Percepção do câncer pelos proprietários e sua influência na terapia de cães (Canis familiaris) com neoplasias malignas / The perception of the owners about cancer and their influence on the therapy of dogs (Canis familiaris) with malignant neoplasias.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

Cancer is one of the most serious diseases in the humanity due to several factors. Psychological issues involving this disease, aggressive surgical procedures that determine aesthetic compromising of the patient, the development of side effects by the use of chemotherapy drugs and familiar involvement are the principal aspects that surround this disease with fear and prejudice. A great number of people have traumatic experiences, including sickened of family members or close friends, which are relived by the illness of their pets. In accordance with the principles of a qualitative research, 43 owners of dogs diagnosed with malignant neoplasias were interviewed, representative of the service routine of the Service of Oncology of the Veterinary Hospital of Small Animals of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. The selection was based on the fact that their pets had been submitted to surgery or chemotherapy. The objective of this qualitative-quantitative work done by the use of a semi-structured interview was to evaluate the perception of the owners about the cancer disease of their dogs, as well as their convictions after the treatment provided for the animals and to establish correlations between results, and, as specific objective, to verify how owners evaluate the quality of life of theirs animals after oncological treatment and the possible relationships between owners fears and adherence to the proposed treatments. The profile of the interviewed owners was composed predominantly of women older than 30 years old, educational level between high school and college education, and family income of four to ten minimum wages. The interviewed owners used the most varied synonymies to define the word cancer and they had the knowledge that the disease is not contagious. More than half of the owners had cases of cancer between members of the family and only eight of them had previously experience with the disease in pets. The most frequent fears related to the oncological treatment were related to the anaesthesia and age of the animal during the surgery as well as the side effects by the use of chemotherapy drugs. The majority of the interviewed owners related an improvement in the quality of life of theirs dogs after the therapy. All owners declared that they would treat another animal that became ill of cancer and also they would recommend the treatment to sick animals of friends and family members, and many of them did not show wish of acquiring another pet.

ASSUNTO(S)

método qualitativo. cirurgia qualitative methods. câncer, dogs drug ttherapy medicina veterinaria neoplasms cães surger quimioterapia

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