Animal Health Care Research Articles

Nanotechnology and Animal Health.

Nanotechnology has been a rapidly expanding area of research with huge potential in many sectors, including animal healthcare. It promises to revolutionize drug and vaccine delivery, diagnostics, and theranostics, which has become an important tool in personalized medicine by integrating therapeutics and diagnostics. Nanotechnology has also been used successfully in animal nutrition. In this review, the application of nanotechnology in animal health will be reviewed with its pros and cons.

Internet of Things in Animal Healthcare (IoTAH): Review of Recent Advancements in Architecture, Sensing Technologies and Real-Time Monitoring

In recent days, the Internet of Things (IoT) used to connect many devices and communicate with each other, which created a greater impact on animal healthcare systems. IoT devices are in the form of wearable’s that have been used to track the activities of humans. Now, the wearable devices are used in monitoring the activities of the animals. Internet of Things in Animal Healthcare (IoTAH) uses the biosensors and software for monitoring and maintaining the animal health records. These kinds of technologies make a precise health status and sickness projection which are most effective in humans but it can be applied to animals with few changes. Some of those recent technologies acquired the importance of their use in animal healthcare and development. The integration of available medical sensors creates a connected digital platform that empowers the connectivity with pets and livestock with improved efficiency. This article describes the scope of biosensors, computing, communicating, and wearable technologies available for animals. The main intention of this article is to review the recent advancements in the field of animal healthcare which includes domestic, farm, and wild animals. This article reviews the smart technologies available for various categories of animals. The outcomes of this survey are expected to improve the future research and development of animal welfare systems.

Contribution of Nanotechnology in Animal and Human Health Care

Contribution of Nanotechnology in Animal and Human Health Care

Antimicrobial use practices and resistance in indicator bacteria in communal cattle in the Mnisi community, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Surveillance of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance is a critical component of the “Global Action Plan” to tackle antimicrobial resistance. However, there is a paucity of such surveillance in communal farming areas in South Africa. This study investigated knowledge and antimicrobial use practices by cattle farmers and antimicrobial resistance levels of indicator bacteria in cattle in a rural communal farming area in South Africa. Seventy (70) farmers were interviewed at five cattle inspection sites using structured questionnaires. Rectal swabs were collected from apparently healthy cattle (n = 100) for culture of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing using broth microdilution. The farmers indicated predominantly using tetracyclines. Although 42% of the farmers indicated hearing about antimicrobial resistance, none of them clearly understood what it involves. Seventy‐nine (79) E. coli and 71 Enterococcus species were isolated with E. faecium being the dominant species among the Enterococcus isolates. E. coli isolates were resistant to colistin (16%; 13/79), chlortetracycline (8%; 6/79) and amoxicillin (8%; 6/79). Enterococcus isolates were resistant to enrofloxacin (55%; 39/71) and amoxycillin (3%; 2/71). We observed knowledge gaps in prudent antimicrobial use practices and antimicrobial resistance among the farmers. Farmer tailored education programmes on primary animal health care and prudent antimicrobial use practices must be developed and implemented to improve antimicrobial stewardship among farmers with limited veterinary supervision. The level of colistin resistance detected among E. coli isolates from rural communal cattle in this study was unexpected and warrants further molecular investigation to check if the resistance is plasmid mediated.

Investigation of native chicken mortality/loss in the free-range system: Causes, control measures and impact to farmers at the household level, Moyamba District, Southern Sierra Leone

