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This study set out to explore how euthanasia decision-making for animals was taught to students in eight Australasian veterinary schools. A questionnaire-style interview guide was used by a representative at each university to interview educators. Educators were interviewed about their teaching of euthanasia decision-making for four categories of animals: livestock, equine, companion and avian/wildlife. Using thematic analysis, the terms provided by participants to describe how (mode of teaching) and what (specific content) they taught to students were categorised. Information about content was categorised into human-centred factors that influence decision-making, and animal-based indicators used to directly inform decision-making. All eight representatives reported some teaching relevant to euthanasia decision-making at their university for livestock, companion animal and avian/wildlife. One representative reported no such teaching for equid animals at their university. Observation of a euthanasia case was rarely reported as a teaching method. Five universities reported multiple modes of teaching relevant information, while two universities made use of modalities that could be described as opportunistic teaching (e.g., 'Discussion of clinical cases'). Factors taught at most universities included financial considerations, and that it is the owner's decision to make, while animal-based indicators taught included QoL/animal welfare, prognosis and behaviour change. Overall, most universities used a variety of methods to cover relevant material, usually including lectures and several other approaches for all animal types. However, because two universities relied on presentation of clinical cases, not all students at these veterinary schools will be exposed to make, or assist in making, euthanasia decisions.

Dog-on-dog aggression is a common behavioral problem and has the potential to result in dog and/or human injury, the need for veterinary treatment and financial and legal repercussions. Despite this, few studies of dog-on-dog aggression have occurred. News reports of dog-on-dog aggression provide a method of understanding the demographics of these attacks. National and local news articles between September 2016 and February 2020 were identified through Yahoo and Google news. Information was retrieved including victim/attacker dog information (age, breed, size, sex, injury, veterinary treatment, on/off a lead, with/without the owner/walker), situation, intervention, owner injury, and outcome. In the majority of these attacks, one dog initiated the attack and this dog tended to be a medium-sized breed and off-leash. The most reported attacking breed was the Staffordshire bull terrier. The victim tended to be a small-sized dog, and these attacks often had adverse psychological and physical effects. Costs as a result of the attack ranged from £75 to £9,000 (∼$98-11,800 USD). The owner intervened in just under half of cases and often suffered injuries defending their dog. Based on the results of this study, we advise that further guidance on dog bite prevention, management, and education is needed for all dog owners, in particular those who own dogs with a history of aggression. The limitations of using news articles are discussed, and further research on dog-on-dog bite incidents via combining the data from news reports with other information resources is suggested to be beneficial.

Objective: Veterinarians have an important role in supporting and understanding their clients' grief. Veterinary schools have a duty to teach students how best to manage grief – both that of the students/future veterinarians and the clients. This study explores how grief management, associated with ending the life of an animal, was taught to students in eight Australasian veterinary schools. Methods: A questionnaire-style interview guide was used by a representative at each university to conduct structured interviews with educators in a snowball sampling approach. Educators were interviewed about the teaching of grief management for four categories of animals: livestock, equine, companion and avian/wild-life. The terms used by participants to describe what they taught were grouped into common themes. Teaching was defined by individual participants and included structured and unstructured approaches. The stage in the degree (preclinical or clinical years)that grief management was taught in the veterinary curriculum and by whom (e.g. clinicians or psychologists) is also described. Results: Grief management was taught more in preclinical than clinical years. However, due to how grief was characterised, much of this teaching was general 'nonspecific' teaching that included all categories of animals. Client grief was taught more generically, whereas, grief of veterinarians was taught using specific examples given by clinicians. Conclusion: A more robust end-of-life (EoL) management curriculum that includes all aspects of grief management is likely to increase job satisfaction, client happiness and professional satisfaction.

The welfare of aquatic animals is receiving increasing attention around the world, and this should be reflected in the veterinary curricular. Veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand ranked the importance of five pre-selected topics on aquatic animal welfare and ethical issues for newly qualified veterinarians in an online survey. They ranked aquatic animals’ health and welfare issues, husbandry techniques of farmed fish, and the use of antibiotics as being of high importance for their first day in practice, with pain and distress associated with angling and trawling practices (fishing) and euthanasia ranking moderate to high. Females assigned more importance to fishing, health and welfare issues, and husbandry techniques of farmed fish than did males. Students in the early stages of study assigned more importance to fishing than did senior students. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate what importance veterinary students place on their competence regarding aquatic animal welfare and ethics. Gaining an understanding of how veterinary students prioritize these issues, and if this differs based on gender and stage of study, will help veterinary educators to better prepare graduates to address concerns surrounding the welfare of aquatic animals. This could be achieved by careful consideration of course content and where in the curriculum this material is taught, as well as reiterating key messages in the senior years and addressing changing student attitudes as they progress through the course.

