Accessing veterinary healthcare during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A mixed‐methods analysis of UK and Republic of Ireland dog owners’ concerns and experiences

Abstract

Background This study explored dog owners’ concerns and experiences related to accessing veterinary healthcare during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods Data were obtained through two cross‐sectional owner‐completed surveys conducted in May (first nationwide lockdown) and October 2020 and owner‐completed diaries (April‐November 2020). Diaries and relevant open‐ended survey questions were analysed qualitatively to identify themes. Survey responses concerning veterinary healthcare access were summarised and compared using chi‐square tests. Results During the initial months of the pandemic, veterinary healthcare availability worried 32.4% (n = 1431/4922) of respondents. However, between 23 March and 4 November 2020, 99.5% (n = 1794/1843) of those needing to contact a veterinarian managed to do so. Delays/cancellations of procedures affected 28.0% (n = 82/293) of dogs that owners planned to neuter and 34.2% (n = 460/1346) of dogs that owners intended to vaccinate. Qualitative themes included COVID‐19 safety precautions, availability of veterinary healthcare and the veterinarian‐client relationship. Conclusion Veterinary healthcare availability concerned many owners during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Access to veterinary healthcare for emergencies remained largely available, but prophylactic treatments were delayed for some dogs.

National Dog Survey: Describing UK Dog and Ownership Demographics

“…In this sample, early neutering does not appear particularly prevalent, with the majority of the population aged under 1 unneutered, with neutering becoming much more prevalent between the ages of 1 and 3 in both sexes, once dogs had reached sexual maturity. It is unclear whether this is representative of the current dog-owning population, or whether this is due to the impacts of the pandemic reducing access to veterinary care [ 44 ] and thus neutering services, and therefore follow-up studies are required.…”

A Qualitative Exploration of Challenges and Opportunities for Dog Welfare in Ireland Post COVID-19, as Perceived by Dog Welfare Organisations

“…However, these practices were not universally adopted by DWOs. Similar to veterinary practices [ 37 ], COVID-19 led to a re-organisation of practices and procedures for DWOs, especially in relation to appointments and re-homing procedures. Organisations that incorporated the use of technology for home checks (such as video calls), and the introduction of mandatory appointments (rather than unannounced visits) for prospective owners during COVID-19, intended to continue these procedures post-pandemic.…”

Seeing the benefits, but not taking advantage of them: Dog and cat owners’ beliefs about veterinary telemedicine

“…The possibility of this has gained increasing attention in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 3,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] From a client perspective, telemedicine offers various benefits, including avoiding transporting the rely on owners' descriptions because they cannot physically examine the patient, which may increase the risk of mistakes in diagnosis and subsequent patient care. [19][20][21] With this in mind, veterinary organisations emphasise that telemedicine can only be provided in an appropriate way if a veterinarian-clientpatient relationship has already been established.…”

“…However, studies in this field are limited. They either focus on small animal veterinarians' attitudes towards telemedicine, 4,5,7 are based on data collected from clients in special circumstances (such as during the COVID-19 pandemic), 3,6 focus on chronic disease management 23 or the impact on the veterinarianclient relationship 24 or include only cat owners. 3 To the best of the authors' knowledge, little empirical information currently exists about how dog and cat owners in general view telemedicine or the extent to which they would use it, if offered, as an alternative to an in-person consultation.…”

“…Telemedicine can be offered in a variety of formats, such as telephone, video call or web streaming, 3,4 allowing clients to have a consultation with a veterinarian without having to bring the animal to the clinic. The possibility of this has gained increasing attention in the wake of the COVID‐19 pandemic 3,5–14 …”