Abstract
Simple SummaryDemographic information including pet ownership, veterinary use, and beliefs regarding veterinary care were collected from 997 U.S. residents. Approximately half of respondents had a dog, or had a dog in the past five years, while 37% of respondents had a cat. Veterinary visits differed between cat and dog owners, with over 90% of dog owners visiting a veterinarian at any time and 40% of cat owners visiting a veterinarian at any time. Using logit models, the likelihood of visiting a veterinarian increased with the age and income of the pet owner. Being a cat owner decreased the likelihood of visiting the veterinarian. Pet ownership, veterinary use, and beliefs regarding veterinary care were elicited through the use of a nationally representative survey of 997 U.S. residents. Fifty-one percent of respondents have or had a dog in the past five years and 37% have or had a cat in the past five years. Over ninety percent of cat and dog owners had visited a veterinarian at any time, but only about 40% visited a veterinarian annually. With the rise of options in veterinary medicine, including low-cost options for vaccines and spay/neuter, further study and analysis of pet-owners use of veterinary care is warranted. Fifty-four percent of dog owners and 40% of cat owners who went to a low-cost spay/neuter clinic also went to a veterinarian/clinic/practice. This finding suggests that pet-owners who use low-cost options do so in a manner that supplements rather than replaces traditional veterinary care. Logit models were employed to evaluate the relationship between dog and cat owner demographics and visiting a veterinarian. The probability of visiting a veterinarian increased with age and income for dog owners.
Highlights
Over the past thirty years there has been a rise in the number of households with pets, which hovers at around 57 percent [1]
An online survey instrument, which was approved by the university Institutional Review Board (IRB), was designed to elicit information related to public perceptions and self-reported experience with veterinary medical services
Cost remains a concern for pet owners; over 40% of dog and cat owners indicated that cost prevented them from seeking veterinary care
Summary
Over the past thirty years there has been a rise in the number of households with pets, which hovers at around 57 percent (including dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic/specialty pets) [1]. At the end of the year 2011 the number of dogs was estimated at 70 million and the number of cats was estimated at 74.1 million, and in 2018 the number of dogs was estimated at 89.7 million and the number of cats was estimated at 94.2 million [2]. Given the growth in pet populations, there is a clear need for animal care services [1]. Basic animal needs are often characterized by the five freedoms: freedom. Veterinary services help pet owners meet the basic level of care outlined by the five freedoms, but not all pet owners meet the veterinary needs of their pet, for one reason or another [2].
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