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What do Brazilian owners know about canine obesity and what risks does this knowledge generate?

ABSTRACT: Canine obesity is associated with genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors, with the latter including both the behaviour of the dog and the owner. Knowledge about owner perception of canine obesity and its treatment can inform the development of new strategies to help prevent and manage this disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the opinions of dog owners regarding canine obesity and weight management. Dog owners residing in the city of Sao Paulo (Brazil) completed a questionnaire, either at home or in the waiting rooms of 3 veterinary hospitals. Owners determined their dog's body condition score (BCS), and this was compared with BCS determined by a veterinarian. Questionnaire findings from dogs that were in overweight (BCS 6-7/9) or obese (BCS (8-9/9) condition were compared with those in ideal weight (4-5/9) using chi-square tests and odds ratios. A total of 926 dogs were included, of which 480 (52%), 317 (34%) and 129 (14%) were in ideal, overweight and obese condition, respectively. Many owners under-estimated their dog's weight status, with the proportion increasing as the dog's weight status increased (ideal 60/480, 13%; overweight 174/317, 55%; obese 88/129, 68%; P<0.001). Although most owners (890/926, 96%) believed that canine obesity could pose health risks, the proportion that disagreed increased as weight status increased (ideal 12/480, 2%; overweight 14/317, 4%; 10/129, 8%; P = 0.006). Finally, although most owners (880/926, 95%) stated that they would let their dog undergo weight management, only a minority (182/926; 20%) believed that a trained professional was needed, and they had various misperceptions including potential cost and what the strategies that would be effective. Based on the findings of this study, it would be advisable for veterinarians to spend time addressing these misperceptions, in the hope of both improving awareness of obesity and the outcomes of weight management.

SUBMITTER: Porsani MYH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7505417 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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What do Brazilian owners know about canine obesity and what risks does this knowledge generate?

Porsani Mariana Yukari Hayasaki MYH de Oliveira Vinicius Vasques VV de Oliveira Ariane Galdino AG Teixeira Fabio Alves FA Pedrinelli Vivian V Martins Camila Marinelli CM German Alexander James AJ Brunetto Marcio Antonio MA

PloS one 20200921 9

Canine obesity is associated with genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors, with the latter including both the behaviour of the dog and the owner. Knowledge about owner perception of canine obesity and its treatment can inform the development of new strategies to help prevent and manage this disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the opinions of dog owners regarding canine obesity and weight management. Dog owners residing in the city of Sao Paulo (Brazil) completed a q ...[more]

PMID: 32956414

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Project description:BackgroundBespoke electronic information management systems are being used for large-scale implementation delivery of population health programs. They record sites reached, coordinate activity, and track target achievement. However, many systems have been abandoned or failed to integrate into practice. We investigated the unusual endurance of an electronic information management system that has supported the successful statewide implementation of two evidence-based childhood obesity prevention programs for over 5?years. Upwards of 80% of implementation targets are being achieved.MethodsWe undertook co-designed partnership research with policymakers, practitioners, and IT designers. Our working hypothesis was that the science of getting evidence-based programs into practice rests on an in-depth understanding of the role programs play in the ongoing system of local relationships and multiple accountabilities. We conducted a 12-month multisite ethnography of 14 implementation teams, including their use of an electronic information management system, the Population Health Information Management System (PHIMS).ResultsAll teams used PHIMS, but also drew on additional informal tools and technologies to manage, curate, and store critical information for implementation. We identified six functions these tools performed: (1) relationship management, (2) monitoring progress towards target achievement, (3) guiding and troubleshooting PHIMS use, (4) supporting teamwork, (5) evaluation, and (6) recording extra work at sites not related to program implementation. Informal tools enabled practitioners to create locally derived implementation knowledge and provided a conduit between knowledge generation and entry into PHIMS.ConclusionsImplementation involves knowing and formalizing what to do, as well as how to do it. Our ethnography revealed the importance of hitherto uncharted knowledge about how practitioners develop implementation knowledge about how to do implementation locally, within the context of scaling up. Harnessing this knowledge for local use required adaptive and flexible systems which were enabled by informal tools and technologies. The use of informal tools also complemented and supported PHIMS use suggesting that both informal and standardized systems are required to support coordinated, large-scale implementation. While the content of the supplementary knowledge required to deliver the program was specific to context, functions like managing relationships with sites and helping others in the team may be applicable elsewhere.

Project description:Periodontal disease is one of the most common diseases affecting dogs, with a reported prevalence of at least 80% in dogs over 3 years of age. However, there is a lack of studies regarding dog owners' assessment of their dog's dental health, and whether they perceive clinical signs often associated with periodontal disease, i.e., dental calculus, halitosis or mobile or lost teeth. A validated questionnaire survey was distributed to all Swedish dog owners with email addresses in the national registry (n = 209,263). The response rate was 32%. The survey questions concerned opinions and practices regarding canine dental health, including assessment of dental health parameters and dog owners' ability to examine their dog's mouth. A construct (α = 0.76) was used to investigate dog owners' assessed symptoms of their dog's dental health in relation to background factors. Half of the respondents rated their dog's dental health as very good. However, one in four dog owners experienced difficulties when inspecting the dog's teeth. The most common reason for this difficulty was stated to be an uncooperative dog. Almost half of the dog owners reported halitosis to some degree in their dog, and almost four in ten owners reported dental calculus. One in eight dogs had been previously anesthetized for dental cleaning, and one in 12 dogs had experienced problems with gum disease, according to the owners. Owners' assessment varied significantly with the dog's age, weight, breed, breed group, sex, and concurrent disease. Owner-related factors that influenced the assessment of the dog's dental health were age, gender, education, county (urban/rural), and whether they were breeders or not. Dog owners with smaller dogs, older dogs and certain breeds predisposed to periodontal disease assessed their dog's dental health as worse than their counterparts, which is in agreement with previously reported higher prevalence of dental disease in these groups. This indicates that dog owners are able to perform relative assessment of their dog's dental health status. Our results also highlight the need for routine professional assessment of periodontal health, as well as education of dog owners and training of dogs to accept dental care procedures.

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What do Brazilian owners know about canine obesity and what risks does this knowledge generate?

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What do Brazilian owners know about canine obesity and what risks does this knowledge generate?

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