Veterinary Advice Research Articles

An application for mobile devices as a decision support for the treatment and prevention of bovine fasciolosis - A survey among organic dairy farms in Bavaria

Based on health applications used in human medicine for the self-management of chronic diseases, the aim of this study was to evaluate a mobile app in veterinary medicine using the example of a decision-making aid for the control and prevention of bovine fasciolosis on dairy cattle farms. The study was carried out on 37 organic dairy cattle farms in Bavaria. The farms were divided into two groups: one group received a mobile app (n=17) as a decision-making aid, while the other group received a printed brochure (n=20) with identical content. At the beginning of the study, all participants were questioned by telephone concerning their farm, among other things. After using the respective tool, the participants were again interviewed by telephone. At the beginning of the study, the majority of participants were aware of the options for drainage (n=28; 75.7%) and fencing off wet areas (n=36; 97.3%). 37.8% (n=14) stated that they were familiar with a pasture rotation system. After using the respective aid, the majority of participants described the tool as helpful (94.1% app; 80% brochure). Many participants (app group: n=10 (58.8%); brochure group: n=16 (80%)) stated that they wanted to change their approach based on the new knowledge gained, e. g. introducing a pasture rotation system (app group: n=9 (52.9%); brochure group: n=13 (65.0%)). Both study groups enjoyed working with the tool they used. They viewed the knowledge imparted by the mobile app or brochure as helpful and useful. Most participants expressed a desire to continue using these tools in animal health management on farms in the future. The use of tools such as mobile apps may improve veterinary advice, e. g. in the management of parasitoses in cattle herds.

Comparative Analysis of Dental Diseases in Domestic Cats Fed Different Diets in Canada

Purpose: To aim of the study was to analyze the comparative analysis of dental diseases in domestic cats fed different diets. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: In studying domestic cats on different diets, it's clear that those eating dry kibble or dental-specific foods tend to have better dental health than those on wet diets. Dry food's abrasive texture helps reduce plaque and tartar buildup, whereas wet diets provide less mechanical cleaning, leading to higher risks of dental diseases like periodontal issues and gingivitis. Dental-specific diets with added oral health benefits play a key role in maintaining gum health and reducing plaque. Veterinary advice stresses the importance of these diets along with regular dental care for overall feline health and wellbeing. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social learning theory, health belief model & biological theory of aging may be used to anchor future studies on comparative analysis of dental diseases in domestic cats fed different diets. Veterinarians and pet owners should be informed about the significant role of diet in maintaining feline dental health. Policy initiatives could advocate for clearer labeling and educational campaigns regarding the dental health benefits of specific cat diets.

Mitigating antibiotic misuse in dairy farming systems and milk value chain market: Insights into practices, factors, and farmers education in Nyabihu district, Rwanda

