Perceptions of Medications and Supplements by U.S. Dog-Interested Members of the Public and Final-Year Veterinary Students

Dog Aging Project Consortium

doi:10.1111/jvp.70064

Perceptions of Medications and Supplements by U.S. Dog-Interested Members of the Public and Final-Year Veterinary Students

Dog Aging Project Consortium

Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics

Princeton University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Veterinary graduates must be prepared to educate clients about medications and supplements. We surveyed 1955 Dog Aging Project newsletter recipients and 40 final-year veterinary students at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on their perceptions about medications and supplements. Respondents indicated whether each of 13 attributes applied to medications, supplements, neither, both, or “I'm not sure.” Frequency of responses by newsletter recipient respondents versus student respondents, respectively, were evaluated. We observed differences in the majority response for: (1) target a specific ailment (51% for newsletter recipients versus 62% for students, respectively); (2) target a specific condition (54% vs. 40%); (3) promote health and wellness (51% vs. 38%); (4) prevent worsening of a condition (60% vs. 72%); (5) are added to food (58% vs. 80%); (6) are recommended by a veterinarian (58% vs. 82%); (7) are covered by pet insurance (57% vs. 80%); and (8) are given to the animal long term or lifelong (55% vs. 72%). The overall distribution of responses was statistically significantly different between groups for three attributes: added to food (p < 0.001); recommended by a veterinarian (p = 0.005); and covered by pet insurance (p < 0.001). While a majority of both groups recognized that only medications are tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 15% of final-year veterinary students indicated that they thought both supplements and medications are FDA regulated, which suggests an important educational gap.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jvp.70064
State	Accepted/In press - 2026

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pharmacology
General Veterinary

Keywords

drug
education
nutraceutical
over-the-counter
prescription

Access to Document

10.1111/jvp.70064

Cite this

@article{5c90c8166c804a52b8af34e7c765df7d,

title = "Perceptions of Medications and Supplements by U.S. Dog-Interested Members of the Public and Final-Year Veterinary Students",

abstract = "Veterinary graduates must be prepared to educate clients about medications and supplements. We surveyed 1955 Dog Aging Project newsletter recipients and 40 final-year veterinary students at Texas A\&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on their perceptions about medications and supplements. Respondents indicated whether each of 13 attributes applied to medications, supplements, neither, both, or {\textquotedblleft}I'm not sure.{\textquotedblright} Frequency of responses by newsletter recipient respondents versus student respondents, respectively, were evaluated. We observed differences in the majority response for: (1) target a specific ailment (51\% for newsletter recipients versus 62\% for students, respectively); (2) target a specific condition (54\% vs. 40\%); (3) promote health and wellness (51\% vs. 38\%); (4) prevent worsening of a condition (60\% vs. 72\%); (5) are added to food (58\% vs. 80\%); (6) are recommended by a veterinarian (58\% vs. 82\%); (7) are covered by pet insurance (57\% vs. 80\%); and (8) are given to the animal long term or lifelong (55\% vs. 72\%). The overall distribution of responses was statistically significantly different between groups for three attributes: added to food (p < 0.001); recommended by a veterinarian (p = 0.005); and covered by pet insurance (p < 0.001). While a majority of both groups recognized that only medications are tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 15\% of final-year veterinary students indicated that they thought both supplements and medications are FDA regulated, which suggests an important educational gap.",

keywords = "drug, education, nutraceutical, over-the-counter, prescription",

author = "\{Dog Aging Project Consortium\} and Gallinger, \{Sidonie T.\} and Heseltine, \{Johanna C.\} and Kate Illing and Fajt, \{Virginia R.\} and Akey, \{Joshua M.\} and Brooke Benton and Elhanan Borenstein and Castelhano, \{Marta G.\} and Coleman, \{Amanda E.\} and Creevy, \{Kate E.\} and Kyle Crowder and Dunbar, \{Matthew D.\} and Fajt, \{Virginia R.\} and Fitzpatrick, \{Annette L.\} and Unity Jeffery and Jonlin, \{Erica C.\} and Matt Kaeberlein and Karlsson, \{Elinor K.\} and Kerr, \{Kathleen F.\} and Levine, \{Jonathan M.\} and Jing Ma and McClelland, \{Robyn L.\} and Promislow, \{Daniel E.L.\} and Audrey Ruple and Schwartz, \{Stephen M.\} and Sandi Shrager and Noah Snyder-Mackler and Tolbert, \{M. Katherine\} and Urfer, \{Silvan R.\} and Wilfond, \{Benjamin S.\} and Creevy, \{Kate E.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd.",

year = "2026",

doi = "10.1111/jvp.70064",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics",

issn = "0140-7783",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Perceptions of Medications and Supplements by U.S. Dog-Interested Members of the Public and Final-Year Veterinary Students

AU - Dog Aging Project Consortium

AU - Gallinger, Sidonie T.