The increase in mortality/loss of native chickens in the rural areas of Sierra Leone is posing a serious threat to the traditional chicken industry. Poultry farmers loss many chickens annually which hugely undercut their livelihood and social status. This research was therefore conducted to investigate the main causes of native chicken mortality/loss, control strategies and how it influences the livelihood of farmers in Moyamba district, Sierra Leone. The data was obtained through field survey, personal discussion and observation from randomly selected 300 participants in 6 villages. The findings revealed that 84.3% of the interviewed farmers were female while the overall illiteracy rate of the participants was 72.3%. The average number of the different livestock kept by the farmers were: 7.8 (chicken), 0.3 (duck), 0.6 (sheep), 0.2 (pig) and 3.4 (goat). 45.5% of the mortality/loss recorded from 2017-2018 was said to be caused by predators while 54.5% was caused by diseases/parasites and other factors (2017-2018). 33.0 and 32.0% of the mortality/loss occurred during the late dry and early rainy seasons while 20.0 and 15.0% occurred in the early dry and late rainy seasons respectively. Settlements along the grassland and forested areas reported a high incidence of predators while the river-line areas reported high cases of diseases/parasites. The main predators identified were hawk, red fox and eagle while Newcastle disease and lice were the most serious disease and parasites named respectively. The animal healthcare services are inadequate and therefore, traditional methods of controlling diseases/parasites and predators are widely adopted. The impact of mortality/loss to farmers at household level include low protein intake, loss of income, weak cultural/religious practices, loss of flock, food insecurity, increase in poverty and lack of job. Therefore, there is a need for effective and continuous implementation of disease/parasites control programs in the study areas by strengthening the veterinary and the extension services for better productivity and improved management practices.

A survey of dairy-goat keeping in Zanzibar

Dairy goats with improved genetics for milk production were recently introduced onto small-scale farms in Zanzibar through governmental and non-governmental projects. These projects were meant to support small-scale farmers by improving both income and household nutrition through milk production. No follow up had been conducted to understand what effects dairy goat keeping had on these small-scale farms, or how they could be improved. A survey of 193 dairy goat farmers in Zanzibar was conducted, including 30% and 60% of all dairy goat farmers on Unguja and Pemba, the two largest islands, respectively. The objective was to understand the impact keeping dairy goats has on small-scale farming systems, current husbandry practices including feed supply (production and environmental concerns), perceived benefits and challenges of dairy goat keeping (economics), and how to design appropriate extension programs to increase sustainability (education). The survey with 116 questions explored topics including dairy goat feeding practices, goat health, current milk production practices, sale and family consumption, and education. Qualitative and quantitative information from the survey led to a more holistic understanding of dairy goats in the farm system. The survey established the key challenges limiting dairy goat production to be diseases (57% of respondents), feed shortage during dry season (49%), economic constraints (21%), lack of healthcare (18%), and lack of dairy goat husbandry information which would help farmers address the other challenges listed above (14%). Two challenges identified through later workshops were uncontrolled crossbreeding and lack of records. Key benefits of dairy goat keeping are increased income from selling live animals and milk (35%), manure (33%), milk (18%), and improved household nutrition (15%). Twelve percent of respondents reported no benefit from keeping dairy goats. Average milk production for dairy goats was 0.92 L per day for three months of the year, whereas local meat goats milk production peaks at about 0.3 L per day, only enough milk to feed their young. To make dairy goat keeping worthwhile, small-scale farmers need access to appropriate animal health care, milk markets, and additional dairy goat husbandrytraining. The findings of this survey will guide design of education and improvements to the overall profitability and sustainability of dairy goat integration in Zanzibar and provide a model for the humid tropics. Key words: dairy goat, tropical husbandry, small-scale farming systems, sustainability, agroecology

What contributes to inappropriate antibiotic dispensing among qualified and unqualified healthcare providers in Bangladesh? A qualitative study

BackgroundOver-prescribing and inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Few studies in low and middle-income settings have employed qualitative approaches to examine the drivers of antibiotic sale and dispensing across the full range of healthcare providers (HCPs). We aimed to explore understandings of the use and functions of antibiotics; awareness of AMR and perceived patient or customer demand and adherence among HCPs for human and animal medicine in Bangladesh.MethodsWe used an ethnographic approach to conduct face-to-face, in-depth interviews with 46 community HCPs in one urban and one rural area (Gazipur and Mirzapur districts respectively). We purposefully selected participants from four categories of provider in human and veterinary medicine: qualified; semi-qualified; auxiliary and unqualified. Using a grounded theory approach, thematic analysis was conducted using a framework method.ResultsAntibiotics were considered a medicine of power that gives quick results and works against almost all diseases, including viruses. The price of antibiotics was equated with power such that expensive antibiotics were considered the most powerful medicines. Antibiotics were also seen as preventative medicines. While some providers were well informed about antibiotic resistance and its causes, others were completely unaware. Many providers mistook antibiotic resistance as the side effects of antibiotics, both in human and animal medicine. Despite varied knowledge, providers showed concern about antibiotic resistance but responsibility for inappropriate antibiotic use was shifted to the patients and clients including owners of livestock and animals.ConclusionsMisconceptions and misinformation led to a wide range of inappropriate uses of antibiotics across the different categories of human and animal healthcare providers. Low awareness of antibiotic action and antibiotic resistance were apparent among healthcare providers, particularly those with little or no training and those in rural areas. Specific and targeted interventions to address AMR in Bangladesh should include educational messages on the rational use of antibiotics and how they work, targeting all types of healthcare providers. While tailored training for providers may increase understanding of antibiotic action and improve practices, more far-reaching structural changes are required to influence and increase responsibility for optimising antibiotic dispensing among all HCPs.