The widespread misuse of antibiotics to combat bacterial infections in dairy farming is a global concern contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). To gain insights within small-scale dairy farming, a study was conducted in Nyabihu district of Rwanda from September 2021 to April 2023 to assess practices and factors associated with antibiotic use, investigate antibiotic residues in cow milk and undertake a comprehensive training program to improve quality milk production. A mixed-methods approach, combining cross-sectional and longitudinal intervention studies, involved 42 regular dairy farmers from both open and zero-grazing systems delivering milk to the Union pour la Promotion des Cooperatives des Eleveurs en Nyabihu (UPROCENYA) milk collection center (MCC). Standardized questionnaires and farm interviews were conducted to assess antibiotic use practices while bulk tank milk samples from the same farmers were collected and tested for antibiotic residues using rapid tests over 16 months (8 months before and 8 months after training).Out of 451 bulk tank milk samples tested, 27 samples (6%) contained antibiotic residues, primarily tetracyclines (55.3%) and beta-lactams (44.7%). Before farmers training, 5182.75 l of milk were rejected monthly due to antibiotic residues. Following training, milk rejections decreased to 3192.75 l per month, reflecting 38.35% monthly decrease. However, no statistically significant difference was found by independent t-test (t = 1.441; p = 0.173) between milk rejected before and after training. 97.6% of interviewed farmers reported using antibiotics within six months preceding data collection, with 71.4% primarily used for disease treatment, notably targeting tick-borne diseases (34.0%). Alarming practices included administering antibiotics without referring samples for laboratory examination (100%), disregarding withdrawal periods (88.1%) and administering antibiotics without a veterinary doctor's prescription (85.7%). Factors contributing to these practices included limited farmer’s knowledge on antibiotics, easy access to antibiotics in local agro-veterinary shops, and insufficient veterinary services. Antibiotic-laden milk was used to feed calves (38.6%), consumed at home (26.5%), and sold (12.0%).The observed misuse of antibiotics and disregard for antibiotic withdrawal periods pose significant threats to both milk quality and human health. The authors recommend that dairy farmers prioritize animal health monitoring, seek veterinary advice for disease prevention and treatment and implement biosecurity measures to prevent diseases and thus reduce antibiotic usage. Collaborative efforts among stakeholders are highly recommended to enhance capacity building for dairy farmers and support research initiatives. Furthermore, it is strongly suggested to strengthen regulations on the prudent use of antibiotics within the Rwandan food production system to curb antimicrobial resistance across both animal and human populations.

Becoming a matter of veterinary concern.

Horses in Great Britain are living into increasingly older age and are often regarded as friends or family members by their owner. The horse is reliant on their owner to meet their needs and this paper discusses how horse owners frame an issue that becomes a matter of veterinary concern within the context of the older horse. Qualitative methods were used to explore the experiences of owners and veterinarians. Data were collected and analysed using a grounded theory approach during the period 2019-2022. Analysis identified that owners undertook an ongoing and iterative process of assessment, monitoring and decision making in relation to the animal and any changes they observed. Matters that became a veterinary concern required the owner to formulate the issue as something that fell within the knowledge domain of the veterinarian. Veterinarians had a medicalised view of older horse health and their perspectives on socially acceptable care were shaped by their understanding of species-specific needs, and whether owners were providing appropriately for those needs. The formulation of a matter of veterinary concern was itself shaped by an owner's experiential knowledge of both veterinary matters and their horse. The extent to which owners felt like they and their individual horse mattered during interactions with veterinarians affected whether they adopted veterinary advice and the nature of future veterinary employment. Findings demonstrate how matters of health, disease, and the role of professionalised forms of medical knowledge, are not static but constantly changing and interacting over time. An issue that became a matter of veterinary concern was contextual, and rooted in individual relationships. The significance of veterinarian-owner interactions in shaping future consumption of veterinary health care may be underestimated.

USE OF ANTIBIOTICS AND THE FARMERS' AWARENESS LEVEL OF ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE OF BROILER FARMS

The ever-existent measures of antibiotic application in the broiler industry remain a controversial tool for improving livestock health and accelerating growth. The main objective of the study is to find the use of antibiotics and the farmers' awareness level of antibiotic resistance in broiler farms. This study is designed to investigate antibiotic usage practices and assess the awareness levels of broiler farmers regarding antibiotic resistance. A total of 280 participants from various broiler farms across the region were recruited from February 2023 to August 2023. Eligible participants included farm owners, managers, and workers directly involved in broiler farming activities. Data were collected from 280 participants through a designed survey. The study revealed a predominance of medium-sized farms, housing between 5,000 to 20,000 broilers, accounting for 60% of participants, followed by large farms with over 20,000 broilers at 25%. Basic biosecurity protocols were the most commonly implemented management practice among participants, reported by 50% of respondents, while 35% reported moderate implementation, and 15% reported advanced biosecurity measures. Tetracycline emerged as the most commonly used antibiotic (45%), often administered orally (60%) for disease prevention (40%). Enrofloxacin (30%) and Amoxicillin (25%) were also prevalent, with oral administration being the preferred route. Despite the predominance of seeking veterinary advice (70%), a notable proportion reported self-medication (20%) or seeking advice from fellow farmers (10%). It is concluded that antibiotic usage remains prevalent in commercial poultry farming, with tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and beta-lactams being commonly employed. While seeking veterinary advice predominates, there's a need to address gaps in access to veterinary services and promote responsible antibiotic stewardship among farmers.

