediatric dog bites requires education of both children and parents that any dog can bite, regardless of breed, and all child–dog interactions must be highly supervised. However, education alone is unlikely to prevent dog bites. Policies that support environmental changes need to be developed such as provision of pet dogs less likely to bite (or bite as severely), through breeding for temperament and appropriate socialisation. Additionally, investment in psychological support for bite victims and their families is required to reduce the long-term impacts of being bitten.

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The Internet is a commonly used resource for accessing health information. Despite the Internet’s popularity in the human health field, little is known about the Internet’s impact on veterinarians, their clients, and the veterinarian–client relationship. The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of veterinarians from the United Kingdom of clients’ use of the Internet and the perceived impact on pet health and the veterinarian–client relationship. A survey was distributed between January 4 and March 3, 2017, via an online link. In total, 100 veterinarians completed the survey. This study found that most UK veterinarians feel their clients access the Internet to find pet health information, yet often do not understand what they read online. Importantly, 40% of veterinarians stated that the Internet has a negative impact on companion animal health. This small-scale study found mixed opinions regarding veterinarians’ perceptions of their clients’ use of the Internet and the potential impact it has on the client–veterinarian relationship. Research on clients’ actual use of the Internet and their associated perceptions is a next logical step.

Modulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity allows animals to effectively respond to internal and external stimuli in everyday challenges via changes in, for example, heart and respiration rate. Various factors, ranging from social such as dominance rank to internal such as personality or affective states can impact animal physiology. Our knowledge of the combinatory effects of social and internal factors on ANS basal activity and reactivity, and of the importance that each factor has in determining physiological parameters, is limited, particularly in nonhuman, free-ranging animals. In this study, we tested the effects of dominance rank and personality (assessed as exploration/avoidance and sociability) on the heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability of goats, Capra hircus, in relation to the category of behaviour performed. We collected heart rate data while the animals could freely move and interact with conspecifics. A model selection procedure showed that behavioural category and sociability, as well as their interaction effect, explained most of the variation in HR. HR was lowest, and heart rate variability highest, during affiliative interactions. The HR of less social goats increased more between the behaviour triggering the lowest HR and the behaviour triggering the highest HR, compared to the HR of more social goats, which was more stable. This suggests lower ANS reactivity (HR response) in social goats. Our results thus highlight the important relationships between personality types, physiology and the behaviour of free-ranging animals. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates heart rate and other physiological parameters (e.g. respiration rate, skin temperature). Its main function is to enable individuals to respond to changes in their environment and thus deal with everyday challenges by regulating energy expenditure through normal physiological fluctuations (i.e. Seyle, 1976). Additionally, the ANS plays a crucial role in the control of the neuronal or 'fight-or-flight' stress response, which prepares the animal to immediately react to internal and external stimuli perceived as threatening (Koolhaas et al., 2011). ANS basal activity (i.e. activity at rest) is related to factors that are fixed over the life of an individual such as species, sex or breed (Hezzell, Humm, Dennis, Agee, & Boswood, 2013; Lillywhite, Zippel, & Farrell, 1999), to factors that are subjected to slow changes over time such as body size or age (Noujaim et al., 2004; Stahl, 1967), or to daily changes (circadian rhythms; MacArthur, Johnston, & Geist, 1979). Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that both ANS activity and reactivity (i.e. increase from baseline levels in response to an environmental stimulus; Matthews, 1986) can be related to social factors such as dominance rank

Simple SummaryThe majority of pet rabbits have flatter, shorter faces than wild rabbits. However, rabbits with flat faces are at higher risk of developing considerable health problems, including painful dental problems. The aim of this research was to identify which type of rabbit face people actually prefer, in order to better understand why rabbits with flat faces might be bred and purchased. Images of 25 rabbit faces were assigned to a face-type group by 134 veterinary professionals. Through an online questionnaire, people then rated each of the 25 images according to preference for the rabbits’ faces, and a total of 20,858 questionnaires were completed globally. Through statistical modelling, we show for the first time that mildly flat-faced rabbits (on a scale of extremely flat-faced to extremely long-faced) are more preferred globally than any other kind, and that the longest faced rabbits are the least preferred. Aside from the shape, other features of rabbit faces that were preferred include a soft, medium-light fur appearance and being generally short-furred. These results support the theory that the human preference for the baby-like features of flat-faced rabbits has driven their popularity. We would encourage breeders to avoid breeding extremely flat-faced rabbits due to the associated health problems and to focus instead on breeding more preferred mildly flat-faced, erect-eared rabbits such as the Havana breed.AbstractDomesticated rabbits typically exhibit shorter, flatter skulls than their wild counterparts (brachycephalism). However, brachycephaly is associated with considerable health problems, including problems with dentition. The aim of this study was to establish which type of rabbit face people prefer, with a particular emphasis on skull morphology and brachycephaly. We grouped 25 images of rabbit faces by cephalic degree based on ratings assigned by 134 veterinary professionals. An online questionnaire was then launched, in which people could rate each of the 25 images according to preference for the rabbits’ faces, and a total of 20,858 questionnaires were completed globally. Repeated-measure, multi-level general linear modelling revealed mildly-brachycephalic rabbits to be the most preferred type of rabbit, and moderately-dolichocephalic (longer skulled) rabbits to be the least preferred. The preference for brachycephalic rabbits was stable across continents, and as such it is highly plausible that human preference has been a driver for the shortening of the skull typically seen in domestic rabbits, perhaps as a result of the ‘baby-schema’. Additional features of rabbit faces that were preferred include a soft, medium-light fur appearance and being generally short-furred. These novel insights may prove useful in the improvement of the public understanding of rabbit health and welfare. The relationship between preference and skull shape is particularly pertinent to future work concerning rabbit health, given the cross-species evidence that having a flat face is associated with chronic health...

Dog aggression directed towards humans is a common and serious behavioral and public health issue. This cross-sectional study was designed to gain insights into U.S. small animal veterinarians’ views and experiences with the most common dog breeds in the U.S., dog aggression, and breed-specific legislation. An electronic survey was distributed via email to an online veterinary community, and responses were summarized and compared by means of χ2 and Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel tests. Most respondents were concerned about the risks of dog bite injuries, but the majority were not in favor of banning specific breeds of dogs in order to enhance public safety. When participants rated the perceived bite risk associated with popular dog breeds, Chow Chows were perceived as the highest risk, with pit bull types categorized as a moderate risk. Golden Retrievers were seen as the most appropriate for families with children. Public education about animal behavior was the most frequently endorsed policy intervention to increase public safety. These findings suggest that most veterinarians feel that banning an entire dog breed is not an effective way to ensure human safety. Instead, most respondents endorsed alternative initiatives, such as public education and stricter leash laws, to reduce the risk of dog bites.

Pet owners commonly look online for information on their pet's health, and may access poor-quality information. It may be beneficial therefore for veterinary practices to provide ‘information prescriptions’ to steer clients towards those online information sources that provide better-quality information.