Veterinary Environment Research Articles

Environmental enrichment for gerbils in the veterinary and domestic environment

Small exotics, commonly referred to as ‘small furries’, include hamsters, gerbils, rabbits and an array of other species. Gerbils are one of the easiest rodents to maintain and manage due to their typically non-aggressive nature. Usually found in deserts and semi-arid geographical regions of the world, the Mongolian gerbils available today originated from 20 pairs of captured animals. These were maintained in 1935 in a closed, random-bred colony at the Kitasato Institute in Japan.

High overcommitment and low reward as potential predictors for increased depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide risk in German veterinarians.

Higher rates of depression, suicidal ideation and suicide risk have been reported for veterinarians in Germany. In this study, several demographic and job-related factors were examined to determine whether they could be considered possible predictors of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide risk. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among veterinarians in Germany. The demographic factors surveyed were gender, age, working status (employed/self-employed), income, field of work (practicing/non-practicing veterinarian), weekly working hours and community size. For assessing job-related factors, the Effort-Reward-Imbalance questionnaire (effort, reward, overcommitment), several subscales of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (quantitative demands, emotional demands, demands for hiding emotions, meaning of work, work-privacy-conflict, thoughts of leaving the job) and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory were used. A hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed with the demographic and job-related factors as independent variables and depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide risk as dependent variables, respectively. A total of 3.118 veterinarians (78.8% female) between 22 and 69 years (mean age 41.3 years) were included in the study. The factors used resulted in the highest variance explanation for depressive symptoms (57%), followed by suicidal ideation (34%) and suicide risk (23%). Low reward and high overcommitment were found to be the most important predictors of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide risk. Significant relationships with depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide risk were also found for burnout, demands for hiding emotions, and thoughts of leaving the job. The results of this study point to opportunities for changes in the veterinary working environment, for the development of prevention and intervention programs for veterinarians, and for the further development of the veterinary curriculum to strengthen the mental health of veterinarians in Germany.

Voluntary head dunk: cooperative care for irrigating canine noses and eyes and rapid cooling.

To demonstrate the methods to teach dogs to voluntarily immerse (dunk) their head in a container of water, and to identify the 3 indications for voluntary head dunk: to clear a dog's nostrils of dust/debris, flush a dog's eyes, and cool a dog after exercise. Dogs. With the use of cooperative care and positive reinforcement training, the dog is taught to retrieve a toy or treat from a bucket or large container. Clean, room temperature water is added stepwise until the dog is comfortable immersing its nose and blowing bubbles or immersing its head to retrieve the toy or treat. The training may require minutes, weeks, or months, depending on the dog's motivation. Voluntary head dunk can remove dust and debris from the nasal passages and eyes and can facilitate cooling, especially after exercise. Positive reinforcement creates a cooperative environment in which first aid can be effectively administered. Contraindications include treatment of heat stroke, persistent or serious nasal or ocular discharge, or dogs that are uncomfortable or unable to dunk their heads. Pet owners and handlers of working dogs or canine athletes can teach their dogs to head dunk and implement this first aid technique for exercise-related cooling or ocular/nasal flush, even in environments with limited resources. Some dogs may be rapidly trained in the veterinary environment as an initial approach to a nasal or ocular flush. Cooperative care provides an effective intervention that preserves and enhances the human-animal bond.

Transmission chains and molecular characterizations of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae at a veterinary hospital in Chengdu, China

