Update from vet nurses in Kerala

JMICAWE's vet nurse Jess Davies travelled with RVN Roxy Woodrow to visit Kerala Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences University to see how the veterinary nursing students were doing and catch up on the progress with the implementation of the new eleven month veterinary nursing course.

Whilst there they met the new Vice Chancellor of KVASU who was encouraged to hear about the rise of veterinary nursing in Kerala State with the beginning of the new course and agreed to do all he could to assist in its development.

Over the course of three days, Jess and Roxy spent time with veterinary nursing students in the clinic teaching them practical techniques, giving impromptu teaching sessions on bandaging, anaesthesia monitoring and the importance of asepsis. They also spent some time with the veterinary lecturers who are responsible for the ongoing teaching of these students to find out what materials we could provide that could help their teaching.

On their last day, Jess and Roxy visited a nearby ABC clinic. There, they were fortunate to be met by Smt. Beena Murali who is the deputy mayor for Thrissur district.  She wanted to meet the visiting veterinary nurses from University of Edinburgh and look around the clinic that does so much to improve the welfare of the street dog population in the area. The promotion of veterinary nursing in India was further boosted by a film crew following the deputy mayor to record a piece for that evening’s news for which Jess and Roxy we interviewed along with a journalist from The Times of India who was to write a piece about the Deputy Mayor's visit.

This was a great opportunity to promote the fact that veterinary nursing is a profession that is vital to the welfare of all animals along with the fantastic work that the wonderful team at the ABC clinic performs.

First international behavioural husbandry workshop for zookeepers hosted in Agra

First international behavioural husbandry workshop for zookeepers hosted in Agra

After successfully completing the small animal training workshop in Goa, JMICAWE’s Heather Bacon travelled to Agra in the North of India to participate in India’s first international behavioural husbandry workshop for zookeepers.

Focussed primarily on bear species and co-organised by:- the Bear Care Group, an International charity committed to improving the lives of captive bears; and Wildlife SOS, a Indian NGO responsible for eliminating the dancing bear trade in India and rescuing over 500 bears; the workshop attracted zookeepers, veterinary surgeons and academics working with a range of species from across India.

Heather spoke at the workshop on behavioural management, geriatric care and veterinary care of zoo animals, and also ran an interactive session on behaviour and emotion in zoo animals.

The workshop ended with a practical enrichment and training day at the WSOS bear rescue facility. 

Feedback from the workshop was extremely positive, with representatives from the Indian National  Zoo Authority expressing an interest in developing a hub of excellence in zoo science and welfare.

Vet training in Goa a success

Vet training in Goa a success

Heather and Jess of JMICAWE made their last trip of this year to India where they met up with ex-University of Edinburgh Veterinary nurse Roxanne Woodrow to deliver a two-day workshop on animal welfare, behaviour, and clinical skills to 25 vets from across India.

These vets, who work in private practice as part of the Aniheal group, were keen to further develop their small animal skills as the Indian veterinary curriculum focuses primarily on livestock species.

The workshop covered topics such as behavioural assessment, low-stress handling techniques and a problem-solving approach to triage and trauma. Delegates also participated in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to evaluate their new skills using non-animal models and manikins.

Heather said “This workshop has been very successful with demonstrable improvements in the knowledge and skills of participants as the workshop progressed. We look forward to developing our relationship with the Aniheal group further”

JMICAWE welcomes Dr Louise Connelly to the team

Hello, I’m Louise Connelly and I’m delighted to be seconded the Jeanne Marchig team as their Senior E-Learning Developer, for two years.  I am very much looking forward to working with such an enthusiastic and compassionate team who promote animal welfare and education.

 Let me tell you a little about who I am and what I will be doing with the Marchig Centre. I have had a varied background, with a career in marketing, IT, and digital education, and a PhD in religion and media. At the University of Edinburgh, I have been working in digital education for over six years and my research focuses on students’ use of social media. I am also Co-convenor of the Human Ethical Review Committee (HERC) at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

My main role in the Marchig team is to update the website, create education resources, and develop apps. I’m also excited to be involved with research, such as the dog welfare assessment project. I’m sure there will be lots of opportunities to work with others and even meet a few animals!

I love all animals and some might call me a ‘crazy cat lady’ – which I can’t deny, as I love cats. I have a cat who is a spritely 13 years old and she is the face of the The Truth About Cats and Dogs free online course. I’m sure I will manage to include a few more videos and pictures of cats on the website and in the learning resources. In the meantime, here is a photo of my cat sound asleep.

