The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association has released the abstract of a paper called “Effect of different types of classical music played at a veterinary hospital on dog behavior and owner satisfaction.” Based on the abstract, researchers from UC Davis wanted to see what effect music had on dogs and owners in the veterinary practice. They examined 74 dogs and asked owners to complete a survey about their pet’s anxiety after their visit. They also asked the tending veterinarians to do a similar survey. The results were interesting: Owners reported more satisfaction with their vet visit if low-level classical music was playing. However, pet owners rated their dogs having higher aggression and anxiety levels than veterinarians did. Pet owners did rate lower anxiety and aggression levels if their pets were in the exam room rather than in the waiting room. More research is needed to see if classical music helps pets. The researchers reported in their conclusion: "Results suggested placing a pet and its owner into an examination room instead of a waiting room immediately after clinic arrival may ameliorate pet anxiety during the veterinary visit. Playing classical music at a low volume can be a simple and cost-effective way to improve owner satisfaction with the veterinary visit." Read the report here.
