“You can be blind because of loving them so much”: The impact on owners in the United Kingdom of living with a dog with osteoarthritis

Abstract

Background There is a growing awareness that caring for a chronically ill pet may have a detrimental impact on their owner’s quality of life. Companion animal orthopaedic disease has received little research interest in this context. Canine osteoarthritis is known to negatively affect the welfare of many dogs in the United Kingdom, but its consequences for their owners has not previously been described. The aim of this study was to use a qualitative methodology to explore the impacts on a dog owner that occur following their dog’s diagnosis with osteoarthritis. Owners of osteoarthritic dogs based in the United Kingdom (UK) were recruited through veterinary practices to participate in semi-structured interview about life with their dog. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was used to construct key themes. This publication describes the theme that focused on the impact(s) that the dog’s condition had had on the life of their owner.Results Forty owners of 35 dogs of a range of breeds and ages were interviewed. A wide range of negative impacts on the physical, mental and financial health of owners were described. Owners detailed increasing worry over time about their pet’s condition, frequently combined with a growing need to physically assist their dog, as osteoarthritis severity increased. Their dog’s reduced mobility and need for medications progressively limited their own lifestyles and ability to have time away from their pet. Owners typically described a strong bond with their dog as a motivator to provide ongoing care.Conclusions The impacts on owners of caring for an osteoarthritic dog appear multi-faceted and may be sustained over multiple years. Veterinary surgeons may be unaware of the challenges faced these owners. The negative consequences for owners of arthritic dogs may be buffered by access to quality information about their pet’s condition, and improved support from both veterinary surgeons and other owners, enabling them to provide the best possible care.

Could it be osteoarthritis? How dog owners and veterinary surgeons describe identifying canine osteoarthritis in a general practice setting

“…Fifteen subsequently declined, five were unavailable during the study period, four expressed interest after the study had closed and two dogs were euthanized before interviews could be arranged. Thirty-two interviews were completed with 40 owners from 32 households who discussed 35 dogs with osteoarthritis (see Supplementary Materials 2 for owner details and Belshaw et al, 2020b for details of the dogs included). Interviews ranged 52−170 min in length.…”

“…The other themes described: the relationship between veterinary professionals and owners and how expertise was negotiated; how treatments and outcomes were chosen and their efficacy assessed; and the impact on the lives of owners and veterinary surgeons managing dogs with osteoarthritis. Aspects of these have been, or are planned to be, published elsewhere ( Belshaw et al, 2016a , 2020a , 2020b ). As an alternative way of displaying the data within this theme, the processes described are summarised in Fig.…”

“…Veterinary nurse data are not included since veterinary nurses are unable to diagnose canine osteoarthritis or instigate prescription treatments. This is one of a series of publications from a significant piece of research ( Belshaw et al, 2016a , 2016b , 2020a , 2020b ; Ladha et al, 2017 ). Reporting follows the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ; Tong et al, 2007 ).…”

“…Canine osteoarthritis is a common disease which may significantly compromise the welfare of affected dogs ( Anderson et al, 2018 ; Belshaw and Yeates, 2018 ; Summers et al, 2019 ). Recent research from this group has also identified that canine osteoarthritis can have a substantial impact on the welfare of owners, through impacts including reduced dog walking distance, speed and location variety, and stress related to their dog’s diagnosis and how to optimise disease management ( Belshaw et al, 2020a , 2020b ). There are effective interventions to mitigate affected dogs’ pain and mobility problems ( Sanderson et al, 2009 ), but dog ownership practices render dogs reliant on their human carers to provide for their needs ( Glanville et al, 2020 ).…”

“…A growing body of quantitative ( German et al, 2010 ; O’Neill et al, 2013 ; Robinson et al, 2016 ; Singleton et al, 2019 ) and qualitative research ( Belshaw et al, 2016a ; Belshaw et al, 2018a , 2018b , 2018c , 2018d ; Belshaw et al, 2020a , b ; King et al, 2018 ) describes how general practitioners and pet owners make decisions. Qualitative research has not previously been published that explores the recognition and diagnosis of canine osteoarthritis.…”