Scotland calling: embracing a career abroad as an official veterinarian.

Olivia Andronic qualified in Romania but had a yearning to work in the UK. Now a veterinary advisor at Food Standards Scotland, her unusual career took off after she applied for a role as a meat hygiene inspector.

Understanding Vietnamese chicken farmers' knowledge and practices related to antimicrobial resistance using an item response theory approach.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a threat to animal and human health, as well as food security and nutrition. Development of AMR is accelerated by over- and misuse of antimicrobials as seen in many livestock systems, including poultry production. In Vietnam, high AMR levels have been reported previously within poultry production, a sector which is dominated by small-scale farming, even though it is intensifying. This study focuses on understanding small- and medium-scale chicken farmers' knowledge and practices related to AMR by applying an item response theory (IRT) approach, which has several advantages over simpler statistical methods. Farmers representing 305 farms in Thai Nguyen province were interviewed from November 2021 to January 2022, using a structured questionnaire. Results generated with IRT were used in regression models to find associations between farm characteristics, and knowledge and practice levels. Descriptive results showed that almost all farmers could buy veterinary drugs without prescription in the local community, that only one third of the farmers received veterinary professional advice or services, and that the majority of farmers gave antibiotics as a disease preventive measure. Regression analysis showed that multiple farm characteristics were significantly associated to farmers' knowledge and practice scores. The study highlights the complexity when tailoring interventions to move towards more medically rational antibiotic use at farms in a setting with high access to over-the-counter veterinary drugs and low access to veterinary services, since many on-farm factors relevant for the specific context need to be considered.

Cross-sectional United Kingdom surveys demonstrate that owners and veterinary professionals differ in their perceptions of preventive and treatment healthcare needs in ageing dogs.

Perceptions of dog owners and veterinary professionals (surgeons/nurses) can influence the preventive healthcare and treatment provided to dogs, especially at the senior life-stage, when chronic diseases become more common. This study compared perceptions of healthcare of dogs as they age between dog owners and veterinary professionals. Data from two online surveys (owners: N = 633, veterinary professionals: N = 305) examined perceived need for veterinary visits and vaccinations. In addition, 48 clinical signs were rated on perceived prevalence (whether owners' dogs had experienced them) and how urgently they should seek veterinary advice. Groups were compared using descriptive statistics and chi-square. Owners most often believed a 'healthy' senior dog (>7 years) should go to the vet once a year (47% owners vs. 25% veterinary professionals, p < 0.001), compared with veterinary professionals every 6 months (39 vs. 73%). A minority (14%) of owners would just take the dog 'if they got sick' but only 2% of veterinary professionals advised this, and 16% of owners of dogs of all ages had not had any contact with their veterinary practise in the previous year. Nearly all veterinary professionals (92%) believed that senior/geriatric dogs should receive yearly vaccinations. However, 28% of owners' dogs of all ages were not vaccinated in the previous year and, of these, 33% did not believe that older dogs need vaccinations. Only 10% of dogs considered 'old' by their owners had attended a senior wellness clinic or examination, despite 14% of practises offering them. The three most common clinical signs reported by owners were slowing down on walks (57%), dental tartar (53%) and being stiff on rising (50%). Owners perceived urgency to seek veterinary care was lower if they had experienced the clinical sign before. In the current study, dog owners and veterinary professionals differed in their opinions about the need for veterinary care, suggesting new educational initiatives, and more effective communication is required.