Fog-inspired smart home environment for domestic animal healthcare

Domestic veterinary care is contemplated as one of the significant domains of the healthcare industry. Conspicuously, this research presents a Smart Home-based healthcare monitoring framework for domesticated animals in real-time. The research work employs the Internet of Things (IoT)-based data acquisition in the ambient environment of the home. Acquired IoT-data is pre-processed for feature extraction over the Fog–Cloud computing platform. Moreover, a temporal data granule is formulated using the Temporal Data mining technique, which is used to quantify healthcare vulnerability in terms of Scale of Health Adversity (SoHA) and Temporal Adversity Estimate (TAE). Based on this, a Multi-scaled Long Short Term Memory (M-LSTM) based vulnerability prediction is performed for preventive veterinary healthcare services. Moreover, a fog-assisted real-time alert generation module is presented in the proposed framework to notify the concerned veterinary doctor in the case of a medical emergency. To validate the proposed framework, the experimental simulations are performed over challenging dataset comprising of nearly 34,120 instances. Results show that the presented framework is able to register enhanced performance in comparison to several state-of-the-art decision-making techniques in terms of Temporal Effectiveness, Classification Efficiency, Prediction Efficacy, and System Stability.

Transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers in healthy captive male and female squirrel monkeys (Saimiri spp.)

BackgroundEchocardiography is the most frequently used non -invasive diagnostic tool to evaluate cardiac anatomy and function in domestic species but increasingly also in non -domestic species, especially since cardiac disease is being recognized as an important cause of death in captive primates. The purpose of this cross -sectional study was to investigate the feasibility of transthoracic echocardiography in healthy squirrel monkeys as well as to provide species specific normal values for standard echocardiographic measurements. A secondary aim was to determine plasma and serum levels of the cardiac biomarkers, N -terminal pro -brain natriuretic peptide (NT -proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT). Furthermore, a commercial, non -invasive, smartphone -based ECG (AliveCor Vet TM) monitoring device was used to evaluate the heart rate and rhythm and to diagnose possible arrhythmias.ResultsIn this study, transthoracic echocardiography of 14 squirrel monkeys was performed in right and left lateral recumbency. Similar standard right parasternal and left apical images were obtained as in dogs and cats and normal values for routine two -dimensional, time motion mode and Doppler mode measurements were generated. Thirteen animals were considered healthy and one squirrel monkey was identified with significant aortic dilation and regurgitation and consequently values obtained from this animal were not used when species specific normal values were calculated. NT -ProBNP and cTnT concentrations were available for 7 of the 13 healthy monkeys with NT -proBNP concentrations below detection limit in all animals and a mean cTnT concentration of 0.049 ng/mL. Electrocardiography was performed in all squirrel monkeys. The mean heart rate was 172 bpm. Frequent supraventricular premature beats were diagnosed in the squirrel monkey suffering from significant aortic dilation and regurgitation.ConclusionThis study presents echocardiographic normal values and additional cardiovascular data in anaesthetised Saimiri monkeys, fundamental from both the perspective of zoo animal health care as well as scientific research, since the squirrel monkey is often used as an animal model for human disease.

