Dog Owners' Perspectives on Canine Dental Health - A Questionnaire Study in Sweden

Periodontal disease is one of the most common diseases affecting dogs, with a reported prevalence of at least 80% in dogs over 3 years of age. However, there is a lack of studies regarding dog owners' assessment of their dog's dental health, and whether they perceive clinical signs often associated with periodontal disease, i.e., dental calculus, halitosis or mobile or lost teeth. A validated questionnaire survey was distributed to all Swedish dog owners with email addresses in the national registry (n= 209,263). The response rate was 32%. The survey questions concerned opinions and practices regarding canine dental health, including assessment of dental health parameters and dog owners' ability to examine their dog's mouth. A construct (alpha = 0.76) was used to investigate dog owners' assessed symptoms of their dog's dental health in relation to background factors. Half of the respondents rated their dog's dental health as very good. However, one in four dog owners experienced difficulties when inspecting the dog's teeth. The most common reason for this difficulty was stated to be an uncooperative dog. Almost half of the dog owners reported halitosis to some degree in their dog, and almost four in ten owners reported dental calculus. One in eight dogs had been previously anesthetized for dental cleaning, and one in 12 dogs had experienced problems with gum disease, according to the owners. Owners' assessment varied significantly with the dog's age, weight, breed, breed group, sex, and concurrent disease. Owner-related factors that influenced the assessment of the dog's dental health were age, gender, education, county (urban/rural), and whether they were breeders or not. Dog owners with smaller dogs, older dogs and certain breeds predisposed to periodontal disease assessed their dog's dental health as worse than their counterparts, which is in agreement with previously reported higher prevalence of dental disease in these groups. This indicates that dog owners are able to perform relative assessment of their dog's dental health status. Our results also highlight the need for routine professional assessment of periodontal health, as well as education of dog owners and training of dogs to accept dental care procedures

Dental home care in dogs - a questionnaire study among Swedish dog owners, veterinarians and veterinary nurses

Background: Periodontal disease remains one of the dog's most common health issues, even though it is largely preventable by tooth brushing. Implementation of daily tooth brushing would not only improve animal welfare, but also reduce veterinary costs for the owner. There is a paucity of studies investigating attitudes, opinions and practices of dog owners, veterinarians, and veterinary nurses regarding preventative dental home care in dogs. The objective of this study was to investigate these parameters in Sweden, thereby providing a basis for improved prophylactic strategies. Methods: Validated questionnaire surveys were distributed to all Swedish dog owners (n = 209,263), veterinarians (n = 3657) and veterinary nurses (n = 1650) with e-mail addresses in the national registry. The response rates were 32% for dog owners and veterinarians, and 38% for veterinary nurses. The survey questions concerned attitudes, opinions and practices regarding dental home care, including whether dog owners received information concerning dental home care or not, and if this information resulted in implementation. Results: Attitudes, opinions and practices regarding dental home care are presented for Swedish dog owners, veterinarians, and veterinary nurses. A fundamental finding was that the absolute majority of Swedish dog owners do not perform adequate prophylactic dental home care. Considerable discrepancies were identified in the opinions of veterinary health practitioners and dog owners regarding attitudes towards dental home care and conveying of information. Several areas for improvement in the communication between dog owners and veterinary health practitioners concerning dental home care were identified. Conclusion: Our results illustrates the need for validated methods to increase dog owner compliance with dental home care recommendations. We also see a need of further education, regarding canine dental home care, among veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and dog owners. The results from this unique study constitute an important foundation for future development of prophylactic strategies, with the ultimate goal to improve dental health, and thereby animal welfare, in dogs

Professional dental cleaning in dogs: clinical routines among Swedish veterinarians and veterinary nurses

