Vet World Vol.17 August-2024 Article - 31
Research Article
Veterinary World, 17(8): 1928-1935
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.1928-1935
Survey of dog owners’ and veterinarians’ attitudes regarding the selection of flea and tick prevention products in Thailand
2. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
3. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
Background and Aim: Tick and flea infestations in dogs are significant concerns for both dog owners and veterinarians in Thailand. The country’s climate provides an optimal environment for the proliferation of ticks and fleas, thereby increasing the risk of diseases transmitted by these parasites. At present, a diverse range of tick and flea prevention products is available on the market. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the choice of tick and flea prevention products among dog owners and veterinarians in Thailand.
Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were distributed both online and in-person to collect data from dog owners and veterinarians. The data collection period spanned from September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023. A total of 994 respondents, consisting of 828 dog owners and 166 veterinarians, participated in the questionnaire and were included in this study. The data were then subjected to descriptive statistics and Chi-square test.
Results: The results indicated that most dog owners consider chewable products to be the most effective form of tick and flea prevention, followed by sprays and spot-on treatments. Statistically significant factors (p < 0.05) affecting the frequency of use of tick and flea prevention products were identified, including dog breed, number of owned dogs, and owners’ awareness of tick and flea issues in dogs. Most dog owners tend to use these products when their dogs are infected with ticks or fleas. In addition, owners of a single dog tended to use these products regularly compared to those with multiple dogs. Notably, some dog owners (10.99%) used unregistered products. Among veterinarians, it was observed that dog owners followed the recommendations provided by veterinarians (80.12%). In most cases, veterinarians recommend various tick and flea prevention products (74.10%). The most influential factor affecting product selection is suitability for the individual animal.
Conclusion: This study provides insights for veterinarians and relevant stakeholders regarding the factors and attitudes that influence dog owners’ selection of tick and flea prevention products. This knowledge can contribute to better planning for ectoparasite prevention. In addition, effective communication from veterinarians can increase owner awareness of the importance of tick and flea prevention, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases transmitted by ticks and fleas.
Keywords: attitudes, dog, flea, Thailand, tick, veterinarian.
How to cite this article: Panchim P, Saengpradub P, Rakkijpradit S, Watananontchai A, Chansiripornchai P, and Angkanaporn K (2024) Survey of dog owners’ and veterinarians’ attitudes regarding the selection of flea and tick prevention products in Thailand, Veterinary World, 17(8): 1928–1935.
Received: 2024-03-15 Accepted: 2024-07-29 Published online: 2024-08-27
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1928-1935
Copyright: Panchim, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