Flock health planning: How to move from a plan to a reflective planning process in Northern Irish sheep flocks?

AbstractFlock health planning has been advocated as part of a wider drive within livestock production for veterinarians and farmers to adopt a prevention‐focused approach to veterinary medicine. This approach has, at its core, a cyclical process of assessment, evaluation, action and re‐assessment, and is documented, at least in summary, in a health plan (HP). The HP has become a defining pillar of farm quality assurance schemes (QASs), introduced to address calls for greater transparency and accountability in food production. There is limited current information on the attitudes and behaviours surrounding flock HPs in the sheep sector and the barriers to greater involvement in an active process of continual improvement through reflective flock health planning. This study aims to address these issues with reference to the national flock in Northern Ireland. A mixed‐methods approach was used to explore farmers' and veterinarians' opinions and behaviours related to QASs and HP, with data obtained through an online scoping questionnaire, semi‐structured interviews with 27 farmers and 15 veterinarians, and discussion groups with farmers and veterinarians. No evidence of a positive association between a farm having a HP and implementation of 12 industry‐recommended flock health activities was identified using the Fisher's exact test. Farmers reported a reluctance to pay for veterinary advice while some veterinarians reported a lack of time to develop HPs for farmers, and sheep‐related work generally. Farmers predominantly saw the HP as a static, physical document, which had limited impact on their management practices, rather than a proactive, reflective and collaborative planning process. Veterinarians tasked with completing HPs felt restricted by limited knowledge of on‐farm practices, flock production data and a lack of confidence in the accuracy of on‐farm medicine records. This led some to believe that the HPs may fail to address critical issues. A new approach to engage farmers and veterinarians together in active flock health planning needs to be developed. This will need a sustainable delivery plan. Then the focus can be shifted towards ongoing reflective health planning to drive change for the betterment of sheep health and welfare.

A qualitative survey approach to investigating beef and dairy veterinarians’ needs in relation to technologies on farms

Globally, farmers are being increasingly encouraged to use technologies. Consequently, veterinarians often use farm data and technologies to provide farmers with advice. Yet very few studies have sought to understand veterinarians’ perceptions of data and technologies on farms. The aim of this study was to understand veterinarians’ experiences and opinions on data and technology on beef and dairy farms. An online qualitative survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 36 and 24 veterinarians from the United Kingdom and Ireland, respectively. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to generate four themes: (1) Improving veterinary advice through data; (2) Ensuring stock person skills are retained; (3) Longevity of technology; and (4) Solving social problems on farms. We show that technologies and data can make veterinarians feel more confident in the advice they give to farmers. However, the quality and quantity of data collected on cattle farms were highly variable. Furthermore, veterinarians were concerned that farmers can become over-reliant on technologies by not using their stockperson skills. As herd sizes increase, technologies can help to improve working conditions on farms with multiple employees of various skillsets. Veterinarians would like innovations that can help them to demonstrate their competence, influence farmers’ behaviour, and ensure sustainability of the beef and dairy industries.

How and why pet cats are fed the way they are: a self-reported owner survey.

This study used an owner-directed online questionnaire to collect data regarding their food and water provision for their pet cats. The survey was conducted in 2019. The anonymous online 30-question survey was available via vetprofessionals.com. A total of 1172 cat owners fully completed the questionnaire. The respondents each owned a median of two cats (range 1-6). They reported being most strongly motivated to feed a particular ration because of palatability, observed and/or expected health benefits, or that the diet was/is perceived as 'natural'. The majority of owners (n = 946, 80.7%) fed their cats exclusively a commercially purchased complete wet food, dry kibble diet or mixture of both. Compared with a previous (unpublished) survey conducted by the same authors in 2013,1 there were substantial increases in the number of owners feeding therapeutic diets (26.6% vs 0.7%) and the inclusion of raw meat in cats' rations (15.6% vs 3.7%). The proportion of respondents providing at least one feeding station per cat was 83.1%, with significant use of enrichment feeding methods (29.1%). Veterinarians need to be aware of changing trends in cat feeding to provide owners with appropriate support. Veterinary advice was frequently sought by owners and can be used as an opportunity to improve cat health and welfare, particularly in multi-cat households, but was not often influential to client decision making.