Research profile: https://edin.ac/2rm2ZHc

Bear Care Group in India

Our JMICAWE vet Heather Bacon is a Director of Bear Care Group who are in Agra, India this week attending an international bear conference hosted by Wildlife SOS Agra Bear Rescue Centre.  The welfare of bears and other wild animals in zoos, sanctuaries & rescue centres is being discussed by 80 delegates from 11 different countries.  The aim is to bring together global experts to share knowledge on bear care, wildlife conservation and human/wildlife conflict mitigation.

Graduation Day for MSc students

Last week saw the latest cohorts graduate from the online MSc International Animal Welfare, Ethics & Law.  "A fantastic time was had", writes Dr Fritha Langford, Programme Director, "and it was great to meet our graduates and their families in Edinburgh. We were also thinking of all our graduates who were not able to come to Edinburgh for the ceremony.

Well done all of you, many congratulations - you have all worked so hard and deserve every success in the future."

Small Animal Veterinary Training in Goa, India

Heather Bacon & Jess Davies are joined in Goa this week by Roxy Woodrow RVN, who previously helped the team out with workshops in Vietnam earlier this year.  

This time, they are running a pilot project at PetZone with AniHeal Veterinary Group, training a group of 30 small animal vets and vet nurses.  

The two day workshop will equip delegates with the basic skills needed to handle, diagnose and treat dog and cat patients in a clinical setting.  It is hoped to roll this pilot project out across India in the future.

       Roxy Woodrow

Zoo Academy highlights importance of animal welfare and legislation in Zoo UK zoos

Zoo Academy highlights importance of animal welfare and legislation in Zoo UK zoos

JMICAWE’s Heather Bacon recently visited Sparsholt College to participate in the launch of the new ‘Zoo Academy’ as well as to deliver animal welfare and ethics teaching to UK zookeepers enrolled on the Diploma in the management of zoo and aquarium animals (DMZAA).

As a DEFRA-appointed zoo inspector and the course organiser of the welfare and ethics teaching for the DMZAA, Heather was pleased to celebrate progress in education on animal welfare and legislative protection of zoo animals in the UK. The newly-founded Zoo Academy, headed by Andy Beer, will incorporate training of a range of zoo professionals including zookeepers and zoo inspectors in the legislative, welfare and ethical responsibilities of zoos.

Heather said “We’ve recently seen increased momentum in the recognition of the importance of animal welfare across the UK zoo community, and the development of the Sparsholt Zoo Academy brings that into focus by recognising the increasing specialisation and need for training of professionals across the zoo community.”

Photo L-R: top row: Tim Jackson - Sparsholt Principal, Heather Bacon - JMICAWE, Douglas Richardson - RZSS and independent zoo consultant, Andy Beer - RZSS and programme director of the DMZAA, others - zookeeper students on the DMZAA

Large Animals 3Rs Symposium

On 20th November, we look forward to welcoming c. 75 attendees and speakers to the University of Edinburgh's 3Rs awards for large animals studies, held at the Roslin Institute.

Following the success of the laboratory animals awards back in May, a poster competition will be held for application of 3Rs to studies using large animals models, with prizes per category for scientists and animal technicians/vet nurses/grooms who come up with an original, scientific or technological initiative that minimises animal suffering and improves the welfare of animals used in research, or has contributed to a reduction in the number of animals used; or has led to the development of an alternative, non-animal method.

We look forward to seeing successful candidates' work at the Symposium tomorrow, with a morning of talks and posters, all co-organised with Bioresearch and Veterinary Services.

Two JMICAWE Directors in Hong Kong!

Two JMICAWE Directors in Hong Kong!

JMICAWE Directors past and present recently attended and presented at the UFAW ‘Animal Welfare Beyond Borders’ meeting hosted by City University in Hong Kong.

JMICAWE Director from 2011 to 2016, Prof Natalie Waran, gave a keynote presentation on the ‘Lessons Learnt’ in animal welfare, drawing on the experiences of the Centre in developing its work in UK and overseas, and how animal welfare is changing in different cultures across the world.

Current Director, Prof Cathy Dwyer, gave a presentation in the same session on the welfare of farmed animals and how animal welfare issues need to be considered as part of sustainable development to feed a growing human population.

