title: Preliminary Study of Pet Owner Adherence in Behaviour, Cardiology, Urology, and Oncology Fields.
abstract: Successful veterinary treatment of animals requires owner adherence with a prescribed treatment plan. The aim of our study was to evaluate and compare the level of adherence of the owners of patients presented for behavioural, cardiological, urological, and oncological problems. At the end of the first examination, each owner completed a questionnaire. Then, the owners were called four times to fill out another questionnaire over the phone. With regard to the first questionnaire, statistically significant data concern behavioral medicine and cardiology. In the first area the owner's worry decreases during the follow-up and the number of owners who would give away the animal increases. In cardiology, owners who think that the pathology harms their animal's quality of life decreased significantly over time. With regard to the 9 additional follow-up questions, in behavioural medicine and urology the owner's discomfort resulting from the animal's pathology significantly decreases over time. Assessment of adherence appears to be an optimal instrument in identifying the positive factors and the difficulties encountered by owners during the application of a treatment protocol.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Zita
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Talamonti
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cassis
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scarpa
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stefanello
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cannas
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minero
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palestrini