A survey of veterinary consultations in Perth

Data was collected from 22 private urban veterinary practices within a 25km radius of the Perth central Post Office on the nature of 40 prospective consecutive consultations (880). Dogs and cats were presented in 96% of these consultations (70% and 26% respectively), as well as birds (3%) and other species (1%). Dogs and cats were presented more frequently for medical problems (56% and 47%) and for vaccination (32% and 35%). Surgery was performed on 17% of dogs and 20% of cats. The most frequently occurring medical problems for dogs involved the skin/coat (13%) and musculo-skeletal system (11%). For cats the most common medical problems were fight wounds and abscesses (18%) and gastrointestinal problems (6%). Neutering (dog-5%, cat-9%) and dentistry (dog-4%, cat-5%) were the most common surgical procedures performed. The results of this survey show that more dogs are taken to veterinarians in Perth than are cats, and routine health procedures, such as vaccinations and neutering, represent a significant proportion of consultations