Pet Care Research Articles

Investing in human–animal bonds: What is the psychological return on such investment?

If consumer spending is any indication of people’s devotion to their pets, then it should come as no surprise that pet care has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Cats and dogs are the most abundant pets in industrialized countries, and it is now commonplace to speak of pets as family members. The increased spending on pets has been attributed to the sheer number of pets owned by people and, perhaps more revealing, the depth and intensity of the emotional bond that some people experience in their relationship with their pet. Guided by relevant literature, this article uses a psychological lens to explore pet-oriented leisure and consumption, what is potentially driving people’s investment in their pets, and what this means for the health and well-being of people and pets. Pets influence people’s sense of self and promote happiness by providing enjoyable leisure experiences. Evidence for the impact of pet-related spending on health is sparse.

Penalaran Berbasis Aturan Untuk Diagnosa Awal Penyakit Anjing Menggunakan Teorema Bayes

Many pets can be played with, socialize and even live together with humans. Numbers of animal clinics have increased to provide care for pets. This study focuses on Dog as pet. Desease and improper treatment of dog will adversely affect the Dog. In dealing with the problem of Dog disease, Dog owners may experience difficulties due to limited number of clinics and veterinarians, especially in rural areas. As a solution, Artificial Intelligence is used by using expert systems that can help inexperienced medical personnel diagnose early symptoms of Dog disease. The search method used in this research is Forward Chaining and Bayes Theorem method to handle uncertainties that arised. Based on knowledge acquisition, 3 diseases were obtained with 38 simptoms and 60 cases. Based on the tests conducted then obtained the sensitivity value of 80%, the value of accuracy of 88.6% indicates that this expert system is able to diagnose dog diseasesKeywords: Dog, Expert System, Forward Chaining, Bayes Theorem.

Improving medication adherence in the pediatric population using integrated care of companion animals

Medication non-adherence occurs in more than half of children with chronic conditions. Unfortunately, most strategies for improving adherence have had limited success in the pediatric population highlighting the need for novel interventions that establish healthy self-management habits for children and adolescents. In this paper we discuss innovative strategies to improve adherence by embedding a medical regimen within a pet care routine, thereby capitalizing on the benefits of a structured habit while providing opportunities for development of autonomy in children and fostering collaborative parent interactions.

Retrospective Study of Adverse Events of Chemotherapy in Cats

Background: Clients who seek veterinary care for pets with cancer are often concerned about the potential negative impact of chemotherapeutic treatments on their animals’ quality of life. A consensus currently exists in veterinary oncology regarding the quantification and rating of adverse treatment effects in dogs and cats in response to chemotherapy agents. This grading system is referred to as Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group - Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. The purpose of this retrospective case series was to investigate the delayed acute effects of chemotherapy drugs in cats receiving cancer treatment.Materials, Methods & Results: Medical records were reviewed to determine the chemotherapy agent used and delayed adverse effects. Side effects were classified according to Veterinary Co-operative Oncology Group grading. All cats were evaluated after the first chemotherapy administration, after a single dose. The reported effects included hematologic effects (e.g., neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, increases in liver enzymes, and azotemia), gastrointestinal effects (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, and inappetence), and sepsis. All of the cats in this study received ondansetron and omeprazol in the first five days following chemotherapy administration. If vomiting occurred with oral medication, maropitant was administered subcutaneously for three consecutive days. If diarrhea (> grade II) occurred, probiotics were administered for seven days. Hematologic examination was performed 3-14 days after chemotherapy. If neutropenia (> grade III) occurred, Human granulocyte colony stimulating factor was administered subcutaneously for three consecutive days together with prophylactic antibiotics. Lomustine, carboplatin, vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, and vinblastine were administered in 33%, 19%, 16%, 5%, 16%, 10% and 2% of the cases examined, respectively. The most common adverse events were vomiting, inappetence, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. Vomiting occurred in 6% cases, most of them associated with cyclophosphamide. Inappetence/anorexia affected 12% of the cases, mostly those involving cyclophosphamide or doxorubicin. Neutropenia was observed in 22% of the cases, with cyclophosphamide, followed by carboplatin and lomustine. According to the current grading system of adverse effects induced by chemotherapy, grade I toxicity was observed in 83% of the cases, whiles grade II-IV were observed in 7%, 8%, and 2% of the cases examined, respectively.Discussion: In general, the chemotherapy regimens in the cases examined were well tolerated. The toxicity experienced was infrequent and mostly mild, thereby resulting in satisfactory tolerability of the chemotherapy regimens. According to the current grading system for the adverse effects of chemotherapy, 83% of the cases examined included grade I, indicating that most of the cats experienced asymptomatic, or mild symptoms, and medical intervention was not needed. In previous studies of dogs and cats, a severe adverse event following chemotherapy was reported for fewer than 1 in 4 animals, and approximately 3-5% experienced a serious adverse event that led to hospitalization. In the present study, 2% of the cats experienced serious or life threatening adverse events. The only chemotherapeutic agent that was associated with inappetence, vomiting, and neutropenia was cyclophosphamide. Based on the data examined, we would recommend that cyclophosphamide should be used with caution for the treatment of cancer in cats, with adequate antiemetic and nutritional support available if needed. In addition, febrile neutropenia/sepsis may be avoided by using a fractionated schedule.

