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Background: Telehealth adoption is being fueled by both technological breakthroughs and societal demands; however, veterinarians have yet to fully embrace the concept of telemedicine, limiting its use and potential benefits. The goal of this study was to evaluate how effective the multi-theory model (MTM) of health behaviour change explains the initiation and sustenance of telehealth use among veterinarians., Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a research company was contracted to disseminate the MTM-based online survey to veterinarians currently engaged in clinical practice within the United States., Results: A total of 243 veterinarians participated in this study. The most frequently reported age group among participants was 31-40 years (33.7%, n = 82). It was also noted that the majority of participants were female (70.0%, n = 170) and white (76.5%, n = 186). Hierarchical multiple regression showed that participatory dialogue (p = 0.037), species (p = 0.013) and previous monthly telehealth use (p = 0.040) were significant explanatory variables of initiation of telehealth use. Moreover, emotional transformation (p < 0.001) and previous monthly telehealth use (p = 0.035) were significant explanatory variables of sustenance of telehealth use., Limitations: The data were collected in July 2020, during a global pandemic, in which telehealth use surged across a variety of professions. As a result, the findings of the study may not be relevant in periods when there is no pandemic., Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, researchers, educators and veterinary professionals should consider using MTM as theoretical framework to develop interventions to enhance telehealth use., (© 2022 British Veterinary Association.)

Background: Recruitment and retention of farm veterinarians have been the focus of recent research. Previous work suggests that a feeling of 'fit' is important for students to consider a farm career. The aim of this study was to identify whether students feel that they 'fit' in farm practice and reasons for their answer., Methods: An online survey was distributed to students at all British and Irish veterinary schools. A mixed methods approach was considered, with thematic analysis on free text answers and regression analysis on demographic variables., Results: Thematic analysis identified six themes: career opportunities, nature of farm veterinary work, relationships and interactions, individual experiences, expectations and perceptions, and no perceived barriers. Females, marginalised ethnic groups and those from an urban/suburban background were all identified as having significantly (p < 0.05) less agreement with the statement 'I feel able to pursue a career in farm practice'., Limitations: Survey limitations include those with a clear bias being likely to respond. However, alignment of the qualitative and quantitative results increased confidence in the findings of this mixed methods approach., Conclusion: This study confirms that biases that exist within wider society do have an influence on veterinary undergraduates' intentions to pursue a farm animal career. This is vital to consider both at a university level and when considering students' experiences on placements. Urgent action is required to improve inclusivity in the farm animal veterinary sector., (© 2022 The Authors. Veterinary Record published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association.)

Objective: To determine the effects of the COVID-19 associated restrictions on the ability of owners in Michigan (MI), USA versus Ontario (ON) and British Columbia (BC), Canada, to obtain care for their chronically painful dogs., Study Design: Cross-sectional survey., Population: A total of 90 owners met the inclusion criteria for the study., Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to owners at four veterinary integrative medicine (IM) clinics during July and August 2020. Two clinics in MI and one each in ON and BC were recruited. Owners were asked about availability of IM care preceding and during COVID-19 restrictions and their opinions of the impact of COVID-19 on their dog's health. The survey asked where owners sought care for their dogs, types of chronic conditions treated, therapeutic modalities used, and if owners had a medical background. Comparisons were made within and between groups. Thematic analysis, Fisher's exact test, chi-square analyses, McNemar's and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for paired comparisons were performed (p < 0.05)., Results: During COVID-19 restrictions, access to IM care was better for dogs in ON and BC than in MI (p < 0.001). The negative effect of the pandemic restrictions to IM care on quality of life was perceived greater by owners in MI than those in ON and BC (p < 0.001). The owners' medical backgrounds had no effect on attempts to access care during this time (p = 0.76)., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: The results suggest that a widespread disease in humans had an adverse impact on animal welfare. Providers of veterinary care should use this experience to establish protocols to ensure continuity of care for chronically painful animals in the event of a similar situation in the future., (Copyright © 2022 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Within this article, a graphical discussion of the veterinary industry is constructed and discussed. This viewpoint centers around the 4 main markets that operate in veterinary medicine: the market for veterinary education, the market for veterinarians, the market for animals, and the market for veterinary services. Moreover, how each market within veterinary medicine is interconnected is the important point of the article. The purpose of the article is to provide a mechanism for discussion on how changes in one market will affect other markets. From this view, I argue that the market for veterinary services is completely dependent on the other 3 markets in terms of defining supply, demand, and market equilibrium. The remainder of the article discusses how to use the multimarket graphical model to aid in discussions around policy changes and provides an example. Some concluding remarks about this view on the interconnectedness of markets within the industry are provided. Again, the intended purpose of this viewpoint is to provide a graphical understanding of the multimarket nature of the industry and a way to discuss any proposed changes to a market based on literature that empirically estimates many aspects of these various markets. I highly encourage any proposed changes to the industry be supported by mathematical/statistical modeling, but the graphical model can aid in a conceptual understanding of those same changes.

