Veterinary Profession Research Articles

Comparison of perceptions and concerns of antimicrobial resistance between veterinary and medical health professionals.

To understand the comparative concerns and perceptions of veterinary and medical health professionals regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and its effects on their clinical practices. 17 Doctors of medicine and veterinary medicine and 1 nurse practitioner were interviewed to collect qualitative-based data regarding their clinical experience with AMR. The interviews from the health professionals were transcribed and thematically coded to reveal 3 overarching themes and 7 corresponding subthemes. Both veterinary and human medical health professionals share concerns about antimicrobial resistance, specifically regarding the development of "superbugs" and increased difficulty in treating disease. However, there were some unique differences in the clinical effects of AMR between the professions in relation to client demand and satisfaction, ability to track/test trends, and approaches to therapy. Both professions also discussed the possible one-health implications of AMR and its transmission. There are several barriers to veterinarians that prevent them from using best-practice methods with antimicrobials that were not shared with human medical personnel, who can use antibiotic stewardship principles and readily access necessary testing. However, many veterinarians possessed a unique one-health-based understanding of how antimicrobial resistance can affect the wider community across species and globally that many human medical professionals had not previously considered. This demonstrates an increased need for one-health understanding within human medical professionals and a need for veterinarians to have access to necessary tools to comply with stewardship guidelines, such as culture and sensitivity testing and antibiograms, to have the ability to limit their contribution to antibiotic resistance.

Impact evaluation of using antibiotics in animal husbandry practices-Review

The use of antibiotics in the animal husbandry technologies is a practice known for decades, being usually included in the feed as a growth promoter and to prevent several diseases. However, the uncontrolled, excessive and unregulated use of antibiotics has shown multiple negative effects on animal growth, but also on human health and the ecosystem. Unmetabolized antibiotics contaminate the environment by releasing wastes into the soil, leading to the spread of antimicrobial resistance towards the human food chain. It is therefore important to analyze animal waste management practices in order to find other treatment solutions and to lower the negative impact of residues generated from animal husbandry on public health and the ecosystem. Health organizations have emphasized the need for improved regulatory controls for antibiotics and clear guidelines for farmers and veterinary professionals, in order to use antibiotics responsibly. The current paper evaluates the potential risks of using antibiotics in animal husbandry and identifies strategies for reducing unwanted hazards.

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.

New developments in animal mortality management during disease outbreaks. Proceeding of The First International Avian Influenza Summit, University of Arkansas- October 16-17, 2023"

In the face of escalating global concerns about the occurrence of animal disease outbreaks, effective and sustainable methods for the management of animal mortalities have become a critical component of public health and biosecurity strategies. This abstract presents a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the field of animal mortality management, with a specific focus on innovative technologies, practices, and policies designed to mitigate the environmental, economic, and health impacts associated with mass mortalities during disease outbreaks. (1) Emerging technologies for mortality disposal: this section highlights current technologies such as composting, shallow burial with carbon, rendering, and incineration that offer more efficient and environmentally responsible alternatives to traditional disposal methods like deep burial and open burning. These technologies demonstrate promise in minimizing the spread of pathogens and reducing the environmental impact of traditional methods. (ii) biosecurity measures in mortality handling: addressing biosecurity risks associated with the transportation and disposal of animal carcasses is paramount in preventing secondary outbreaks. The abstract examines the opportunities posed by centralized carcass disposal and the protocols required to ensure that proper measures are in place to protect human and animal health. (iii) Regulatory frameworks and policy innovations: a critical aspect of effective mortality management involves the development and implementation of robust regulatory frameworks and guidance documents. This section explores recent policy developments at local, national, and international levels, with a focus on adaptive strategies that promote rapid response and coordination during outbreaks. (iv) Community engagement and stakeholder collaboration: successful mortality management necessitates transparent communication, community engagement, and collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, veterinary professionals, farmers, and the public. This section explores innovative approaches to fostering partnerships and enhancing public awareness and understanding of mortality management practices. By synthesizing recent research and developments in animal mortality management, this abstract provides a comprehensive resource for policymakers, veterinarians, researchers, and practitioners involved in public health and biosecurity efforts. These advancements offer a promising foundation for more effective, environmentally conscious, and sustainable approaches to managing animal mortalities during disease outbreaks.

