Dog and cat vaccination consultations are a common part of small animal practice in\nthe United Kingdom. Few data are available describing what happens during those consultations\nor what participants think about their content. The aim of this novel study was to investigate\nthe attitudes of dog and cat owners and veterinary surgeons towards the content of small animal\nvaccination consultations. Telephone interviews with veterinary surgeons and pet owners captured\nrich qualitative data. Thematic analysis was performed to identify key themes. This study reports\nthe theme describing attitudes towards the content of the consultation. Diverse preferences exist for\nwhat should be prioritised during vaccination consultations, and mismatched expectations may lead\nto negative experiences. Vaccination consultations for puppies and kittens were described to have\na relatively standardised structure with an educational and preventative healthcare focus. In contrast,\nadult pet vaccination consultations were described to focus on current physical health problems\nwith only limited discussion of preventative healthcare topics. This first qualitative exploration of\nUK vaccination consultation expectations suggests that the content and consistency of adult pet\nvaccination consultations may not meet the needs or expectations of all participants. Redefining\npreventative healthcare to include all preventable conditions may benefit owners, pets and veterinary\nsurgeons, and may help to provide a clearer structure for adult pet vaccination consultations.\nThis study represents a significant advance our understanding of this consultation type.
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