The rapid emergence of Extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) is a major global public health concern. Previous studies have identified that intensive medical care of dogs and cats in veterinary hospitals have accelerated the infections and spread of ESBL-E. To investigate the spread of ESBL-E in a veterinary hospital, a total of 202 samples including hospitalized animals, veterinary healthcare workers and environment were collected from a veterinary hospital in Chengdu, China. ESBL-E were identified by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and 16 s rRNA sequencing and were further conducted on ESBL gene detection and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). At last, strains with transmission potential were analyzed by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Our results showed that the overall prevalence of ESBL-positive isolates was 34.7% (70/202), with 55.3% (26/47) in animals, 29.3% (12/41) in healthcare workers and 28.1% (32/114) in environment swabs. Twenty diverse MLST types were detected, with ST744, ST231 as the most prevalent ones. Transmission chains of two ESBL-E.coli (ST744 blaCTX-M-18, blaTEM-1) from cat_21 to cat_14, and two ESBL-Kp (ST231 blaCTX-M-27, blaTEM-1, blaSHV-1) from cat_20 to cat_37 were further confirmed by WGS. Furthermore, interdisciplinary investigation and cooperation of AMR are needed to better limit the transmissions of high-risk strains and to implement effective public health interventions.

Atendimento clínico felino eficiente para reduzir estresse e alterações em exames complementares

The feline species presents quite particular characteristics and has great sensitivity to olfactory, visual, tactile and auditory stimuli. Thus, when going to the veterinary environment, there are numerous factors that can cause stress. Therefore, cat-friendly management is essential in clinical routine to reduce alterations in complementary exams, as an animal in this state presents significant changes in its physiological parameters. By implementing positive strategies that respect the individualities of the patients, they feel calmer and more confident, which decreases the likelihood of developing stress-related pathologies. Additionally, it is a fact that cat-friendly hospital environments optimize recovery and preserve the emotional state of the animals. Therefore, this work reviews the main practices in clinical care that ensure greater well-being for cats, minimizing sources of stress and, consequently, alterations in complementary exams. With these measures, both animals and owners become more secure in making regular visits to the veterinarian, allowing for frequent monitoring of the animals' health, thus increasing the chances of early diagnoses.

Physical working environments: how they affect our wellbeing and performance

The surroundings in which employees spend their working lives are an important source of job satisfaction, and have an impact on work motivation and patterns of interaction with others. On the other hand, they can be as much of a source of pressure as a heavy workload, poor work‐life balance or significant organisational change. This article provides an overview of the impact of elements of the physical working environment on staff wellbeing, including the building design, workspace, materials, furniture, lighting, temperature, noise and how much control the team have over their work environment. These factors need to be considered to ensure that the physical characteristics of the veterinary environment do not have a negative effect on engagement, productivity and wellbeing, but instead promote job satisfaction, improved performance and team cohesiveness.

Perfil de 5.213 proprietários e percepções sobre cuidados com felinos e atendimento médico veterinário

ABSTRACT: The objective of the present study was to know the profile of Brazilian cat owners and their perceptions of responsible ownership and the veterinary care environment. The application of a semi-structured online questionnaire investigating the owner’s socioeconomic level and perception of knowledge concerning health care and history of medical-veterinary care of their cats using the snowball method. A total of 5,213 participants were included, of which: 93% were women, 52% were single and lived in urban areas (96%). Fifty nine per cent of the owners answered that their cat is taken to the veterinary care service only when it shows a clinical sign and 65% of them feel anxious when they need to take their cats to the vet. Only 1% of the owner did not consider the cat as a family member. Concerning the veterinary care scenario, 40% of the owners answered that at least once, that their cat(s) had been handled inappropriately by veterinary service professionals, and they believed that low affinity with the species and excessive restraint were the main causes for this misconduct. Around 40% of the owners had already changed their veterinarian because of this inappropriate interaction/handling. Conclusion and relevancethe data presented point to the importance of implementing and improving friendly and gentle care practices with cats and their owners.

