National Pet Month 2017: What vets and vet nurses wish UK pet owners knew about their animals…
According to a new poll released by the Veterinary Animal Welfare Coalition for National Pet Month, recognising when a pet is overweight is the top issue vets and vet nurses wish UK pet owners knew about their animals.
More than one in five of veterinary professionals (23%) said the number one thing they wished their client knew about their pet was diet-related. Suggestions ranged from considering “Am I feeding them the right food?” to “Pets need a lot less food than we think!”, and “We have to protect them from themselves and not give into that ‘look’, especially where food is concerned!”
The answers given fell into 26 different themes, covering a number of pet care issues. The top five most frequently mentioned things veterinary professionals wished all pet owners knew were:
- How to recognise when your animal is overweight
- That flat-faced breeds suffer lots of health and welfare issues
- How to recognise signs that your animal is in pain
- You have a responsibility to care for your pet properly and follow the five animal welfare needs
- That your veterinary team is the best place to go to for advice on all areas of pet care, including what may be the most suitable pet for you
Further details can be found on the BVA website. More information on National Pet Month can be found here.