Climatic risk adaptation strategies by smallholder livestock farmers in Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

The study was conducted to analyze the predominant climatic risks and the strategies livestock farmers used to adapt climatic risks in Eastern Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Cross-sectional research design was used with mixed quantitative and qualitative research approach. The data were collected from 317 livestock farmers using household survey; and FGDs, key informant interviews and personal observation for complementation. The data were analyzed using STATA (version-14) and SPSS (version 23) software. The result shows that, 79.8% of livestock farmers were affected by different climatic risks over the period of 2009-2018. They were affected by drought, animal disease outbreak (ADOB), flood and frost. The percentage of the farmers affected by climatic risks have been fluctuating from year to years but the trends show increased over the last ten years. Every year, 6.7%, 6.8%, 6.4% and 3.6% of livestock farmers were affected by drought, frost, animal disease outbreak (ADOB) and flood, respectively. Seasonally, livestock farmers impacted by drought, flood and frost in autumn, summer and spring, respectively. Animal disease outbreak has occurred in all seasons but higher in autumn. The perception of the farmers was measured based on the frequencies of climatic risks occurrences and the severity level of their impacts. Majority of the farmers perceived that the frequencies of droughts (49.8%) and frosts (43.2%) increased over the last ten years; whereas flood (68.8%) and ADOB (67.5%) decreased. The impacts of drought and ADOB were found at moderate level of severity with the value of 2.2 and 1.8 WAI, respectively; whereas frost and flood at lower severity level, which accounts for 1.4 and 1.3 WAI values, respectively. Saving surplus feed (99.4%), using modern animal healthcare (91.8%), conserving soil and water resources (70.8%) and improving/ customizing animal shelters/shades (60.3%); and keeping stress resistance breeds (52.7%) were major strategies for livestock farmers to adapt to climatic risks. These findings imply that drought and ADOB are the predominant climatic risks for livestock farmers in Eastern Amhra Region. Drought majorly occur in autumn; whereas ADOBs occur throughout the year. The farmers also use multiple strategies to adapt to the diverse impacts of the risks. However, the farmers are still vulnerable to the risks and remaining in food insecure. To be the farmers more effective, therefore, the existing adaptation strategies should be supported with science and technology to create stress resistance breeds, improve the quality and availability of feeds and animal health management.

Spatial accessibility to animal health care - a GIS based analysis

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.

SURVEY ON SMALL RUMINANT PRODUCTION AGAINST PESTE DES PETITS RUMINANT IN MOYAMBA AND KAILAHUN DISTRICTS, SIERRA LEONE

Goats and sheep production which significantly contributes to improving nutritional status, economic growth and socio-cultural practices in the rural settings of Sierra Leone are faced with several challenges. The survey on Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus (PPRV) was carried out to investigate the: current status of small ruminant production, and the presence of antibodies against PPRV. Information was obtained through Focus Group Discussion in the respondents’ local dialects from 150 participants. From the results obtained, 58.7% and 41.7% of the respondents were male and female while 77.3% and 22.7% were married and single respectively. 53.3% of the respondents never illiterate while 46.7% have some basic education. The main reasons for keeping goats and sheep were for traditional, economic, religious and food. Continuous disease outbreaks; high mortality; poor animal healthcare and extension services, lack of credit facility, theft, and poor marketing facility. Pestes des petits Ruminant, mange, Respiratory infection, and diarrhea were the main diseases affecting goats and sheep. A total of 356 serum samples from goats (264) and sheep (92) were collected in both districts and analyzed using the competitive ELISA kit for the detection of antibodies against PPRV. The result revealed an overall prevalence of 62.1% antibodies [goats, 73.1%, (193/264) and sheep, 30.4%, (28/92)]. Young goats (65.9%), and sheep (34.7%) showed the highest seropositivity of PPRV followed by adult males and females. There is a need to improve traditional practices of small ruminant production by designing disease control programs to ensure the full participation of the veterinary, animal husbandry and extension services for a good output.

Mathematical Modelling Using Predictive Biomarkers for the Outcome of Canine Leishmaniasis upon Chemotherapy.

