Dog owners are concerned about ambient air quality and require veterinary guidance.

Abstract

Objective: To understand dog owners' familiarity with air quality issues, the sources of information they use and trust, and their willingness to adopt health-protective actions during nearby wildfire events.

Methods: We developed and deployed a survey to a sample of dog owners living in the western US (n = 836). We used descriptive analysis to describe survey results and ordinal regression analysis to explore potential factors that may influence owners' health-protective behavior in response to nearby wildfire events.

Results: Despite expressing concern that poor air quality could negatively impact their dog's health and welfare, few owners actively monitored air quality; less than one-fifth of respondents reported knowing the Air Quality Index (AQI) well, and only one-quarter said they check the AQI frequently. Essentially all surveyed dog owners (99%) relied on veterinary professionals for pet health information, with 91% considering them the most trustworthy source for obtaining health information. Similarly, dog owners identified healthcare professionals, including veterinarians, as the most trusted source for recommendations regarding the AQI. Regarding the likelihood of an owner adopting health-protective behavior during a nearby wildfire event, their attachment to their pet was consistently significant; the odds of acting increased as attachment increased. Other independent variables explored had mixed results.

Conclusions: Our study highlighted the role the veterinary profession plays in educating owners about environmental hazards, such as air pollution, to prevent and mitigate exposure risks.

Clinical relevance: We provided ways of incorporating this education into veterinary practices.