A Qualitative Examination of Pet Owners' Expectations Regarding the Treatment of Incurable Diseases in Their Pets : Using the KJ-Method

• Published in: Journal of the Japan Veterinary Medical Association Vol. 66; no. 6; pp. 403 - 410
• Main Authors: YANO, Atsushi, KUROKAMI, Megumi, HIDAKA, Takahiro, MORINAKA, Keiko, HONTOKU, Yuki, SARADA, Yoko, TAMURA, Ryuich, HAYASHI, Mikio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Veterinary Medical Association 20.06.2013
• Subjects: KJ-Method; Qualitative examination; The treatment of previously incurable diseases in small animals
• ISSN: 0446-6454; 2186-0211
• DOI: 10.12935/jvma.66.403

Treating incurable diseases in pets has become possible as a result of the development of veterinary medical technology. It may seem that there would be few owners of companion animals who would wish to treat their animals with the help of highly developed veterinary technology at the actual time of a veterinary consultation. A questionnaire was administered to the owners, and a qualitative and quantitative analysis was carried out using the KJ-Method to investigate the owners' wishes with respect to the treatment of previously incurable diseases in their pets. It was found that many owners wished their pets to undergo analgesic treatment first, but some wanted their pets to be treated using the latest highly developed veterinary technology. They also hoped that veterinarians would be humane and provide them with a proper explanation of the procedures. In addition, they had difficulties regarding the propriety of the treatment. Although theoretical saturation required supplementary examination, this research showed the potential of qualitative analysis such as the KJ-Method as a solution for veterinary medical problems related to human psychology.