An online and in-practice campaign has been launched by Elanco to help ease the discomfort of canine OA.
The pharmaceutical company hopes the initiative will help “inspire more movement” in dogs with the condition, with a suite of tools designed to help practices better educate owners about it, as well as advise them on spotting signs and how to help ease pain.
Materials
The materials include a worksheet vets can use to explain to owners of diagnosed dogs how the condition can impact on their pet, both inside and outside the home.
Vets can use this to create a bespoke management plan suitable to the pet/owner lifestyle, alongside a guide to home adaptations that can be made.
An infographic fact sheet has also been created to help owners spot the subtle signs of OA, which vets and nurses can use as part of regular owner interactions so the condition can be diagnosed as early as possible.
Elanco has designed a downloadable toolkit of digital assets for practices to use on their websites and social media feeds to increase awareness of the condition among their online communities.
Support
Elanco has partnered with a range of experts in the field to create the tools, including Canine Arthritis Management founder Hannah Capon and veterinary communications consultant Zoe Belshaw.
The in-practice assets are supported by a film featuring Miss Belshaw, in which she gives advice about the language and strategies vets can use to help improve communication with dog owners about OA.
‘Critical role’
Miss Belshaw said: “My research identified many owners do recognise their arthritic dog has a problem before it’s diagnosed.
“Many will have seen their dog is stiff, or ‘slowing down’, but may not associate this with lameness or pain. That’s why vets, nurses and practices play a critical role in raising awareness of how the condition impacts dogs every day.”
- To access the suite of assets, visit the My Elanco website.
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