Other University of Edinburgh and SRUC colleagues were also presenting including the Programme Director for our MSc in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law, Dr Fritha Langford, who discussed the impact of educational interventions in bringing about changes in animal welfare. And two of our PhD students also presented their work with Steph Easton describing her work in evaluating the impact of animal welfare training for farmers in China, and Syamira Zaini discussing approaches to assess cat pain and welfare in veterinary clinics in Malaysia. 

The conference was well attended by delegates from across the globe, and lively discussions were held on the state of play for animal welfare worldwide, the mechanisms that we can use to influence animal welfare, and practical steps to improve animal welfare. JMICAWE was delighted to help support UFAW and City University in delivering the conference.

JMICAWE attends 2nd World Congress on Farm Animal Welfare in Beijing

JMICAWE attends 2^nd World Congress on Farm Animal Welfare in Beijing

JMICAWE Director Cathy Dwyer, along with SRUC colleague Dr Fritha Langford and PhD student Steph Easton, attended the 2^nd World Conference on Farm Animal Welfare hosted by the International Cooperation Council on Animal Welfare (ICCAW) in Beijing. This followed the previous very successful meeting in 2017 in HangZhao and was attended by 500 delegates, including about 40 from Universities, NGOs and companies based outside China, including FAO, RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming, World Horse Welfare and the Donkey Sanctuary.

The conference demonstrates the increasing interest in China in animal welfare in food-producing animals, and it was good to see the participation of so many Chinese Universities and producers in the meeting. The first day involved a plenary session with talks from Chinese and International delegates to set animal welfare in an international food security context and to explore opportunities for progress. The second day consisted of parallel meetings focusing on specific species areas, with SRUC colleague Malcolm Mitchell delivering a presentation on animal transport in the horse session, and Cathy contributing to the panel discussion in the ruminants session. A highlight of the meeting was the ceremonial signing of the Beijing Consensus on Animal Welfare, to which JMICAWE is a signatory, which was developed in conjunction with FAO and sets out an agreement to work together to improve farm animal welfare. This set out three important areas of consensus:

1.       To support the recommendations of the 43^rd session of FAO’s Committee on World Food Security on improving farm animal welfare

2.       To advocate that government agencies, international organisations, scientific research institutes, the food industry and consumers understand and support animal welfare

3.       To respect and support each country in the exploration of farm animal welfare-friendly farming models that adhere to the requirements of sustainable development.    

‘’We are very happy to be part of this Consensus and its recognition of the need to include the welfare of farmed animals within the context of sustainability and food security’ said Cathy ‘and we look forward to working with our partners to improve welfare in farming practices globally’.      

Beijing Consensus on Animal Welfare

Buy a Puppy Safely - Scottish Government launches new campaign

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO HELP PUT AN END TO PUPPY FARMING AND THE MISERY IT CAUSES

The new campaign launched on 7th November and will focus on raising awareness of the tactics used by illegal breeders to deceive buyers both on and offline; and the pitfalls of buying illegally-bred puppies and the warnings signs to look out for.

Research shows that Scots are more likely to buy an illegally-bred puppy than they might think, with only 24% of Scots buying from an approved breeder and 1 in 4 (25%) considering using an online advert or website to buy a puppy.

Most illegally bred puppies are sold online through social media or small ad sites, and distressingly 1 in 4 of pups bought online die before their fifth birthday and 1 in 3 get sick or die in the first year.

The Buy a Puppy Safely campaign was launched by the Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment, Mairi Gougeon in Edinburgh, as the Scottish Government calls on the public to learn about the warning signs of an illegally-bred puppy.  Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment, Mairi Gougeon said: “Illegal puppy farming only leads to misery - many suffer from congenital health problems or behavioural problems, causing distress to owners and leading to expensive vet bills that can cost thousands of pounds. So, we’re working with animal welfare charities to raise awareness of the real consequences of buying illegally and highlighting how to spot the warning signs of an illegal dealer. I know that a lot of people will be considering buying a puppy at this time of year, so my message to them is to do your homework first. The most important thing is to see the puppy with its mother, and to get the correct paperwork. If there’s no mum and no paperwork, then walk away and report your concerns to the Scottish SPCA helpline.”

Mike Flynn, Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent said, “The launch of the Buy a Puppy Safely campaign is a welcome step forward in the fight against puppy farming, which is having a devastating effect on animal welfare in Scotland."

