Csiplo Andrei-Sebastian, Popescu Silvana
Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Centre for Animal Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, H-1078 Budapest, Hungary.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Mar 20;15(6):894. doi: 10.3390/ani15060894.
Over the past decade, the number of companion dogs and cats has grown significantly, leading to an increase in veterinary visits. These visits can be stressful for animals, potentially affecting their long-term physical and emotional well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate how dog and cat owners perceive the factors influencing their pets' behavior and welfare during veterinary visits. After completing a veterinary visit, dog and cat owners filled a survey assessing their pets' behavioral responses at different stages of the consultation. A total of 94 dog and cat owners participated in this study. The findings revealed that perceived stress levels were the highest right after entering the practice but declined significantly after about 10 min in the waiting room. The owners' observations, based on their familiarity with their pets' typical behavior, were considered a useful tool for assessing the stress levels in their companion animals during the veterinary visits. Although they had the possibility to choose terms from a list of behaviors, no ethogram was provided previously or during the data collection. In conclusion, while stress remains a key concern for animal welfare, the most critical period identified was immediately before and after entering the veterinary practice. Further research is needed to better understand this crucial phase and its implications for the health and welfare of dogs and cats.
在过去十年中，伴侣犬和猫的数量显著增加，导致兽医诊疗次数增多。这些诊疗对动物来说可能会造成压力， potentially affecting their long-term physical and emotional well-being. 本研究的目的是调查犬猫主人如何看待在兽医诊疗期间影响其宠物行为和福利的因素。在完成一次兽医诊疗后，犬猫主人填写了一份调查问卷，评估他们的宠物在诊疗不同阶段的行为反应。共有94位犬猫主人参与了本研究。研究结果显示，进入诊所后紧接着感知到的压力水平最高，但在候诊室等待约10分钟后显著下降。基于对宠物典型行为的熟悉程度，主人的观察被认为是评估其伴侣动物在兽医诊疗期间压力水平的有用工具。尽管他们有可能从一系列行为术语中进行选择，但在数据收集之前或期间并未提供行为谱。总之，虽然压力仍然是动物福利的一个关键问题，但确定的最关键时期是进入兽医诊所之前和之后。需要进一步研究以更好地理解这个关键阶段及其对犬猫健康和福利的影响。
