Exercise and nutrition: pets who are overweight or obese live shorter lives and are more likely to experience a number of health conditions, which adversely affect quality of life and the human–animal bond (see 6.15 Approaching Obesity on a Pet‐Specific Basis). Ensure your clients understand the importance of helping their pets maintain a healthy weight through regular exercise and feeding a high‐quality, safe diet that has been tested through research and feeding trials.
Pain in pets: because animals cannot tell us when they are feeling pain, your clients should be aware of the possible signs of pain in pets. Focus on behavioral changes, like decreased activity, loss of appetite, aggression, inappropriate elimination, withdrawing or avoiding interaction, hiding, and changes in grooming habits (see 2.16 Pain and Pain Management). Be sure your clients know to inform you when they notice behavioral changes in their pets so potential pain can be quickly and appropriately addressed.
Pet health insurance: when a pet is facing a medical emergency or a potentially devastating diagnosis, the last thing the owner wants to think about is the cost of care. However, many pet owners are forced to choose substandard care, no care at all, relinquishment, or euthanasia when they cannot afford recommended treatments. Help take the cost of care out of the equation and keep the human–animal bond intact by educating your clients on pet medical insurance (see 10.16 Pet Health Insurance).
Leo, a 5‐year‐old neutered male domestic shorthair, has received regular preventive care since he was adopted as a kitten. Leo has recently begun scratching furniture inappropriately. Frustrated, his owners conduct internet research on potential remedies, including declaw. They visit ABC Animal Hospital's website, where they find a blog post about inappropriate scratching that recommends environmental enrichment, including scratching posts, interactive and engaging toys, food puzzles, climbing structures, and more frequent interaction and play with owners. The blog post also recommends regular nail trimming and pheromone diffusers.
Hoping to avoid declawing their cat, Leo's owners implement several of the blog's suggestions. Within a month, Leo stops scratching the furniture.
Client education is key to the promotion of the human–animal bond.
In the exam room, visual aids and client handouts should be utilized to promote understanding and compliance.
Additional opportunities for client education include brochures, blogs and social media, educational open houses, and community events.
The entire veterinary team should be equipped to educate clients and promote the human–animal bond when appropriate.
To promote the human–animal bond, veterinary professionals should educate clients on the importance of preventive care, fear, and stress in animals, positive reinforcement training, enrichment, exercise and nutrition, pain in pets, and pet health insurance.
Abbreviation
HAB Human–animal bond
References
1 1 American Veterinary Medical Association. (2019). Human–Animal Bond (Policy/Position Statement). www.avma.org/resources‐tools/avma‐policies/human‐animal‐interaction‐and‐human‐animal‐bond
2 2 Patronek, G.J., Glickman, L.T., Beck, A.M. et al. (1996). Risk factors for relinquishment of dogs to an animal shelter. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 209 (3): 572–581.
3 3 Dreschel, N.A. (2010). The effects of fear and anxiety on health and lifespan in pet dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 125: 157–162.
4 4 Stella, J., Croney, C., and Buffington, T. (2013). Effects of stressors on the behavior and physiology of domestic cats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 143: 157–163.
5 5 Blackwell, E., Twells, C., Seawright, A., and Casey, R. (2008). The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behavior problems, as reported by owners, in a population of domestic dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 3 (5): 207–217.
6 6 Ziv, G. (2017). The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs – a review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 19: 50–60.
7 7 Sampedro‐Piquero, P. and Begega, A. (2017). Environmental enrichment as a positive behavioral intervention across the lifespan. Current Neuropharmacology 15 (4): 459–470.
Recommended Reading
1 Brooks, D., Churchill, J., Fein, K. et al. (2014). 2014 AAHA weight management guidelines for dogs and cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 50: 1–11.
2 Knesl, O., Hart, B.L., Fine, A.H., and Cooper, L. (2016). Opportunities for incorporating the human‐animal bond in companion animal practice. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 249 (1): 42–44.
3 Todd, Z. (2017). New Literature Review Recommends Reward‐Based Training. www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/04/new‐literature‐review‐recommends‐reward.html
4 Todd, Z. (2016) Seven Reasons to Use Reward‐Based Dog Training. www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2016/06/seven‐reasons‐to‐use‐reward‐based‐dog.html
2.16 Pain and Pain Management
Mark E. Epstein, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline), CVPP
TotalBond Veterinary Hospitals, PC, Gastonia, NC, USA
It may come as a disappointing surprise to some that the focus on recognition, assessment, prevention, and management of pain in dogs and cats is a relatively recent phenomenon, having gained significant traction only since the late 1990s.
Furthermore, underrecognition and undermanagement of pain is not merely an ethical problem – although it is very much that – but generates significant physiological and medical consequences leading to increased patient morbidity at the very least (protracted patient recovery, compromised quality of life), and at times possibly even mortality (including humane euthanasia).
The very good news is that pain management is now a central, and increasingly sophisticated, feature of small animal medicine and surgery,