PENINGKATAN PRODUKSI UNGGAS MELALUI MANAJEMEN PERKANDANGAN, KESEHATAN TERNAK, DAN MANAJEMEN PENETASAN YANG BAIK

Animal husbandry and agriculture are vital sectors of the community's economy that can run in synergy and support each other. Currently, independent livestock is a form of community effort that can survive global competition and contribute to food security, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a problem faced by farmers or breeders is that they have not been able to process existing vegetable waste and manage farms according to maintenance standards, so that the livestock population tends not to grow rapidly. The form of the solution that is offered is through a comprehensive management improvement from tillers to livestock products. Activities that have been carried out are implementing housing management through improving livestock sheds, implementing biosecurity practices, and handling poultry health, fulfilling livestock nutrition, making pellets using machines, as well as introducing technology for making pellet feed based on vegetable waste from farmers, and improving reproduction through crossing and Automatic Hatching Machine. The results of this activity are the improvement of livestock health, the production of vegetable waste-based poultry pellets to reduce feed costs and can be stored for a long time, and an increase in hatchability of more than 80%. The impact of the results of community service activities is an increase in livestock populations and the creation of a healthy veterinary environment.

Veterinary medicine education and services in Sudan: Challenges and potential solutions

The livestock sector plays a critical role in the Sudanese economy and the welfare of the whole population. Despite the sector’s significant contribution to peoples’ livelihoods, the veterinary services and education environment has always faced daunting challenges in Sudan. However, there is no literature on the challenges faced by the veterinary sector in the country. The purpose of this study was to identify and document veterinary services and education challenges and their potential solutions in Sudan. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted and hosted online on the Microsoft Forms platform. The questionnaire comprised closed questions on participants’ demographics, veterinary profession challenges and potential solutions that were distributed through social media. A total of 357 participants identified the challenges and solutions through the prioritization of 30 and 29 multiple responses, respectively. The main top challenges identified were not giving priority to the veterinary sector (57.4%), migration of veterinary professionals (55.7%), inadequate allocation of resources to the veterinary sector (53.8%), practice of veterinary medicine by nonprofessional people (52.4%), and weak leadership and management (50.4%). The leading solutions suggested included training and capacity building (76.8%), spreading the culture of animal welfare (62.7%), application of the Animal Welfare Law (62.5%), giving priority to the veterinary sector (61.6%), and improving healthcare infrastructure (61.1%). We conclude that most problems and their solutions lie within the prioritization of the veterinary profession, veterinary professional migration, allocation of resources, leadership and management, culture and application of the Animal Welfare Law. These should be accorded the highest priority for better veterinary profession outcomes.

Genomic and proteomic characterization of vB_SauM-UFV_DC4, a novel Staphylococcus jumbo phage

Staphylococcusaureus is one of the most relevant mastitis pathogens in dairy cattle, and the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance genes presents a significant health issue in both veterinary and human fields. Among the different strategies to tackle S. aureus infection in livestock, bacteriophages have been thoroughly investigated in the last decades; however, few specimens of the so-called jumbo phages capable of infecting S. aureus have been described. Herein, we report the biological, genomic, and structural proteomic features of the jumbo phage vB_SauM-UFV_DC4 (DC4). DC4 exhibited a remarkable killing activity against S. aureus isolated from the veterinary environment and stability at alkaline conditions (pH 4 to 12). The complete genome of DC4 is 263,185 bp (GC content: 25%), encodes 263 predicted CDSs (80% without an assigned function), 1 tRNA (Phe-tRNA), multisubunit RNA polymerase, and an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase. Moreover, comparative analysis revealed that DC4 can be considered a new viral species belonging to a new genus DC4 and showed a similar set of lytic proteins and depolymerase activity with closely related jumbo phages. The characterization of a new S. aureus jumbo phage increases our understanding of the diversity of this group and provides insights into the biotechnological potential of these viruses.Key points• vB_SauM-UFV_DC4 is a new viral species belonging to a new genus within the class Caudoviricetes.• vB_SauM-UFV_DC4 carries a set of RNA polymerase subunits and an RNA-directed DNA polymerase.• vB_SauM-UFV_DC4 and closely related jumbo phages showed a similar set of lytic proteins.

How to be a boss

Today’s veterinary practice environment is shifting aggres­sively toward a workplace where strong leadership and inter­personal skills are critical in maintaining a consistent and ef­fective workforce. Practice ownership for young professionals is also becoming more and more common which brings its own unique challenges. Understanding principles of leadership and building an environment of psychological safety within a prac­tice are two ways today’s practice owner can get ahead of the competition and foster healthy practice culture.

