| dc.description.abstract | Background: One of the major stressors for veterinarians is animal owners and
communication with them. However, we can reduce this stress factor by knowing
what to expect from pet owners and how to deal with potential emerging situations. If we know that the anxiety or distrust of pet owners may be due to their
lack of knowledge, or we know what influences their satisfaction. With proper
communication, we can reduce both the owner's irritation and we can even turn
the interaction into a positive one.
Objectives: The aim of the research is to assess the knowledge and opinions
of Hungarian animal keepers about the education of veterinarians and certain
conditions of veterinary work. Furthermore to examine how their knowledge and
opinions influence their satisfaction about veterinary care.
Materials and Methods: The survey was performed with an online question-
naire and 2311 useful answers were received. Because of this large sample it is
possible to reach comprehensive conclusions. The questionnaire consisted of 17
questions, 5 of which related to the respondent's demographic data.
Results and Discussion: 64% of the respondents do not know that there is
only one veterinary university in Hungary, but 55% know that veterinary training
lasts 5.5 years. According to 67.3% of respondents, there is a shortage of veteri-
narians in Hungary. People who believe there is a shortage of veterinarians are
less satisfied with veterinary care than those who believe there is no shortage.
Animal owners' income has no effect on their satisfaction. Based on the results,
we can see that the owner’s knowledge about veterinary training and work is
still incomplete. Also, the animal keepers' knowledge of the profession has an
impact on their satisfaction. We can use these results to educate the owners and
improve our communication with them. This way, we can influence the opinion
of pet owners, increase their satisfaction, reduce the stress on us and increase
the income of our practice. | en_US |
