Abstract
Pet ownership is increasing, in large part due to the number of millennial pet owners. More pet owners as well as the advent of extensive veterinary care options have resulted in a substantial increase in veterinary care spending. Yet, regardless of client cohort or type of medical procedure performed, communication between clients and veterinarians continues to be a key component in patient care and client satisfaction. Two areas of communication are explored in this study: medical updates to clients when their animals need to stay in the hospital for extended periods of time (at least 4 h) and appointment confirmations. This study, through an anonymous online survey, explored pet owners' stated current modality and frequency of receiving medical updates by their veterinarian and compared these to their stated preferences. Participants' preferences for the modality in which they receive appointment reminders was similarly compared to how they currently receive reminders. There were differences in both frequency (medical updates) and modality (medical updates and appointment confirmations) between what pet owners currently encounter and what they would prefer. In particular, few pet owners receive medical updates or appointment confirmations via text, when a significant portion would prefer this mode of communication. Pet owners also reported wishing to receive medical updates more frequently then they currently experience, with 53.8% of participants reporting they would pay extra for this service. The ramifications of these results are explored with a focus on how to modify these services to best meet the needs of clients.
Highlights
Pet ownership in the US is increasing - from 80 million pet owning households in 2015 to 84.6 million in 2017 and it has been suggested that millennials are a primary factor in driving this growth [1]
Millennials are the largest cohort of pet owners and own 35% of US pets [1]
Participants were asked to answer the first several questions about their experiences receiving medical updates from their veterinarian based on the last time they had a pet remain hospitalized for at least 4 h
Summary
Pet ownership in the US is increasing - from 80 million pet owning households in 2015 to 84.6 million in 2017 and it has been suggested that millennials (those born between 1980/1981 an d 1995/1996) are a primary factor in driving this growth [1]. Millennials are the largest cohort of pet owners and own 35% of US pets [1]. They are more likely to follow veterinary advice compared to older owners (50 vs 31%) [2]. Owners of all generations love their pets with 84% reporting that they love and care for their pet as much as any other family member [3]. This can be seen in the lifestyle choices many pet owners make to accommodate their pets. 33% of pet owners’ report altering their travel plans to accommodate their pet and 87% worry about their
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