25 Mar 2020
Sarah Caney and VetPartners’ Rachel Dean carrying out research to understand more about experience of cats and and their owners when visiting veterinary practice.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image © StockPhotoPro / Adobe Stock
Veterinary professionals are being asked to participate in an online survey to gauge views on the experiences of cats and their owners in vet practices.
Vet Professionals chief executive Sarah Caney, and VetPartners director of clinical research and excellence in practice Rachel Dean, hope their research will provide more understanding about whether owners and their cats find the veterinary practice experience stressful – and, if so, what can be suggested to help change that.
The survey has undergone ethical approval via The University of Edinburgh prior to its launch and will run online until the end of May, when collected data will be analysed by Dr Caney and Dr Dean, and findings revealed.
Explanatory information on the survey page said: “The aim of this online questionnaire is to understand more about owner experiences of a visit to a vet clinic, whether this is a stressful experience for owners and their cat/s, and what might help reduce the stress experienced.
“We plan to use the data received from this study to educate veterinary clinics and staff so future visits to a vet clinic are less stressful for everyone involved.
“By sharing your experiences with us, you will be helping us learn more about typical owner and cat experiences of the visit to a vet clinic.
“We will analyse the results received, and use these to educate vet clinics and staff so they are aware of owner concerns and how the stress associated with a vet visit can be reduced.”
The survey features 45 questions, covered in three parts, and is estimated to take 30 minutes to complete. A “save and return” function has been included, so it does not need to be completed in one sitting.
Full details are available on the survey page and lead researcher Dr Caney will answer more via [email protected]