AU - Heseltine, Johanna C.

AU - Illing, Kate

AU - Fajt, Virginia R.

AU - Akey, Joshua M.

AU - Benton, Brooke

AU - Borenstein, Elhanan

AU - Castelhano, Marta G.

AU - Coleman, Amanda E.

AU - Creevy, Kate E.

AU - Crowder, Kyle

AU - Dunbar, Matthew D.

AU - Fajt, Virginia R.

AU - Fitzpatrick, Annette L.

AU - Jeffery, Unity

AU - Jonlin, Erica C.

AU - Kaeberlein, Matt

AU - Karlsson, Elinor K.

AU - Kerr, Kathleen F.

AU - Levine, Jonathan M.

AU - Ma, Jing

AU - McClelland, Robyn L.

AU - Promislow, Daniel E.L.

AU - Ruple, Audrey

AU - Schwartz, Stephen M.

AU - Shrager, Sandi

AU - Snyder-Mackler, Noah

AU - Tolbert, M. Katherine

AU - Urfer, Silvan R.

AU - Wilfond, Benjamin S.

AU - Creevy, Kate E.

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - Veterinary graduates must be prepared to educate clients about medications and supplements. We surveyed 1955 Dog Aging Project newsletter recipients and 40 final-year veterinary students at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on their perceptions about medications and supplements. Respondents indicated whether each of 13 attributes applied to medications, supplements, neither, both, or “I'm not sure.” Frequency of responses by newsletter recipient respondents versus student respondents, respectively, were evaluated. We observed differences in the majority response for: (1) target a specific ailment (51% for newsletter recipients versus 62% for students, respectively); (2) target a specific condition (54% vs. 40%); (3) promote health and wellness (51% vs. 38%); (4) prevent worsening of a condition (60% vs. 72%); (5) are added to food (58% vs. 80%); (6) are recommended by a veterinarian (58% vs. 82%); (7) are covered by pet insurance (57% vs. 80%); and (8) are given to the animal long term or lifelong (55% vs. 72%). The overall distribution of responses was statistically significantly different between groups for three attributes: added to food (p < 0.001); recommended by a veterinarian (p = 0.005); and covered by pet insurance (p < 0.001). While a majority of both groups recognized that only medications are tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 15% of final-year veterinary students indicated that they thought both supplements and medications are FDA regulated, which suggests an important educational gap.

AB - Veterinary graduates must be prepared to educate clients about medications and supplements. We surveyed 1955 Dog Aging Project newsletter recipients and 40 final-year veterinary students at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on their perceptions about medications and supplements. Respondents indicated whether each of 13 attributes applied to medications, supplements, neither, both, or “I'm not sure.” Frequency of responses by newsletter recipient respondents versus student respondents, respectively, were evaluated. We observed differences in the majority response for: (1) target a specific ailment (51% for newsletter recipients versus 62% for students, respectively); (2) target a specific condition (54% vs. 40%); (3) promote health and wellness (51% vs. 38%); (4) prevent worsening of a condition (60% vs. 72%); (5) are added to food (58% vs. 80%); (6) are recommended by a veterinarian (58% vs. 82%); (7) are covered by pet insurance (57% vs. 80%); and (8) are given to the animal long term or lifelong (55% vs. 72%). The overall distribution of responses was statistically significantly different between groups for three attributes: added to food (p < 0.001); recommended by a veterinarian (p = 0.005); and covered by pet insurance (p < 0.001). While a majority of both groups recognized that only medications are tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 15% of final-year veterinary students indicated that they thought both supplements and medications are FDA regulated, which suggests an important educational gap.

KW - drug

KW - education

KW - nutraceutical

KW - over-the-counter

KW - prescription

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105032799608

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105032799608#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1111/jvp.70064

DO - 10.1111/jvp.70064

M3 - Article

C2 - 41803933

SN - 0140-7783

JO - Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

JF - Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

ER -

Perceptions of Medications and Supplements by U.S. Dog-Interested Members of the Public and Final-Year Veterinary Students

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

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