Comparison of the efficacy of remote consultations and personal consultations for the treatment of dogs which are aggressive towards their owners

Veterinary surgeons', veterinary nurses' and owners' experiences of feline telemedicine consultations during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

There has been increasing provision of veterinary telemedicine consultations, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, little evidence currently exists examining these remote consultations. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore veterinary and cat owner experiences of telemedicine consultations during the pandemic.

METHODS

Two questionnaires, one aimed at veterinary professionals and one at cat owners, were launched in September 2020. Questions explored the type of consultation conducted remotely, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine, and the role of telemedicine in the future of veterinary practice.

RESULTS

Responses were received from 242 veterinary professionals and 98 owners with experience of telemedicine. Monitoring and advice consultations were felt to be most suited to telemedicine. Reduced stress for owners/cats was seen as an advantage of telemedicine, while lack of clinical examination and risk of misdiagnosis were viewed as disadvantages. Most respondents (85.7% [n = 84/98] of owners; 67.4% [n = 163/242] of veterinary professionals) felt practices should continue to offer telemedicine consultations.

CONCLUSION

With increasing pet ownership and practice workload, telemedicine may play a crucial role in the future of veterinary practice. Future work should focus on a strategic approach to feline telemedicine, integrating it alongside face-to-face visits and developing technologies to maximise its advantages.

Owner satisfaction with use of videoconferencing for recheck examinations following routine surgical sterilization in dogs

OBJECTIVE To evaluate owner satisfaction with a home-based, synchronous videoconferencing telemedicine application as an alternative to in-clinic appointments for conducting recheck examinations after surgical sterilization in dogs. DESIGN Randomized controlled clinical trial. ANIMALS 30 client-owned dogs undergoing elective surgical sterilization and postsurgical recheck examination between September 27, 2017, and February 23, 2018. PROCEDURES Dogs were randomly assigned to have their recheck examinations performed remotely (the telemedicine group) or at the veterinary clinic (the control group). After the recheck examination, owners completed a survey regarding their satisfaction with the recheck examination and their dogs' behavior during it. Information regarding the surgery and recheck examination was obtained from the electronic medical record. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare results between the telemedicine and control groups. RESULTS Owners were equally satisfied with recheck examinations performed by videoconference and in-clinic appointments. Owners of dogs in the telemedicine group indicated that their dogs were less afraid during the virtual appointment, compared with what was typical for them during in-clinic appointments, but the difference was not statistically significant. Most owners who completed a postsurgical recheck examination by videoconferencing preferred this method for similar appointments in the future. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that owners were satisfied with videoconferencing as a means of conducting a postsurgical recheck examination. Further research is needed to assess videoconferencing's ability to reduce signs of fear in dogs during veterinary examinations, its economic feasibility, and the willingness of veterinarians and animal owners to adopt the technology.

Characteristics of compulsive tail chasing and associated risk factors in Bull Terriers

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate and define the characteristics of tail chasing in Bull Terriers and explore the association between tail chasing and other behavioral and physical characteristics.

DESIGN

Survey and case-control study.

ANIMALS

333 Bull Terriers (145 dogs with tail-chasing behavior and 188 unaffected dogs).

PROCEDURES

Owners of Bull Terriers with tail-chasing behavior were surveyed regarding the age of onset, triggers, frequency, duration, interruptability, degree of disruption to the dogs' normal functioning and the owners' relationship with the dog, and associated medical and physical consequences. Associations of tail chasing with various behavioral and physical characteristics were examined by comparison of dogs with tail-chasing behavior with unaffected dogs.

RESULTS

Phenotypic and developmental descriptions of tail chasing in Bull Terriers were defined. Associations of tail chasing with sex, trance-like behavior, and episodic aggression were found. Males were at an 8% greater risk for the diagnosis of tail chasing than females. Phobias and owner-directed aggression did not significantly associate with tail chasing in the final log-linear model, but did have significant associations in earlier analyses that did not include the behaviors of episodic aggression and trance-like behavior.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

In Bull Terriers with tail-chasing behavior, there was a slight increase in the susceptibility of males to develop tail-chasing behavior, compared with females. A close association of tail chasing with trance-like behavior and episodic aggression was identified.

Comparison of remote versus in-person behavioral consultation for treatment of canine separation anxiety

To investigate the validity of remote consultation for treatment of canine separation anxiety, this study compared the efficacy of 2 types of behavioral services offered by Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (TCSVM): (a) "PetFax," a remote consultation service in which dog caregivers (owners) and a certified applied animal behaviorist correspond via fax or email and (b) in-person clinic consultation, which requires that owners bring their dogs to the Animal Behavior Clinic at TCSVM to consult with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, a veterinary behavior resident, or a certified applied animal behaviorist. The study tested 4 variables for significant differences between PetFax users and clinic visitors: (a) pre- and posttreatment anxiety scores; (b) owner-reported improvement; (c) percentage of rehomed dogs, dogs relinquished or euthanized because of separation anxiety; and (d) clarity of communication with owners. The study found no significant differences between the groups. Difference scores and owner reports demonstrated substantial reduction in separation anxiety in both groups. Results indicate remote consultation is a valid way for behavioral professionals to share behavior modification advice with owners regarding canine separation anxiety.