Perception of the population about chronic kidney disease in pets in Manaus, Amazonas

Abstract

Companion animals are increasingly present in Brazilian homes, have taken on an important role in the intrafamily relationship, and generate greater interest of tutors on their health. However, there is little data available on the degree of tutors' knowledge about animal health and welfare of dogs and cats concerning relevant diseases, such as Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), a silent disease in the early stages that is difficult to control and often diagnosed only in advanced stages. This work aimed to evaluate the knowledge of residents of Manaus, Amazonas on CKD in dogs and cats and provide an overview of the habits and routine care provided to these animals. To do so, we interviewed 268 people through an online questionnaire using the Google Forms platform. The results revealed that most of the population is unaware of CKD in animals, and few people take the pet regularly to the veterinarian. Most participants seek veterinary care only in case of disease or animal vaccination. An alarming finding is that many respondents reported never taking their pet for a visit to the veterinarian. The results demonstrate the importance and need for disease orientation and prevention activities in dogs and cats to keep tutors well informed and improve these animals' quality of life.