Paradigms for pharmacologic use as a treatment component in feline behavioral medicine

Veterinary behavioral medicine remains an under-supported, under-appreciated, and under-taught specialty within veterinary medicine. Neuropsychopharmacology is the aspect that has provided the field with the most scientific legitimacy, but is also one of the most hotly debated. Paradigms for use of pharmacologic intervention include firstly ruling out any underlying medical cause. If a behavioral diagnosis can be made, treatment with psychotropic medication may be considered, although their use is most effective as part of an integrated treatment program that includes behavior modification. Used without an understanding of the mechanism of action, pharmacologic intervention may only blunt or mask behavior without altering processes or environments that produced the behavior. This paper reviews specific drugs, mechanism of action of those drugs, and relevant uses are reviewed for cats. Future advances in treatment in veterinary behavioral medicine will be pharmacological and neurophysiological. As the field of veterinary behavioral medicine expands, its paradigm will enlarge to include routine combination therapy and the implementation of neuropharmacological intervention as a diagnostic tool.     

A simple system for recording lamb mortality used to improve flock management

Many commercial sheep farmers do not record either the extent or the causes of their lamb losses but this information is essential if losses are to be reduced in the future. The major causes of death in newborn lambs are reviewed together with the common predisposing factors. The development and practical application of a simple system for recording lamb deaths is described. It is concluded that the application of this type of system, initiated, supervised and interpreted by the farmer's own veterinary surgeon, would indicate how to reduce the losses of lambs and would be a useful component of any flock health scheme.     

岩羊和马鹿对人与机动车反应的差异分析

人为干扰会对野生动物种间关系、个体适合度、群落结构和繁殖成功率等产生中长期的影响。因此,研究野生动物反干扰行为对于我们认识该物种对其生境的行为适应和进化机制具有重要意义。2017年11—12月在内蒙古贺兰山国家级自然保护区内通过建立多元逻辑斯蒂回归模型研究了岩羊(Pseudois nayaur)、马鹿(Cervus elaphus)的反干扰策略,本研究共设置33条样线,记录了10种在人为干扰下可能会影响岩羊、马鹿反应行为的变量,经模型分析发现影响岩羊反应行为的变量有5种,影响马鹿反应行为的变量有4种,共同影响因子分别是干扰源、性别、头的朝向和地形特征,而植被类型则只对岩羊产生影响。最后根据逻辑模型得出的数据计算发生比,从而了解各个分类变量与反应行为的关系。     

Human-directed aggression in the cat

Feline aggression-between cats or directed at humans-is, after inappropriate elimination and urine-marking behaviors, the second most common reason cats are seen by behavioral specialists. For diagnosis and treatment it is important to determine the motivation for the aggression. The more common causes for human-directed aggression in cats include play, fear, petting intolerance, and redirected aggression. Other causes include pain and maternal behavior. Sexually motivated and status related aggression are much more rare. Treatment includes a combination of behavioral modification, environmental modification, and, in some cases, medication.     

Comparison of interpretation of cat's behavioral needs between veterinarians,veterinary nurses,and cat owners

Cats have certain strongly motivated behaviors, which could be defined as “needs,” that should be understood to provide the cat the best quality of life and assure proper welfare. It is well recognized that cats have several behavioral needs, which if not met, can result in anxiety and secondary behavior problems. These problems can lead to relinquishment or euthanasia. Veterinarians and veterinary nurses have a special role when educating owners. To increase owners' compliance, veterinary professionals should have evidence-based knowledge for the right information to be communicated to feline owners. The goal of the present study was to identify and compare the level of knowledge that veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and pet owners have about cat behavior and to compare their perceptions on this subject. We were also interested in determining whether living with a cat affected the professionals' knowledge base and what they are able to properly communicate to pet owners. It was expected that the veterinarians would have the highest level of knowledge regarding the interpretation of feline behavioral needs. We also hypothesized that those professionals who had or have previously owned a cat would have a better understanding of what cats actually need. A questionnaire, called “questionnaire to assess cat's needs” (QACN), was completed by cat owners, veterinarians, and veterinary nurses. The QACN had 13 different statements about the behavioral needs of cats, and each participant had to select their level of agreement with the statement. The QACN was then scored and a principal component analysis was used to identify meaningful associations. The following 3 components were extracted: elimination, stress releasers, and human stimulation. Contrary to what was expected, the results showed that in some specific areas (stress releasers and human stimulation) veterinarians' and veterinary nurses' knowledge was not significantly different from that of cat owners. This could mean that the role of these professionals in preventing behavioral problems can be very compromised. Those professionals who had owned a cat personally were better at identifying the behavioral needs of cats, with some significant differences (related with stress releasers), compared with those professionals who had never owned a cat. More education about feline behavior should be included when training veterinarians and veterinary nurses for clients to continue to trust these professionals to provide them with evidence-based knowledge about cat behavior.     

