QUARTERLY BEAT / JULY 2025
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LEARNING TO LISTEN TO OUR PATIENTS
Debbie Martin, KPA CTP, LVT, VTS (Behavior) TEAM Education in Animal Behavior, LLC, Austin, TX In order to be able to grasp what dogs and cats might be trying to communicate to us, there are 3 required areas of knowledge including: 1. How the sensory perception of dogs and cats varies from ours 2. How dogs and cats communicate 3. And how pleasant and unpleasant associations with environments or situations are formed By understanding these 3 aspects, you will be able to put yourself in your patient’s paws and learn how you can adapt the veterinary environment and your interactions to make for a better experience. SENSORY PERCEPTION Stimuli in the veterinary hospital can create fear, anxiety, and stress in our canine and feline patients. Understanding how our patients perceive the veterinary hospital allows us to not only empathize but also develop solutions to make their experiences more pleasant. To understand a dog or cat’s perception of our hospital, we need to understand their senses. In general, dogs and cats tend to be more sensitive to environmental stimuli than we are. Let’s compare how dogs' and cats’ sensory perception varies from human perception. VISION Compared to humans, dogs and cats have poor visual acuity, a wider field of vision, and a smaller area of binocular vision. Cats see about 20/100-200, have a field of vision of 200° and a binocular vision overlap of 90-100°. 1 The visual acuity of the dog is about 20/75 with a field of vision of 245° binocular overlap of only 30-60° pending facial morphology. 2 In comparison, a human generally sees 20/20, has a field of vision of 180° with a binocular field of vision overlap of 140°. Although dogs and cats do not have very good visual acuity, they are very good at motion detection. Compared to humans, both cats and dogs can see better in dim light because of the increased number of rods in the retina and the tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer located behind the retina. Color vision is less developed in dogs and cats. Cats most likely have dichromatic vision with sensitivity to greenish-yellow and blue. Dogs are considered red-green color blind.
According to Heather E. Lewis, AIA, “The ability to see the UVB spectrum is interesting because it means that some materials appear to fluoresce to dogs [and cats], including organic material like urine that contains phosphorous as well as bright white, man-made materials such as paper, plastic and white fabrics, Lewis says. Because these white items are more visually jarring to dogs [and cats], their use should be avoided.” Because of the dog’s and cat’s sensitivity to motion, wider field of view, and poor visual acuity, it is beneficial to minimize fast movements as they can be startling. Utilize color schemes in the hospital to promote relaxation in people. Calm pet guardians result in calmer pets. Consider the use of pastels, dimmable lighting, and natural light. Minimize exposure to potentially frightening visual stimuli for patients and clients. This might include providing visual blocks, so cats do not see (hear or smell) dogs. HEARING Cats and dogs hear a wider range of frequencies than humans. The range of frequency for the cat is 20 Hz up to 85,000-100,000 Hz with the useful range probably up to 60,000 Hz. 1, 4 The range for dogs is 15 Hz up to 65,000 Hz with hearing best at around 4,000 Hz. 2 The range for humans is 20 Hz up to 19,000. 2 Because dogs and cats have moveable pinnae, they are better able to locate the source of sounds. Things do not sound louder to them, but they hear a broader range of sounds than we do. Consequently, they have more to tune out than we do. Take a walk through your hospital while recording sounds then play it back to help you identify potentially jarring or unnecessary noises that could be contributing to patients’ auditory overload. In this VETgirl Webinar “Learning to Listen to Our Patients” Debbie Martin, KPA CTP, LVT, VTS (Behavior) transforms your approach to veterinary care through learning to understand sensory perception, communication, and associations in dogs and cats. If you’re ready to see the clinic through your patients’ eyes (and ears, noses, and paws!), keep reading to discover practical ways to create more positive, fear- free visits. Missed the webinar? Catch the replay HERE or scroll down for the highlights!
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