Article
Veterinary Sciences
Wendy W. T. Lam, Richard Fielding, Lok Yi Choi
Summary: As animals benefit from improved chronic disease care, the issues of late life and terminal care become more common for pet-parents and veterinarians. However, the importance of communication between vet and pet-parents and the role of supportive palliative care are often overlooked. This Perspective article highlights the crucial role of good communication in the management of life limiting diseases in pets, such as empathic communication and shared decision-making, managing progressive symptoms, and advanced directives. It also emphasizes the emotional impact of bereavement and the wider practice benefits of applying communication policies from human palliative care.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Rachel M. Park, Margaret E. Gruen, Kenneth Royal
Summary: In the United States, different characteristics of dog owners may influence their willingness to seek veterinary care, but overall, the study found that demographic characteristics of dog owners do not directly affect their willingness to seek veterinary care.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Joana C. Prata
Summary: New challenges arise for the pet food industry and veterinarians as pet owners' beliefs and choices about pet food change. A preliminary survey in Portugal revealed a growing interest in alternative diets, particularly organic and natural pet diets. This shift in preference is likely motivated by a greater focus on the ingredients used in pet food, with pet owners desiring diets with more meat and fewer carbohydrates. Therefore, more research, industry adaptation, and veterinary support for alternative diets are needed.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Katja A. Sutherland, Jason B. Coe, Natasha Janke, Terri L. O'Sullivan, Jacqueline M. Parr
Summary: This study compares the perceptions of pet owners and veterinarians regarding veterinarian-client conversations about pet weight and highlights the challenges in communication about weight. Pet owners consider weight an important health indicator for pets but do not expect it to be extensively discussed at every appointment. They expect veterinarians to provide options and tailor recommendations for weight management. On the other hand, veterinarians focus more on obese animals, while pet owners are more concerned about underweight animals. Communication challenges identified by veterinarians include owners' perceived lack of interest in discussing weight and the potential for adversarial conversations. Humor is seen as both beneficial and challenging in addressing pet weight, and weight-related conversations often depend on the existing veterinarian-client relationship.
JAVMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Lauren Powell, Meriel Walsh, Chelsea L. Reinhard, Kristin Jankowski, Brittany Watson
Summary: A free One Health clinic with human and veterinary services had a positive impact on the veterinary-client relationship, increasing client trust in the veterinary profession and promoting veterinarian-client concordance. The clinic also provided valuable educational experiences for participating students and volunteers.
JAVMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Nikisha Grant, Heather Buchanan, Marnie L. L. Brennan
Summary: This study aimed to explore factors within the veterinarian-cattle farmer relationship that may impact the implementation of biosecurity measures on cattle farms in England. Trust, time, familiarity, cooperative discussions, and clarification of cost-effectiveness were identified as key factors. Veterinarians play a crucial role as gateways to biosecurity information for farmers, influencing the implementation of measures. This relationship and interaction style are critical for future disease prevention planning and implementation efforts.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Salonika Hardie, Dac Loc Mai, Tiffani J. Howell
Summary: Scientific investigations have shown that owning pets can improve psychological functioning, especially for those who have a less emotionally close relationship with their pets. These findings suggest that pets have a positive impact on people's mental well-being, and emotional closeness is an important moderating factor.
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Paul R. Conlin, Carol Greenlee, Dean Schillinger, Aaron Lopata, John M. Boltri, Howard Tracer, Ann Albright, Ann Bullock, William H. Herman
Summary: The National Commission for Diabetes Control and Prevention (NCCC) has submitted its final report on federal programs, recommending improvements in administrative barriers faced by clinicians on behalf of their patients and proposing a national strategy to reduce the incidence of diabetes and improve care for at-risk individuals.
ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Gerontology
Emma K. Tsui, Emily Franzosa, Jennifer M. Reckrey, Marita LaMonica, Verena R. Cimarolli, Kathrin Boerner
Summary: Home care agencies tend to have informal and reactive practices in response to client death, with relatively few targeted and proactive efforts to support aides in these situations. Leaders acknowledge the need for greater support for aides, but cite a lack of sustainable funding and policy resources as barriers. Increased funding for wages, paid time off, and supportive services is recommended for better support of home care aides, with implications for future research.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED GERONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Ben Hughes, Beth Lewis Harkin
Summary: When a pet dies, owners may experience grief levels similar to those when a human dies. Continuing bonds play a crucial role when the pet is alive, but after the pet's death, these bonds can sometimes exacerbate grief while also serving as a mechanism to moderate grief intensity and facilitate post-traumatic growth for owners.
OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Lee A. Lindquist, Amber P. Miller-Winder, Allison Schierer, Alaine Murawski, Lauren Opsasnick, Laura M. Curtis, Kwang-Youn Kim, Vanessa Ramirez-Zohfeld
Summary: This study aims to investigate the cognitive aspects that impact older adults' AIP-LTC planning. The results show that adequate inductive reasoning and working memory are critical to AIP-LTC decision-making, while verbal abilities, long-term memory, and processing speed do not have an impact.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Amy Morris, Haorui Wu, Celeste Morales
Summary: This study delves into the challenges faced by low-income pet guardians in accessing veterinary care during COVID-19, categorizing their experiences into pre-and peri-COVID-19 barriers, emotional impacts during COVID-19, and the human-animal bond and resilience. Recommendations include improving support services for low-income pet guardians, preparing for future disasters by increasing financial capacity, and providing accessible resources for better dissemination of knowledge about animal needs. Ultimately, these suggestions aim to benefit animals, their guardians, and workers in the veterinary and animal service sectors.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Glenna Nightingale, Megan Laxton, Janine B. Illian
Summary: This study successfully modeled the risk of COVID-19 mortality in British care homes conditional on the community level risk using a two stage modeling process involving BYM and Log Gaussian Cox Process Models. The results demonstrated the impact of community COVID-19 risks on care homes and highlighted the usefulness of this approach in identifying vulnerable care homes and predicting risk for new care homes.
Article
Gerontology
Carrie L. Wendel, Tracey A. LaPierre, Darcy L. Sullivan, Jennifer Babitzke, Lora Swartzendruber, Tobi Barta, Danielle M. Olds
Summary: Self-directed care models provide flexible and person-centered care, but faced resource limitations and systemic barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED GERONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Vickie Ramirez, Lauren Frisbie, Jovien Robinson, Peter M. Rabinowitz
Summary: The objective of this research was to understand the effect of pet ownership on healthcare-seeking behavior among persons experiencing homelessness with animals. The study found that homeless individuals with pets prioritize the medical care of their animals over their own health. The research also revealed that pets can pose barriers to accessing traditional healthcare services for homeless individuals.
