The majority of UK vet practices feel the need to be tougher against infectious diseases, with many currently struggling to follow hygiene best practice, new research from the professional arm of laundry and dishwasher appliance manufacturer Miele has revealed.
However, vets also said that more responsibility for hygiene needed to be taken by pet owners. Some 57 percent of the 100 vets surveyed said they believed their practice could do more to prevent the spread of infection and 79 percent were concerned that they were not consistently following correct hygiene protocols.
Some 54 percent said they needed more staff training and 53 percent wanted to be able to give staff more time between appointments to allow longer for more thorough disinfection of equipment and surfaces.
Miele’s research also suggested that vets may need to do more to educate pet owners on the threats of poor hygiene and the spread of infection. Only 14 percent believed that pet owners knew enough about it, and pets not being vaccinated against disease was the second most common frustration vets felt about owners’ standards of pet care.
Simon Hart, national account manager at the professional division of Miele, said: “A busy vets practice is naturally focused on the care and health of its animal patients, however, hygiene standards are a vital aspect of this. With a full schedule of appointments, it can be difficult to effectively ensure all infection control procedures are covered.
“As a result, it’s easy for vets to overlook the important role laundry has to play as part of this process.”