Field disease investigation-A differentiating and integrative approach to problems in animal populations

The economically important diseases of agricultural animals are those that affect groups of animals to result in impaired productivity or mortality. Herd and flock disease result from complex interactions between inciting agents (or other etiologies), and factors such as management systems, nutrition, environment and other contributory causes. For these reasons herd and flock disease problems must be addressed, researched, and taught, in the areas where they occur-on the farm and in the field. For political and educational reasons this needs to be on farms throughout the state or region represented by a veterinary school. Like most studies, this type of study needs to have a multidisciplinary input but these inputs often involve disciplines that are different from those that address clinical disease in individual animals in the veterinary teaching hospital setting. Clinical departments in veterinary schools have not traditionally found funds to support this approach to agricultural animal disease. This talk will discuss the establishment of a conjoint program between the College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agriculture at Washington State University (Field Disease Investigation Unit) to address these requirements and its activities over the past 25 years.     

The role of private practitioners in accelerated lambing

Sheep producers throughout the United States have begun using accelerated lambing programs to enlarge their net income by increasing the number of lambs produced per ewe per year. These new intensive systems have produced some unique problems and concerns. This article attempts to educate the veterinarian as to the justification for these programs. Areas in which veterinary intervention can greatly influence the success or failure of these new accelerated lambing systems are identified. Selection of ewe type, ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis, ram evaluation, specific flock health concerns, and critical ewe nutrition are discussed.     

Is it time to define veterinary professionalism?

The medical profession has spent much time and many resources engaging in a discourse of medical professionalism and debating the appropriate attitudes and behavior of physicians, but little has been published concerning the concept of veterinary professionalism. Physicians are commonly examined by social scientists and educationalists to establish definitions of medical professionalism in order to teach and assess these values within curricula. This challenging process has not been without criticism, however, with some calling the numerous definitions unhelpful, especially when these behaviors are not demonstrated in practice or the wider sociological implications of medical professionalism are ignored. Veterinary curricula often include professional skills, and there has been some discussion about their inclusion as well as the scope of veterinary surgeons and their role in society. Despite this, no true definition of veterinary professionalism exists, and the teaching of the values and behaviors expected of veterinary professionals may not be explicit. Regardless of the difficulties of engaging in such a discourse, perhaps it is time that this occurred and a realistic and usable definition of veterinary professionalism is established. This is a period of change for the veterinary profession, and a teachable and assessable definition can provide some clarity and assist educators within ever evolving veterinary curricula.     

Cultural awareness in veterinary practice: student perceptions

Australian veterinary classrooms are increasingly diverse and their growing internal diversity is a result of migration and large numbers of international students. Graduates interact with other students and increasingly with clients whose attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors differ from their own. An understanding and respect for these differences has an impact on client communication and health care outcomes. The present study explored how students understand and are likely to deal with issues of cultural diversity in veterinary professional practice as well as the educational needs that students feel should be met in regard to preparation to engage productively with diversity in professional practice. The present study also explored the extent to which the rich diversity of the undergraduate student population constitutes an educational resource. A class of final-year veterinary students was invited to participate in a workshop exploring intercultural confidence in veterinary consultation. Twelve groups of six to eight students discussed a fictitious scenario involving a challenging clinical encounter with a client from a different culture. Students were reticent to see the scenario in terms of cultural difference, although they generally recognized that awareness of cultural issues in veterinary practice was important. They also tended to not see their own ethnicity as relevant to their practice. While some felt that veterinary practice should be culture blind, most recognized a need to orient to cultural difference and to respond sensitively. Their suggestions for curricular improvements to address these issues are also included.     

