Some 23% of cat owners and 11% of dog owners take their pets to the vets once a year, with some pets never been taken to the vets.
According to a new research conducted by MSD Animal Health, surveying over 5,000 pet owners from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., 28% of cat owners say they have not taken their pet to the veterinarian because they didn’t think they were unwell enough.
The research also stated about one third of cat and dog owners thought their pets were overweight, while data from veterinarians suggest that the actual proportion of overweight pets is higher.
The research also added that most pet owners know their pet can be at risk of diabetes, could recognise the main signs and symptoms, and would use injectable treatments if needed.
With over 65% of dogs and more than half of cat owners find it very important to get regular information on the health status of their pet so they can monitor their health. A majority of those surveyed do not currently use any pet health monitoring devices, 60% said they would like to use such a device.
Rachel Dean, veterinarian and VetPartners director of clinical research and excellence said she is “really pleased” to see how pet owners want to be more proactive in “supporting healthier lifestyles” for pets.
David Hallas, DVM and managing director of Sure Petcare added: “We support both pet owners and veterinarians to improve the health and wellbeing of animals in their care. An example of this would be an activity tracker for dogs, which can capture and interpret unique insights into the pet’s behaviour patterns 24 hours a day.
“This gives the dog owner a greater understanding of exactly what their pet gets up to during the day. When it comes to cat owners, they can use our smart feeders, which are app-controlled and microchip-enabled, to see how much food their cat has eaten and know their feeding patterns.”