Improving Hand Hygiene Adherence in Small Animal Hospitals: A Social Marketing Approach

Background Good hand hygiene adherence is a key factor in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. The guidelines offered by the World Health Organization for interventions to improve hand hygiene adherence in human health care can only in part be applied to veterinary medicine, and current observations of hygiene adherence in veterinary environments stress a need for decisive action. There is great potential for improvement, especially in situations in which people act habitually. Focus of the Article The focus of this article is to identify the barriers and benefits that influence hand hygiene habits in veterinary care facilities and to derive intervention strategies to promote hand hygiene habits informed by theory and formative research. Research Question This article examines two research questions. What contextual, social, and personal factors promote (benefits) and hinder (barriers) hand hygiene habits in veterinary care facilities? Which intervention strategies can be derived from the identified barriers and benefits to foster hand hygiene habits? Approach The identification of the target behavior and group was based on the literature, talks within the author team, and daily observations. Barriers and benefits were identified by means of qualitative focus groups. The focus group interview schedule was informed by the risks, attitudes, norms, abilities, and self-regulation (RANAS) approach. The intervention strategy was based on the elicited barriers and benefits and guided by the framework of habit formation. Importance to the Social Marketing Field For the first time, barriers and benefits regarding hand hygiene habits were systematically elicited in a small animal clinic in Switzerland. The article focuses on hand hygiene as a habit and offers evidence-based and behavior-oriented intervention strategies. Our findings can thus be used as a basis for developing a theoretically sound intervention to promote hand hygiene habits in veterinary clinics and practices and serve as a springboard for future social marketing research, especially with a focus on habit formation. Methods Primary data were gathered using eight structured in-depth focus group interviews ( N = 32 participants) in a small animal clinic in Switzerland. Two focus groups each were conducted with the following professional groups: veterinary assistants, students, residents and interns, and senior clinicians. Results The overarching theme across the participants’ talk was that building habits is promising but challenging to implement. In examining the key barriers and benefits, five themes were discussed: (1) animal welfare as a reason to act, (2) not about the why but about the how, (3) clash of generations, (4) lack of feedback mechanisms, and (5) the invisible enemy. Strategies were derived based on these findings and the theoretical framework of a habit formation intervention. Recommendations for Practice and Research The themes that emerged in the focus groups are connected to the theoretical framework of habit formation to derive possible intervention strategies. The supplemental material delves into these strategies and provides implementation steps for practitioners facing a similar challenge. Further research is needed to experimentally test the effect of the intervention strategies and to validate the results for other clinics.

Values conflict resolution

The values and personal beliefs of veterinary staff and clients can be a cause of conflict. Understanding how values contribute to conflict improves the veterinary nurse's ability to minimise and resolve these conflicts. This article describes the key issues of value conflict and methods for resolving such conflicts in the veterinary environment.

A Single Residue within the MCR-1 Protein Confers Anticipatory Resilience.