Dogs may provide humans with a range of physical, mental and social benefits. Whilst there is growing scientific evidence of benefits to humans, there has been less focus on the impact to canine health, welfare and ethical considerations for the dogs. The importance of animal welfare is increasingly acknowledged, indicating that the Ottawa Charter should be extended to include the welfare of non-human animals supporting the promotion of human health. Therapy dog programmes are delivered across a variety of settings including hospitals, aged care facilities and mental health services, highlighting the important role they play in human health outcomes. Research has shown that that there are biomarkers for stress in humans and other animals engaged in human–animal interactions. This review aims to assess the impact of human–animal interactions on therapy dogs engaged in providing support to human health. While challenging, it is paramount to ensure that, within the framework of One Welfare, the welfare of therapy dogs is included, as it is a key factor for future sustainability. We identified a range of concerns due to the lack of guidelines and standards to protect the wellbeing of the dogs engaged in these programmes. Extension of the Ottawa Charter to include the welfare of non-human animals with leveraging through a One Welfare approach would promote animal and human health beyond current boundaries.

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is currently the standard diagnostic method to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals infected with Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, RT-PCR results are not immediate and may falsely be negative before an infected individual sheds viral particles in the upper airways where swabs are collected. Infected individuals emit volatile organic compounds in their breath and sweat that are detectable by trained dogs. Here, we evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dog detection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Fifteen dogs previously trained at two centres in Australia were presented to axillary sweat specimens collected from known SARS-CoV-2 human cases (n = 100) and non-cases (n = 414). The true infection status of the cases and non-cases were confirmed based on RT-PCR results as well as clinical presentation. Across dogs, the overall diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) was 95.3% (95%CI: 93.1-97.6%) and diagnostic specificity (DSp) was 97.1% (95%CI: 90.7-100.0%). The DSp decreased significantly when non-case specimens were collected over 1 min rather than 20 min (p value = .004). The location of evaluation did not impact the detection performances. The accuracy of detection varied across dogs and experienced dogs revealed a marginally better DSp (p value = .016). The potential and limitations of this alternative detection tool are discussed.

The social determinants of health (SDH) focus on the social, physical and economic factors that impact human health. Studies have revealed that animal guardians face a range of challenges in attaining positive welfare outcomes for their companion animals, which can be influenced by socioeconomic and environmental factors. Despite this, there is a lack of research specifically exploring the relationship between SDH and animal welfare outcomes. Given that the SDH impact on humans, which in turn directly impacts on their companion animal, it is important to adapt an SDH framework for companion animal welfare by characterising the impact of the SDH on companion animal guardians in their attempts to care for their animals and, by extension, the associated welfare outcomes. This paper explores how these human health determinants may impact animal welfare and the possible challenges that may arise for the guardian when attempting to meet their companion animal’s welfare needs. By integrating the SDH with other key frameworks, including the five domains model of animal welfare, through multidisciplinary collaboration, this framework can be used to inform future programs aiming to improve animal welfare.

BACKGROUND Veterinarians have an important role in society and having an adequate veterinary workforce is important not only for their communities but also nationwide. Lately, there have been anecdotal reports regarding veterinary practices struggling to find clinicians as well as evidence of mental ill-health in veterinarians. Furthermore, the Australian Veterinary Association annual workforce survey shows an increased percentage of veterinarians intending to leave practice from 2017 to 2019. Although many factors for attrition have been described in other professions, reasons for veterinarians to leave practice are not well understood. METHODS This study investigated why veterinary clinicians leave clinical practice by using Thematic Analysis to analyse 26 semi-structured interviews of former veterinary clinicians in relation to their work experiences and reasons for leaving. Interviews were done from February-April 2018 either face to face, via teleconferencing, or telephone. Participants were recruited from each Australian state except for New South Wales. RESULTS The results showed that a combination of personal and work-related factors influenced the participants to leave clinical practice. In Personal Factors, participants described the internal and external circumstances that impacted on their personal lives such as personal relationships, experiencing negative thoughts and emotions, physical and mental health, core motivations and beliefs, alternative professional and personal interests. On the other hand, Work Experiences described situations, experiences, and statements directly related to the participant's veterinary clinical work such as workplace relationships, employment conditions including remuneration and working hours and clinical experiences such as negative clinical outcomes. Furthermore, interlinkages between these two themes were revealed in participants' responses. CONCLUSION This study highlights factors that contribute to attrition from veterinary clinical practice. The narrative indicates that the interlinking of such factors influenced the decision-making process to leave clinical practice in this cohort of former veterinary clinicians. Further research is required to understand the full implications for veterinary clinical practice and inform intervention strategies for retention.

What you need to know In 2016, the BVA published its animal welfare strategy,1 outlining a way forward to enable improvements in animal welfare in the UK. In a study summarised on p 316 of this issue of Vet Record ,2 Wensley and colleagues present compelling evidence of how the implementation of some of these recommendations has made real and measurable improvements to the welfare of animals treated by the PDSA – a UK veterinary charity. Important areas of improvement within the organisation included an increase in the number of kittens being neutered at four months old, routine use of pain measurement tools and widespread adoption of PetWise MOTs (a quality-of-life assessment tool based on the five welfare needs laid out in the UK Animal Welfare Act).2 Failure to neuter cats early enough means that approximately 13 per cent of owned …

Objective The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of Australian pet owners' use of the internet for pet health; how trustworthy they rate various pet health information sources and the use of online information in subsequent veterinary consultations. Method An anonymous questionnaire was developed, consisting of 30 questions, and distributed between March 2018 and May 2018 using convenience sampling through social media venues including Facebook and Twitter. All respondents were over the age of 18, lived in Australia and owned a pet animal. Results A total of 228 responses were received. The most common sources of pet health information were veterinarians (88.2%) and internet websites (81.1%). Most respondents reported using the internet 'many times per day' at either home or work. The majority of respondents used the internet to seek pet health information either 'not weekly but at least once a month' or 'less than once a month'. Nearly half of the respondents stated that they only 'sometimes' discuss their online findings with their veterinarian. Approximately one half of respondents agreed with the statement that online pet health information had affected their decision about whether to take their pet to the veterinarian. Conclusion This study assesses how pet owners use the internet for pet health information and the role veterinarians can play in helping to facilitate these searches with tools such as information prescriptions. Further large-scale research is needed to help further understand this increasingly important aspect of pet health.

