New Publication Alert: Development and Validation of a Canine Caregiver Burden Assessment Tool

Our lab has spent years studying the experiences of companion animal caregivers–what supports the human-animal bond, what challenges arise when pets require intensive care, and how these affect owner wellbeing. Through this work, one gap became clear: no measures exist that were specially created with dog and cat owners in mind. Research led by Dr. Spitznagel, and in collaboration with Zoetis LLC, has now produced a questionnaire specifically for dog owners.  

The Canine Caregiver Burden Assessment Tool, or simply CCBAT (pronounced C-C-Bat), is a 24-item questionnaire that includes four sub-scales: Impact on Life, Embarrassment/Frustration, Difficulty Providing Care, and Overwhelm. The CCBAT demonstrates excellent internal consistency among dog owners across a wide variety of health and behavioral conditions. We encourage both veterinary practitioners and researchers working in the human-animal interaction space to use the CCBAT. Even if caregiver burden is not your primary research focus, or you are a veterinary professional working within limited appointment times, the CCBAT was also validated in two abbreviated formats: the CCBAT-A (a 5-item version) and a 1-item screener.

Interested in learning more about how the CCBAT was developed and validated–or how to use the CCBAT for your own purposes? We published the full study in Human-Animal Interactions, an open access journal with reach across academia and health practitioners (both two-legged and four). We are happy to share it can be accessed at no cost to our followers: https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2025.0052

And for our cat owners and cat focused subscribers, stay tuned for the Feline Caregiver Burden Assessment Tool that is in the validation phase!