In response to the global call to mitigate risks associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR), new regulations on the access and use of veterinary antibiotics are currently being developed by the Lao government. This study aims to explore how the implementation of these new regulations might effectively reduce and adapt the sale, distribution and use of veterinary antibiotics in Lao PDR. To this end, we used the theory of change, framing the AMR issue within the context of the stakeholders involved in the veterinary antibiotics supply chain. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data, based on questionnaires (n=36 antibiotic suppliers, n=96 chicken farmers, n=96 pig farmers), and participatory tools such as a workshop (n=10 participants), semi-structured interviews (n=20), and focus group discussions (n=7 participants). The stakeholders' understanding of the AMR issue and potential challenges related to the implementation of new regulations regarding access and use of antibiotics, were also investigated. We mapped the veterinary antibiotic supply chain in Lao PDR, and analysed the roles and interactions of its stakeholders. Twenty-three stakeholders representing the private and the public sectors were identified. Many informal and formal links connected these stakeholder within this supply chain. The lack of veterinarian-farmer interaction and the evolving nature of the veterinary antibiotics supply chain accentuated the challenges of achieving behaviour change through regulations. Most of the antibiotics found on farms were categorized by the World Health Organisation's as critically important antibiotics used in human medicine. We argue that AMR risk mitigation strategy requires dialogue and engagement between private and public sectors stakeholders, involved in the importation, distribution, sale and use of veterinary antibiotics. This study further highlighted that AMR is a complex adaptive challenge requiring multi-sectoral approach. We believed that a sustainable approach to reduce and adapt veterinary antibiotics use should be prepared in collaboration with stakeholders from private and public sectors identified in this study, in addition to the new regulations. This collaboration should start with the co-construction of a common understanding of AMR issue and of the objectives of new regulations., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Antibiotics are microbial secondary metabolites and they are important for the treatment of infectious diseases. Japanese researchers have made a large contribution to studies of antibiotics, and they have also been important in the discovery of antiparasitic antibiotics. Satoshi Ōmura received the Nobel Prize in 2015 for the "discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites", which means discovery of a new nematocidal antibiotic, avermectin. Here, I review the many antiparasitic antibiotics and their lead compounds that have been discovered for use in human and veterinary medicine., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine factors that impact veterinarians' decisions to pursue a career in, or remain working in emergency medicine., Design: Survey., Setting: General practitioner and student members of Veterinary Information Network., Animals: None., Interventions: None., Measurement and Main Results: Veterinarians working in (or having worked in), and students hoping to work in emergency medicine mostly enjoy this type of medicine but find the scheduling and stress of the job create impediments to remaining in the field. Fear of being left without support, especially early in their career, also hinder veterinarians from pursuing a career in or remaining in emergency medicine., Conclusions: Programs that increase flexibility of work hours or schedules, and provide either a formal or informal mentoring environment, might help increase retention of veterinarians within the field and encourage students to consider a career in emergency medicine., (© Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2020.)

Background: Backyard poultry ownership is of keen interest in the United Kingdom. However, despite this, little is known about veterinary care engagement and outcomes of visits in this group of species., Methods: This study described and characterised veterinary practice-visiting backyard poultry, utilising electronic health record data supplied by veterinary practices voluntarily participating in the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2019., Results: In total, 4424 recorded poultry consultations originating from 197 veterinary practices (352 sites) were summarised. Chicken consultation (n = 3740) peak incidence was in early summer (April-June), relative to all recorded species. More chickens resided in rural (incident rate ratio = 2.5, confidence interval [CI] 2.3-2.6, p <0.001) or less deprived areas. Non-specific clinical signs were commonly recorded (17.6% of chicken consultations, CI 15.9-19.2), as were those indicative of advanced disease. This latter finding was reflected in prescribed management strategies, with euthanasia comprising 29.8% (CI 27.0-32.6) of consultations. Antimicrobials were commonly prescribed (33.0% of consultations, CI 29.8-36.2), 43.8% of which included antimicrobials considered 'highest priority critically important' by the World Health Organisation., Conclusion: Our findings indicate a need to tailor antimicrobial prescription guidance to the backyard poultry setting. In addition, late presentation of disease, vague clinical descriptions in clinical narratives and high euthanasia rates show that disease identification, management and knowledge of poultry health and welfare among owners and veterinary surgeons can be improved., (© 2021 British Veterinary Association.)

Veterinary biocides used in animal husbandry have the potential to cause human health concerns. Biocidal products for veterinary use, which contain pesticides approved in Korea, comprise 49 active ingredients within 234 products. Within 17 of these products there are 3 ingredients which are highly hazardous pesticides: coumaphos, dichlorvos and methomyl. In this study, the content of the active ingredients of 160 products sold domestically was investigated. Samples were collected for 119 biocidal products for veterinary use. These were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). Seventeen products were noncompliant (insufficient or excess quantity of active ingredients). The ingredients that were below the stated concentrations were amitraz, chlorpyrifos-methyl, cypermethrin, cyromazine, dichlorvos, fipronil, muscamone and trichlorfon. The ingredients that exceeded the stated concentrations were abamectin, fluvalinate and pyriproxyfen. The noncompliance rate in biocidal products for veterinary use was 9.19%. The results of this study show that three highly hazardous pesticides (coumaphos, dichlorvos and methomyl) and 10 active ingredients (abamectin, amitraz, chlorpyrifos-methyl, cypermethrin, cyromazine, fipronil, fluvalinate, muscamone, pyriproxyfen and trichlorfon) deviated from the stated concentrations. Thus, management plans should be established to ensure compliant veterinary drugs by post-distribution quality control, such as planning for regular inspection., (© 2020 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Veterinary use of the aminoglycoside antibiotics is under increasing scrutiny. This questionnaire-based study aimed to document the use of aminoglycosides with a particular focus on gentamicin. An online questionnaire was delivered to generalist equine veterinary surgeons and specialists in internal medicine to determine the perceived importance, frequency of use and routes of administration of the aminoglycoside antibiotics. A series of hypothetical scenarios were also evaluated regarding gentamicin. Data were compared to evaluate the impact of the level of specialisation on prescribing practices for different antibiotics using Chi-squared and Fischer's exact tests. Data were analysed from 111 responses. Gentamicin was commonly used empirically without culture and susceptibility testing. Generalists were more likely to use gentamicin only after susceptibility testing than specialists in a variety of clinical presentations including respiratory diseases, septic peritonitis, acute febrile diarrhoea, cellulitis and contaminated limb wounds (p < 0.01). Intravenous administration of gentamicin was most common, although inhaled and regional administration of gentamicin and amikacin were also described. Amikacin was most commonly used by intra-articular administration. Gentamicin was more likely to be used in high-risk procedures or contaminated surgeries (86% and 74%, respectively) compared with clean surgery (32%; p < 0.0001). Gentamicin was often used perioperatively in horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy and more commonly used in horses undergoing an enterotomy (90%) than without and enterotomy (79%; p = 0.04). Most respondents (86%) used gentamicin at a dose of 6.6 mg/kg in adults, with few changing their dosing strategies based on the presence of sepsis, although higher doses were more reported in foals (7-15 mg/kg) irrespective of the presence of sepsis. Aminoglycosides are widely used in equine practice and use outside current EU marketing authorisations is common. Stewardship of the aminoglycoside antibiotics could be enhanced in both generalists and specialists through the more frequent use of susceptibility testing, regional administration and dose adjustment, especially in foals., (© 2020 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

