A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern Portugal
Pet ownership is common in modern society. In Portugal, 38% and 31% of all households own at least one dog or cat, respectively. Few studies have ascertained the knowledge of pet owners on pet ownership and zoonoses, and none have been carried out in Portugal. The aim of the present study was to ass...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/12/3543 |
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| author | Beatriz do Vale Ana Patrícia Lopes Maria da Conceição Fontes Mário Silvestre Luís Cardoso Ana Cláudia Coelho |
| author_facet | Beatriz do Vale Ana Patrícia Lopes Maria da Conceição Fontes Mário Silvestre Luís Cardoso Ana Cláudia Coelho |
| author_sort | Beatriz do Vale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pet ownership is common in modern society. In Portugal, 38% and 31% of all households own at least one dog or cat, respectively. Few studies have ascertained the knowledge of pet owners on pet ownership and zoonoses, and none have been carried out in Portugal. The aim of the present study was to assess household knowledge and practices related to pet ownership and zoonoses in northern Portugal. A face-to-face questionnaire was completed by 424 pet owners, from November 2019 to February 2020. Most respondents (97.2%) considered pets as an important part of the family, especially women (<i>p</i> = 0.036); 73.1% allowed their pets to live an indoor/outdoor life; 41.3% denied sharing the bed with their pets while 29% assumed they did it daily; 20.3% reported never kissing their pets/pets licking their faces. Furthermore, 73.6% considered animals as potential sources of human diseases, but only 25.9% reported knowing the definition of zoonoses; 96.9% considered the role of veterinarians important in protecting public health. The low level of knowledge of pet owners and the occurrence of high-risk behaviors indicates a need to strengthen communication between veterinarians, physicians, pet owners, and the general public towards reduce the risk of acquisition and transmission of zoonoses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:39:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91f79d5248b2426ab89ac4462df67bb2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:39:46Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-91f79d5248b2426ab89ac4462df67bb22023-11-23T03:28:35ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-12-011112354310.3390/ani11123543A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern PortugalBeatriz do Vale0Ana Patrícia Lopes1Maria da Conceição Fontes2Mário Silvestre3Luís Cardoso4Ana Cláudia Coelho5Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalAnimal and Veterinary Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalPet ownership is common in modern society. In Portugal, 38% and 31% of all households own at least one dog or cat, respectively. Few studies have ascertained the knowledge of pet owners on pet ownership and zoonoses, and none have been carried out in Portugal. The aim of the present study was to assess household knowledge and practices related to pet ownership and zoonoses in northern Portugal. A face-to-face questionnaire was completed by 424 pet owners, from November 2019 to February 2020. Most respondents (97.2%) considered pets as an important part of the family, especially women (<i>p</i> = 0.036); 73.1% allowed their pets to live an indoor/outdoor life; 41.3% denied sharing the bed with their pets while 29% assumed they did it daily; 20.3% reported never kissing their pets/pets licking their faces. Furthermore, 73.6% considered animals as potential sources of human diseases, but only 25.9% reported knowing the definition of zoonoses; 96.9% considered the role of veterinarians important in protecting public health. The low level of knowledge of pet owners and the occurrence of high-risk behaviors indicates a need to strengthen communication between veterinarians, physicians, pet owners, and the general public towards reduce the risk of acquisition and transmission of zoonoses.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/12/3543knowledgeOne Healthpet ownershippetsPortugalpublic health |
| spellingShingle | Beatriz do Vale Ana Patrícia Lopes Maria da Conceição Fontes Mário Silvestre Luís Cardoso Ana Cláudia Coelho A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern Portugal Animals knowledge One Health pet ownership pets Portugal public health |
| title | A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern Portugal |
| title_full | A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern Portugal |
| title_fullStr | A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern Portugal |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern Portugal |
| title_short | A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern Portugal |
| title_sort | cross sectional study of knowledge on ownership zoonoses and practices among pet owners in northern portugal |
| topic | knowledge One Health pet ownership pets Portugal public health |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/12/3543 |
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