The trade of puppies in Scotland online is estimated to be worth £13 million per year but shockingly a large proportion of these are believed to be illegally bred puppies including popular breeds such as Pugs, French Bulldogs, Cockapoos and Miniature Dachshunds.

To help Scots avoid the heartache, misery and financial responsibilities that come with illegal puppy farming, the Scottish Government has launched a new website https://www.buyapuppysafely.org where buyers can find out how to spot an illegally bred puppy, both online and in person when meeting the puppy.

Hanoi Zoo workshop

Following the Government veterinary workshop held in Vietnam, veterinary nurse Roxanne Woodrow and veterinary surgeon Dr Heather Bacon travelled to Hanoi Zoo to provide a 3 day teaching course to zoo vets from all over Vietnam.

The course which focused on captive animal welfare and preventative healthcare, was hosted by Hanoi Zoo and supported by Animals Asia. 

Around thirty vets attended, travelling from all over Vietnam to come to Hanoi zoo for the course. It incorporated both theory and practical demonstrations, with one day of lectures followed by two days interacting with Heather and Roxanne plus the Animals Asia team Kat, Diem and Huong throughout health checks on the Hanoi zoo bears. Preventative healthcare in captive animals seemed to be a subject that is hugely under-taught to the Vietnamese vets who listened avidly to the lectures delivered by Heather and requested further resources to learn about the specific species they cared for. 



Timelapse video of the practicals

It was great being able to relate the theory to practice with the two days of bear health checks. The vets were requested to arrive early morning so that every step of the process was demonstrated and explained. The enthusiasm from the vets was fantastic who were all very eager to get involved helping Heather while she performed the dental, or joining Roxanne and Kat at helping preparing medications and monitoring the anaesthetic. Minimal monitoring equipment was used to emphasise the importance of knowledgeable and experienced staff over expensive monitoring equipment. The positive feedback from the vets highlights the importance of this training and the continued teaching required in this field.

Dr Cuong of the Hanoi zoo said:  “During the last three days I (and I also believe I’m speaking for every participant of the workshop) have gained a great amount of veterinary knowledge as well as have learnt about basic principles and steps of animal anaesthetic process, which I consider highly practical and helpful for our work at Hanoi Zoo. I have been far more aware of the various issues which can rise in our work as zoo vets and also been provided ideas of how to prevent and solve these potential problems”

The JMICAWE team hope to continue to offer support to vets in Vietnam and have already been invited to coordinate a follow-up workshop with Hai Lam from Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, who said “Thank to your workshop, I learned so much and applied it to anaesthesia of our animals… To bring up the best outcome, I would like to organise a workshop for vets and animals people in Cuc Phuong as well as vet students in Ha noi and in vets of local animal practice. I truly want to improve animal welfare of the area and motivating more vet students to work for wildlife. For that reason, I think that this opportunity would be an exciting occasion to spread out the skill and the animal welfare spirit.”

KVASU Deans' visit

The JMICAWE team were pleased to welcome Dr Latha and Professor Tresamol from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in India during a recent visit. We have been working with the KVASU team for several years to develop enhanced veterinary student education, improve animal welfare and to develop India's first ever 12 month veterinary nurse training programme. Veterinary nurses are instrumental in improving welfare for veterinary patients whilst they are in the clinic so we are really delighted to report that the vet nurse training programme has started, is going well, and that there are 8 students at each of their three campuses.

The student veterinary nurses are working in the 3 veterinary teaching hospitals alongside the patients, vet students and veterinary doctors and are receiving 1 hour of lectures or tutorials each day, 6 days a week. There are written and practical exams to be passed too. Employment prospects are good for Indian VNs, as small animal clinics increasingly recognise the value of veterinary nursing support.

The JMICAWE team, including e-learning developer Louise Connelly, have been building a free online VN skills course to assist the lecturers and the students by provide interactive teaching and learning resources which will complement the teaching the students are already receiving, in addition to supporting lecturers to deliver new subject areas. We look forward to its launch and receiving feedback.

Here are Dr Latha and Professor Treasomol enjoying a tour of The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and meeting one of our more unusual patients.

IVSA Animal Welfare Conference, Munich, Germany

IVSA Animal Welfare Conference, Munich, Germany

JMICAWE Director, Cathy Dwyer, has just attended the 2^nd International Veterinary Student Association Animal Welfare Conference, hosted by vet students from the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. The conference took place over the weekend with students travelling from as far afield as Indonesia, Uruguay and the USA to attend, with some students then returning home for lectures and even exams on Monday!