Handling behavior problems in the practice setting

The veterinary clinic plays a critical role in the prevention and treatment of behavior problems. If behavior problems do begin to emerge, the veterinary clinic can help determine who can advise and guide the owners most practically to improve or resolve the problem. This help might involve the veterinarian, a behavioral technician, a trained staff member, an appropriate trainer, or some combination of these persons. This article reviews how these professional roles might be integrated, depending on the complexity of the problem.     

Rabbit behavior.

Rabbit behavior is complex and closely related to wild rabbit behavior. The rabbit as a prey species, the rabbit's environment and natural social structure, and the rabbit as an herbivore all play significant roles in rabbit behavior. Stress, especially the stress related to predation, crowding, heat, and inappropriate caging, may affect the behavior of the pet rabbit and its success as a medical or surgical patient. The veterinarian treating the pet rabbit will have a higher level of success if these stresses and the rabbit's behaviors and physiologic responses related to them are taken into consideration.     

Management of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically important arrhythmia in veterinary medicine. Electrical cardioversion of AF to sinus rhythm is feasible, but pharmacologic rate control is an effective and achievable treatment strategy for most veterinary patients. Recent human trials suggest that rate control and rhythm control are almost equally beneficial. Nevertheless, AF can be a challenging arrhythmia to manage, because most affected animal shave numerous other concurring problems associated with the underlying heart disease that dictate or influence the clinician's choice of treatment and monitoring strategy for each patient.     

Feather picking and self-mutilation in psittacine birds.

Feather-picking and self-mutilation behaviors are common in psittacine birds. These behaviors are best defined as stereotypic behaviors or obsessive compulsive disorders. There is likely a genetic predisposition for these behaviors as reflected in the overrepresentation of a number of species of psittacines. Stereotypies most often result from a high level of arousal and the inability to respond with the appropriate natural behaviors. More specifically, conflict may be induced by the absence of releasing stimuli or target objects. On a chemical level, stereotypic behavior appears to be related to an increased dopaminergic activity and an increased dopamine turnover. Feather-picking and self-mutilation patients are challenging to treat and are most likely to respond to treatment at an early stage of development. The best results are obtained by identifying and removing the cause of conflict, enhancing the environment, using appropriate drugs when indicated, and employing counter-conditioning.     

Large grazers in the Dutch wetland "de Oostvaardersplassen." Reaction to the "Guide to Large Grazers" of the State Secretary for Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries

The recently published 'Guidelines large herbivores'from the Secretary of State Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries are commented upon. These Guidelines pay insufficient attention to the welfare of the animals used. Only the management of domestic animals is discussed while the management of the deer, which form an integral part of the system is left open. The name of the Veterinary Guidance Committee Nature is questioned since it suggest an independent contribution of specialised veterinary knowledge on the various health and welfare issues, but in reality a broad representation of different governmental and public organizations is present. The view points of this so-called veterinary committee seem to disagree with those of the Dutch veterinary community as formulated by the Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association. Independent of the species of animals used for the management of the area a plea is held for active control of the population - 'looking through the eyes of the wolve' - to dampen large fluctuations in population size and prevent unnecessary suffering through starvation. Since the domesticated animals used to have to comply with the strict veterinary regulations when intended for human consumption the suggestion is made to investigate the the possibility of using only truly wild animals like deer, European bison and wild boar for the management of the wetland. When wild animals are used culled animals can be used for human consumption and this prevents that every year numerous cadavers of cattle and horse have to be collected from the area and incinerated.     

Global veterinary leadership.

