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Investigating common clinical presentations in first opinion small animal consultations using direct observation
N J Robinson1, R S Dean1, M Cobb1
1Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
The Veterinary Record
|January 8, 2015
Summary
Veterinary consultations reveal diverse health issues, with skin problems being most common. Owners report skin lumps and vomiting, while vets find obesity and dental tartar prevalent.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Health
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Understanding clinical presentations is crucial for relevant veterinary research.
- Direct observation provides comprehensive data on veterinary caseloads.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe all health problems discussed during small animal veterinary consultations.
- To analyze presenting and non-presenting issues encountered in practice.
Main Methods:
- Direct observation of consultations at eight sentinel veterinary practices.
- Data collection on 1901 patients and 3206 specific health problems.
- Recording of owner-reported signs and clinical examination findings.
Main Results:
- Skin lumps, vomiting, and inappetence were common owner-reported signs.
- Overweight/obesity, dental tartar, and skin lumps were frequent examination findings.
- The skin was the most affected body system, followed by non-specific and gastrointestinal issues.
Conclusions:
- Veterinary consultations are complex, with varied clinical presentations.
- Focusing solely on presenting problems may misrepresent the true veterinary caseload.
- Further research into common diagnoses is needed to refine research questions.