Association Between Household Location (Urban versus Rural) and Fundamental Care Provided to Domestic Dogs (Canis Familiaris) in Northern Ireland.

This study aimed to generate information regarding living conditions (e.g. indoors and outdoors, living space available), fundamental care (e.g. feeding and exercise) and owners' perceptions of dog's preferences (e.g. living conditions) in the urban and rural areas of Northern Ireland via a cross-sectional survey questionnaire. The responses were collected from May to August 2022, at 24 locations across Northern Ireland, including 15 agricultural shows and livestock markets and nine large supermarkets (single supermarket chain) located in an area of the show or market grounds. In all, 548 questionnaires were collected and after exclusion of questionnaires with missing or incomprehensible responses, 507 questionnaires were included in the final database. Out of 507 questionnaires, 264 respondents resided in a city while 243 respondents resided on farms. The majority of respondents from the city locations perceived their dogs as pets, while those living on farms regarded their dogs as working animals. The populations of dogs in the city locations and on the farms in this study were similar regarding the age range and numbers of the animals, but more female dogs were spayed in the city locations than on the farms. Most respondents in this study, regardless of their household location, declared that they did not monitor their animal's body weight or body condition. When feeding their dogs, the respondents from the city locations were predominantly following veterinary advice or instructions on food labels. On the other hand, the respondents from farm locations mostly reported that they fed their dogs based on 'a visual inspection of dog condition'; this type of feeding was associated with a certain type of household occupancy (more frequent in single and adults only households) and respondents' employment status (more frequent by retired and those managing the home). The living conditions of dogs in city and farm locations in this study were different, namely dogs in the city were kept predominantly indoors with access to outdoors while dogs from farm locations were kept predominantly outdoors. The dogs were reported to be walked daily for a shorter time (up to 1h/day) in the city locations and longer on the farm locations (1-2h/day). Regardless of household location (city versus farm) respondents believed that exercise needs depend on animal age, body condition and medical condition, that dogs need to be kept active by owners to keep them fit, that dogs cannot self-regulate the amount of food they eat daily, and finally that walking with a dog a few times a day is difficult due to other commitments. On the other hand, the respondents from farm locations more often believe that dogs can get all the exercise they need by themselves if kept outdoors and they are happier with living outdoors, while the respondents from city locations believed that dogs are happier with living indoors. In conclusion, the results of this study have shown a number of differences in basic care and perception of dogs kept in city locations and on farm locations. Further studies are required to understand the provision of health care and fulfilments of all welfare needs of the dogs kept on farms.

Evaluation of the Role of Veterinarians for Outcomes Related to the Health and Production of Dairy Small Ruminants in Greece

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential benefits of veterinarians in improving the health and welfare of dairy sheep and goats by studying the associations of management practices employed in the farms with production- or health-related outcomes in sheep and goat farms in Greece. This work explored associations with ‘professional relationship with a veterinarian’ at 444 small ruminant dairy farms in an investigation performed around Greece, where 106 variables, related to infrastructure, animals, production outcomes, health management, health problems and human resources, were assessed. In 384 (86.5%) farms, a professional relationship with a veterinarian was maintained. The median value of visits made annually by veterinarians to these farms was five. In farms with a professional relationship with a veterinarian, significant differences were found in 24 variables (35.8%) related to management practices and 6 (30.0%) production- or health-related outcomes. In multivariable analysis, the following emerged with a significant association: epg counts in faecal samples (p = 0.014), average annual milk production per ewe/doe (p = 0.015), somatic cell counts in bulk-tank milk (p = 0.037), and annual incidence of clinical mastitis (p = 0.044). Moreover, associations of the characteristics of veterinarians emerged with somatic cell counts in bulk-tank milk: the gender (p &lt; 0.0001) and the age (p = 0.004) of the veterinarians. The results attest that the application of veterinary advice and clinical services in sheep and goat dairy farms contributes to the improved health, production and welfare of animals.