The public needs no reminder that deadly infectious diseases such as FMD could emerge in any country at any moment, or that national food security could be compromised by Salmonella or Listeria infections. Protections against these risks include the knowledge that appropriate and equivalent veterinary education will enable detection and characterization of emerging disease agents, as well as an appropriate response, wherever they occur. Global veterinary leadership is needed to reduce the global threat of infectious diseases of major food animal and public health importance. We believe that the co-curriculum is an excellent way to prepare and train veterinarians and future leaders who understand and can deal with global issues. The key to the success of the program is the veterinarian's understanding that there is a cultural basis to the practice of veterinary medicine in any country. The result will be a cadre of veterinarians, faculty, and other professionals who are better able (language and culture) to understand the effects of change brought about by free trade and the importance of interdisciplinary and institutional relationships to deal effectively with national and regional issues of food safety and security. New global veterinary leadership programs will build on interests, experience, ideas, and ambitions. A college that wishes to take advantage of this diversity must offer opportunities that interest veterinarians throughout their careers and that preferably connect academic study with intensive experiential training in another country. At its best, the global veterinary leadership program would include a partnership between veterinarians and several international learning centers, a responsiveness to the identified international outreach needs of the profession, and attention to critical thinking and reflection. The global veterinary leadership program we have described is intended to be a set of ideas meant to promote collaboration, coalitions, and discussion among veterinarians and veterinary educators who may be intrigued by the concept. The impact of the program can be summarized as follows: Outreach Programs: The global veterinary leadership program will establish new partnerships between veterinarians and veterinary college faculty as they supervise the international internships and see a relationship between their goals and the value of food safety to this country. Strategic Opportunity: The program will build on the critical role that US veterinarians and veterinary colleges already play in strengthening the safety of free trade in this hemisphere. Diversity in an Age of Specialization: The program will combine a global orientation, language ability, and access to comprehensive, research- and economic-related work/study opportunities to expose veterinarians to the expanding world market for veterinary expertise. New Linkages Through Corporate Partners: Through the success and high visibility of current research and education programs, most veterinary colleges are well positioned to engage industry, government, and university leaders in ways to use the proposed program to increase the flow of new ideas and talent into the world food enterprise. International Funding: A new partnership among veterinarians, industry, government, and university leaders can coordinate strong multilateral requests for funding from national and international sources. An Interdisciplinary Strategy that Benefits Veterinary Medicine: The program will combine the diverse veterinary research and education system with our strong national and international network of collaborators to provide globally competent veterinarians who will be needed for the corporate and public opportunities of the future.     

Clinical Technique: Chelonian Shell Repair

Thousands of wild turtles and tortoises are injured by automobile trauma every year, with most of these animals being killed on impact. Many of the animals that survive are presented to wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians. Many chelonians live for over 50 years, and therefore the death of adult animals can have a great impact on reproductive rates and population numbers in these chelonian species. Management of shell repair in captive and wild chelonians is not complicated; however, it may be a prolonged process. With a few pieces of veterinary equipment, bandage materials, antibiotics, analgesics, and a few months of rehabilitation, any veterinarian can successfully repair shell fractures in chelonians. Even though these techniques have been developed for wild chelonians, these same techniques can be used successfully for injuries in captive chelonians.     

Backyard poultry: legislation,zoonoses and disease prevention

In law, backyard poultry are “food‐producing animals” and “farmed animals” and are subject to regulations regarding welfare, prescribing, banned procedures, disposal of carcases, feeding bans, notifiable diseases and disease surveillance in addition to those applying to most other pets. Many owners and some veterinary surgeons are unclear about the requirements of these regulations. Backyard poultry are also associated with some different zoonotic disease risks to mammalian pets. Because a high proportion of poultry morbidity and mortality relates to infectious diseases, the health of backyard poultry is amenable to improvement through basic husbandry, biosecurity, hygiene and preventive medicine measures that can be incorporated into a simple “flock‐health plan”. This article reviews these topics.     

Equine infectious keratitis.

Corneal ulcers are one of the most common ocular disease presentations in the horse. With the use of correct diagnostic techniques and selection of an appropriate treatment regimen, most cases result in a satisfactory outcome. The eye does not respond well to inflammation, and in complicated ulcers, this should be managed aggressively using systemic NSAIDs with a high priority assigned to removing the infectious agent. Care needs to be taken to avoid topical or systemic corticosteroid use for the treatment of equine ocular disease, however, unless the clinician is completely sure that the corneal disease is not caused by an infectious process. The use of combination corticosteroid-antibiotic ophthalmic preparations without an appropriate treatment rationale can result in doing more harm than good. It is important to have a treatment plan and to monitor the elected treatment regimen. The clinician should decide on some objective criteria at initiation of treatment so that any changes are made rationally. This approach should also include consideration of early referral of the eye's care to a veterinary ophthalmologist.