New Research On Owner Attitudes To Oral Medication Revealed

Cat owners are no barrier to twice daily medication Owners of hyperthyroid cats say they would rather vets prescribed the appropriate dosage for their pets than have an easy way to administer the medicine, according to new research. The results of an independent study into the attitudes of owners of hyperthyroid cats is challenging long-held perceptions, as well as encouraging a reappraisal of the approach to oral anti-thyroid medication. Dr Sarah Caney BVSc PhD DSAM (Feline) MRCVS questioned 111 owners for the research, which was supported by Dechra Veterinary Products and has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. The survey revealed 89% of cat owners agreed with the statement that it 'was more important to me that the vet prescribes the most appropriate dose for my cat than that they provide me with an easy method of administering the medicine.' Dr Caney said: “The survey has shown that cat owners are not a barrier to prescribing twice daily medication. Their overwhelming drive is to provide the best level of care that they can. “From an owner perspective, the ideal anti-thyroid medication offers low doses and a variety of dosing strategies to ensure that each individual cat receives the dose they need and no more.” The findings revealed that 'once daily treatment' was not ranked as the most important statement on dosing by any of the owners and that only 21% of owners who had experienced oral dosing of their cat described the process as either ‘tricky’ or ‘very difficult'. Craig Sankey, Brand Manager for Felimazole® at Dechra Veterinary Products, said: “We are very pleased to have supported such an important piece of independent research relating to feline hyperthyroidism which challenges some of the assumptions made about owner needs. “Ease of administering the medicine is not the overwhelming issue for owners of cats with hyperthyroidism – administering the correct dose is. In fact, 79 % of cat owners questioned were happy to give pills twice a day if necessary.” To see the latest research in full, please visit www.dechra.co.uk/hyperthyroidism

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