Background Dental disease is very common in dogs and veterinary professional dental cleaning and examination, together with daily dental home care, is the foundation for good dental health. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated professional dental cleaning routines in small animal veterinary practice. A validated questionnaire survey was distributed to all veterinarians and veterinary nurses with registered e-mail addresses in the Swedish national registry (veterinarians; n = 3657, veterinary nurses; n = 1650). Response rates were 32% for veterinarians (V) and 38% for veterinary nurses (VN). Results In total, 73% (V)/96% (VN) of respondents reported that professional dental cleaning was performed at their work place under general anesthesia, and 27% (V)/18% (VN) that dental cleaning was performed under sedation. Of the respondents, 43% (V)/96% (VN) considered regular dental cleaning under general anesthesia fairly or very important, and 49% (V)/47% (VN) stated that it was sometimes important for good dental health in dogs. A majority of respondents, 84% (V)/97% (VN), reported that dental extractions were performed at their clinic, and 72% (V)/90% (VN) had access to dental radiography equipment. Conclusion A majority of Swedish veterinarians and veterinary nurses perform professional dental cleaning under general anesthesia with access to dental radiography equipment, in accordance with national and international recommendations. However, a considerable proportion of professional dental cleanings were performed under sedation only, and extractions performed without access to dental radiography equipment were common, suggesting several areas of improvement in the routines in Swedish veterinary clinics and hospitals. Our results clearly indicate the need for improved educational efforts to increase the awareness among veterinary health professionals regarding guidelines and official recommendations in canine dental care

Dog Owners\u27 Perspectives on Canine Dental Health : A Questionnaire Study in Sweden

Periodontal disease is one of the most common diseases affecting dogs, with a reported prevalence of at least 80% in dogs over 3 years of age. However, there is a lack of studies regarding dog owners\u27 assessment of their dog\u27s dental health, and whether they perceive clinical signs often associated with periodontal disease, i.e., dental calculus, halitosis or mobile or lost teeth. A validated questionnaire survey was distributed to all Swedish dog owners with email addresses in the national registry (n = 209,263). The response rate was 32%. The survey questions concerned opinions and practices regarding canine dental health, including assessment of dental health parameters and dog owners\u27 ability to examine their dog\u27s mouth. A construct (α = 0.76) was used to investigate dog owners\u27 assessed symptoms of their dog\u27s dental health in relation to background factors. Half of the respondents rated their dog\u27s dental health as very good. However, one in four dog owners experienced difficulties when inspecting the dog\u27s teeth. The most common reason for this difficulty was stated to be an uncooperative dog. Almost half of the dog owners reported halitosis to some degree in their dog, and almost four in ten owners reported dental calculus. One in eight dogs had been previously anesthetized for dental cleaning, and one in 12 dogs had experienced problems with gum disease, according to the owners. Owners\u27 assessment varied significantly with the dog\u27s age, weight, breed, breed group, sex, and concurrent disease. Owner-related factors that influenced the assessment of the dog\u27s dental health were age, gender, education, county (urban/rural), and whether they were breeders or not. Dog owners with smaller dogs, older dogs and certain breeds predisposed to periodontal disease assessed their dog\u27s dental health as worse than their counterparts, which is in agreement with previously reported higher prevalence of dental disease in these groups. This indicates that dog owners are able to perform relative assessment of their dog\u27s dental health status. Our results also highlight the need for routine professional assessment of periodontal health, as well as education of dog owners and training of dogs to accept dental care procedures

Development and validation of two questionnaires: Dental home care and dental health in Swedish dogs

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Background: Dental disease is one of the most common health problems in dogs. However, no studies have investigated the attitudes, opinions and practices of dog owners, veterinarians and veterinary nurses regarding dental health and preventative dental home care in dogs. The objective of this study was therefore to develop and validate questionnaires for this purpose, in accordance with survey methodology guidelines. Methods: Questionnaire items were determined based on the authors\u27 academic knowledge and clinical experience, and modified throughout the validation process. Several measures were taken to reduce sampling, coverage, measurement and non-response errors. Content validity was assessed by Subject-Matter Experts (SME) and cognitive interviews were conducted in accordance with the “think-aloud protocol”. Non-response analysis was performed using several methods. Results: Constructs were identified using exploratory factor analysis and two predefined constructs from the dog owner questionnaire were confirmed “Dog owners\u27 attitudes towards brushing their dog\u27s teeth” (Cronbach\u27s α = 0.86) and “Dog owners\u27 assessment of their dog\u27s dental health” (α = 0.76). Additionally, exploratory factor analysis identified three potential constructs. In the veterinary health practitioner questionnaire, two constructs were identified: “Veterinary health practitioners\u27 attitudes towards dental chews and dental feed” (α = 0.78) and “Veterinary health practitioners\u27 attitudes and opinions on dental problems and dental cleaning” (α = 0.73). Non-response analysis showed a higher proportion of women in the sample of dog owners and veterinarians compared to the target populations. Veterinarians in the sample were also younger. In contrast, gender and age distributions in veterinary nurses did not differ between sample and target. Conclusion: The validation presented in this work showed that the developed questionnaires could be used as accurate and reliable tools for measuring attitudes and practices regarding dental home care in dogs among Swedish dog owners, veterinarians and veterinary nurses