With the cost of next-generation sequencing (NGS) decreasing, this technology is rapidly being integrated into the workflows of veterinary clinical and diagnostic laboratories nationwide. The mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) is in part to evaluate new technologies and develop standardized processes for deploying these technologies to network laboratories for improving detection and response to emerging and foreign animal diseases. Thus, in 2018, the NAHLN identified the integration of NGS into the network as a top priority. In order to assess the current state of preparedness across NAHLN laboratories and to identify which have the capability for performing NGS, a questionnaire was developed by the NAHLN Methods Technical Working Group and submitted to all NAHLN laboratories in December 2018. Thirty of 59 laboratories completed the questionnaire, of which 18 (60%) reported having some sequencing capability. Multiple sequencing platforms and reagents were identified, and limited standardized quality control parameters were reported. Our results confirm that NGS capacity is available within the NAHLN, but several gaps remain. Gaps include not having sufficient personnel trained in bioinformatics and data interpretation, lack of standardized methods and equipment, and maintenance of sufficient computing capacity to meet the growing demand for this technology.

As we work towards a holistic approach to radiation protection, we begin to consider and integrate protection beyond humans to include, among other things, non-human biota. Non-human biota not only includes environmental flora and fauna, but also livestock, companion animals, working animals, etc. Although under consideration, there is currently little guidance in terms of protection strategies for types of non-human biota beyond wildlife. For example, in recent years, veterinary procedures that make use of ionising radiation have increased in number and have diversified considerably, which has made radiation protection in veterinary applications of ionising radiation more challenging, both for humans and the animal patients. In fact, the common belief that doses to professionals and members of the public from these applications will be very low to negligible, and doses to the animals will not be acutely harmful nor even affect their lifetime probability of developing cancer, needs to be revisited in the light of higher dose diagnostic and interventional techniques, and certainly in the case of therapeutic applications. This paper provides a brief overview of the initiatives of the International Commission on Radiological Protection concerning radiation protection aspects of veterinary practice, and poses a variety of perspectives for consideration and further discussion.

Population-based reference intervals (RIs) are vital tools used to characterize health and disease based on laboratory values. The science and statistical basis for RI generation have evolved over the past 50 yr. Current veterinary-specific guidelines by the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology exist for establishing RIs from nondomestic and wild animals. A list of 35 items that should be included during generation and publication of reference data was distilled from the currently available RI guidelines. The archives of five peer-reviewed journals were searched and 106 articles presenting laboratory reference data from nondomestic or wildlife species were identified and each reviewed by two authors to determine compliance with the list of 35 items. A compliance score was calculated as the number of articles that fulfilled the item out of the number where it would have been appropriate to fulfill the item. Most articles reported the number of reference individuals (compliance score 0.98), their partitioning demographics (compliance score 0.95), and sample collection and handling practices (compliance scores 0.97 and 0.96, respectively). Common deficiencies included omitting discussion of the validation status of the analytical methods for the species being evaluated (compliance score 0.12), documentation of use of exclusion criteria (compliance score 0.51), outlier detection (compliance score 0.43), appropriate statistical methods for the reference population (compliance score 0.34), and calculation and presentation of confidence intervals around the reference limits (compliance score 0.35). Compliance scores were not statistically different when stratified on the number of individuals in the largest and smallest evaluated group or the format of the article (full vs short format). Articles that cited RI generation guidelines fulfilled more of the required steps and provided a more complete description of their data (compliance score 0.74) than those that did not cite guidelines (compliance score 0.58). Additional attention to the science of and recommendations for RI generation is recommended to strengthen the utility of published data.

The use of antimicrobial agents in food-producing animals may lead to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of animal origin. The use of antimicrobial agents in pigs in 2018 in Japan was evaluated in terms of the weight of active ingredient and number of defined daily doses (DDD), using annual sales data of veterinary antimicrobials sold for use in pigs. In addition, the use of antimicrobial agents in the Japanese pig sector in 2008 to 2017 was evaluated to determine whether or not there were any differences in temporal change pattern by use of different metrics. In 2018, 447 metric tons of active ingredient, corresponding to 77,379 × 106 kg-days (Japanese DDD) and 34,903 × 106 kg-days (European DDD) were sold. The proportion of the sales amount of sulfonamides, trimethoprim and lincosamides to the total sales amount was significantly different depending on the metric used. For most antimicrobial classes, the number of Japanese DDDs was greater than the number of European DDDs. These results indicate that the DDD-based metric, which is more reflective of the selective pressure of antimicrobials, is recommended for use in monitoring the antimicrobial use in pigs in Japan. The differences in the number of Japanese DDDs and European DDDs appear to confirm the need for Japanese DDDs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: The registration of adverse events after the use of immunological veterinary medicinal products (IVMP) is the aim of the vigilance reporting system in Switzerland. Adverse events comprise suspected adverse reactions and lack of expected efficacy. Since the Institute of virology and immunology (IVI) is the competent authority for the regulation of immunological VMP in Switzerland, the reporting system is administrated by the IVI. In 2019, 137 reports concerning authorized immunological VMP were received (15% less compared to 2018). While most of the reports were submitted by the marketing authorization holders (56%), practicing veterinary surgeons contributed to the reporting system, too (40%). This corresponds to an increase of 22% of reported adverse events by the practicing veterinary surgeons compared to the previous year. Private persons (4%) submitted five reports. In comparison to 2018, in 2019 79% of the adverse events were reported by marketing authorization holders and 18% by veterinarians. Dogs (55%) and cats (20%) were mainly affected. Further reports were related to cattle (13%) and horses (5%). Recently, the numbers of reports concerning dogs (+12%) and cats (+4%) have considerably increased. Most of the reports were based on the application of vaccines against canine distemper, hepatitis, parvovirosis and parainfluenza in combination with leptospirosis in dogs as well as cat flu and feline panleukopenia in cats. In 34% of the submitted cases, the causality assessment between the vaccination and the reaction described was evaluated as probable.

