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Parental attitudes towards vaccination of children and pets

USER-ALT Simon Haeder, Texas A & M University, USA

In human medicine, vaccine hesitancy involves the reluctance of some patients or their adult carers to agree to recommended vaccinations. The Parental Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines( PACV) survey was developed to investigate and potentially counter their concerns. The authors examined the application of the PACV tool in exploring the attitudes of pet owners towards vaccination. The survey was completed by 2,853 dog owners and 1,977 cat owners, and identified 21.7 % of the former and 25.9 % of the latter as being vaccine hesitant. The PACV results of pet owners showed a reliable correlation with the vaccine status of their pets. The survey may provide a tool for veterinary researchers to identify factors associated with vaccine hesitancy and to help develop effective interventions.

American Journal of Veterinary Research https:// doi. org / 10.2460 / ajvr. 24.06.0163

Assessment of a system to identify haemorrhagic shock in cats

USER-ALT Leandro Fadel and others, Oklahoma State University, USA

Haemorrhagic shock is a frequent finding in cats presenting at emergency clinics. Early identification and treatment are vital but the clinical signs are variable and non-specific. The authors investigated the application of a shock index used in dogs and humans, based on heart rate divided by systolic arterial blood pressure. When used in 27 cats with signs of shock and 27 healthy cats, there was a significant difference in the shock index between the two groups. Systolic arterial blood pressure, rectal temperature and interdigital temperature findings were also significantly different. However, heart rate, plasma lactate concentrations and the rectal – interdigital temperature gradient findings were comparable in the two groups. Overall, the shock index is a non-invasive and reliable test to identify cats in shock.

Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care https:// doi. org / 10.1111 / vec. 13446

Expectations of pet owners for the end-of-life care of their animals

USER-ALT Sara Hoummady and others, University of Artois, France

An increase in the average longevity of pet dogs has led to growing interest among veterinary staff in geriatric medicine and palliative care. End-of-life care and the eventual loss of the pet will often be emotionally traumatic for owners and their responses will vary. Veterinary staff must aim to understand their clients ' feelings and support them through the process. The authors report a study in which 302 French pet owners completed an online questionnaire about their experience of a pet ' s death. Overall, 56.6 % of respondents reported a relatively smooth pet death, although 67.7 % said they found the end-of-life period challenging. The findings suggest that owners fall into three main categories, each with differing needs during the terminal phase of their pet ' s life. The support required from veterinary staff can be correlated with the clients ' understanding of issues such as pain control, which highlights the importance of client education.

Topics In Companion Animal Medicine https:// doi. org / 10.1016 / j. tcam. 2025.100960

14 Veterinary Nursing Journal