How benchmarking motivates colostrum management practices on dairy farms: A realistic evaluation

This study used realistic evaluation to determine how, and in which circumstances, providing dairy farmers with benchmarked data on their calves can motivate improved colostrum management practices. Dairy farmers from British Columbia, Canada were recruited through 2 veterinary clinics that offered benchmarking of calf data as part of their services. For approximately 8 wk, blood samples were collected from newborn calves to evaluate serum total protein concentrations as an indicator of the effectiveness of the farmer's colostrum management. These data were analyzed separately for heifer calves ("replacement calves"), and non-replacement calves including males and beef crossbred females ("surplus calves"). The results of these analyses were benchmarked against other participating herds and presented to dairy farmers (n = 27) by their herd veterinarian (n = 7). Follow up interviews were conducted separately with the farmers and veterinarians after each meeting to determine their perspectives on the utility of this benchmarking strategy. Therefore, a total of 42 interviews were coded and realistic evaluation was used to determine common contexts and mechanisms that contributed to the success or failure of the benchmark meeting, with success characterized by farmers' expressed intention to improve their colostrum management practices. Four important contexts were identified that influenced the outcome of the benchmark meetings: (1) farm resources (e.g., facility limitations), (2) the farmer's perception of their calf performance, (3) management strategies, and (4) the farmer's personal values. Depending on these contexts, some farmers intended to improve their calf care practices based on resources the benchmark meeting provided, which included illustrative data and veterinary advice. These resources motivated change through influencing farmer decision making, which depended on the value they saw in the data as a decision-making tool. The economic or moral interest farmers expressed in their surplus calves also influenced whether farmers intended to implement management changes. Recommendations for future implementation of benchmarking include targeting producers who are motivated to improve and who value the future performance of their calves, have engaged calf care personnel, and those who prefer data-driven decision making. This study supports the impactful role veterinarians can play in motivating improved calf care practices through providing benchmarking services.

Environmental Effects of Sport Horse Production Farms in Argentina

Argentina is one of the countries that exports animals for equestrian sports. This paper analyzes the environmental effects of sport horse production farms in Argentina and proposes actions to minimize the environmental effects of this type of production. Twenty-six sport horse production farms in the province of Buenos Aires were studied. The proximity of the farms to a surface water body, the destination of the stall bedding, management practices and whether they receive veterinary advice were the characteristics analyzed in relation to feed, its composition and water consumption according to the performance of the animals. A nominal qualitative analysis on the impact was carried out considering three impact categories: low, medium and high. The association between the four environmental variables analyzed has shown that only two farms have a low environmental impact, while eighteen farms have a medium impact and five farms have a high impact. The results show that the role of the professional veterinarian is key in minimizing environmental impact and that the management of excretions and stall bedding should be reviewed in order to reduce the impact. This paper presents recommendations associated with water use, feed and manure management.

Dog caregivers' perceptions, motivations, and behaviours for feeding treats: A cross sectional study.