A geriatria canina e o manejo das doenças neoplásicas: Revisão

Some changes in population habits have had an important impact on pet care. A greater approximation of owner-animal is observed, which has made dogs and cats incorporated into the family. In the same way, Veterinary Medicine has been developing in the most different areas, and veterinary oncology has been emphasizing with the new approaches. Neoplasms, in general, exhibit considerable variation in their semiologic, clinical and histological aspects and for these reasons, predictions of tumor behavior and responses to treatment may be extremely difficult and subjective. The fact that the dogs are reaching the greater age has predisposed to the appearance of these diseases with more frequency, being possible the study of these etiologies with more detail. Therefore, this review seeks to deepen questions related to canine geriatrics and the consequences of the greater age of dogs with the appearance of neoplasms. The relevant aspects on the etiology of neoplasms, their main complications and their management will be approached, considering the new therapies adopted today, as well as the observed relationship between the owners and their pets.

Care of Pets in Disasters

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Attitudes and Motivations of Owners Who Enroll Pets in Pet Life-Care Centers

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics, motivations, and expectations of humans who enroll their dogs, cats, and other pets into pet life-care centers. Pet life-care centers are groups or institutions that provide a permanent home for pets in the event of the owner’s illness, inability to care for their pet, or death. The long-term pet care industry has grown in the quality and type of care available to pet owners and is a classic example of the human–animal bond in action. This bond is well-documented in the literature, with most research focusing on physical, emotional, and mental health benefits to the pet owner. Few studies have examined how the human–animal bond affects the animal, and little is known about the motives and expectations of owners who enroll their pet in a life-care center. We conducted a study using a mail questionnaire sent to 163 current clients of a pet life-care center in Texas, USA. Of 101 respondents, whose ages ranged from 30 to over 70, most were female, married, and college-educated. Respondents strongly endorsed a variety of reasons for enrolling their pet in the center, with quality of veterinary care and satisfaction of their pet’s basic needs being the most highly rated. Coding of open-ended responses was consistent with these ratings and identified having no other options as another frequently endorsed reason. The open-ended responses also indicated that respondents expected that their pet would enjoy extensive social interaction, receive high-quality medical attention, and be treated like they were at home. Respondents who had previously visited the center were more willing to adopt a pet in the future than those who had not visited the center. With the dramatic growth of pet life-care centers in the United States and lack of existing literature, further studies in this area are advised.

Animality, domesticity and masculinity in My Cat From Hell

This article analyses a US reality TV series for the way it reflects two coinciding phenomena: the elevation of animals to a new domestic status in which their needs and interests demand significant time, care and money and the rise of male-fronted instructional lifestyle television. The commercial dimensions of what has been characterised as ‘America’s hyper-profitable obsession with its dogs and cats’ are apparent in dramatic sales rises of premium pet food, the dramatic growth of pet care and grooming industries and the expansion of care animals in the public sphere. Considering the ways in which we are now called upon to cultivate and monitor the emotional well-being of our pets and to take part in an animal-centred economy on their behalf, I turn to the example of Animal Planet’s My Cat From Hell. This series emphatically repositions cat care and empathy as congruent with masculinity while demonstrating, as I will argue, the relevance of hipster entrepreneurialism to the vastly expanded pet economy.