Disability in the workplace. Part 1: playing on ‘hard mode’

In the first article of this series on disability in the workplace, Ruth Cawston from British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support (BVCIS) shares her advice on navigating the veterinary profession with chronic illness, neurodivergence and disability, including the best ways to manage and talk about it, and how to figure out what you need to thrive at work. The second article, to be published in a subsequent issue of In Practice, will cover how to support a colleague or employee with a chronic condition, neurodivergence or disability and explain the legalities surrounding disability and employment, including demystifying ‘reasonable adjustments’.

Artificial intelligence feasibility in veterinary medicine: A systematic review.

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly necessary in the life sciences, particularly medicine and healthcare. This study aimed to systematically review the literature and critically analyze multiple databases on the use of AI in veterinary medicine to assess its challenges. We aim to foster an understanding of the effects that can be approached and applied for professional awareness. This study used multiple electronic databases with information on applied AI in veterinary medicine based on the current guidelines outlined in PRISMA and Cochrane for systematic review. The electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Elsevier were thoroughly screened through March 22, 2023. The study design was carefully chosen to emphasize evidence quality and population heterogeneity. A total of 385 of the 883 citations initially obtained were thoroughly reviewed. There were four main areas that AI addressed; the first was diagnostic issues, the second was education, animal production, and epidemiology, the third was animal health and welfare, pathology, and microbiology, and the last was all other categories. The quality assessment of the included studies found that they varied in their relative quality and risk of bias. However, AI aftereffect-linked algorithms have raised criticism of their generated conclusions. Quality assessment noted areas of AI outperformance, but there was criticism of its performance as well. It is recommended that the extent of AI in veterinary medicine should be increased, but it should not take over the profession. The concept of ambient clinical intelligence is adaptive, sensitive, and responsive to the digital environment and may be attractive to veterinary professionals as a means of lowering the fear of automating veterinary medicine. Future studies should focus on an AI model with flexible data input, which can be expanded by clinicians/users to maximize their interaction with good algorithms and reduce any errors generated by the process.

Electronic survey investigating UK veterinarians’ perceptions of the potential for veterinary prescription medication misuse or abuse

ObjectiveTo investigate veterinarians’ experience and perception of the risk of veterinary prescription medication (VPM) misuse and abuse by the public and veterinary professionals and to determine the clinical context in which respondent veterinarians prescribed certain VPMs. Study designAnonymous online voluntary survey. PopulationA total of 361 of 7126 veterinarians registered as practicing in the UK, who provided e-mail contact details to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Knowledge for participation in research. Respondents included general practitioners, with or without further qualifications, and European specialists, covering charity, private or academic small, large or mixed animal practice. MethodsThe anonymous online survey, open from September to December 2021, posed 27 questions regarding personal experience and perception of VPM misuse or abuse, including which VPMs were considered most at risk of abuse by clients or veterinary staff. Thematic analysis was performed on free-text sections. ResultsThe participation rate was 5% (361/7126), and the completion rate 60% (216/361 respondents). Of these, 88% of respondents somewhat agreed, agreed or strongly agreed that some VPMs were at risk of abuse. A third (29.9%; 107/358) had suspected an owner of taking VPMs, and one fifth (20.1%; 72/358) had suspected veterinary staff. Perceptions regarding the likelihood of public VPM abuse ranged from not suspecting a problem to having first-hand experience. Drugs considered most at risk of owner abuse were opioids, benzodiazepines and gabapentin, and those for veterinary staff were opioids, benzodiazepines and ketamine. Numerous ‘red flags’ prompting suspicion of VPM abuse were identified alongside ways of mitigating risk. Conclusions and clinical relevanceVeterinarians in the UK reported varied experiences with, awareness of, and attitudes towards VPM abuse by the public and veterinary staff. Although not quantified, the UK veterinary industry could be a source of abusable drugs.

