“Have You Seen This Drivel?” A Comparison of How Common Health Issues Are Discussed within Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Dog Breed Groups on Social Media
As brachycephalic dog breed ownership increases, there is a growing concern for the welfare of these breeds due to extreme brachycephalism. Understanding the motivations and behaviours of those choosing to own these breeds is important if we wish to address these concerns. The aim of this study was...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/5/757 |
| _version_ | 1797264951541235712 |
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| author | Kitty Phillips Carrie Stewart Taryn Johnston Daniel S. Mills |
| author_facet | Kitty Phillips Carrie Stewart Taryn Johnston Daniel S. Mills |
| author_sort | Kitty Phillips |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As brachycephalic dog breed ownership increases, there is a growing concern for the welfare of these breeds due to extreme brachycephalism. Understanding the motivations and behaviours of those choosing to own these breeds is important if we wish to address these concerns. The aim of this study was to investigate how owners of brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dog breeds use social media dog breed groups to discuss common health issues. The purpose of Facebook posts in relation to common health issues, owner awareness of health issues and the role of Facebook facilitated social support were explored between brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dog owners. Twelve Facebook breed goups were selected (brachycephalic breed groups, <i>n</i> = 6, non-brachycephalic breed groups, <i>n</i> = 6). Using key word searches we extracted the first twenty posts from each group. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: advice seeking, advice giving and community bonding mechanisms. Whilst the purpose of posting did not differ between groups, non-brachycephalic owners appeared to display greater awareness of breed-specific health issues, whilst social support played a more prominent role in brachycephalic groups. This research highlights that social media groups can act as platforms for knowledge exchange and emotional support. These could be utilised by owners, veterinarians and welfare organisations to more effectively enhance dog health and wellbeing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:37:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1c3c7bc79ea4dd3990caf0c776fc1a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:37:04Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1c3c7bc79ea4dd3990caf0c776fc1a62024-03-12T16:38:13ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152024-02-0114575710.3390/ani14050757“Have You Seen This Drivel?” A Comparison of How Common Health Issues Are Discussed within Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Dog Breed Groups on Social MediaKitty Phillips0Carrie Stewart1Taryn Johnston2Daniel S. Mills3Animal Behavior, Cognition & Welfare Group, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UKAnimal Behavior, Cognition & Welfare Group, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UKDepartment of Marketing, Languages and Tourism, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UKAnimal Behavior, Cognition & Welfare Group, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UKAs brachycephalic dog breed ownership increases, there is a growing concern for the welfare of these breeds due to extreme brachycephalism. Understanding the motivations and behaviours of those choosing to own these breeds is important if we wish to address these concerns. The aim of this study was to investigate how owners of brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dog breeds use social media dog breed groups to discuss common health issues. The purpose of Facebook posts in relation to common health issues, owner awareness of health issues and the role of Facebook facilitated social support were explored between brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dog owners. Twelve Facebook breed goups were selected (brachycephalic breed groups, <i>n</i> = 6, non-brachycephalic breed groups, <i>n</i> = 6). Using key word searches we extracted the first twenty posts from each group. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: advice seeking, advice giving and community bonding mechanisms. Whilst the purpose of posting did not differ between groups, non-brachycephalic owners appeared to display greater awareness of breed-specific health issues, whilst social support played a more prominent role in brachycephalic groups. This research highlights that social media groups can act as platforms for knowledge exchange and emotional support. These could be utilised by owners, veterinarians and welfare organisations to more effectively enhance dog health and wellbeing.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/5/757animal welfarebrachycephalicpet ownershipowner perceptionhealthhealth information |
| spellingShingle | Kitty Phillips Carrie Stewart Taryn Johnston Daniel S. Mills “Have You Seen This Drivel?” A Comparison of How Common Health Issues Are Discussed within Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Dog Breed Groups on Social Media Animals animal welfare brachycephalic pet ownership owner perception health health information |
| title | “Have You Seen This Drivel?” A Comparison of How Common Health Issues Are Discussed within Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Dog Breed Groups on Social Media |
| title_full | “Have You Seen This Drivel?” A Comparison of How Common Health Issues Are Discussed within Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Dog Breed Groups on Social Media |
| title_fullStr | “Have You Seen This Drivel?” A Comparison of How Common Health Issues Are Discussed within Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Dog Breed Groups on Social Media |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Have You Seen This Drivel?” A Comparison of How Common Health Issues Are Discussed within Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Dog Breed Groups on Social Media |
| title_short | “Have You Seen This Drivel?” A Comparison of How Common Health Issues Are Discussed within Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Dog Breed Groups on Social Media |
| title_sort | have you seen this drivel a comparison of how common health issues are discussed within brachycephalic and non brachycephalic dog breed groups on social media |
| topic | animal welfare brachycephalic pet ownership owner perception health health information |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/5/757 |
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