The envelope stress response (ESR) of Gram-negative enteric bacteria senses fluctuations in nutrient availability and environmental changes to avert damage and promote survival. It has a protective role toward antimicrobials, but direct interactions between ESR components and antibiotic resistance genes have not been demonstrated. Here, we report interactions between a central regulator of ESR viz., the two-component signal transduction system CpxRA (conjugative pilus expression), and the recently described mobile colistin resistance protein (MCR-1). Purified MCR-1 is specifically cleaved within its highly conserved periplasmic bridge element, which links its N-terminal transmembrane domain with the C-terminal active-site periplasmic domain, by the CpxRA-regulated serine endoprotease DegP. Recombinant strains harboring cleavage site mutations in MCR-1 are either protease resistant or degradation susceptible, with widely differing consequences for colistin resistance. Transfer of the gene encoding a degradation-susceptible mutant to strains that lack either DegP or its regulator CpxRA restores expression and colistin resistance. MCR-1 production in Escherichia coli imposes growth restriction in strains lacking either DegP or CpxRA, effects that are reversed by transactive expression of DegP. Excipient allosteric activation of the DegP protease specifically inhibits growth of isolates carrying mcr-1 plasmids. As CpxRA directly senses acidification, growth of strains at moderately low pH dramatically increases both MCR-1-dependent phosphoethanolamine (PEA) modification of lipid A and colistin resistance levels. Strains expressing MCR-1 are also more resistant to antimicrobial peptides and bile acids. Thus, a single residue external to its active site induces ESR activity to confer resilience in MCR-1-expressing strains to commonly encountered environmental stimuli, such as changes in acidity and antimicrobial peptides. Targeted activation of the nonessential protease DegP can lead to the elimination of transferable colistin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. IMPORTANCE The global presence of transferable mcr genes in a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria from clinical, veterinary, food, and aquaculture environments is disconcerting. Its success as a transmissible resistance factor remains enigmatic, because its expression imposes fitness costs and imparts only moderate levels of colistin resistance. Here, we show that MCR-1 triggers regulatory components of the envelope stress response, a system that senses fluctuations in nutrient availability and environmental changes, to promote bacterial survival in low pH environments. We identify a single residue within a highly conserved structural element of mcr-1 distal to its catalytic site that modulates resistance activity and triggers the ESR. Using mutational analysis, quantitative lipid A profiling and biochemical assays, we determined that growth in low pH environments dramatically increases colistin resistance levels and promotes resistance to bile acids and antimicrobial peptides. We exploited these findings to develop a targeted approach that eliminates mcr-1 and its plasmid carriers.

Care of hamsters in the veterinary environment

Hamsters are a solitary species, originating from south east Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Since their introduction to the United States of America in 1938, they have grown in popularity as pets. When in the veterinary environment, their temperature and clinical signs should be monitored regularly and the correct diet should be provided. Owners should be advised of the signs and symptoms to look out for to ensure rapid and proper veterinary treatment.

Genomic Diversity, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, and Biofilm Formation of Clinical Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates from Horses.

Acinetobacter (A.) baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes severe infections in humans and animals, including horses. The occurrence of dominant international clones (ICs), frequent multidrug resistance, and the capability to form biofilms are considered major factors in the successful spread of A. baumannii in human and veterinary clinical environments. Since little is known about A. baumannii isolates from horses, we studied 78 equine A. baumannii isolates obtained from clinical samples between 2008 and 2020 for their antimicrobial resistance (AMR), clonal distribution, biofilm-associated genes (BAGs), and biofilm-forming capability. Based on whole-genome sequence analyses, ICs, multilocus (ML) and core-genome ML sequence types (STs), and AMR genes were determined. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by microbroth dilution. A crystal violet assay was used for biofilm quantification. Almost 37.2% of the isolates were assigned to IC1 (10.3%), IC2 (20.5%), and IC3 (6.4%). Overall, the isolates revealed high genomic diversity. We identified 51 different STs, including 22 novel STs (ST1723-ST1744), and 34 variants of the intrinsic oxacillinase (OXA), including 8 novel variants (OXA-970 to OXA-977). All isolates were resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cephalexin, cefpodoxime, and nitrofurantoin. IC1-IC3 isolates were also resistant to gentamicin, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. All isolates were susceptible to imipenem. Thirty-one multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates mainly accumulated in the IC1-IC3 groups. In general, these isolates showed less biofilm formation (IC1 = 25.0%, IC2 = 18.4%, IC3 = 15.0%) than the group of non-IC1-IC3 isolates (58.4%). Isolates belonging to the same ICs/STs revealed identical BAG patterns. BAG blp1 was absent in all isolates, whereas bfmR and pgaA were present in all isolates. At the level of the IC groups, the AMR status was negatively correlated with the isolates' ability to form a biofilm. A considerable portion of equine A. baumannii isolates revealed ICs/STs that are globally present in humans. Both an MDR phenotype and the capability to form biofilms might lead to therapeutic failures in equine medicine, particularly due to the limited availability of licensed drugs.

