Knowledge, attitude, and practices Toward chronic kidney disease in Dogs and cats among pet owners in Klang valley, Malaysia

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the most recognized form of kidney disorder in dogs and cats. It is defined as structural and/or functional impairment of one or both kidneys. Adequate related knowledge among pet owners helps increase their awareness towards CKD and adopt healthy attitudes and practices for their pets. This study aimed to (i) assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of dog and cat owners towards CKD; (ii) determine if socio-demographic characteristics and pet ownership influence KAP; and (iii) examine the association between the level of KAP. A cross-sectional online and physical survey was conducted and a total of 111 pet owners participated in
this study. Data collected were descriptively analyzed and associations were determined using the Chi-square test and Spearmans’ correlation analysis with IBM SPSS Statistic version 27.0. Most respondents had moderate knowledge (n = 61, 55%), attitudes (n = 55, 49.5%), and practices (n = 69, 62.2%) towards CKD in dogs and cats. Significant associations were indicated between education level, management of dogs, and pets diagnosed with CKD and ongoing treatment with knowledge (p- value < 0.05). Significant associations were also indicated between gender and number of pet-owned with attitude (p- value <0.05). A significant positive correlation between total knowledge and attitude score (r = 0.190) was indicated in this study. Moderate knowledge of CKD in dogs and cats among pet owners in this study implied the need for improvement in the understanding of CKD with early diagnosis and management through continuous awareness and education initiatives.
Keywords: Chronic Kidney Diseases; Pet owners; Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Pet owners