The conference covered some diverse themes, including human behaviour change for equines in South East Asia, how humanitarian aid can also be about animal welfare, brachycephaly in dogs and welfare of reptiles.

Cathy gave a talk on how maternal care can influence the stress responses and welfare of offspring, participated in a panel discussion on vegetarian or vegan diets for companion animals, and led a workshop on recognising and monitoring animal stress. But most of all she was inspired by the interest, excitement and passion of the student delegates to learn more about animal welfare and their commitment to making a difference in the world and improving animal lives.

 

Heather Bacon in team behind WSAVA Animal Welfare Global Guidelines

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association has published 'Animal Welfare Global Guidelines for Companion Animal Practitioners and the Veterinary Team'.

The guidelines, launched during WSAVA World Congress 2018 in Singapore, aim to bridge differing perceptions of welfare around the world and help veterinary surgeons and nurses tackle the ethical questions and moral issues which impact welfare. 

They also offer guidance to ensure that, in addition to providing physical health advice and therapy to their patients, veterinary surgeons and nurses can advocate for their psychological, social and environmental wellbeing.

Heather Bacon played a significant role in compiling and launching these Guidelines and we congratulate her for her involvement.

3-day small animal care workshop in Vietnam

Veterinary nurse Hayley Walters and veterinary surgeon Dr Heather Bacon have recently returned from a very successful trip teaching Government vets in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The 3 day workshop was aimed to improve standards of small animal care in veterinary practices and included subjects such as asepsis, dog and cat behaviour, surgical techniques, and blood biochemistry and haematology interpretation.  The topics were chosen by the delegates and the workshop was hosted and co-funded by Animals Asia. There were practical sessions in bandaging and intravenous cannula placement, with lots of questions after each lecture.

Hayley said, “What was so lovely about this workshop is that the Government vets requested it and suggested the topics themselves. Good veterinary practices aren’t achieved by the latest equipment or state of the art buildings, but by a solid knowledge in subjects like asepsis, behaviour, critical thinking, pain recognition, and bandaging.  We were pleased to be able to deliver what they wanted and spurred on by their enthusiasm".

Delphi Workshop in Edinburgh

Delphi Workshop

At the beginning of September, we held our Delphi study workshop in Edinburgh. This was a very exciting milestone for us as it was the final step of the project, and the first time that we had any of our animal welfare experts all together in one place.

Prior to the workshop, we recruited almost 150 experts within 10 different species groups (cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, exotics, wildlife, cattle, pigs, sheep/goats, and poultry). Our animal welfare experts were a mixture of researchers, veterinarians, charity sector, industry, and government/policy. We asked all of them to complete two online surveys with the intention of ranking extensive animal welfare lists according to three different criteria: severity, duration, and prevalence. We then invited a sub-section of our experts, 20 in total, to come to Edinburgh for the workshop.

The purpose of the workshop was to ask our experts to work together during 2 days of activities and discussions to try and come up with a final list of priority welfare issues for each species, as well as an overall list of priority welfare issues for managed animals in the UK. No mean feat!

Despite the incredibly difficult nature of the task, we were very pleased with how well all of our experts worked together, and the interesting discussions that arose along the way. Remarkably, we were able to reach consensus on the final lists for all 10 groups. The final results of the workshop, and study as a whole, will be presented to our project funders, the Animal Welfare Foundation, by the end of November, and will also be published in several peer-reviewed journals. We will be sure to share these links with everyone when they become publicly available.

Thanks again to all of our fantastic experts.

Fiona C Rioja-Lang

Camels in Canada

Camels in Canada

I was delighted to be supported by JMICAWE to attend the 2018 Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE) in Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada. Its organisation was led by Professor Michael Cockram (previously of Edinburgh Vet School) at the University of PEI, on the outskirts of Charlottetown. Campus, town and indeed the whole island are pretty, and the lovely weather while we were there made the whole event – conference, side events and tours – a thoroughly enjoyable occasion.