PROBLEMS OF DIROFILARIASIS IN RUSSIA AND THE VOLGOGRAD REGION: CURRENT EPIDEMIC TRENDS

The only helminthes transmitting by mosquitoes to humans in Europe are nematodes of the genus Dirofilaria. Dirofilariasis is an emerging zoonotic infection in which the human serves as an accidental host. Russia has been one of the most important endemic regions worldwide for dirofilariasis. Globally, the majority of cases in humans and animals are caused by the two Dirofilaria species, D. repens and D. immitis. In European countries, D. repens is the main causative agent of human dirofilariasis. The Volgograd region may be characterized as one of the new endemic regions of Russia for dirofilariasis. Materials and methods. The aim of this study was to describe the current epidemiology of dirofilariasis in the Russian Federation and in the Volgograd region based on data published since the first case described, together with the data of the veterinary clinic «Help to a friend (medical care for pets)». Results. The current epidemiological trends are derived especially for the Volgograd region when compared with previous data.

Street Paws — health care for pets on the streets

Companion AnimalVol. 23, No. 2 EndpieceStreet Paws — health care for pets on the streetsMichelle SouthernMichelle SouthernSearch for more papers by this authorMichelle SouthernPublished Online:5 Feb 2018https://doi.org/10.12968/coan.2018.23.2.110AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 February 2018Volume 23Issue 2ISSN (print): 2053-0889ISSN (online): 2053-0897 Metrics History Published online 5 February 2018 Published in print 2 February 2018 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

A new method to assess the influence of odor on food selection in dogs

AbstractPrevious research provides evidence that odor is a key driver in food selection in dogs. Dogs' flavor preferences are generally assessed through paired comparison tests based on food intake. Methods for evaluating odor preference in canines are lacking. In this study, the paired comparison test was modified by replacing standard bowls with false‐bottom bowls (FBBs). Made of two compartments separated by a drilled, stainless‐steel plate, FBBs enable odorant compounds to be placed under the food that is presented to the dogs. Several paired comparison trials were conducted on a trained canine panel with FBBs containing various odorant substances under the kibbles. Results showed that dogs were able to perceive the hidden substances and to distinguish between the bowls accordingly. These results demonstrate that the false‐bottom bowl paired comparison method could be helpful in evaluating the role of odor in dogs' food preferences, thus, also as a way of assessing food odor performance.Practical applicationsThe false‐bottom bowl method is an adaptation of the paired comparison test that enables the influence of odor on dog behavior to be isolated from that stimulated by vision, taste or textural parameters. The odor impact of a hidden substance is tested under pet meal conditions. This new method could be useful in pet food industry to measure the odor potential of a new ingredient, or to understand the key food selection drivers for dogs and cats. In addition, as the olfactory stimulus is not eaten by the animal, the influence of odor in non‐food products for dogs, such as pet care and pet medicines, could also be evaluated using this method.

A manufacturing bottleneck case study trough the theory of constraints and computational simulation of the proposed bottleneck solution

In 2016, the Brazilian pet industry had revenue of R$ 18.9 billion and ranked third place worldwide. Thus, it is a sector that is always looking for enhancements in its productivity levels. Based on the previous statements, a case study was conducted in a selected company of the pet care business, with the goal to augment its monthly revenue, identify the bottleneck that impedes reaching this goal, and proposed solutions to bring the production and loading fluxes of merchandise to its optimal state, making the company’s revenue also optimal. The classical tools of the theory of constraints were used in this analysis. The first step was to obtain the undesirable effects of the process to define the bottleneck. After that, some injections were proposed as solutions to eliminate the undesirable effects and bring the production and loading model of the company to its full state. Finally, by means of a computational tool, the current situation of the company (with the bottleneck), and the situation in a virtual state (without the bottleneck) were simulated and compared, showing the potential of the found solution.