For many dogs, receiving veterinary care can be a stressful, fearful or traumatic experience. However, understanding and improving the veterinary experience for dogs is challenging due to the dynamic nature of the veterinary visit, the number of stakeholders involved (veterinarian, guardian and dog), and the perception and prior experience of the dog. The majority of recommendations for reducing stress typically fall to either the owner or the veterinarian and involve changes to management or active training and counter-conditioning practices. While many recommendations to reduce fear or distress during veterinary visits are readily available, appear common-sense in nature, and are anecdotally successful, overall evidence of their efficacy is lacking. Further, it is not enough to simply identify strategies designed to reduce distress in the veterinary context; investigating ways in which they can be efficiently and successfully implemented is integral to the continual improvement of dog welfare in the veterinary industry. In this review, we summarise the current literature relating to companion dogs’ experience during veterinary visits, and explore the factors influencing that experience. We conclude by providing a summary of the recommendations available to reduce stress within the veterinary context, categorised by stakeholder responsibility, and highlight potential areas for future research.

BACKGROUND Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition reported in cats. Characterised by recurrent seizures, treatment involves the administration of anti-epileptic drugs up to multiple times a day. Epilepsy and its associated treatments may impact both cats and their owners. The present study aimed to assess factors associated with quality of life (QOL) in cats with epilepsy and the burden of care in their owners. METHODS An online survey was developed using demographic information and the following validated measures: cat QOL, Zarit burden interview (ZBI) and the cat owner relationship scale (CORS). Regression analysis was conducted using SPSS 26. RESULTS Responses were completed by 141 owners from 22 countries. QOL was significantly higher in cats with controlled seizures, no adverse effects from medication and epilepsy onset before 5 years of age. ZBI was significantly lower in owners who felt supported by their veterinarian, who were over 55 and had cats with controlled seizures. Higher CORS was significantly correlated with both higher cat QOL and lower owner ZBI. CONCLUSIONS Adequate seizure control and close cat-owner relationships may play an important role in mitigating the impact of epilepsy on cats and their owners. Further research into understanding cat-owner relationships and successfully controlling epilepsy in cats is needed.

Background The aim of this study was to determine the effect of demographic and psychological factors on resilience in new graduate-, mid- and late-career veterinarians working in Australia. Method An online cross-sectional survey of 800 veterinarians collected demographic and descriptive data in two stages from late 2015 to 2017, such as gender, average hours worked per week, type and region of practice and intention to leave veterinary medicine. Psychological factors were measured utilising the Brief Resilience Scale, the Veterinary Resilience Scale–Personal Resources, the Brief COPE and General Self-Efficacy measures. Results Using a full-factorial univariate General Linear Model, no significant difference in general resilience was evident between the three career-stage groups (p > 0.05). However, higher self-efficacy, higher personal resources for resilience in veterinary practice, and lower problem-focused, higher emotion-focused and lower dysfunctional coping strategies were related to higher resilience. In the model for mid- and late-career veterinarians, a weak positive relationship existed between higher average hours worked per week and higher resilience, while intention to leave veterinary practice was also related to lower resilience in mid- and late-career veterinarians. Conclusion This study supports the value of personal resources, rather than career stage, gender or region of work, as influential in developing veterinarian resilience.

A sustainable workforce is important for the veterinary profession to meet the demands of society. To maintain a sustainable workforce, it has been recommended to retain veterinary clinicians. However, there seems to be an increasing issue with retention of veterinarians in clinical practice. In the following study, the researchers sought to understand the associations between demographic and work-related factors and attrition of veterinarians from clinical practice. Responses to an online cross-sectional survey of 881 current and former Australian veterinary clinicians were analysed. A logistic regression model was used to identify and describe associations between attrition from veterinary clinical practice and salary, working hours, role in practice, years of experience, field of work, interaction with regulatory authorities, region of work and on-call duties. Lower salary, longer working hours, having on-call duties and having worked in both rural and metropolitan regions were found to significantly (P

This performance improvement initiative used a bundle designed to reduce the COVID-19 infection fatality rate (IFR) by ≥33% and the new infection rate (IR) to