Prediction parameters of possible outcomes of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) therapy might help with therapeutic decisions and animal health care. Here, we aimed to develop a diagnostic method with predictive value by analyzing two groups of dogs with CanL, those that exhibited a decrease in parasite load upon antiparasitic treatment (group: responders) and those that maintained high parasite load despite the treatment (group: non-responders). The parameters analyzed were parasitic load determined by q-PCR, hemogram, serum biochemistry and immune system-related gene expression signature. A mathematical model was applied to the analysis of these parameters to predict how efficient their response to therapy would be. Responder dogs restored hematological and biochemical parameters to the reference values and exhibited a Th1 cell activation profile with a linear tendency to reach mild clinical alteration stages. Differently, non-responders developed a mixed Th1/Th2 response and exhibited markers of liver and kidney injury. Erythrocyte counts and serum phosphorus were identified as predictive markers of therapeutic response at an early period of assessment of CanL. The results presented in this study are highly encouraging and may represent a new paradigm for future assistance to clinicians to interfere precociously in the therapeutic approach, with a more precise definition in the patient’s prognosis.

Encapsulation of Turmeric Crude Extracted in Chitosan Hydrogel Beads for Antimicrobial in Animal Health Care Applications

Hydrogel is very popular used in medicinal materials due to their properties. The aim of study is to investigate the development of chitosan (CS) hydrogel beads to extend drug-releasing time and enhance the stability of hydrogel beads from decomposition due to surrounding temperature. Gentamicin (GM) is using as a drug model for loading and releasing from hydrogel beads. For this purpose, the effects of ionic gelation of CS and tripolyphosphate (TPP) on various concentrations (1, 3, 5, and 7%w/v) are emphasized. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has revealed that CS hydrogel beads are roughly surface with decreasing of the %CS content. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra show a weak band of hydroxyl stretching at 2878 cm-1 of chitosan, the absorption band of the carbonyl stretching of the secondary amide at 1651 cm-1. The releasing solution of CS hydrogel beads exhibit an antimicrobial activity against 4 type of bacterias compared to Chloramphenical. For this reason, indicating that CS hydrogel beads are an appropriate for controlled drug release system to turmeric crude extract.

Study on the Major Cattle Health and Production Constraints in and Around Haramaya Town, Ethiopia

A Cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to April 2019 to assess the major Cattle health and production constraints in and around the Haramaya town of Haramaya district, Ethiopia. First, the survey was conducted on animal owners randomly selected from four sites in the study area and followed by clinical case observation of sick Cattles that come from the area to the Haramaya Veterinary Clinic. In our study, we found Cattle (mainly local breeds) were reared in an extensive production system characterized by mixed herd composition kept under low production input in the peri-urban area for different purposes and dairy cows mainly in the town. The main production constraints are lack of feed, water and animal health problems. According to the survey as well as clinical observation, Blackleg, Mastitis, Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), and Ringworm, Pneumonia and Fasciolosis were the top listed leading causes of mortality. We also noted parasitic and reproductive health problems that affect the quantity and quality of livestock products. This is associated with poor animal health care and extension service, lack of awareness by the farmers on how to contain the above prevailing constraints. Hence, it is recommended that basic training on Cattle health and production improvement needs to be delivered. On top of this, detail Epidemiological studies need to be conducted to evaluate disease risk factors and design the best policies for animal health and production development in the area. Keywords : Cattle, Disease, Production, Constraints, Haramaya, Ethiopia. DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-9-01 Publication date: May 31 st 2020

Evaluating the Readability of Veterinary Client Handouts from Vetlexicon, Veterinary Partner, and ClientEd

Ready-to-use animal health information handouts are a valuable service that have the potential to enhance veterinarian-client relationships and animal healthcare. Evaluating the readability of handouts is integral to ensure the information needs of veterinary clients are met. In this study, we describe the significance of client handout readability and review readability studies in veterinary medicine. We then present our analysis of the readability of 150 client handouts from three services: Vetlexicon from Vetstream, Veterinary Partner from VIN, and ClientEd from Lifelearn. With a few exceptions, the handouts scored were found to be written at a 9th through 11th grade reading level, above the recommended 6th grade reading level for human medical handouts, limiting the value and potential for enhancing communication about pet health and supporting the veterinarian-client bond.