That was helped by the famous friendliness of ISAE, and I have been glad to play some small part in that as a member of Council, including at the Council meeting (my last, as my term has now finished), at the AGM, and wherever else appropriate, such as during the traditionally enthusiastic dancing after the congress banquet. The conference’s scientific programme was also consistently high in quality, and I played my part in conferring, too. Indeed, I was doubtless in the category identified by our President Bas Rodenburg in his opening remarks as People who Frequently Ask Questions. His point was to encourage others to participate as well, and that was successfully achieved. An innovation of recent years has been ‘Eating with Ethologists,’ which arranges for students to share lunch tables with senior scientists of their choice. I greatly enjoyed this, and the students I met then and at other times were also enthusiastic about the opportunities for communication, both scientific and personal. I was glad throughout the meeting to represent Edinburgh and our work on welfare education for vets and others.

Finally, I gave the closing talk of the congress, with the title ‘On the ubiquity and utility of camels.’ This was a light-hearted look at the striking frequency with which animals appear in our everyday idioms: for example, ‘the straw that breaks the camel’s back.’ Yet this also reminds us of the importance of animals in our cultures, round the world and through the ages, and of understanding their behaviour and protecting their welfare for both their benefit and ours.

Mike Appleby

Visitors from India & Sri Lanka

Earlier this month, two representatives from KVASU, Kerala and one from the University of Peradeniya, Kandy spent a fortnight in Edinburgh discussing the evolving VN training.  They spent the first week in lectures and the clinical skills lab, and the next 5 days shadowing clinics in the Hospital for Small Animals, and also the Equine and Farm units.  The feedback from our visitors was hugely positive and there will be a follow-up visit to Sri Lanka and India in the Autumn

Introducing Louise Buckley to the JMICAWE team

A new face joins the Clinical Animal Behaviour MSc team

Our online MSc programme Clinical Animal Behaviour has proved so popular with students from across the world that it has been necessary to appoint a full time programme coordinator to assist Dr Amy Miele.

Meet Dr Louise Buckley, the newest recruit to our team here at JMICAWE.

 “Hello everyone! I was delighted to be offered this job as the programme focuses on many of my interests, and this means that I am in contact every day with students and staff from all over the world who also share my enthusiasm for animal behaviour and welfare.

Accepting this job was something of an academic home-coming for me as I started out here as a postgraduate student on the Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare MSc programme back in the mid-2000s. I enjoyed myself so much that I then stayed to undertake a PhD in poultry welfare, focusing on broiler breeder hunger and diet preferences. The quest for an academic job then took me back South of the border, where I joined another university and lectured in veterinary nursing and animal behaviour/welfare topics for seven years.

However, my background is more eclectic than that - I am also a registered veterinary nurse who has worked in clinical practice for 20 years, often alongside my academic studies and teaching commitments. I can often be found at the weekend working at a busy veterinary emergency clinic and supporting clients and their pets through often difficult and traumatic events. I am also heavily involved in promoting evidence-based veterinary medicine and professional development of veterinary professionals through my activities with a number of veterinary organisations, and this is a passion I hope to extend further through my involvement once again with the CAB programme and the veterinary school.”

We welcome Louise back to Edinburgh and to the JMICAWE team.

A Day in the Life of a Veterinary Nurse

This month is Vet Nursing Awareness Month, and we asked our two VNs, Hayley Walters MBE and Jess Davies, to put an article together to explain their vital role in the care and treatment of their patients.

What does the veterinary nurse actually do?!

Our day begins with making sure that all the inpatients have everything they need. Medication, food, water, access to toileting and a clean comfy bed are the basics. But staying in an, albeit caring, but unfamiliar environment can be very upsetting for many animals and so we try to not just focus on their physical needs but also their psychological. For instance, making sure that the food they have is actually what they like to eat and not just any old food! Cats usually appreciate a box to hide in to make them feel secure and dogs often enjoy a comforting cuddle session to ease their anxiety from being away from their owner. Vet nurses are trained in understanding animal behaviour and assessing pain which allows us to highlight our concerns for a patient.  If we have any particular worries, we can discuss them with the vet in charge and make sure they are attended to quickly.

Veterinary nurses are more highly trained than many people think. We have to train for up to 4 years either in college or university, complete hundreds of hours of practical work within approved training centres, be signed off as competent in many different skills, complete assignments, and pass written and practical exams before we can qualify and go on the national register of veterinary nurses. This means we are qualified to do a plethora of jobs from taking blood, bandaging, cannula placing, and X-raying to anaesthetic monitoring, consultations, physiotherapy, and minor surgery. Vets rely very heavily on veterinary nurses to help them and the relationship is certainly symbiotic!