Background: Inappropriate imaging and low-value care for low back pain (LBP) are common. A new patient-education booklet was created to overcome identified barriers to the delivery of recommended care, including the use of inappropriate imaging. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of this booklet as part of primary care for LBP patients in comparison to usual care. Methods: A cluster-randomized trial was performed. The intervention involved providing practitioners with the new patient-education booklet and a 30-min training session on its use. The booklet was provided during the clinical consult to all consenting LBP patients in the intervention group. Primary outcomes were the proportion of patients presenting with LBP who underwent imaging examinations during the first three months of follow-up and PROMIS PF-20 (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, 20-item physical functioning short form) change between baseline and three-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes, including sick leave and imaging examinations at 12 months, were investigated. Logistic regression using GEE-estimation was used for dichotomous outcomes, Poisson regression using GEE-estimation for count outcomes, and linear mixed models for continuous outcomes. Results: Using the patient education booklet appeared to substantially reduce the proportion of LBP patients who underwent an imaging examination at three months, but the result was not statistically significant (OR 0.57, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.27 to 1.22). At 12 months, the effect was slightly larger and statistically significant (OR 0.50, 95%Cl 0.30 to 0.83, p = 0.008). No difference was observed in the PROMIS PF-20 T-score change between baseline and 3 months or 12 months (p = 0.365 and p = 0.923, respectively). The number of sick leave days in the intervention group was less than that in the control group at 3 months (RR 0.47, 95%Cl 0.26 to 0.83, p = 0.010) and at 12 months (RR 0.36, 95%Cl 0.18 to 0.72, p = 0.004). Conclusions: The booklet appeared to be effective in reducing the proportion of LBP patients who underwent imaging examinations over 12 months. The intervention had no discernible effect on the PROMIS PF20 T-score change. The number of sick leave days was substantially lower in the intervention group. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN14389368, Registered 4 April 2019—Retrospectively registered.

Separation anxiety is common. Many dog owners do not seek help from a veterinarian but might consult a trainer. The objective of this study was to investigate Australian trainers&rsquo, opinions about separation anxiety. An online survey was distributed via training organisations, resulting in 63 completed surveys. Descriptive statistics and Fisher&rsquo, s exact tests were applied. Respondents were grouped into reward-based (n = 41) and balanced (n = 22) trainers. Most trainers (82.5%) used multiple methods to identify separation anxiety but only 7.9% referred to a veterinarian for diagnosis. Reward-based trainers ranked assistance from a veterinarian and owner&rsquo, s willingness to try medication as more important than balanced trainers (p &lt, 0.05). More balanced trainers reported that medication was rarely necessary in the cases they saw: 50% balanced compared with 4.9% reward-based trainers, with 95% CIs of [28.2, 71.8] and [0.6, 16.5], respectively. Almost all (95.5%) balanced trainers believed separation anxiety was preventable compared with 52.6% of reward-based trainers (p &lt, 0.05). We conclude that opinions about separation anxiety varied between reward-based and balanced trainers. Trainers are not taught, expected, or legally allowed to diagnose anxiety disorders. This study showed that balanced trainers were less likely to recommend involvement of veterinarians who can make a diagnosis and rule out other causes of observed behaviours.

Simple Summary All of the veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand worked together to develop the online One Welfare learning and teaching portal (OWP) for sharing teaching resources to assist veterinary graduates to become leaders in animal welfare and ethics (AWE). The materials in the portal are organised around eight key themes including two overarching themes of animal ethics and animal welfare science, and six context-specific themes: companion animals; animals used in research and teaching; livestock/production animals; animals used for sport, recreation or display; animals in the wild, and aquatic animals. The arrangement of these resources aligns with those of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS). As part of the OWP development, animal welfare educators from the eight veterinary schools met and used modified deliberative polling to prioritise resource development. Surveys of students and educators in all participating schools investigated their attitudes to current AWE issues across six context-specific themes: companion animals; animals used in research and teaching; livestock/production animals; animals used for sport, recreation or display; animals in the wild and aquatic animals. The prioritised resources include (1) student AWE essays arranged by subject; (2) an online reflection tool that can be used repeatedly to gain understanding of change in attitudes over time; (3) eight overarching themes that host a group of interactive scenarios; (4) research papers for each context-specific theme; (5) a bank of multiple choice questions with feedback to support AWE assessment; (6) a novel online discussion tool ‘Chatterbox;’ and (7) a ‘toolbox’ containing directions to the doglogbook, an owner app designed to monitor management practices, and evaluate quality of life in dogs. Abstract This article introduces the online One Welfare learning and teaching portal (OWP) and describes its development, use, importance and relevance to animal welfare and ethics (AWE) stakeholders. As animal welfare issues increase in importance, veterinarians must be trained to lead the science that underpins AWE discourses. The OWP is a collection of resources designed to engage and challenge veterinary science students as they become advocates for animals. It was developed collaboratively by all eight veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand, and funded by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. Surveys to investigate the attitudes of students and educators to AWE issues in six context-specific themes based on the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) (companion animals; animals used in research and teaching; livestock/production animals; animals used for sport, recreation or display; animals in the wild and aquatic animals) were administered through all participating schools. Students assigned more importance to Day One competence in knowledge of welfare concepts than did educators for the following groups: production animals, companion animals, animals in the wild, aquatic animals, animals used in research and teaching, and animals used for sport, recreation or display (all p < 0.01). Agreement between educators and students was closer regarding the importance of Day One competence for euthanasia for all six context-specific themes (p < 0.01–0.03). Students assigned more importance than educators to social, economic and cultural drivers of welfare outcomes in production animals (p < 0.01); slaughter and preslaughter inspections in production animals (p < 0.01); animal abuse and hoarding in companion animals (p < 0.01); shelter medicine in companion animals (p < 0.01); disaster preparedness in wildlife animals (p < 0.01); pain and distress caused by fishing in aquatic animals (p < 0.01); conscientious objection related to animals held for research and teaching (p < 0.01); behaviour, selection and training of animals used for sport, recreation and display (p = 0.046) and educating the public around sporting animal welfare (p < 0.01). Agreement between educators and students was closer for strategies to address painful husbandry procedures in production animals (p = 0.03); behaviour and training of companion animals (p = 0.03); veterinarians’ duties to wild animals in wildlife (p = 0.02); the 3Rs in animals held for research and teaching (p = 0.03) and ownership responsibility in sporting animals (p = 0.01). This report discusses the reasons for differences among students and educators as they approach these issues. The portal is expected to gather more content as veterinary schools in other countries use its resources and users submit scenarios and discussion topics that reflect local needs.