Animal Politics: advocating for full access to health care for companion animals

Conceived by the ideas of several personalities and in permanent expansion, the field of animal ethics has been able to blur and redefine the limits of the moral community, incorporating non-human animals. But even though we are witnessing how moral anthropocentrism is entering into the category of mental scheme from a past era, unfortunately it continues to be responsible for drawing the political horizon of animals. Therefore, the challenge is to pay attention from the political and legal world to the growing public sensitivity towards animals. Thus, what is presented here constitutes a simple attempt to provide a better political scenario for them. Based on the animal rights theory of Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka, pursuing a meaningful interspecies political community requires identifying what kind of actions can be expected to bring that desired situation. Consequently, improving access to health care for companion animals should be seen as a step forward in that direction.

Hygiene Conditions and Animal-Environment Relations in Farm Animals Barns

In all type farms, animal health and the environment represents a major component, besides feeding, genetics and management quality. A healthy animal can only be grown in health and hygienic conditions. Health and environmental hygiene should not be ignored feature of the all types of farm production process quality. Animal health and care can be solved by prevention applications, vaccination strategies, disease reduction precautions and risk management approaches. Animal health - care management strategies and risk applications, several animal hygiene issues, have not been widely adopted and it is not known to most businesses yet. Appropriate animal health-care takes into consideration not only the zootechnical and veterinary affairs, but also the disease aspects and environmental hygiene conditions, economic relevances and furthermore product-production process quality related features. Enterprise-level hygiene covering all farm units is an important indicator of welfare for farm animals and is mostly dependent on facilities, management strategies of enterprise owners, climate conditions, and the behavior of the animals. According to the information given above, the objective of this study is to determine the associations between farm animal (cattle, sheep and chicken) behaviors, barn hygiene, animal hygiene, environmental conditions and the qualities of experiencing in Turkey.

Perceptions of Prominent Animal Welfare and Veterinary Care Organizations in the United States.

Simple SummaryPublic perception of animal well-being, and pet animal well-being in particular, remains a significant point of contention. This study ranks prominent animal welfare and veterinary care organizations’ perceived impact on pet animal well-being and health care based on U.S. residents’ perceptions, while explicitly accounting for variation between pet-owning and non-pet-owning households. Results suggest that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is perceived as the most impactful organization followed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Humane Association (AHA) were tied for third most impactful. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Pet Products Association (APPA) were tied for fourth most impactful while Banfield was perceived as the least impactful.U.S. residents’ perceptions of the impact of prominent animal welfare and veterinary care organizations on pet animal well-being and health care may not be linked to the organization’s stated mission and effectiveness in advancing it, but to the level of recognition people have for the groups. An online survey of 1000 U.S. residents was used to understand the perceived impact of organizations with self-stated dedication to pet animal well-being. Using a Likert-scale, respondents ranked 13 prominent organizations as having a low to high impact on pet animal well-being and health care. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) had the highest perceived average impact, while People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had the lowest. A best–worst scaling (BWS) choice experiment was conducted with 7 of the initial 13 organizations to elicit relative rankings by forcing tradeoffs by respondents. Consistent with the Likert-scale results, the ASPCA was ranked as the most impactful organization. The ASPCA’s perceived impact on pet animal well-being and health care may be linked to their high level of recognition among respondents, as this was the organization that respondents most frequently reported having seen/heard stories related to animal well-being and health care.

Biosafety in a veterinary hospital: the generators perspective about healthcare waste

Veterinary hospitals are significant generators of healthcare waste (HCW). The dangerousness attached to HCW represents an important factor for the matter of biosafety in health facilities. In this context, the objective of this work was to analyze the HCW management practices of an animal health care unit, as a basis for the elaboration and implementation of a Health Services Waste Management Plan (HSWMP). The research was descriptive exploratory, quantitative and qualitative, being developed in a veterinary hospital bounded to a higher education institution, located in the south of Rio Grande do Sul. Visits in loco and questionnaire application to the HCW generators were realized. The study showed that the management of this waste was not being carried out according to the law. Therefore, it is necessary to continue training people who involved in the management process, in addition to the implementation of the HSWMP in the unit.