South Bellmore Veterinary Group Review: Simple steps to take care of your senior pets

South Bellmore Veterinary Group Review: Simple steps to take care of your senior pets

Parrot on a Stone Plinth

Parrot on a Stone Plinth Jennifer Stock (bio) I An artist arranges five shells on a shelf. The shelf hovers in midair, juts out from a milky, dark background. Whorls, crenellations, spirals, speckles, and striations glow softly under an unseen light source. An austere color palette sharpens our sense of scale and shape. A small, peach shell lies like a recumbent amphora; a large, chalky one balances on a series of fang-like spikes. Three are oriented with their apertures toward us. We glimpse their inner voids; this shelf might be floating in outer space. An adage of my mother's returns: odd numbers work best for arrangements. The Dutch artist Adriaen Coorte will complete Shells on a Stone Plinth in 1698. At the time that he places the shells on the shelf to paint them, they are highly prized by collectors. Carried long distances to the Netherlands from Dutch colonies, the shells are part of the vast circulation of resources that will swell capital in the Western world. That the shells have been taken from a country from which much will be taken is not apparent. Their striking pose against darkness shows them to advantage but also erases their context. Coercion and beauty exist in their willful grouping against a blank background; they are at once collector's items and colonized objects. And as viewers, we are invited to savor their exoticism rather than imagine their plunder. II In 2008 I purchase a yellow-crowned Amazon parrot named Aria on Craigslist. I'm trying to improve the end of my mother's life. In pursuit of this goal, I drive to a suburban development tucked within the cancerous sprawl around Indianapolis to pick up the parrot. I know nothing about parrots, but my mother has recently said she would like one. She thinks a talking animal will make her less lonely. My parents already have a cat and two rambunctious dogs, and my mom's illness, combined with my father's dementia, puts caring for pets on an increasingly long list of things neither of them should be doing. But I'm on a mission to fulfill wishes while I can, so I pull over at a nondescript ranch house and fork over six hundred dollars. The small house is filled with birds; the people tell me that Aria was the pet of a friend who can no longer take care of her after having a baby. I gaze around at the cages lining the living room wall, the bird toys tossed across the tan shag carpet, the parrots walking around [End Page 10] everywhere, and realize that something's probably off. But soon I'm driving home with a shiny green creature crowned with a yellow lick of flame, her head cocked curiously, her eyes reptilian, flashing, inscrutable. III At the time of its construction in 1840, the Great Conservatory at Chatsworth House is the largest glass building in England. Broad translucent walls and a soaring, sixty-foot ceiling warm a collection of exotic plants: palms, moss, ferns, and aquatic lilies. Two carriages can drive within the jungle of the Conservatory side by side, allowing women in silks to gaze with an air of unfocused triumph on the spoils of imperial plant hunting in the dead of winter. Conservatory architect and Chatsworth House head gardener Joseph Paxton has created a protective environment for his transplants. He is a virtuoso at enabling plants to thrive in glass cages. He becomes the first person in England to bring the giant Amazonian lily to flower, which he accomplishes in a smaller glass house with a special tank to accommodate five-foot lily pads strong enough to sustain the weight of his young daughter Annie. His glass houses exemplify the careful control and culture that support conquest; they are an étude of the artificial. Sunlight alone does not allow plants like water lilies and lotus to survive the cold in England. So tunnels are dug under the Great Conservatory. Wagons run on subterranean rails and cart three hundred tons of coal to eight underground boilers over the course of one winter. These coal fires warm seven miles of hot water...

Inflexion backs pet care business Lintbells

Veterinary RecordVolume 182, Issue 2 p. 44-44 News and reports Inflexion backs pet care business Lintbells First published: 13 January 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2042-7670.2018.tb00013.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume182, Issue2January 2018Pages 44-44 RelatedInformation

Dermatophytosis for veterinary nurses

Dermatophytosis is a challenging condition to treat and requires a thorough and methodical approach from the veterinary team as far as diagnosis and management is concerned to ensure the disease resolves. The veterinary nurse can be actively involved in the management of this condition at all stages of the process, from the tests required for diagnosis through to the treatment and follow-up care of pets with dermatophytosis. This ensures that veterinary surgeons have support in these cases and can approach them effectively, while the owners will receive the time required to ensure their compliance with treatment protocols which is essential for its resolution.

Perceived Facilitators and Barriers to Local Health Department Workers' Participation in Infectious Disease Emergency Responses.