Treats are commonly fed by most dog caregivers and can constitute a significant proportion of a dog's diet, potentially contributing to obesity. Feeding aspects related to treats specifically, remain underexplored. An e-survey was voluntarily completed by 716 dog caregivers predominantly from Canada and the USA to identify and describe caregivers' perceptions, motivations, and behaviours surrounding treats, and factors that influence decisions about feeding treats. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze (1) measurement methods associated with monitoring treat intake, and (2) frequency of feeding different types of treats with perceiving dog as overweight/obese. Most caregivers considered the term 'treat' in a nutritional context, but respondents expressed mixed perceptions of how they consider treats in relation to their dog's primary diet. Alongside training and sports activities, aspects relating to the human-animal bond were highly reported to influence decisions surrounding treats. Most respondents were motivated to provide treats because it makes their pet happy, and to strengthen the bond with their dog, and nearly 40% of caregivers frequently feed treats to show love to their dog. Human food and table scraps were frequently fed by 30-40% of caregivers and feeding human food weekly was predictive of caregivers perceiving their dog to be overweight/obese (OR=2.24, p=0.007). Caregivers estimated treats to account for a median of 15% of their dog's total diet, based on estimated quantity. Caregivers who reported using a measuring cup/scoop to measure their dog's treats were more likely to monitor their dog's treat intake (OR=3.38, p=0.002). Most caregivers monitor their dog's body condition (60%) or consider their dog's recent activity level (43%) to decide on the amount of treats to feed; only 22% of caregivers reported veterinary advice to support their decisions on the amount of treats to feed. Findings from this research offer new insights to dog caregiver feeding habits and their perceptions of treats in relation to the canine diet. These results can be used to inform veterinary counselling strategies and caregiver education initiatives to promote animal health and well-being.

Use of an online gaming tool, the Veterinary DialogueTrainer, for teaching clinical communication skills to bovine veterinary practitioners.

Effective clinical communication is essential for bovine veterinary practitioners to establish and maintain positive client relationships. When applied properly in herd health consultancy, it increases client satisfaction and adherence to veterinary advice, and improves patient health and welfare. Although communication skills are often taught by providing feedback on simulated conversations, this has limitations, including time constraints, subjective assessments, and cost. The Veterinary DialogueTrainer (VDT) is an online serious game platform using 'digital role-play' with avatars, recently developed to enhance and assess learning outcomes, improve use of learned skills, and increase cost-effectiveness of communication training. The objective was to evaluate its suitability and applicability. Finnish (n = 24) and Swedish (n = 21) bovine veterinarians participated in communication training using VDT for training and assessment. Participants completed the provided scenario at least twice. After playing a bovine health communication simulation, participants received their scores and feedback on selected conversation options. VDT scores measured multiple aspects of communication on a 0-100% scale, based on motivational interviewing methodology and Calgary-Cambridge guidelines. Mean (±SD) number of attempts participants played the scenario was 4.1 (±2.6, Finland) and 3.9 (±1.3, Sweden), with highest total score reached after a mean of 3.5 (±2.1, Finland) and 3.1 (±1.1, Sweden) attempts. On the first attempt, 39 participants (87%) scored <50% of the highest possible score, whereas most (n = 34, 76%) achieved a higher score on the second attempt. Mean total score increased from 15 (±14) to 77% (±33) for Finish participants and from 40 (±22.0) to 87% (±19.4) for Swedish participants. The majority (n = 33, 73%) of participants reached a score >80% after 4.0 (±1.6, Finland) or 2.8 (±1.0, Sweden) attempts. Net Promoter Score of the training was +89 (Finland), +88 (Finland) and + 83 (Sweden) on a scale from -100 to +100, indicating that most participants were very likely to recommend the training to other veterinarians. Use of VDT increased communication skills scores but whether it will improve communication skills in practice requires further study. We concluded there is a likely benefit of using the VDT in teaching and monitoring veterinary communication competencies and preparing for offline role-plays and real-life conversations in veterinary practice.

Impact of antimicrobial use on abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes in chicken flocks in Vietnam.