Research in the field of veterinary entomology is dominated by studies concerning arthropods that affect animal health. In 2019, this research primarily addressed the overwhelming industry need to manage detrimental species such as biting flies and ticks and the ongoing problems caused by insecticide/acaricide resistance evolution in these pests. Research also included evidence supporting the need for the conservation of beneficial species, such as biological control organisms. Many studies in a variety of pest systems have demonstrated the potential detrimental effects of insecticide use on nontarget organisms, and those of veterinary importance are no exception. An emphasis also was placed on research regarding alternative management strategies for veterinary pests. The presentation herein provides a descriptive summary of selected research that contributed greatly to the body of knowledge regarding arthropods of veterinary importance. This included several studies that will pave the way towards more effective veterinary pest management in an effort to improve animal health and welfare and, therefore, the sustainability of animal agriculture., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

No abstract available.

Access to veterinary services in marginalized communities has important implications for people and animals around the world. Subsidized veterinary services are occasionally provided, however, they are seldom evaluated for their value to stakeholders and overall animal health. In 2017, we evaluated a decade-long veterinary program in four remote communities in the Sahtu Settlement Area of the Northwest Territories, Canada to understand if there were changes in dog husbandry and community perceptions of, and experiences with, dogs since an initial assessment at the beginning of the program in 2008. Using questionnaires and a dog census, we found a significant increase over time in dog health indicators, including the proportion of dogs that had received preventive veterinary care and had been sterilized. We documented significant changes in the described purpose of dogs, husbandry practices, experiences with dogs, and attitudes towards dogs and veterinary services. In 2017, respondents commonly described their dog(s) as companions and as part of their family. However, communities differed in the way dogs were housed and fed and in their attitudes towards dogs and dog-related issues. These inter-community differences are noteworthy as they impact service provision, uptake, and evaluation and must be taken into consideration in order to develop effective programs. Regular program evaluations are critical to check in with stakeholders, to ensure the program is meeting community needs, and to optimize effective use of resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest, (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The frequency that cardiac murmurs are identified and recorded in first opinion veterinary practices at the first health check in puppies is unknown. The aims of the study were to assess the agreement between first opinion veterinary practitioners, a veterinary student and a veterinary cardiology specialist on detecting murmurs, and to establish whether abnormal auscultation findings had been recorded in the health certificates of clinically healthy puppies. The study included prospective and retrospective investigations, where the prospectively collected auscultation findings from a veterinary cardiology specialist and a trained veterinary student were compared to auscultation findings recorded by first opinion veterinary practitioners., Results: Cardiac auscultation was performed on 331 client-owned, clinically healthy dogs at two time points: at age 34-69 days by a first opinion veterinary practitioner and at age 45-76 days, on average 9 days later, by a veterinary cardiology specialist and a trained veterinary student. Agreement among the three was compared for the presence of a murmur. The degree of inter-observer agreement was evaluated using Cohen's kappa. Auscultation findings, as noted in the pets' passports, from 331 puppies and 43 different first opinion veterinary practices, were retrospectively reviewed and prospectively compared with auscultation findings from a veterinary cardiology specialist. Agreement between the veterinary cardiology specialist and the first opinion veterinary practitioners was poor (ϰ = 0.01) and significantly different (P < 0.001). First opinion veterinary practitioners had recorded a cardiac murmur in only 1 of the 97 puppies in which the veterinary cardiology specialist detected a murmur. Two-hundred-and-fifty-two puppies were auscultated by both the veterinary cardiology specialist and the student. Their agreement was fair (ϰ = 0.40) and significantly different (P = 0.024). The agreement between the student and a first opinion veterinary practitioner on these 252 puppies was poor (ϰ = 0.03) and significantly different (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: This study shows that soft cardiac murmurs are rarely documented during the first veterinary health check in puppies by first opinion veterinary practitioners. Although soft murmurs may not be clinically relevant, finding and recording them is evidence of a carefully performed auscultation. Missing a non-pathological murmur is not of clinical importance; however, missing a pathological murmur could prove detrimental for the individual puppy.

