The Mental Health Impact of Online Veterinary Reviews

Today's Vet Pract. May-Jun 2023;13(3):10-12. 13 Refs

Arathi Vinayak¹

¹ Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.

Author Abstract

Anything besides a 5-star online review shouldn't send you into a tailspin. In actuality, your practice should be aiming for an overall 3.5- to 4.5-star rating.

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Owner survey suggests cats may be undertreated for pain compared to dogs after an elective ovariohysterectomy or orchiectomy.
Analgesics were prescribed for 19 of 162 (12%) pets: 14 of 88 (16%) dogs and 5 of 74 (6.7%) cats. There was no difference in the prescription of analgesics between dogs and cats after ovariohysterectomy or orchiectomy. 15 of 19 owners reported their compliance in administering analgesics at 78.9%. Owners' subjective assessments showed that 24 of 86 (28%) dogs and 12 of 68 (17%) cats appeared painful at home.

Duration of efficacy and effect of implant location in adult queens treated with a 9.4 mg deslorelin subcutaneous implant.
The average duration of action of the 9.4 mg deslorelin implant was 790 ± 155 days (range 525-1140 days) with no significant difference in duration or efficacy depending on implantation sites. The 9.4 mg deslorelin implant causes pharmacological sterilization for about 2 years in female cats, is fully reversible, and caused no clinically relevant side effects when administered at both interscapular and periumbilical sites.

Effective treatment with afoxolaner (NexGard) of Trixacarus caviae in a pet guinea pig.
The animal was treated with a single oral dose of 2.50 mg/kg afoxolaner, and the lesions, presence/absence of mites, and intensity of pruritus were evaluated periodically until 2 months post-treatment. A week after the medication, the lesions were milder, but pruritus was still present and was attributed to the healing process. Further examinations showed significant improvement with the complete remission of clinical signs and no mites at the microscopic examination after 4 weeks.

The Ideal Canine Companion: Re-Exploring Australian Perspectives on Ideal Characteristics for Companion Dogs.
The ideal dog was characterised as medium-sized, with a short- low- or non-shedding coat, and acquired as a puppy from a shelter/rescue. Desired traits included being affectionate, healthy, non-aggressive, safe with children, housetrained, non-destructive when alone, and not prone to escaping.

Association between highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks and weather conditions in Japan.
We found that higher average air temperatures two to three weeks prior, lower average wind speeds four weeks prior, and longer sunlight hours two and four weeks prior to outbreaks were significantly associated with increased risk of HPAI outbreaks in Japan. These results suggest that weather may influence environmental survival and transmission of the virus, as well as patterns of wild bird movement that could seed new outbreaks.