Abstract
BackgroundThere is 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.ResultsForty 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. Few had any prior experience of canine osteoarthritis, and owners of young dogs appeared to be particularly affected by the diagnosis. Owners detailed increasing worry over time about their pet’s condition, frequently combined with a growing need to physically assist their dog. Sometimes this led them to seek information about, and purchase, adjunctive therapies and products. The 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.ConclusionsThe negative impacts on owners of caring for an osteoarthritic dog appear multi-faceted and may be sustained over many years, particularly if the dog is young at diagnosis. Owners may be highly motivated to improve their dog’s mobility and to reduce the impact the condition has on their own lives, yet they may be unsure how to achieve this. Veterinary professionals should inform and support these owners as much as possible.
Highlights
There is growing awareness that caring for a chronically ill pet may have a detrimental impact on their owner’s quality of life
This study aims to answer the research question: what are the impacts on owners when their dog develops osteoarthritis? A qualitative methodology was used to ensure a wide breadth of indepth experiences were captured
Our findings suggest that canine osteoarthritis may diminish many of the positive health benefits associated with dog ownership, and this should be considered when managing a dog with this condition
Summary
There is growing awareness that caring for a chronically ill pet may have a detrimental impact on their owner’s quality of life. Owners of dogs affected by chronic diseases including diabetes mellitus [17], epilepsy [18], heart failure [19], Chiari-like malformation [20] and cancer [21] describe significant, persistent worry about their pets’ condition. Those owners describe adapting multiple aspects of their own lifestyles to accommodate the reduced exercise capacity [15], requirements for time-specific medication dosing and frequent veterinary visits required by their dogs. Little qualitative research has previously been performed in relation to ownership of chronically ill pets [11, 15, 26] and to date there has been scant research of any form exploring experiences of ownership of dogs with chronic orthopaedic disease
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