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OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and nature of cost conversations occurring during veterinarian-client-patient interactions within companion animal practice. SAMPLES 60 randomly selected, practicing veterinarians working in 55 practices across southern Ontario, Canada, and 909 of their clients, sampled by convenience. PROCEDURES A cross-sectional descriptive study including 917 video-recorded appointments. Associations between veterinarian, client, or appointment-level factors and occurrence of a cost conversation were evaluated using multi-level logistic regression. RESULTS 215 of 917 (23.4%) videos included a discussion of cost between the veterinarian and client. Cost conversations involving veterinarians primarily focused on conveying the price in relation to the time or service being offered (74.0% [159/215]), whereas the benefit to the future health and wellness of the patient was conveyed in 14.4% (31/215) of veterinarians' cost conversations. Costs were most frequently discussed by veterinarians in relation to diagnostic testing (44.2% [96/215]). The odds of a cost discussion occurring were greater during problem appointments versus wellness (P = .011) or recheck (P = .029) appointments, for feline versus canine patients (P = .037), as appointment duration increased (P < .001), and as a client's number of visits in the past year decreased (P = .049). CLINICALRELEVANCE Discussing cost of care in veterinary practice continues to be relatively uncommon. Opportunities exist for veterinary professionals to frame their communication of the cost of veterinary care in relation to the benefits offered to the future health and wellbeing of the veterinary patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To compare pet owners’ and veterinarians’ perceptions of veterinarian-client conversations concerning pet weight and identify challenges related to communication about weight. SAMPLE POPULATION Veterinarians (n = 24) and pet owners (27) in southern Ontario, Canada. PROCEDURES 3 veterinarian and 5 pet owner focus groups were conducted with a semistructured interview format. Thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts was conducted. RESULTS Pet owners valued weight as an important health indicator for pets yet did not expect to discuss weight extensively at every appointment. Owners expected veterinarians to provide options and tailor recommendations when discussing weight management. Owners appeared more concerned with underweight animals, whereas veterinarians focused on obese animals. Veterinarians identified communication challenges, including the perception that owners are uninterested in discussing weight and conversations can become adversarial. Veterinarians reported various benefits and challenges of using humor to address pet weight and emphasized that weight-related conversations often depend on the existing veterinarian-client relationship. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Some perceptions of pet owner expectations expressed by veterinarians in this study align with owner preferences, yet several opportunities exist for changes to veterinarians’ approaches to weight-related communication with clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE Pet weight may be difficult for veterinary professionals to address with clients, particularly when pets are overweight or obese. The objective of this study was to characterize the communication processes and content of weight-related conversations occurring between veterinary professionals and clients. SAMPLE Audio-video recordings of 917 veterinarian-client-patient interactions involving a random sample of 60 veterinarians and a convenience sample of clients. PROCEDURESCompanion animal veterinarians in southern Ontario, Canada, were randomly recruited, and interactions with their clients were audio-video recorded. Interactions were reviewed for mentions of weight, then further analyzed by means of a researcher-generated coding framework to provide a comprehensive assessment of communication specific to weight-related interactions. RESULTS 463 of 917 (50.5%) veterinary-client-patient interactions contained an exchange involving the mention of a single patient's (dog or cat) weight and were included in final analysis. Of the 463 interactions, 150 (32.4%) involved a discussion of obesity for a single patient. Of these, 43.3% (65/150) included a weight management recommendation from the veterinary team, and 28% (42/150) provided clients with a reason for pursuing weight management. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings illustrate opportunities to optimize obesity communication to improve the health and wellbeing of veterinary patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the prevalence and context of one-health conversations between veterinarians and clients in companion animal practice., Sample: A random selection of 60 companion animal veterinarians; a convenience sample of 917 interactions from Southern Ontario, Canada. Of these, 100 audio-video-recorded interactions including 47 of 60 veterinarians were randomly selected for inclusion in this study., Methods: Audio-video recordings were made of veterinarian-client-patient interactions between November 2017 and January 2019. A researcher-generated coding framework was developed and used to assess the prevalence and content of one-health topics communicated during veterinary appointments., Results: Of the interactions assessed, 60 were preventive care and 40 were health problem appointments. Further, 78% (78/100) included at least 1 discussion related to one health. One-health topics included zoonoses (28% [28/100]), animal behavior (25% [25/100]), illness/disease (20% [20/100]), activity level/exercise (16% [16/100]), nutrition (16% [16/100]), dentistry (6% [6/100]), body weight (3% [3/100]), animal welfare (3% [3/100]), dog/cat bites (2% [2/100]), cannabis (2% [2/100]), and aging (1% [1/100]). Zoonotic diseases were mentioned in 65 appointments, 28 of which evolved into a one-health discussion. Antibiotics were discussed in 27 appointments, none of which were discussed in relation to one health (eg, antimicrobial resistance)., Clinical Relevance: Findings suggest that one-health topics are raised within most veterinary appointments. Opportunities exist for more comprehensive one-health conversations between veterinarians and their clients, particularly in relation to zoonotic diseases and antimicrobials.