The genetic consequences of dog breed formation-Accumulation of deleterious genetic variation and fixation of mutations associated with myxomatous mitral valve disease in cavalier King Charles spaniels

Selective breeding for desirable traits in strictly controlled populations has generated an extraordinary diversity in canine morphology and behaviour, but has also led to loss of genetic variation and random entrapment of disease alleles. As a consequence, specific diseases are now prevalent in certain breeds, but whether the recent breeding practice led to an overall increase in genetic load remains unclear. Here we generate whole genome sequencing (WGS) data from 20 dogs per breed from eight breeds and document a similar to 10% rise in the number of derived alleles per genome at evolutionarily conserved sites in the heavily bottlenecked cavalier King Charles spaniel breed (cKCs) relative to in most breeds studied here. Our finding represents the first clear indication of a relative increase in levels of deleterious genetic variation in a specific breed, arguing that recent breeding practices probably were associated with an accumulation of genetic load in dogs. We then use the WGS data to identify candidate risk alleles for the most common cause for veterinary care in cKCs-the heart disease myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). We verify a potential link to MMVD for candidate variants near the heart specific NEBL gene in a dachshund population and show that two of the NEBL candidate variants have regulatory potential in heartderived cell lines and are associated with reduced NEBL isoform nebulette expression in papillary muscle (but not in mitral valve, nor in left ventricular wall). Alleles linked to reduced nebulette expression may hence predispose cKCs and other breeds to MMVD via loss of papillary muscle integrity

The Third Workshop on Population of the RDBES Data Model (WKRDB-POP3)

The aims of this workshop were to explain the data model developed for the commercial fisheries Regional Database and Estimation System (RDBES), assist in populating it with real data for the second test data call for the RDBES, and encourage participants to take part in ongoing testing of the RDBES data submission system. This report documents the progress that participants have done to prepare their institutes for future use of the RDBES system. Some issues with data conversion have been identified and are documented in this report. None of the identified issues are thought to be serious impediments to moving forward with the RDBES development according to the roadmap decided by the Steering Committee of the Regional Fisheries Database in 2020. The RDBES Core Group (the group of people developing the RDBES data model) and ICES Data Centre will look at the results of this workshop and either respond to individual questions or adapt the data model and documentation as required. The workshop concluded and reported before the deadline of the test data call. For a complete test of the data model, all participants were encouraged to complete the data call. A report on the degree of completion of the data call may be expected from WGRDBESGOV which convenes after the data call deadline

"Our need, apart from the Good News you proclaim, is also a bookshop and a pharmacy" : The Mission Covenant Church of Sweden's missionary - and Foreign Aid work 1964-1980

This thesis investigates the ways in which the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden could influence the Swedish Foreign Aid Policy for NGOs, with particular focus on financial support for their missionary activities. Furthermore, it investigates how the church’s involvement in the emerging Foreign Aid Policy work, and its relationship with the government agency NIB/SIDA during the years 1964-1980, influenced the church’s own policy-making. Using Mahoney, Streeck and Thelen’s concept of gradual change and Bourdieu’s theory of habitus this thesis investigates the influence the relationship had on 1) the Aid policy 2) MCCS: s evangelical mission. The results of this thesis indicate that the government agency’s original demand for a Foreign Aid work neutral from religious or political influence changed into a policy embracing missionary organisations. The results also indicate a change in the priority of the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden’s mission methods with the church prioritising social work over evangelisation. This study aims in general to deepen the knowledge of the NGOs involved in the Swedish Foreign Aid in order to further the understanding of their influence on the Foreign Aid Policy as well as their methods to remain uninfluenced in return