No two days are the same. We might be teaching an owner how to inject their diabetic cat with insulin one moment and holding a dear old dog for euthanasia the next. We might be resuscitating puppies born by caesarean one day and emptying anal glands the next! The hours can be long and sometimes it can be difficult emotionally, but those things are temporary and the good times always outweigh the sad. Knowing we are doing my best to improve the lives of animals is the most rewarding job in the world and if we had to choose my career again, we would both choose veterinary nursing in a heartbeat.

Dick Vet student wins 2018 RABDF Farm Health Management Award

Many congratulations to Penny Stewart, who has been announced the winner of 2018 RABDF Farm Health Management Award.  This is a fantastic achievement by one of our final student students (and is the second year of Dick Vet success!)

In the Spring Penny took part in a UK-wide competition to produce a 15000-word essay on the subject of the DEFRA/Industry Animal Health and Welfare Strategy.  This Government Strategy encompasses the health and welfare of farmed livestock, companion and other animals, aquaculture, and game animals. The Strategy is also concerned with wildlife where our actions affect their health or welfare, or where there is a risk of wildlife transmitting disease to other animals or humans.

Penny demonstrated her knowledge of the costs of disease and the financial impact of disease on business performance; her knowledge of the impact of good nutrition on the health and welfare of farm animals, the likely impact on the quality of meat and milk being produced for human consumption; and on the importance of collaboration between farm staff and veterinary and other advisers in formulating health management plans, alongside many other important issues.

Bahrain Pet Expo

Donata Baars, an animal care professional working in Bahrain, writes:-

Bahrain is a small island country in the Middle East, attached to Saudi Arabia by a causeway. It is a thriving country that has grown immensely in the last 40 years on all fronts of its economy. The only thing that seems to be falling behind is the welfare of the many animals that Bahrain has. Indigenous, exotic, wild, owned and stray. But there is definitely progress; Bahrain is working hard on improving its animal welfare!

On Friday the 13^th April, Bahrain held its very first PetExpo! It was the first time ever that an event was organized that was all about the welfare of animals in general and stray dogs in particular. On the main stage, important issues were discussed. There was the first time showing of the movie about Baloo, a rescue dog that turned into a therapy dog for autistic children. The vet that works very closely with the BSPCA (Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) talked about how to administer first aid to your pet when a veterinarian is not directly available.

Last but not least a discussion was held between animal welfare advocates about the situation of the stray dogs in Bahrain; how to reduce the stray dog population humanely, how to respond to a stray dog approaching you, the importance of spaying and neutering your pets, how to achieve a better human-dog interaction and much, much, more. As an animal care professional, I was invited to speak and represent a more scientific approach to stray dog management. With support from the JMICAWE team including Dr. Heather Bacon and VN Hayley Walters I was presenting an evidence-based approach to managing a stray dog population and the need for an on-going Catch-Neuter-Return programme. Heather and Hayley's knowledge and input was invaluable to having a meaningful discussion at the event. As a result a full feature article will be printed in next month’s Salaam Bahrain magazine!

Of course there were games, food sales and a shopping bazaar but they were also there to entice people to come and thus learn more about the welfare of animals. Not only were pet shops represented but also veterinary clinics and the local rescue groups that do so much in Bahrain for the welfare of the stray dogs.

Donata Baars

Welcome back, Hayley!

It's  #NationalKidsandPetsDay - and it marks the return to work after maternity leave for our Vet Nurse, Hayley Walters. Welcome back, Hayley!

Hayley's son & dog

Understanding the mind of the horse - Dr Helen Spence

Understanding the mind of the horse, with Dr Helen Spence

Ellie Girgis writes:

On the 21^st February 2018, students and staff of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies gathered at Easter Bush Campus to hear Dr Helen Spence (an academic, and working Equine Behaviour and Training Consultant) explain her approach to understanding the mind of the horse.

Dr Spence explained the various emotional drivers and the underlying physiological processes which result in the outward displays of specific behaviours and expressions in our horses. Dr Spence impressed the importance of understanding these processes for both compassionate and effective handling and training. 

               Ellie Girgis (on left) with Dr Helen Spence

In association with the R(D)SVS Horse Society, with whom they jointly hosted Dr Spence, the Dick Vet Animal Behaviour Society expresses their sincere thanks to Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education for their generous sponsorship, without which this event would not have been possible!

