Most pet owners will, at some stage, seek veterinary care for their animals.
But rather than standard dental extractions, spays and neuters, most owners now believe their pets should have the same treatment options as humans for more complicated issues, according to a study.
A survey of pet owners in the UK, Austria and Denmark has found nearly two-thirds believe their pets should have access to the likes of chemotherapy and blood transfusions.
While these are already available at some practices, advanced veterinary care is normally characterised by higher costs, advanced skills, state-of-the-art techniques and equipment.
The study comes as Love Island’s Kady McDermott was criticised for fighting a ‘pointless debate’ that pet owners should have the same rights as parents on Good Morning Britain.
Most pet owners will, at some stage, seek veterinary care for their animals. But rather than standard dental extractions, spays and neuters, most owners now believe their pets should have the same treatment options as humans for more complicated issues, according to a study (stock image)
Half of the owners surveyed also expected advanced diagnostic tests including endoscopies – where a long, thin tube with the small camera inside is passed into the body – as well CT and MRI scans.
These are usually only available at larger veterinary practices or universities.
The survey, of 4,610 people, also found that neither income nor possession of pet insurance predicted whether owners believed their pet should receive advanced veterinary care.
The factor that was most strongly linked with the attitude that pets should have access to the same treatment options as human patients was the level of emotional attachment owners had to their animals.
The team, including researchers from the University of Glasgow, published their findings in the journal Plos One.
They wrote: ‘As a result of advanced veterinary care, many animals that would previously have suffered, died or been euthanised due to diseases such as diabetes, renal disease or cancer, can now be successfully managed in primary care practice by veterinarians using a wide range of drugs and life-saving procedures such as dialysis, blood transfusions and chemotherapy.
A survey of pet owners in the UK, Austria and Denmark has found nearly two-thirds believe their pets should have access to the likes of chemotherapy and blood transfusions (stock image)
‘Veterinary patients with more complex diseases or requiring advanced investigations or treatments can, in the same way as humans, be referred by their primary care veterinarian to colleagues who are specialists in fields such as orthopaedics, oncology and critical care, for advanced imaging or treatments such as radiation therapy, joint or heart valve replacements.
‘While the availability of such care brings obvious benefits, there are also challenges – advanced veterinary care is only available to pets whose owners can afford it, potentially creating moral and financial stresses for owners with financial limitations.
‘There can also be negative consequences if owners with strong emotional attachments to their pets pursue treatments that significantly reduce the quality of the animal’s life while attempting to prolong it.’