Multi-drug and biocide-resistant Gram-positive bacteria prevalent on surfaces of veterinary clinics in Benue State, Nigeria

Objective: In this study, the common aerobic Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) contaminating veterinary clinic surfaces were isolated, and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents (antibiotics and biocides) was determined. Materials and Methods: Standard cultural and biochemical procedures were used to process 62 swab samples collected from different surfaces in 4 veterinary clinics for the isolation and identification of GPB. The agar dilution technique was used to determine the sensitivity of the isolates to disinfectants, while the disc diffusion technique was used to determine the sensitivity to antibiotics. Results: Isolation rates in veterinary clinics I, II, III, and IV were 39.4%, 40.4%, 7.4%, and 12.8%, respectively. GPB were isolated from all the surfaces sampled. A total of 94 GPB isolates were recovered, comprising Bacillus species (51.1%), Staphylococcus species (38.3%), Corynebacterium species (6.4%), and Enterococcus species (4.3%). Only 13.8% of the GPB were resistant to at least one of the biocides tested. Multiple drug resistance to at least three classes of antimicrobial agents was exhibited by 95% of the isolates tested. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that veterinary clinic environments and surfaces in Makurdi are reservoirs of wide varieties of antimicrobial-resistant GPB of veterinary and public health importance.

Endemic, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases: The way forward!

Endemic, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases: The way forward!

Canine stress in the veterinary environment

The Cat Friendly Clinic, Dog Friendly Clinic and Rabbit Friendly Vet accreditation schemes recognise that vet visits can be fearful or distressing experiences for both pet and owner, and advocate making small changes within the clinic to make the vet visit calmer and easier for everyone. The first step in reducing canine stress within the veterinary environment is to understand why the veterinary experience might cause distress. Factors such as the clinic environment, situation stacking during the visit, and how dogs learn, are all worthy of exploration. Adapting the clinical environment and clinic–patient interactions, alongside educating owners about effective preparation for veterinary visits, can help make these calmer and easier for everyone involved.

2022 ISFM/AAFP Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines.

The '2022 ISFM/AAFP Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines' (hereafter the 'Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines') describe how the veterinary clinic environment can be manipulated to minimise feline patient distress. Many components of a veterinary clinic visit or stay may result in negative experiences for cats. However, much can be done to improve a cat's experience by making the veterinary clinic more cat friendly. Exposure to other cats and other species can be reduced, and adjustments made with consideration of the feline senses and species-specific behaviour. Caregivers can prepare cats for a clinic visit with appropriate advice. Waiting rooms, examination rooms, hospital wards and other clinic areas can be designed and altered to reduce stress and hence encourage positive emotions. Changes need not be structural or expensive in order to be effective and make a difference to the cats and, in turn, to cat caregivers and the veterinary team. Moreover, by improving the all-round experience at the veterinary clinic, there are positive effects on preventive healthcare, identification of and recovery from illness, and compliance with treatment. Good feline healthcare necessitates visiting the veterinary clinic, which, simply by being outside of a cat's territory and familiar surroundings, may lead to negative experiences. Such experiences can trigger negative (protective) emotions and associated physiological stress, which can result in misleading clinical findings, patient distress, prolonged recovery from illness, further difficulties with handling at subsequent visits and potential veterinary personnel injury. There may be a mistaken belief that veterinary clinics must undergo significant renovation or building work to become cat friendly, and that, if species cannot be separated, then clinics cannot improve their care of cats. These Guidelines aim to dispel any such misconceptions and provide detailed practical advice. These Guidelines have been created by a Task Force of experts convened by the International Society of Feline Medicine and American Association of Feline Practitioners, based on an extensive literature review and, where evidence is lacking, the authors' experience. Endorsements: These Guidelines have been endorsed by a number of groups and organisations, as detailed on page 1161 and at icatcare.org/cat-friendly-guidelines and catvets.com/environment.