Dick Vet Behaviour & Nutrition Conference

Dick Vet Behaviour & Nutrition Conference

On Saturday 24th February, the Dick Vet Animal Behaviour Society and RDSVS Nutrition Society hosted their second joint Behaviour and Nutrition Conference. It was an excellent day, with 114 attendees consisting of students and staff from both the Dick Vet and Glasgow Vet School.

The day started early with breakfast before kicking off a full day of lectures on behaviour and nutrition topics.  Behaviour talks included:-

• Training for Common Behaviour Problems with Dogs Trust Senior Behaviour and Training Adviser Alasdair Bunyan;
• Aggression in Farm Species with R(D)SVS’ own Paul Wood; and 
• How to Run a Behaviour Consult with University of Lincoln’s veterinary behaviourist Kevin McPeake.

Kevin McPeake

Nutrition talks covered:-

• Dispelling Nutrition Myths with Royal Canin’s Hannah Poile;
• The Power of Innovative Nutrition in Clinical Practice with Dick Vet graduate Emma Henton from Hill’s Pet Nutrition; and
• Nutrition for Wildlife with Jess Crabtree from the Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue.

The day concluded with a wine and cheese reception which gave the delegates time to relax and chat with each other and with the guest speakers. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and clearly showed the desire for more behaviour and nutrition teaching for vet students!

Shuchorita Epik wins runner-up in BVBA Veterinary Student Award

Shuchorita Epik, an undergraduate student at R(D)SVS with a keen interest in animal behaviour, was recently awarded the runner-up prize for the BVBA Veterinary Student Award.

She wrote this piece about her experience collecting the award in Birmingham on 4th April.

-" Attending the BVBA Study Day last week was a rewarding and very humbling experience for me, 

and I’m incredibly grateful to Dr. Amy Miele and everyone at the BVBA for such a valuable opportunity.

The process of writing the essay for this award made me reflect upon how much I have been taught in the last few years to allow me to carry my previous experience in animal behaviour into a future career as a veterinary clinician, something which I had been concerned about upon making the decision to shift fields.

I felt inspired hearing so many accomplished speakers discuss behaviour in its absolutely relevant context within the realm of animal medicine—in an age where animal welfare and ethics are still met with such controversy, it was incredibly uplifting to sit in a room full of such dedicated professionals. 

This very engaging conference day has left me with a great motivational boost to continue pursuing a post-graduation career in which behavioural considerations can be at the forefront of all of my clinical endeavors".

Many congratulations to Shochorita on her success!

Hayley Walters at BSAVA Congress 2018

JMICAWE vet nurse Hayley Walters recently spoke at BSAVA Congress in Birmingham. This is one of the biggest events on the veterinary calendar and is attended by vets and nurses from all over the world. Hayley gave two lectures: one on her experiences and challenges whilst working in developing nations; and the other on what to do if your patient’s welfare is compromised and your ethics are challenged. 

Her lectures were well received with many nurses coming up to speak to her afterwards. 

Hayley said, “It was such an honour to be able to speak at such a well respected event and I hope the vets and nurses at my lectures took away some really important information about how to improve their patient’s time in the clinic and what to expect when working in developing nations”. 

Hayley, along with JMICAWE's Veterinary Outreach Manager Heather Bacon, has been booked to speak again next year.

Introducing Jess Martin

A second Jess joined our team at the end of last year, not to be confused with Jess Davies, our Vet Nurse covering Hayley Walters' maternity leave.  Allow Dr Jess Martin to introduce herself...

"I am a Lecturer at the R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh and a Clinical Research Associate of the Roslin Institute. I have a long standing research interest in animal consciousness and pain, especially relating this to commercial pig and poultry production. My work in this area has spanned both physiological and behavioural welfare impacts of intensive livestock systems to on-farm despatching methods, as well as full scale animal slaughter. I also have a strong investment in AgriTech innovation to enhance animal welfare as well as production for livestock species. I have worked on a wide range of research projects related to animal pain, welfare assessment, behaviour, animal ethics, animal slaughter and on-farm killing, and animal transport. Alongside my research I teach and provide expert support in experimental design and data analysis for staff and students at R(D)SVS. I am currently the Animal Welfare Research Network Champion for the University of Edinburgh.

My current work is evaluating the welfare impact of a novel stunning technique (Low Atmospheric Pressure stunning) for commercial pigs, to hopefully identify a more humane alternative to CO₂ stunning in pigs. This project is being funded by Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) and is in collaboration with University of Glasgow and SRUC."