German cat and dog owners’ views on veterinary error handling : communication and transparency concerns from qualitative interviews

Medical errors in veterinary practice have a significant impact on veterinary staff, but the emotional experiences of pet owners remain largely unexplored. A total of 23 German pet owners participated in this qualitative study, which explored the impact of medical errors on their expectations of veterinary surgeons through semi-structured online interviews conducted between September and November 2024. The interviews followed a pretested questionnaire and were subsequently subjected to qualitative analysis. They reported emotional distress when faced with a medical error, characterised by anxiety, worry and helplessness. This led to increased scepticism and caution towards other veterinary surgeons, as well as a decline in trust and satisfaction with veterinary care. Pet owners emphasised the importance of veterinary surgeons being open and honest about errors, communicating openly and working together to prevent similar incidents. Pet owners are concerned about inadequate communication, lack of transparency and insufficient empathy from veterinary surgeons in the event of an error. Based on that, enhancing empathetic communication and providing comprehensive information could minimise the potential for conflict. Ensuring that pet owners feel acknowledged and respected is essential for fostering trust and long-term professional relationships.