Introduction: Various studies from the past years examine the changing conditions and challenges in the veterinary sector. Secured access to public and private care services is a prerequisite for a holistically oriented health care system ("One Health"). In the present study, a multidimensional concept of accessibility to care services was used for the first time to determine and visualize the density of the animal health care system in Switzerland. Traditional indicators used to describe care structures focus either on availability or accessibility. In order to overcome the limitations of traditional indicators, the family of methods known as Floating-Catchment-Area-Methods (FCA) has been developed in care geographical research. The strength of FCA methods lies in the fact that they output accessibility independent of administrative boundaries and at the same time consider the spatial distance and available capacities. The study provides insight into the density of animal health care services using FCA methods and geographical information systems (GIS). Data on providers of veterinary services in the companion animal sector and, on the demand side, data on dogs and cats kept in Switzerland served as illustrative example. The result was interactive maps of the density of health care and the structure of spatial accessibility to veterinary providers and consumers. As expected, high spatial accessibility is found in the urban centers and the agglomerations of the Central Plateau. In contrast, spatial accessibility to medical services for dogs and cats is often lower in peripheral areas. Due to hitherto unavailable data, various analyses had to be postponed for the time being. For example, the model could of course be extended to all animal species and all types of medical services. In addition, it would also be possible to forecast the future density of health care, or to optimize the care system. Together with the relevant industry stakeholders, these gaps could be closed, and the model and the resulting findings could be further differentiated. The results should serve private actors in the concerned value chains, but also decision-makers in the public veterinary service, governmental authorities, agricultural bodies, universities, etc. as a basis for strategic decisions regarding the issue of medical supply density and care services in the animal sector.

Background: In a previous study, we found that rates of antibiotic residues in goat carcasses in Missouri were three times the published national average, warranting further research in this area., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of goat veterinarians to determine attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics, recruiting 725 veterinarians listed on the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP) website and 64 Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) veterinarians., Results: We collected 189 responses (26.1%) from AASRP members (170 valid) and 8 (12.5%) from MVMA veterinarians totalling 178 responses. While the vast majority of all veterinarians indicated that they prescribed antibiotics less than half of the time, Missouri veterinarians indicated that they spent more time treating goats for overt disease like intestinal parasites and less time on proactive practices such as reproductive herd health management comparatively. While veterinarians agreed that antibiotic resistance was a growing concern, veterinarians outside of Missouri seemed more confident that their own prescription practices was not a contributor. Although nationally most veterinarians felt that attending continuing education classes was beneficial, 73.4% in other states attended classes on antibiotic use compared to only four of the nine Missouri veterinarians., Conclusion: Missouri veterinarians had less veterinary experience than veterinarians in other states, and this, in conjunction with low continuing education requirements in Missouri relative to most other states, may hinder development of more proactive and effective client-veterinary relationships., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Impact: Low-cost spay-neuter clinics were first established nearly 50 years ago in response to the numbers of dogs and cats euthanized in animal shelters. Since then, high-quality, high-volume spay-neuter (HQHVSN) clinics have been established throughout the USA and have contributed to a significant reduction in animal euthanasia in shelters. These clinics, specializing in efficient systems and surgical techniques, provide an avenue for clients who cannot afford surgery to sterilize their pets. These clinics have also helped animal shelters with limited financial resources implement spay-neuter prior to adoption policies., Response: The veterinary profession's reaction to HQHVSN clinics has been mixed; some practitioners question the quality of care provided or fear the loss of clientele, while others recognize the need for such clinics and support their development., Challenges: As veterinary education has become more expensive and veterinary care more sophisticated, the cost of veterinary care, including spay-neuter surgery, has risen. With increasing costs, the numbers of pets that receive little or no veterinary care has increased. Indeed, a 2018 survey by the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition documented that more than 25% of pet-owning households in the USA experienced difficulties obtaining veterinary care for their pets and the most frequent barrier was financial., Aim: This review looks at the reality of HQHVSN clinics and what this means for the private practitioner. By adopting similar systems and techniques that lower the cost of spay-neuter surgery, practitioners could potentially pass on cost savings to clients. Moreover, the same principles may be applied to other aspects of basic care to further address access to care issues.

Aims: To describe the demographics of and predictors for pet ownership, reasons for visiting a veterinarian, and pet-related expenditure in pet owners in New Zealand. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from 18-22 June 2015 using a permission-based panel of New Zealand residents aged ≥18 years. Questions included demographics of respondents, number of pets and reasons for owning or not owning pets, number of visits and reasons for visiting a veterinarian, and pet-related expenditure. Results: Of the 1,572 respondents who completed the survey, 1,013 (64.4%) owned ≥1 pet. Of these, 443 owned dogs, 696 cats, 32 horses, 103 birds, 55 rabbits, and 159 owned fish. Companionship was the most common reason for getting dogs, cats, and birds; horses were mostly owned as a hobby, rabbits to provide fun for children, and fish as a source of relaxation. The majority of dog, cat, and rabbit owners considered their pets to be family members; horse owners almost equally considered their horses a hobby or a family member. The odds of pet ownership increased for respondents from a rural region, having a higher household income, having children and being female. Overall, 711/1,013 (70.2%) pet-owning respondents had taken ≥1 animal to the veterinarian in the previous year, with the most common reasons being for vaccination or annual check-ups or health issues. Respondents who considered their pets trusted companions, had a higher income, and owned dogs or cats compared with other species, were most likely to have taken their pet to a veterinarian. The greatest pet-related expenditure for all species was food. The median yearly veterinary expenditure was $200-499 by dog owners, $100-199 by cat owners, and <$100 by horse, bird, rabbit, and fish owners. The best source of information for pet-related issues was considered to be veterinarians by 724/1,001 (72.3%) owners, and the internet by 509/1,001 (50.8%) owners. Conclusions: Among survey respondents, pet ownership was common and pets filled a variety of roles in the household. Pet owners reported spending considerable amounts of money on their pets each year, but some of them may be underutilising veterinary services despite veterinarians being considered as valuable sources of information about pet-related issues.