Local health departments play a key role in emergency preparedness and respond to a wide range of threats including infectious diseases such as seasonal influenza, tuberculosis, H1N1, Ebola virus disease, and Zika virus disease. To successfully respond to an infectious disease outbreak, local health departments depend upon the participation of their workforce; yet, studies indicate that sizable numbers of workers would not participate in such a response. The reasons why local health department workers participate, or fail to participate, in infectious disease responses are not well understood. To understand why local health department workers are willing, or not willing, to report to work during an infectious disease response. From April 2015 to January 2016, we conducted 28 semistructured interviews with local health department directors, preparedness staff, and nonpreparedness staff. Interviews were conducted with individuals throughout the United States. We interviewed 28 individuals across 3 groups: local health department directors (n = 8), preparedness staff (n = 10), and nonpreparedness staff (n = 10). Individuals' descriptions of why local health department workers are willing, or not willing, to report to work during an infectious disease response. Factors that facilitate willingness to respond to an infectious disease emergency included availability of vaccines and personal protective equipment; flexible work schedule and childcare arrangements; information sharing via local health department trainings; and perceived commitments to one's job and community. Factors that hinder willingness to respond to an infectious disease emergency included potential disease exposure for oneself and one's family; logistical considerations for care of children, the elderly, and pets; and perceptions about one's role during an infectious disease response. Our findings highlight opportunities for local health departments to revisit their internal policies and engage in strategies likely to promote willingness to respond among their staff. As LHDs face the persistent threat of infectious diseases, they must account for response willingness when planning for and fielding emergency responses. Our findings highlight opportunities for local health departments to revisit their internal policies and engage in strategies likely to promote response willingness to infectious disease emergencies among their staff.

Small Pilot Survey on Parents' Perception of the Relationship between Children and Pets.

Since companion animals are taking on more important roles in family life, the aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of parents about the relationship between their children and pets. A number of parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire; the principal topics were: pet ownership, pet care, relationship between pets and children, and sources of information about pet management. Eighty-two parents completed the survey; 71.4% of them already had pets before having children; pet care and health has emerged to be rather important, since 96.4% of the pets are taken to the veterinarian at least once a year; moreover, the great majority of the parents (97.2%) were not worried about the possible risks, linked to pets, pertaining to their child’s health. The present survey confirms that pets are mostly considered as members of the family, and not only as a benefit for the children. Moreover, the relationship between children and pets is basically seen as a positive experience for children.

Timebanking in New Zealand as a prefigurative strategy within a wider degrowth movement

Abstract A movement is gaining traction in New Zealand around timebanks, networks of support in which members exchange favors such as gardening, lifts to the supermarket, pet care, language lessons, career advice, or smartphone tutorials. An online currency is used to track these exchanges, with one hour of work earning one time credit. While each transaction may seem commonplace, when timebanks flourish they work to reshape motivations and opportunities for engaging in labor, and relocalize networks of solidarity, friendship, and resources. Participants reported examples of developing unexpected friendships and renewed enthusiasm for a larger collective project of building alternatives to the currently dominant growth-addicted economic model. These processes contribute to the establishment of foundational, mostly small-scale networks that are enjoyable to use in the here and now, while also creating the potential for these systems to be scaled up or linked together in response to greater economic, ecological, and social changes. Timebank developers in New Zealand are negotiating several structural challenges in their attempts to bring these networks to fruition. This article shares results of ethnographic research amongst seven North Island timebanks, and offers suggestions for future research in this area. Keywords: timebank, community currency, activism, degrowth, New Zealand

Learning spaces in the countryside: university students and the Harper assemblage

Using the concepts of affect and assemblage, this paper expands the boundaries of the geographies of education by shifting the student focus from the urban to the rural. Based on the findings of student interviews, it demonstrates how a multiscalar and diversely constituted network of material and non‐material things (including buildings, animals and plants) coalesces with students to create affective atmospheres of learning in a specialist agri‐food and land‐based rural university. This learning is underpinned by a sense of attachment to historical tradition through more than a century of agricultural education on the campus, giving students a strong sense of identity in corporeality. Animals are enrolled in teaching and learning through embodied sensory engagement with their states of health, welfare and disease. Students learn both with and from their student peers, centred on a mutual interest in the science and practicality of caring for production animals and pets. This mutual learning and sharing takes place both within, and informally beyond, the geographies of the classroom. The paper draws out wider cautionary lessons for ongoing university expansions; the praxis of university education within fieldwork‐ and vocationally‐based domains; and the role of both formal and informal assemblages of teaching and learning within the academy.