Investigating common clinical presentations in first opinion small animal consultations using direct observation

Abstract

Understanding more about the clinical presentations encountered in veterinary practice is vital in directing research towards areas relevant to practitioners. The aim of this study was to describe all problems discussed during a convenience sample of consultations using a direct observation method. A data collection tool was used to gather data by direct observation during small animal consultations at eight sentinel practices. Data were recorded for all presenting and non-presenting specific health problems discussed. A total of 1901 patients were presented with 3206 specific health problems discussed. Clinical presentation varied widely between species and between presenting and non-presenting problems. Skin lump, vomiting and inappetence were the most common clinical signs reported by the owner while overweight/obese, dental tartar and skin lump were the most common clinical examination findings. Skin was the most frequently affected body system overall followed by non-specific problems then the gastrointestinal system. Consultations are complex, with a diverse range of different clinical presentations seen. Considering the presenting problem only may give an inaccurate view of the veterinary caseload, as some common problems are rarely the reason for presentation. Understanding the common diagnoses made is the next step and will help to further focus questions for future research.

Keywords: Clinical practice; Companion animals; Epidemiology; Evidence-based medicine; Small animals; Veterinary profession.

FIG 1:

The total number of problems discussed and number of presenting and non-presenting specific health problems discussed for each species, during direct observation of small animal consultations

FIG 2:

Body system affected by all problems, presenting and non-presenting problems discussed for all patients presented during direct observation of consultations. The non-specific category was selected for both systemic diseases or where the body system(s) affected was unclear. Chi-square analysis only included the 10 most frequently affected body systems across all problems, excluding reproductive, endocrine, urinary, renal and haemopoietic

FIG 3:

Body systems affected by all problems discussed for the three most frequently presented species during direct observation of small animal consultations. The non-specific category was selected for both systemic diseases or diseases where it was unclear which body system(s) were affected. Chi-square analysis only included the 10 most frequently affected body systems across all problems, excluding reproductive, endocrine, urinary, renal and haemopoietic