In human medicine, there is a recommended decision to delivery interval (DDI), which allows for the optimization of protocols and systematic review of hospital success. In veterinary medicine, no such guideline has been established or investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the interval from the decision to perform a caesarean section and the delivery of the neonates and fetal mortality at the time of surgery. One hundred and fifty canine caesarean sections were evaluated retrospectively. Caesarean cases were dichotomized to those that had at least one perinatal death and cases where all puppies survived. Factors that increased the likelihood of at least one perinatal death at caesarean section were: cases that presented as an emergency caesarean section, the dam presenting with a fetus in the vaginal canal, the dam not having a history of previous caesareans sections, and being multiparous. Even though there was no association of DDI with likelihood of having perinatal death, timing related factors that increased the likelihood of having at least one perinatal death at caesarean section were: cases where total anaesthesia time was longer than 2 h; time from induction to start of surgery was longer than 45 min and surgical time longer than 75 min. In conclusion, time is a factor in the success of canine caesarean sections and further research is needed to better define the optimal decision to delivery time in canine caesarean sections in order to optimize fetal survival and hospital protocol success rates., (© 2019 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Georgina Mills discusses how the RCVS is furthering its commitment to inspiring leadership in the profession., (British Veterinary Association.)

Background: Veterinary Public Health (VPH) is a major part of public health in which human health and well-being are the central tasks. In recent years the VPH is gaining increasing importance because immense changes have occurred in animal production processes and agricultural structures. The aim of this paper is to describe the current VPH activities in Bangladesh, its major constraints and future activities plan to ensure safe food production as well as protect the environment and public health., Main Text: VPH concerns all areas of food production and safety, zoonosis control, environmental protection and animal welfare. In Bangladesh, the VPH unit was established in 1984 by the Directorate of Livestock Services (DLS) for zoonosis control and production of wholesome food of animal origin. Zoonoses are the core domain of VPH. Bangladesh is facing the emergence of zoonotic diseases including anthrax, tuberculosis, brucellosis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, E. coli infections, avian influenza, rabies, nipah and dengue virus infections.. Multi-drug resistance bacteria are emerging due to indiscriminate uses of antibiotics in livestock and poultry industries. Lack of proper slaughter houses, antemortem and postmortem inspections of carcasses by qualified veterinarians contributes greatly to unwholesome meat production. The VPH unit has a significant role to play to ensure better public health. However, there are many constraints that affect the VPH services. Absence of VPH services at all administrative level, inadequate budget, lack of qualified personnel, poor lab facilities, absence of legal framework, and the lack of coordination with health department are the major constraints., Conclusions: The spectrum of VPH issues in Bangladesh is very large. Therefore it is important to carefully set priorities in order to ensure effective and efficient VPH services. Establishment of VPH units at all levels, effective surveillance for zoonotic diseases, institution of legal framework to define role of VPH services, creation of public health awareness, collaborative works with health departments, improving laboratory facilities and training programs for the veterinarian are keys to ensure better VPH services in Bangladesh.

Introduction: Data on the digitization in Swiss veterinary practices and clinics were collected in a survey from June 2017 to the end of December 2017. Data of 171 practices contributed to the survey. Animal records were filed in 96.5% with a practice management program. Nine out of ten practices operate an x-ray machine whereof 70% digitally record the radiographs. While a moderate diversity of practice management systems is used, numerous different radiographic recording, archiving and viewing systems are utilized. Data exchange with other practices and owners preferably takes place via e-mail, followed by upload servers and digital data carriers. Data protection receives less attention in veterinary medicine than in comparison to human medicine. A protected data exchange platform coupled with AMICUS and ANIS is under construction via standardized DICOM (https://www.dicomstandard.org/current/) and HL7 (https://www.hl7.org/) interfaces.

Significant event reporting is an important concept for patient safety in human medicine, but substantial barriers to the discussion and reporting of adverse events have been identified. This study explored the factors that influence the discussion and reporting of significant events among veterinary surgeons and nurses. Purposive sampling was used to generate participants for six focus groups consisting of a range of veterinary professionals of different ages and roles (mean N per group=9). Thematic analysis of the discussions identified three main themes: the effect of culture, the influence of organisational systems and the emotional effect of error. Fear, lack of time or understanding and organisational concerns were identified as barriers, while the effect of feedback, opportunity for learning and structure of a reporting system facilitated error reporting. Professional attitudes and culture emerged as both a positive and negative influence on the discussion of error. The results were triangulated against the findings in the medical literature and highlight common themes in clinician's concerns regarding the discussion of professional error. The results of this study have been used to inform the development of the 'VetSafe' tool, a web-based central error reporting system., Competing Interests: Competing interests: CO works for the Veterinary Defence Society as a veterinary risk manager., (© British Veterinary Association 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

This study was aimed to assess zoonotic disease knowledge, risk perceptions, and preventive practices of animal health professionals in Nigeria. Cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 582 participants and 529 responded. Collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models. The proportion of veterinarians (92.0%) which knowledge about zoonosis was much higher (P < 0.001) than that of para-veterinarians (32.4%). In contrast to para-veterinarians (46.2%), the majority of veterinarians (76.7%) perceived high risk of zoonotic infections during necropsy/tissue collections. Similarly, a much higher (P < 0.001) proportion of veterinarians (54.0%) considered hand washing before eating at work as effective way of risk mitigation, compared to para-veterinarians (25.0%). Professionals in large animal practice were less likely (OR 0.35; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.77) not to be engaged in satisfactory protective measures. These results constitute public health contributions to the risk mitigation information that may support measures for zoonosis prevention in Nigeria.

Canine dystocia is a relatively common veterinary presentation. First opinion emergency care clinical data from 50 Vets Now clinics across the UK were used to explore dystocia management and outcomes in bitches. Caesarean section (CS) was performed on 341/701 (48.6 per cent (95 per cent CI 44.9 to 52.4)) of dystocia cases. The bulldog (OR 7.60, 95 per cent CI 1.51 to 38.26, P=0.014), Border terrier (OR 4.89, 95 per cent CI 0.92 to 25.97, P=0.063) and golden retriever (OR 4.07, 95 per cent CI 0.97 to 17.07, P=0.055) had the highest odds of CS among dystocic bitches compared with crossbreds. Brachycephalic dystocic bitches had 1.54 (95 per cent CI 1.05 to 2.28, P=0.028) times the odds of CS compared with non-brachycephalics. Oxytocin was administered to 380/701 (54.2 per cent) and calcium gluconate was administered to 82/701 (11.7 per cent) of dystocic bitches. 12 of 701 dystocia cases (1.7 per cent) died during emergency care. These results can help veterinary surgeons to provide better evidence on the risks to owners who may be contemplating breeding from their bitches. In addition, the results on the management and clinical trajectory of dystocia can facilitate clinical benchmarking and encourage clinical audit within primary care veterinary practice., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. Published by BMJ.)

