Survey of the UK veterinary profession: common species and conditions nominated by veterinarians in practice.
Authors: Nielsen T D, Dean R S, Robinson N J, Massey A, Brennan M L
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary A 2014 survey of UK veterinarians sought to identify which species and conditions were most prevalent in clinical practice and where evidence gaps existed in the literature — a crucial step in directing research priorities towards real-world clinical needs. With a 33% response rate from 4,842 RCVS-registered practitioners, the study revealed that whilst dogs, cats and rabbits dominated consultation numbers overall, equines ranked fourth in species prevalence across the profession. Musculoskeletal conditions emerged as the most commonly encountered problem in equine practice, yet veterinarians perceived a relatively good availability of published evidence for equine conditions compared to companion species such as rabbits and guinea pigs. The findings highlight a critical distinction between research abundance and clinical prevalence: whilst equine practitioners reported adequate literature support for their most common cases, this evidence base should continue to drive clinical decision-making rather than assume universal coverage of all conditions encountered. For equine professionals, these results underscore the value of evidence-based approaches to musculoskeletal management and suggest that perceived research sufficiency in this area should translate into improved clinical protocols and outcomes.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Evidence-based resources are more readily available for equine conditions than for some other species, but musculoskeletal condition management should remain a focus area for equine practitioners
- •This survey demonstrates that research priorities should be informed directly by practising veterinarians' clinical experience to ensure relevance to real-world cases
- •Gaps in literature for certain species and conditions suggest opportunities for practitioners to contribute to research needs identification in their practice areas
Key Findings
- •Dogs, cats and rabbits were the most commonly seen species by UK veterinarians, followed by equines and cattle (33% response rate from 14,532 registered vets)
- •Skin conditions were most common in small animals, musculoskeletal conditions in equines, and reproduction conditions in production animals
- •Veterinarians perceived higher literature availability for dogs, cattle and equines compared to rabbits and guinea pigs
- •Survey identified significant research gaps in veterinary practice areas, particularly for less commonly treated species