Objective Investigate Australian veterinarians' perceptions of clients' use of the internet to find pet health information. Methods An anonymous online survey was distributed using social media, e-newsletters and veterinary magazines. Results A total of 85 complete responses were obtained from Australian veterinarians. Most (80%) reported believing that > 80% of their clients have access to the internet at home or work, but 68% thought that the majority of their clients do not understand what they read online. Attitudes regarding the impact of online pet health information on the veterinarian-client relationship were mixed (56% reported negative impact and 33% a positive impact), as well as for clients' use of the internet for information on companion animal health (47% reported negative impact and 38% a positive impact). When asked how often they suggest specific websites to their clients ('information prescriptions'), the majority of veterinarians reported that this is done infrequently. Conclusion This pilot study highlighted the perception of Australian veterinarians of their clients' use of the internet to find pet health information. It also highlighted the need for a large-scale, detailed survey of Australian veterinarians and their views in relation to pet owners and their use of online information. This should include evaluation of information prescriptions and their potential benefits for clients and patients.

Unwanted pets are a major concern in Australia and many other countries, with shelters under pressure to accommodate them. This study assessed the degree of satisfaction among individuals whom had adopted a cat or a dog from the Animal Welfare League South Australia (AWL). The survey also assessed the adopted animals’ health, behaviour and interactions with children and other pets residing in the household. A cross-sectional survey was completed by contacting individuals who had adopted an animal by telephone, with questions relating to satisfaction with the adopted pet. Descriptive analyses, ordinal and logistic regression, chi squared, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to determine variables related to adoption satisfaction. A total of 107 canine surveys and 168 feline surveys were included in the study. Undesirable behaviours were present in 53.3% of the dogs and 14.3% of the cats. Dogs with a behaviour problem after adoption spent significantly less time in the shelter versus dogs without a behaviour problem (18.6 ± 9.6 days versus 26.4 ± 19.2 days, respectively, p = 0.017) Using a score out of 5, owners were very satisfied overall with their adopted cat (M = 4.9, SD = 0.3) or dog (M = 4.8, SD = 0.5), despite the presence of undesirable behaviours. These findings suggest adopters have realistic expectations of their newly adopted pet, although further research is needed to investigate the factors influencing adopter satisfaction. Assessing levels of adoption satisfaction is central to anticipating the outcome of prospective adoptions.

Forest harvesting often leaves excess woody debris on the forest floor that could provide habitat for small mammals and mustelid predators. A windrow or series of piles constructed from woody debris may connect patches of mature forest and riparian areas to allow small mammals and some of their predators to use clearcut openings. We tested two hypotheses (H) that woody debris arranged in windrows connecting reserves of uncut forest, on newly clearcut sites, would increase (H 1 ) abundance of the major vole species and total abundance, species richness, and species diversity of the forest-floor small mammal community, and (H 2 ) presence of small mustelids in response to abundance of small mammal prey; compared with sites of dispersed woody debris or uncut forest. We measured abundance and diversity of small mammals and the presence of small mustelids (American marten, Martes americana ; short-tailed weasel, Mustela erminea ; long-tailed weasel, M. frenata ) from 2012 to 2016 in replicated treatments of woody debris in windrow and dispersed sites compared with uncut forest sites at two study areas near Elkhart and Golden in south-central British Columbia, Canada. At Elkhart, mean abundance of total voles and total small mammals per index-line were higher in the windrow than dispersed sites, and higher or similar to forest sites. At Golden, mean abundance of total voles was similar, but the dispersed and windrow sites had higher numbers of total small mammals than the forest sites. Mean species richness and diversity were highest in the windrow sites at both study areas. Thus, the predictions of H 1 were supported, except for total voles at Golden. Mean abundance of the southern red-backed vole ( Myodes gapperi ), a principal prey species for mustelids, was higher in windrow than dispersed sites, and similar or lower than forest sites. M. gapperi , along with the long-tailed vole ( Microtus longicaudus ) dominated the overall vole population in windrows at Elkhart. M. longicaudus dominated the windrows and dispersed sites at Golden. Deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) and northwestern chipmunks ( Neotamias amoenus ) were at similar numbers in dispersed and windrow sites, but shrews ( Sorex spp.) showed a positive response to windrows. Overall mean presence by marten and small weasels were, on average, 3.3–4.8 times higher in windrow than dispersed sites, and higher or similar to forest sites, which supported H 2 . Our study is the first to connect windrows to patches and larger units of uncut forest and to cover a 5-year period since harvest. Responses in mean total abundance, species richness, and diversity of small mammals in windrows were maintained throughout the 5-year period. This consistent result was likely related to the connectivity between windrows and uncut forests. Strategic management of post-harvest woody debris in a network of windrows or piles will help to maintain abundance and diversity of forest mammals, both predator and prey species, on clearcuts.