There is a lack of epidemiological studies about equine subsolar (hoof) abscesses even though they are among one of the most common causes of acute, severe lameness. The goals of this study were to (1) describe the equine subsolar abscess patient population of the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center's Field Service and (2) to determine the factors that are associated with increased veterinary visits, prolonged treatment and complications. Descriptive statistics were performed on data collected from 160 cases of equine subsolar abscess. Inferential statistics were performed on a subset of those cases. No significant results were identified in relation to an increased number of veterinary visits. Poisson regression of days of treatment revealed that abscesses diagnosed in the summer (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=9.42, P<0.001) and abscesses found at the coronary band (IRR=3.21, P<0.001) were more likely to be treated for longer. Presence of a draining tract (IRR=0.73, P=0.017) and a higher lameness (IRR=0.30, P=0.01 for grade 3, IRR=0.1, P<0.001 for grades 4 and 5) score at presentation resulted in shortened treatment times. Abscesses affecting multiple portions of the digit were associated with an increased chance of complication. The study presented here is the first retrospective study on subsolar abscesses to the authors' knowledge., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2018. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: In the present study, the incidence of diseases in cattle in the area of a veterinary practice was analyzed spatially. Furthermore, the relationship between the incidence of diseases and the distance to geographical elements was investigated. For this study, all cattle farms that were customers of the ambulatory clinic of the animal hospital in Zurich (Tierspital Zürich) were exactly localized on a map. From clinical and treatment data program (Oblon Data®) all services and drugs between January 1st 2013 and December 31st 2013 were evaluated and added as attributes to the according farm. Along with the data of the animals kept on the respective farm, the relationship between prevalences and geographical elements was analyzed. Using these data, it was possible to define fifteen diseases of which incidences were spatially analyzed using a geographic information system (GIS). The results indicate that also on the level of a veterinary practice there are spatial differences in the incidence of diseases to find. However, the majority of diseases occur mainly in regions where the density of animals is also very high. As in earlier findings, this suggests that the size, the management and the proximity of a farm to the next farm (density) have a strong impact. A connection could be found between the distance to the geographical elements street, water and forest and the incidences of gastrointestinal parasitosis, claw disorders, reproduction disorders and cryptosporidiosis.

Introduction: For a long time there has been a debate in Switzerland as to whether the veterinary farm animal service is still sufficiently guaranteed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the supply and demand of veterinary services for cattle and pigs through a representative survey of veterinarians and farmers. The results revealed that the veterinary farm animal service was rated by the majority of both, farmers and veterinarians, to be good or very good. Veterinary service shortages exist partly in mountain and peripheral regions, in small areas in otherwise well-served regions and in the canton of Ticino. By contrast, about one third of farm animal practices are rather underutilized and would prefer to increase livestock numbers. The emergency service is currently very well guaranteed. Ninety-five percent of veterinarians and farmers stated that on-site emergency service is provided within an hour or less. The quality of veterinary services were also assessed positively by the farmers. While a third of respondents said veterinary care improved compared to five years ago, only two percent felt that veterinary care had deteriorated. Almost all veterinarians stated that vacancies in farm animal practices were difficult to fill adequately. The majority of practice owners do not receive enough applications from suitable candidates. In addition, the majority of applicants were not trained in Switzerland. The security of farm animal veterinary service is currently mostly good to very well guaranteed. However, there is a lack of veterinarians trained to meet the future needs of farm animal veterinarians.

