“If you trust a vet, it’s easier to reach out to them with questions”: Flemish horse owner perspectives on communication about complementary and alternative veterinary medicine.

Abstract: To assess horse owners' behaviors and perceptions regarding communication about complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) with their veterinarian. Unassigned: A cross-sectional online survey was combined with a qualitative study in the form of in-depth interviews with Flemish horse owners. Unassigned: The study included 1,532 fully completed survey responses and 26 interviews. Overall, horse owners showed high trust in the veterinarian and were satisfied with veterinarian-client communication. While 61.7% of participants indicated that they had already talked about CAVM with their veterinarian, 25.1% of CAVM users had not discussed this with their veterinarian. The qualitative study revealed that nondisclosure of CAVM usage was associated with (1) horse owners' desire for autonomy and their sense of responsibility for their horse's health and (2) factors related to the owners' perceptions of veterinarians (eg, fear of negative reactions and a perceived lack of knowledge about CAVM in veterinarians). Owners wanted to be treated with respect and expected veterinarians to have a basic knowledge about CAVM and to initiate the conversation about CAVM. Unassigned: Veterinarian-client communication about CAVM is common, although disclosure does not always happen before CAVM usage due to owner-related factors and their perception of the veterinarian's reaction or response. Unassigned: Nondisclosure of CAVM may pose a risk for the animal's welfare due to potential side effects, interaction with other treatments, or delayed conventional treatment. A relationship-centered approach may increase disclosure by taking into account the clients' experiences, values, concerns, and expectations.