We investigated longitudinally Vietnamese small-scale chicken flocks in order to characterize changes in antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) content over their life cycle, and the impact of antimicrobial use (AMU) on an intervention consisting of veterinary advice provision. AMU data and faecal samples were collected from 83 flocks (25 farms) at day-old, mid- and late-production (∼4 month cycle). Using high-throughput real-time PCR, samples were investigated for 94 ARGs. ARG copies were related to 16S rRNA and ng of DNA (ngDNA). Impact of AMU and ARGs in day-olds was investigated by mixed-effects models. Flocks received a mean (standard error, SE) animal daily dose (ADD) of 736.7 (83.0) and 52.1 (9.9) kg in early and late production, respectively. Overall, ARGs/16S rRNA increased from day-old (mean 1.47; SE 0.10) to mid-production (1.61; SE 0.16), further decreasing in end-production (1.60; SE 0.1) (all P > 0.05). In mid-production, ARGs/16S rRNA increased for aminoglycosides, phenicols, sulphonamides and tetracyclines, decreasing for polymyxins β-lactams and genes that confer resistance to mutiple classes (multi-drug resistance) (MDR). At end-production, aminoglycoside resistance decreased and polymyxin and quinolone resistance increased (all P < 0.05). Results in relation to ngDNA gave contradictory results. Neither AMU nor ARGs in day-olds had an impact on subsequent ARG abundance. The intervention resulted in 74.2% AMU reduction; its impact on ARGs depended on whether ARGs/ngDNA (+14.8%) or ARGs/16S rRNA metrics (-10.7%) (P > 0.05) were computed. The flocks' environment (contaminated water, feed and residual contamination) is likely to play a more important role in transmission of ARGs to flocks than previously thought. Results highlight intriguing differences in the quantification of ARGs depending on the metric chosen.

Subsidized veterinary extension services may reduce antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture

Antibiotic use in aquaculture has become very controversial vis-à-vis driving antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic bacterial populations. The AMR trends in fish pathogens in Hong Kong over a four-year period suggests that providing small stakeholder farmers with free veterinary advice on fish health issues and treatments, as well as subsidized quality-assured medicines, likely reduced AMR. We observed a dramatic reduction in the proportion of bacteria resistant to oxolinic acid, oxytetracycline, and florfenicol on local aquaculture farms between 2018 and 2021. These decreases coincided with either a change in antibiotic use practices on farms (i.e. with oxytetracycline), or the reduction in the use of specific drugs (i.e. oxolinic acid and florfenicol). We did not observe a similar decline in the resistance pattern to commonly used antibiotics in human medicine in the same fish bacteria. Resistance to these products, which were unlikely to be used by the farmers in our study, was very high. Our finding suggests that both human and veterinary use of antibiotics in Hong Kong may have an influence on the AMR of bacteria in the aquatic environment.

Limitations and opportunities of smallholders' practical knowledge when dealing with pig health issues in northern Uganda.

Pig production has a short history in Uganda. The majority of pigs are kept by smallholder farmers in rural areas where access to veterinary services is limited, and pig keeping has been suggested as a potential pathway out of poverty for smallholders. Previous research has identified the disease of African swine fever (ASF) as a major threat, causing high mortalities in pigs. With no available cure or vaccine, the only option is to implement biosecurity measures, i.e. strategies that prevent the spread of ASF. This paper draws on data from four months of ethnographic fieldwork in rural northern Uganda. Combining methods of participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and a survey, the aim was to improve understanding of smallholders' perceptions and responses to pig health issues such as ASF. Applying the concept of practical knowledge, this paper analyses the potential and limitations of smallholders' practice-based knowledge as a means of dealing with pig health issues. The results show that while pigs were appreciated locally for providing an income, many informants found it difficult to deal with pig diseases effectively. Consequently, informants commonly expressed a need for other kinds of knowledge in their pig production, indicating that veterinary advice can play an important role in reducing the negative impact of pig health issues. For animal health provision to have relevance in this context, however, veterinary practitioners must pay close attention to smallholders' priorities and ways of knowing in their livestock keeping. Results further show that pig health issues made some informants abandon pig production altogether. To enhance the potential of pig production as a poverty mitigation strategy in Uganda, research and policy need to focus on ways of bettering general conditions for smallholder pig keeping, including improving the quality of and access to veterinary services in rural areas.