Lära lärare lyrik : Poesins roll inom ämneslärarutbildningens svenskämne

Lyrik är en av de stora litteraturvetenskapliga genrerna vid sidan av epik och dramatik och förväntas därför finnas med i alla kurser inom svenskämnet på gymnasiet. Svensk poesididaktisk forskning är emellertid inte vanligt förekommande och särskilt inte studier som undersöker poesins roll inom lärarutbildningen. Föreliggande studie har som övergripande syfte att belysa och problematisera hur poesi hanteras inom svenskämnet på ämneslärarutbildningen. Genom en analys av åtta kvalitativa intervjuer studeras hur lärarutbildare beskriver och genomför undervisning i poesi inom ämneslärarutbildningen. Studiens övergripande teoretiska ramverk utgörs av Biestas teori om utbildningens funktioner och som analysverktyg används Rosenblatts begrepp estetisk och efferent läsning. Resultatet visar att förekomsten av poesi på ämneslärarutbildningen skiljer sig åt på de olika lärosätena och de intervjuade lärarna är överens om att poesin får stå tillbaka till förmån för mer prosaorienterade texter. Skillnaderna mellan de olika lärosätena kan påverka utbildningens likvärdighet, vilket kan vara problematiskt. Lärarutbildarna förmedlar en entydig bild av att både studenter och många lärare tycker att poesin är svår och abstrakt att arbeta med. Resultatet indikerar även att dessa svårigheter delvis har att göra med kravet på mätbarhet inom gymnasieskolan men även inom ämneslärarutbildningen. I uppsatsen framhålls behovet av en diskussion om poesins värden inom ämneslärarutbildningen samt om legitimering av poesiundervisning på en övergripande nivå så att normer och värderingar som påverkar lärarutbildningens innehåll synliggörs och granskas. För att studenterna ska kunna gå in i läraryrket som medvetna subjekt behöver de under sin utbildning få möjlighet att pendla mellan kunskap och reflektion. En litteraturdidaktisk reflektion kan möjliggöras genom att studenter och lärare utbyter förståelser och upplevelser kring dikter för att stimulera till en klarare insikt om poesin som genre

Lära lärare lyrik : Poesins roll inom ämneslärarutbildningens svenskämne

Lyrik är en av de stora litteraturvetenskapliga genrerna vid sidan av epik och dramatik och förväntas därför finnas med i alla kurser inom svenskämnet på gymnasiet. Svensk poesididaktisk forskning är emellertid inte vanligt förekommande och särskilt inte studier som undersöker poesins roll inom lärarutbildningen. Föreliggande studie har som övergripande syfte att belysa och problematisera hur poesi hanteras inom svenskämnet på ämneslärarutbildningen. Genom en analys av åtta kvalitativa intervjuer studeras hur lärarutbildare beskriver och genomför undervisning i poesi inom ämneslärarutbildningen. Studiens övergripande teoretiska ramverk utgörs av Biestas teori om utbildningens funktioner och som analysverktyg används Rosenblatts begrepp estetisk och efferent läsning. Resultatet visar att förekomsten av poesi på ämneslärarutbildningen skiljer sig åt på de olika lärosätena och de intervjuade lärarna är överens om att poesin får stå tillbaka till förmån för mer prosaorienterade texter. Skillnaderna mellan de olika lärosätena kan påverka utbildningens likvärdighet, vilket kan vara problematiskt. Lärarutbildarna förmedlar en entydig bild av att både studenter och många lärare tycker att poesin är svår och abstrakt att arbeta med. Resultatet indikerar även att dessa svårigheter delvis har att göra med kravet på mätbarhet inom gymnasieskolan men även inom ämneslärarutbildningen. I uppsatsen framhålls behovet av en diskussion om poesins värden inom ämneslärarutbildningen samt om legitimering av poesiundervisning på en övergripande nivå så att normer och värderingar som påverkar lärarutbildningens innehåll synliggörs och granskas. För att studenterna ska kunna gå in i läraryrket som medvetna subjekt behöver de under sin utbildning få möjlighet att pendla mellan kunskap och reflektion. En litteraturdidaktisk reflektion kan möjliggöras genom att studenter och lärare utbyter förståelser och upplevelser kring dikter för att stimulera till en klarare insikt om poesin som genre