The study of animal welfare and ethics (AWE) as part of veterinary education is important due to increasing community concerns and expectations about this topic, global pressures regarding food security, and the requirements of veterinary accreditation, especially with respect to Day One Competences. To address several key questions regarding the attitudes to AWE of veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand (NZ), the authors surveyed the 2014 cohort of these students. The survey aimed (1) to reveal what AWE topics veterinary students in Australia and NZ consider important as Day One Competences, and (2) to ascertain how these priorities align with existing research on how concern for AWE relates to gender and stage of study. Students identified triage and professional ethics as the most important Day One Competences in AWE. Students ranked an understanding of triage as increasingly important as they progressed through their program. Professional ethics was rated more important by early and mid-stage students than by senior students. Understanding the development of animal welfare science and perspectives on animal welfare were rated as being of little importance to veterinary graduates as Day One Competences, and an understanding of “why animal welfare matters” declined as the students progressed through the program. Combined, these findings suggest that veterinary students consider it more important to have the necessary practical skills and knowledge to function as a veterinarian on their first day in practice.

In Australia, each state and territory authority implements and enforces regulations regarding dog management&mdash, including the breeding and sale of dogs online&mdash, which is increasingly becoming the most popular method of obtaining pets. The aims for this study included: 1. Benchmarking regulatory compliance in online dog advertisements in Australia, and, 2. Understanding factors associated with regulatory compliance in online advertisements. We collected advertisements for dogs and puppies from Gumtree&mdash, one of Australia&rsquo, s most popular online trading platforms &ndash, on two separate days, two weeks apart (25 March and 8 April 2019). A total of 1735 unique advertisements were included in the dataset. Chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for microchipping, desexing and breeder identification number, and compliance levels. State laws requiring animals to be microchipped prior to sale and the inclusion of chip numbers in advertisements were found to be the biggest factor in increasing likelihood of microchipped animals in Gumtree advertisements, while desexing was more common in microchipped and older animals. The online ad was more likely to include a breeder ID if the dog was young, vaccinated, and advertised by a breeder rather than an owner. The findings from this study will assist regulators to make evidence-based decisions on managing online advertisements for companion animals. In the future, the benchmarking this study has presented will allow future analysis of the effectiveness of regulation changes.

Attending the veterinary clinic is an integral part of the physical welfare of every companion dog. However, some dogs experience their veterinary visits negatively, which poses a risk of injury to the veterinary staff, their guardian (owner) and themselves. It may also influence the regularity of non-urgent veterinary appointments. To date there have been conflicting reports relating to the proportion of dogs that show fear during their veterinary visits. In this study, we explored the risk factors associated with fear during veterinary examination and in novel situations (including first time at the veterinary clinic) from 26,555 responses in the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire database. According to their guardians, 41% of companion dogs displayed mild to moderate fearful behaviour when examined by a veterinarian, and 14% exhibited severe or extreme fear. A similar trend was observed with dogs responding fearfully when in unfamiliar situations, including the dog’s first time at the veterinary clinic. Chi-squared tests showed every bivariate relationship between fear and the environmental and demographic factors measured was significant (p < 0.05). The most important predictors of fear in a veterinary examination were, in order: the dog’s breed group (27.1%), their history of roles or activities (16.7%), where they were sourced (15.2%), their weight (12%), the age of other dogs in the household (9.5%) and dog owner experience (6.3%). However, combined these risk factors only explain a total of 7% of variance of fear observed during veterinary examination. This suggests that fear exhibited during veterinary visits is common in dogs, but that the environment or human-animal interactions are likely to contribute more to prevalence and severity of this problem than the demographic factors measured here. We conclude by highlighting opportunities for future research aimed at facilitating less stressful veterinary visits for dogs and their guardians.

Simple Summary The exotic pet trade is impacted by social media via greater accessibility to photos and videos including these species and the increasing popularity of online animal marketplaces. The social media presence of public figures owning exotic pets has a major influence on exotic species demand. This study aimed to investigate exotic pet popularity, featured species on social media in the Middle East, and public perception of the animals spotlighted by public figures. We discuss the impact of such on the exotic pet trade and possible solutions to this issue. Male public figures from the United Arab Emirates predominated in the collected data, with most posts sourced from Instagram®. Eighty-five percent of the species displayed on social media posts were Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I- and II-listed, including big cats, birds of prey, and great apes. Through an investigation of social media posts of public figures in the Middle East, we found that there was an overall positive audience reception toward endangered exotic pets. Geographic region, social media platform, animal species, and animal age all influenced the results. We recommend improving public education and awareness of wildlife conservation and laws regarding exotic pet possession to combat the idolization of the exotic pet industry. Abstract The popularization of exotic pets on celebrity social media in the Middle East has led to questionable impacts on exotic pet demand and threats to species conservation. The objective of this study was to identify exotic animal species featured on Middle Eastern celebrity social media account posts, the public perception of those posts, and their potential impacts on exotic pet demand and conservation (for global-scale extrapolation). Public social media accounts of highly influential persons from oil-rich Middle Eastern regions were manually investigated to evaluate subject demographics, species features, and post information (likes, comments) between January 2017 and August 2018. Twenty-five subjects possessed active social media accounts, from which 418 social media posts were extracted based on their inclusion of a privately owned exotic animal. SPSS Version 25 was used for frequency and descriptive analyses of these posts, in addition to comment analyses to evaluate quantitative (emojis) and qualitative (text) audience perceptions from a total of 10 social media posts of CITES Appendix I- or II-listed species. A greater frequency of positive than negative comments was observed (n = 8017), demonstrating the higher likelihood of social media promotion rather than negation of the exotic pet trade. Public education on wildlife conservation and exotic animal trade risks is imperative for successful conservation and welfare protection.

