ABSTRACT: Many in-patients have a negative experience of hospitalization because, in addition to being unwell, they are in unfamiliar surroundings and cannot predict or control what happens to them. Their negative feelings ie.g. fear and frustration) are apparent from their behavior, which can make clinical work more difficult. It also worries many owners and can have adverse effects on the animals’ immunity and recovery. This article concludes a series of three that examine why hospitalisation is stressful and how that stress can be reduced. It reviews the role of environmental enrichment and describes some simple applications for the veterinary ward.

Author

Caroline Hewson MVB PhD MRCVS

From 2000 to 2006, Caroline Hewson was Research Chair in Animal Welfare at the Atlantic Veterinary College, Canada. Resuming locum work in the UK in 2008, she surveyed UK pet owners and found they valued a patient-friendly hospital environment more than clinical features such as an in-house laboratory. Caroline continues to wrestle with how to balance clinical efficiency with client and patient care, and she is the creator of the client- care resource The Loss ofYour Pet.

Keywords: Clinical, Stress

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 29 (07) • July 2014 • 234-236

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