Caregiver burden in owners of dogs with chronic enteropathies-a survey-based assessment

Chronic enteropathy (CE) in dogs requires lifelong management and may cause caregiver burden (CB), potentially affecting owner well-being and, indirectly, veterinarians.

We aimed to determine whether owners of dogs with CE experience CB compared to owners of healthy dogs and to assess emotional, social, and financial aspects, as well as the owner-dog relationship.

The questionnaire was completed by 223 owners of dogs with CE and 447 owners of healthy dogs.

Cross-sectional study using an owner-reported questionnaire. Items were adapted from the Zarit Burden Interview and the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale. Disease severity was assessed using the canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index.

Owners of dogs with CE reported substantial psychological burden and lower quality of life (QoL) for themselves compared with controls. More frequent episodes of severe clinical signs were associated with CB and decreased QoL. Despite this, the owner-dog relationship remained largely intact with most owners maintaining emotional closeness and attachment to the dog. Contributing factors to CB included veterinary visits, the perception of dogs with CE as time-consuming, and financial factors. However, concerns for the dog's well-being-such as suffering, recurrence of severe clinical signs, or death-were ranked as the most important source of burden.

Chronic enteropathy can cause substantial CB and negatively affect owners' QoL, while the emotional bond with the dog remains preserved. These findings highlight the importance of considering caregiver well-being as part of veterinary care.