Tongue-ties (TT) are commonly applied to both Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses to increase control, by preventing them from getting their tongue over the bit, and as a conservative treatment for equine respiratory conditions, principally dorsal displacement of the soft palate. This study investigated responses to TT application in horses, at rest, using both behavioural (head-tossing, ear position, gaping and lip licking) and physiological (salivary cortisol concentrations, eye surface temperature and heart rate) indices. Twelve Standardbred horses (six of which were naïve to TT) were used in a randomised crossover design. The study comprised 3 phases; Phase 1 (Baseline), Phase 2 (Treatment), and Phase 3 (Recovery). At phase 2, tongue tie application (TTA) was performed using a rubber band that was looped around the tongue and secured to the mandible for 20 minutes. The control treatment (C) incorporated 30 secs of tongue manipulation, at the start of the 20 min, however no TT was applied. Behaviours (head-tossing, ear position, mouth gaping and lip-licking) and heart rate (HR) were recorded for the duration of the study and analysed in ten minute intervals. Salivary samples were taken at the end of each phase for subsequent cortisol assays and infrared thermography images were taken of each eye at 5-minute intervals. Statistical analyses were performed in SPSS using linear mixed effects models and repeated measures general linear models, to determine differences between treatments and within treatments, over time. Compared to control, there was more head-tossing/shaking (p 0.05). The findings of this study suggest the application of a tongue-tie causes changes to both behavioural and physiological parameters suggestive of a stress-related response. Further research is needed that will enable racing and sport horse regulatory bodies to make informed decisions about the appropriate use of tongue-ties in horses.

Attending the veterinary clinic is an integral part of the physical welfare of every companion dog. However, some dogs experience their veterinary visits negatively, which poses a risk of injury to the veterinary staff, their guardian (owner) and themselves during veterinary examinations. It may also influence the regularity of non-urgent veterinary appointments. To date there has been conflicting data on the proportion of dogs that are fearful during their veterinary visits. In this study, we explored the risk factors associated with fear during veterinary examination and in novel situations (including first time at the veterinary clinic) from 26,555 responses in the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire database. According to their guardians, over half (55%) of companion dogs displayed some form of fearful behaviour (mild-extreme) when examined by a veterinarian, while 14% of dogs exhibited severe or extreme fear. A similar trend was observed with dogs responding fearfully in unfamiliar situations, including the dog’s first time at the veterinary clinic. Chi-squared tests showed every bivariate relationship was significant (p < 0.05). The most important predictors of fear in a veterinary examination were, in order: the dog’s breed group (27.1%), their history of roles or activities (16.7%), where they were sourced (15.2%), their weight (12%), the age of other dogs in the household (9.5%) and dog owner experience (6.3%). However, these risk factors accumulate to explain a total of 7% of variance of fear observed during veterinary examination. Results demonstrate that fear of veterinary visits is common in dogs, but that other factors (including the environment or human-animal interactions) are likely to contribute more to prevalence and severity of this problem than the demographic factors measured here. Finally, we highlight opportunities for future research aimed at facilitating less stressful veterinary visits for dogs and their guardians.

Resilience is a dynamic and multifaceted process in which individuals draw on personal and contextual resources. In difficult situations, resilient people use specific strategies to learn from the situation without being overcome by it. As stressors are inherent to veterinary work, including long work hours, ethical dilemmas, and challenging interactions with clients, resilience is an important component of professional quality of life. However, while resilience in other health professionals has received attention, it has received little in the veterinary field. In this cross-sectional study, veterinary students from six veterinary schools in Australia completed an online survey, with 193 responses (23%). Very few veterinary students (6%) reached the threshold to be considered highly resilient using the Brief Resilience Scale, and approximately one third classified as having low levels of resilience. In the final linear multiple regression model, predictors of resilience included nonjudgmental and nonreactive mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) and self-compassion (Neff Self-Compassion Scale). Students with higher nonjudgmental and nonreactive mindfulness and self-compassion had higher resilience scores. These findings indicate that fostering these qualities of mindfulness and self-compassion may be aligned with strengthening veterinary student resilience. Importantly, if the factors that help veterinary students develop a capacity for resilience can be identified, intervention programs can be targeted to educate future veterinary professionals with a high quality of life, both professional and personal.