Hintergrund: Der Antibiotikaeinsatz bei Nutztieren fördert die Entwicklung antibiotikaresistenter Bakterien. Die Komplementärmedizin könnte einen Beitrag zur Reduktion von Antibiotika leisten, wird bisher jedoch nicht flächendeckend angeboten. Das Beratungsprogramm "Kometian" unter-stützt teilnehmende Landwirte darin, ihre Tiere komplementärmedizinisch zu behandeln. Methoden und Resultate: 128 von 223 teilnehmenden Betrieben nutzten in den ersten 3 Projektjahren die telefonische Beratung von Kometian. Die Mehrheit der Landwirte hielt Milchkühe. Frühestens 1 Woche nach der Kometianberatung wurde eine telefonische Nachfrage beim Tierbesitzer hinsichtlich des Gesundheitszustandes des Tieres durchgeführt. Es konnten so 661 Beratungsfälle recherchiert werden. In 486 Fällen erfolgte keine weitere schulmedizinische Behandlung, in 373 Fällen gab der Landwirt einen Behandlungserfolg an. Von 188 angefragten und seit mindestens einem Jahr an Kometian teilnehmenden Betrieben stellten 46 ihre Behandlungsjournale zur Verfügung. Die betriebliche antibiotische Behandlungsinzidenz sank signifikant (p < 0,001) von 27 vor Beitritt auf 18 Behandlungen pro 100 Tiere im ersten Jahr. Schlussfolgerung: Es scheint, dass Kometian einen Beitrag dazu leisten konnte, den Antibiotikaeinsatz auf Betriebsebene zu reduzieren., Background: A regular use of antibiotics in farm animals is assumed to induce antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may contribute to a reduction of antibiotic use but it is not extensively offered by Swiss veterinarians. The advisory program “Kometian” supports farmers in treating their animals with CAM., Methods and Results: 128 out of 223 participating farmers used the telephone consultations of Kometian in the first 3 years of the project. The majority of the farmers kept dairy cattle. No sooner than 1 week after such a consultation, the famer was questioned by phone about the health progress of the animal. Thus, the development of health could be verified in 661 cases (of 714). 486 cases were not treated further by conventional medicine; in 373 cases the farmer reported a positive treatment effect. Of 188 examined farms, which had participated in the advisory program for at least 1 year, 46 made their treatment records available. The incidence of antibiotic treatment decreased significantly (p < 0.001) from 27 before entering the program to 18 treatments per 100 animals in the first year., Conclusion: It seems that the advisory program Kometian could contribute to reduce the use of antibiotics on the farm level., (© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Epidemiological studies often use data from registers. Data quality is of vital importance for the quality of the research. The aim of this study was to suggest a structured workflow to assess the quality of veterinary national registers. As an example of how to use the workflow, the quality of the following three registers was assessed: the Central Husbandry Register (CHR), the database for movement of pigs (DMP) and the national Danish register of drugs for veterinary use (VetStat). A systematic quantitative assessment was performed, with calculation the proportion of farms and observations with "poor quality" of data. "Poor" quality was defined for each measure (variable) either as a mismatch between and/or within registers, registrations of numbers outside the expected range, or unbalanced in- and outgoing movements. Interviews were conducted to make a complementary qualitative assessment. The proportion of farms and observations within each quality measure varied. This study highlights the importance of systematic quality assessment of register data and suggests a systematic approach for such assessments and validations without the use of primary data., (© 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Objective: To evaluate the extent, costs, demands and expectations of Australian veterinary practices in the treatment of wildlife, to identify potential risks to animal welfare based on the current situation and to propose recommendations for improvements., Methods: A survey was sent to all veterinary practices across Australia identified through the website Yellow Pages®. The survey was designed as a cross-sectional study. Data were collected using an online self-completed questionnaire and analysed using IBM SPSS 19.0., Results: Of the 902 veterinary practices contacted, 132 (14.6%) completed the questionnaire. Most practices (82%) saw less than 10 wildlife patients per week, with birds and marsupials most commonly admitted. Vehicular trauma, trauma (other) and predation made up the majority (82%) of presentations. However, wildlife cases were only examined immediately upon presentation in 20% of practices, with 74% reporting they only attended to wildlife whenever they had spare time. The majority (90%) of veterinary practices never or rarely received reimbursement for their wildlife work, indicating most is performed pro bono. Several barriers to treatment were highlighted, including time and a lack of knowledge/skills., Conclusion: Private veterinary practices play a more significant role in wildlife treatment than has been previously thought. The effect of perceived barriers on willingness to treat wildlife requires further research. Further investigation into educational resources to aid veterinary assessment of wildlife should also be considered., (© 2018 Australian Veterinary Association.)

Background: Hypertension is common in older cats. There is limited evidence for predictors of survival after diagnosis., Hypothesis/objectives: Investigate blood pressure assessment (BPA) and hypertension diagnosis in cats attending UK primary care practices (PCPs) and factors that influence survival., Animals: Cats (347 889) attending 244 UK PCPs enrolled in the VetCompass program between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2013. Cats identified as hypertensive (282) were included in descriptive and survival analyses., Methods: All electronic patient records (EPRs) were searched to identify cats that potentially had received BPA. EPRs were read in detail to identify those that had BPA. The proportion that received BPA was evaluated using a stratified analysis and the incidence of hypertension estimated. A retrospective cohort study was used to investigate survival after diagnosis (Cox proportional hazard model)., Results: Estimated incidence risk was 19.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.5-21.6) from the estimated 1.34% (1.30%-1.38%) of cats that received BPA. Few cats had BPA more than once after diagnosis (median, 1; interquartile range [IQR], 0-3), with only 9.9% of diagnosed hypertensive cats having urine protein:creatinine ratio determined. Cats diagnosed as a result of monitoring of pre-existing disease had improved survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.58; 95% CI, 0.37-0.89; P = .01) compared to cats diagnosed after clinical signs were recognized. Cats that had an amlodipine dose change had improved survival (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.36-0.87; P = .01) compared to those with no dose change., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: These data suggest improved blood pressure monitoring in clinical practice may decrease the morbidity associated with hypertension., (© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Radiotherapy plays an important role in curative and palliative cancer treatment. As a novel radiation delivery technique, stereotactic radiotherapy utilizes three-dimensional-conformal treatment planning, high-precision beam delivery technology, and patient specific position verification to target tumors, often in one to five high-dose fractions. Currently, there is no consensus about best stereotactic radiotherapy practices in veterinary radiotherapy. The objective of this study was to document the breadth of perspectives, techniques, and applications of stereotactic radiotherapy in veterinary medicine. We conducted an online survey of American College of Veterinary Radiology members specializing in radiation oncology to assess how, when, and why stereotactic radiotherapy is being used. Both stereotactic radiotherapy users and nonusers completed the survey. The overall response and survey completion rates were 54% (67/123) and 87% (58/67), respectively. Overall, 55% of respondents reported providing stereotactic radiotherapy at their facility, with a median of 4.5 canine cases and one feline case per month. Delivery methods included C-arm linear accelerator with multi-leaf collimator, helical tomotherapy, and CyberKnife. Nonpituitary intracranial tumors, pituitary tumors, and sinonasal tumors were the most common cancers treated using stereotactic radiotherapy in both species. The most common fractionation scheme was three fractions of 10 Gy/fraction. The results of this survey suggest common availability of stereotactic radiotherapy in veterinary radiation facilities. These results provide valuable information regarding current stereotactic radiotherapy practices in veterinary medicine, and may provide an initial step toward standardizing methods and establishing consensus guidelines., (© 2018 American College of Veterinary Radiology.)