A review of veterinary practice in New Zealand

Extract

The development of veterinary practice in New Zealand over the past thirty years has been phenomenal. I have been engaged in practice and to some extent involved with this development during this time. Perhaps by stopping to look at where we are, where we have come from, and how, we may help to guide future development.     

"Concepts in animal welfare": a syllabus in animal welfare science and ethics for veterinary schools

Public attitudes toward animal welfare have improved with growing social affluence, and veterinarians are increasingly expected to be informed about animal welfare in a broader sense than health alone. However, animal welfare has not been a traditional component of the veterinary curriculum. To help address this lack, the World Society for the Protection of Animals(WSPA) and the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science launched the 'Concepts in Animal Welfare' syllabus in 2003. This comprehensive syllabus comprises seven core and 23 elective modules and covers a range of animal welfare issues, including farm and companion animal welfare, wildlife, and the use of animals in experiments. There are also modules on ethics and animal legislation. The syllabus is interactive, promotes critical analysis of issues from different angles, and may be adapted for use in any veterinary curriculum. WSPA provides training and workshops in developing countries and assists with the implementation of the syllabus.     

Probiotics in veterinary medicine: a review

The mammalian gastrointestinal tract is a complex consisting of the intestinal epithelial cells, the mucosal immune cells and the endogenous microflora. Since a couple of years, probiotics are used in animal production to improve performance. But there are only few results available on the immune modulating effects of pro- and prebiotics in human and veterinary medicine. Recent studies are promising that pro- and prebiotics can be used as an alternative to conventional therapy with immune suppressive drugs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease or dietary hypersensitivity. Yet further randomized and placebo-controlled studies are needed to clarify these mechanisms in vivo.     

Animal welfare and the veterinary profession

Extract

The veterinary profession has a unique responsibility to society at the interface of animals and man. Veterinarians are trained in the healing sciences as well as in animal biology and management, formal training in animal welfare is now given in the undergraduate course, and the physiology of stress is taught in biology. This assists veterinarians to objectively assess the impact of the environment on animals, removing the frequently faulty interpretations that anthropomorphism presents in some situations. The scientific training of veterinarians also allows them to accurately assess the worth of various procedures in laboratories and on farms.     

参照动物福利国际标准,规范兽医临床实践教学

兽医临床实验实训教学在兽医临床课程体系中占有重要地位,而实验动物在教学中起到重要的支撑作用,要在保证实验实训教学质量和学生实践能力培养的基础上,同时兼顾实验动物福利。本文阐述了兽医临床实验实训教学的特点、动物福利的内涵与应用意义及动物福利在教学中的应用,为能在保证教学要求的同时更合理使用实验动物提供参考。     

Radiation protection in a veterinary practice

The risk to the health of Veterinary Surgeons using X-ray equipment in general practice is reviewed.
The publication 'Radiation Safety in Veterinary Practice' has recently been published. Some of the points in it are considered and an attempt is made to show how its suggestions can be carried out in a small veterinary practice.
Resumé. Revue générale sur les risques qu'encourent les vétérinaires utilisant les appareillages de rayons X en pratique générale.
On a récemment publié des 'Règles de sécurité lors de l'emploi des rayons X en pratiqur vétérinaire'. On discute certains détails de cette publication et on esquisse les moyens pouvant étre mis en œuvre pour les appliquer dans la pratique de la médecine vétérinaire des petits animaux.
Zusammenfassung. Das Gesundheitsrisiko des Tierarztes, der Röntgeneinrichtungen in der Allgemeinpraxis verwendet, wird einer Betrachtung unterzogen.
Kürlich wurde 'Strahlungssicherheit in der tierärztlichen Praxis' veröffentlicht. Einige der darin erwähnten Einzelheiten werden betrachtet und der Versuch unternommen, zu zeigen, wie diese Empfehlungen in der tierärztlichen Kleinpraxis verwirklicht werden können.     

Lack of correlation between canine heart rate and body size in veterinary clinical practice

Objectives : An association between heart rate (HR) and bodyweight has been reported in dogs and it is common belief that small breeds of dog exhibit higher HR than large breeds. The first aim of this study was to test the null hypothesis that, in veterinary clinical practice, bodyweight does not affect HR measured in healthy dogs. A second objective of this investigation was to assess whether other variables, such as gender, breed morphology, age and demeanour, may have a significant effect on dog’s HR measured in a clinical setting. Methods : The investigation was performed via two different studies: a retrospective analysis performed on 243 electrocardiogram recordings and a prospective study based on 153 standardised clinical examinations. Results : The two separate studies did not show any significant correlation between HR and bodyweight (P=0·5705 and P=0·4682, respectively). Subject’s breed morphology and gender did not appear to affect HR measured under these circumstances. However, dogs under the age of one year seem to have significantly higher HRs than older dogs (P < 0·05). Finally, subject’s demeanour was also found to have a significant influence on HR; lower values were recorded in relaxed dogs, and higher rates were documented in excited, nervous dogs (P < 0·05). Clinical Significance : Normal HR could be erroneously interpreted as bradycardia or tachycardia if bodyweight was to be considered a determinant factor. Instead, HR in healthy dogs undergoing routine clinical examination is related to their demeanour or age, if younger than 12 months, but does not appear to be related to bodyweight.     

Assessment of positive welfare: a review

As a complement to the concentration on negative states in welfare science, scientists are increasingly considering the desirability of measuring positive outcomes. Since evaluation of an animal's mental state is a critical goal for welfare assessment, considerations of both positive feelings (what an animal "likes") and resources that an animal is motivated to obtain (what an animal "wants") appear to be important. However, since animals may make choices that are not in their long-term interests, an assessment of positive feelings and resources should include an evaluation of any associated actual or potential harms, such as fear, distress, pain, injury and disease. A review of current evidence suggests that positive welfare can be best assessed by evaluation of resources (i.e. inputs) that are valued by an animal and by positive outcomes such as behavioural responses, influences on cognitive processes and physiological markers. Since negative welfare is often inversely correlated with positive welfare measures, current welfare policy will have been achieving some positive welfare outcomes, however the explicit inclusion of positive welfare outcomes in the framework allows for analyses that are both deeper and more in tune with commonsense, which can hopefully yield more objective policies.