An estimated 40% of dogs living as companion dogs are believed to exhibit some form of anxiety or stress-related behavior. Although this represents a significant welfare issue, our understanding of the origins of anxiety in dogs remains limited. Genetics, environment, and training methods have all been investigated, yet little attention has been paid to the care provided by the mother. Research conducted with altricial species, that rely heavily on maternal care for survival, suggests that early maternal care behaviors play an important role in the development of the infant and thus, behavior and temperament later in life. The most critical maternal behaviors include contact, nursing, licking (particularly anogenital licking which stimulates urination and defecation), punishment, thermoregulation, and movement. In domestic dogs, rapid neurological development occurs between postnatal days 3 and 16, yet investigations fail to measure or acknowledge the role that maternal care has during this critical window, or how the experience of puppies during this time influences behavior later in life, including response to stressful events. Evidence from the rodent literature indicates profound effects of maternal care on neurological and behavioral development. Although there may be differences in maternal behavior between rats and dogs, the underlying physiological mechanisms underpinning the programming of stress-related behavior are likely to be similar. For instance, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or stress responsiveness pathways are profoundly altered by maternal behaviors, and these changes are conserved throughout adult life. In this review, we examine the literature related to maternal care in canids alongside the literature related to maternal care in rodents and provide evidence that maternal care is critical to the healthy development of domestic dogs. Emphasis is placed on methodologies for quantifying maternal care and on the physiological mechanisms that might underpin behavioral changes induced by different amounts and types of maternal care.

Moral distress is a psychological state of anguish that has been widely studied in healthcare professionals. Experiencing moral distress can lead to problems including avoidance of patients and increased staff turnover. Moral distress in veterinarians has not yet been explored to the extent seen in the human medical field, and there is limited data regarding moral distress in veterinarians. However, it is expected to be prevalent in these professionals. So far, it has been reported that veterinarians commonly experience moral conflict, ethical challenges and ethical dilemmas during their career. These conflicts in association with other modifying factors such as personality traits can lead to the experience of moral distress. In a profession with known levels of occupational stress and reported mental health problems, exploring the area of moral distress and its effects on the professional wellbeing of veterinarians is important. Further studies such as developing a moral distress scale to measure this issue are needed in order to evaluate the incidence of this problem in veterinary professionals. Furthermore, assessing a possible relationship between moral distress, mental illness and attrition in veterinarians would be useful in developing intervention strategies to minimise the experience of moral distress and its associated negative consequences in veterinarians.

Animals used for sport, recreation and display are highly visible and can divide community attitudes. The study of animal welfare and ethics (AWE) as part of veterinary education is important because it is the responsibility of veterinarians to use their scientific knowledge and skills to promote animal welfare in the context of community expectations. To explore the attitudes of veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand to AWE, a survey of the current cohort was undertaken. The survey aimed to reveal how veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand rate the importance of five selected AWE topics for Day One Competences in animals used in sport, recreation and display and to establish how veterinary students’ priorities were associated with gender and stage of study. The response rate (n = 851) across the seven schools was just over 25%. Results indicated little variation on ratings for topics. The topics were ranked in the following order (most to least important): Pushing of animals to their physiologic/behavioral limits; ownership/responsibility; euthanasia; educating the public; and behavior, selection, and training for sport and recreation displays. In contrast to related studies, ratings were not associated with stage of study and there were few differences associated with gender. More females rated the pushing of animals to physiologic/behavioral limits as extremely important than did males ( p < .001). The role of veterinarians in advocating for and educating the public about the welfare of animals used in sport, recreation and display merits further discussion.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of peptides and proteins offer atomic-level detail into many biological processes, although the degree of insight depends on the accuracy of the force fields used to represent them. Protein folding is a key example in which the accurate reproduction of folded-state conformations of proteins and kinetics of the folding processes in simulation is a longstanding goal. Although there have been a number of recent successes, challenges remain in capturing the full complexity of folding for even secondary-structure elements. In the present work, we have used all-atom MD simulations to study the folding properties of one such element, the C-terminal

Veterinarians are in a strong position of social influence on animal-related issues. Hence, veterinary schools have an opportunity to raise animal health and welfare standards by improving veterinary students&rsquo, animal welfare and ethics (AWE) education, including that related to animals used for scientific purposes. A survey of 851 students in the early, mid, and senior stages of their courses at all eight veterinary schools across Australia and New Zealand was undertaken on their first day of practice (or Day One Competences) to explore how veterinary students viewed the importance of their competence in the management of welfare and ethical decision-making relating to animals kept for scientific purposes. From highest to lowest, the rankings they assigned were: Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) Procedures or Requirements, 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction), Humane Endpoints, Euthanasia, &ldquo, What Is a Research Animal?&rdquo, and Conscientious Objections. Female students rated Conscientious Objections, Humane Endpoints, and Euthanasia significantly higher than male students did across the three stages of study. The score patterns for these three variates showed a trend for the male students to be more likely to score these topics as extremely important as they advanced through the course, but female students&rsquo, scores tended to decline slightly or stay relatively stable. No gender differences emerged for the three variates: 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction), AEC Procedures or Requirements, and &ldquo, This study demonstrates that understandings of the regulatory and normative frameworks are considered most important in animal welfare and ethics competence in veterinary students. To the authors&rsquo, knowledge, this is the first study to investigate what importance veterinary students place on their competence regarding animals kept for scientific purposes.