Optimising staff utilisation in rural animal veterinary practice in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Utilisation of veterinary professional staff in rural animal veterinary practice has long been anecdotally reported as poor in Aotearoa / New Zealand. Evidence shows that skill utilisation is poor, and this is likely impacted by the low ratios of non-veterinarian staff to each veterinarian in rural animal veterinary practice. This participative action research utilised focus groups with a range of staff practising in rural animal veterinary practice in Aotearoa / New Zealand, who self-selected as having experience with excellent utilisation. Participants were asked to imagine what a future with excellent utilisation in rural animal veterinary practice in Aotearoa / New Zealand would look like. This research clarifies role definitions of a veterinarian, rural animal veterinary technician and rural animal healthcare assistant, and documents examples of task allocation in an interprofessional team. The participants identified that the outcomes of achieving appropriate utilisation are likely to be beneficial to individuals, the team, animals, clients, and the business profitability, however, a significant number of barriers were identified that may prevent implementation of appropriate utilisation. These included a disconnect between the current rural animal veterinary technician qualifications and the requirement from veterinary clinical practice for specific skills, rather than a full qualification; the current veterinary training pathway not setting up veterinarians to be consultants; lack of regulation of allied veterinary professionals; current skills in the team; lack of trust in technicians from veterinarians; perception of client expectations that a vet will attend; willingness of veterinarians to relinquish control; lack of availability of technical staff; the requirement for veterinarians to provide 27/4 after-hours service; and the risk of technicians leaving after being trained up to go out on their own. Whilst overcoming some of these barriers requires industryled solutions, many can be resolved immediately within individual teams. Therefore, there is no need to wait for industry change to begin creating veterinary teams with excellent utilisation within individual rural animal veterinary practices.

Regulating the veterinary profession.

Regulating the veterinary profession.

Peter Charles Jinman.

A widely respected pillar of the veterinary community, he was erudite and knowledgeable, ready to offer wise advice and a kind word. He was dedicated to the veterinary profession and the animals he cared for.

Seeing the benefits, but not taking advantage of them: Dog and cat owners' beliefs about veterinary telemedicine.

Telemedicine offers benefits to clients and their animals, but potential disadvantages are also being debated. Using a questionnaire, we investigated dog and cat owners' (N = 2117) use of and beliefs about telemedicine and whether beliefs impact past and expected future use. Although the majority of owners are aware that telemedicine can lead to the risk of something being missed, they see great potential in remote consultation in terms of usefulness for follow-up appointments or improving access to a specialist. However, only 12% of dog owners and 6% of cat owners have used telemedicine, and around 25% of owners who have never used it would be willing to use it in the future. Owners with a larger number of recent veterinary visits were more likely to have used telemedicine. Although a definition of 'telemedicine' was provided, respondents may have had different perceptions of what this meant. Owners of dogs and cats recognise the potential benefits of telemedicine, but there is a mismatch with the actual uptake. This not only raises questions about the current availability of telemedicine but also should increase veterinary professionals' understanding of its potential benefits in veterinary practice.

Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The professional quality of life (ProQOL) in the veterinary profession has gained increasing attention, yet little is known about its association with the mental health status of Hong Kong veterinarians. This study aimed to examine the impact of elements that make up ProQOL on the risk of suicide, depression, and anxiety among Hong Kong veterinarians. All veterinarians registered and practicing in Hong Kong at the time of recruitment were eligible to take part in the e-survey study between 1 January and 31 March 2022. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the data from 56 participants. The results showed that 22.0% of the participants were at risk of suicide, 19.6% had current suicidal ideation, 29.4% had depression, and 29.4% had anxiety symptoms. The findings suggested poor mental health status among Hong Kong veterinarians and were comparable to or more prevalent than those reported in Anglophone and European countries. Results from the binary logistic regression suggested that burnout was a predictor of depressive symptoms, and that secondary traumatic stress showed potential in predicting suicide risk. Our study, however, did not find conclusive evidence supporting compassion satisfaction as a predictor of reduced symptoms of common mental issues. Further investigation into contextual factors affecting the mental health of veterinarians in Hong Kong is warranted. Improving the profession's mental health literacy and self-efficacy should be prioritized as a suicide prevention strategy to enhance mental health awareness.

Investigation of a Questionnaire Used to Measure Self-Perception of Self-Regulated Learning in Veterinary Students

In the United States, the veterinary medical curriculum is 4 years, and at most institutions, no more than one-third of that time is devoted to clinical training, meaning that graduates must continue learning post-graduation. Additionally, practicing veterinarians must keep up with new discoveries and techniques in the veterinary medical field, and may also choose to pursue specific interests or specialties post-graduation. For these reasons, it is essential that veterinarians be competent, self-regulated, life-long learners. Despite agreement regarding the importance of self-regulated learning (SRL) for veterinary professionals, there is currently a paucity of data available on self-regulated learning in veterinary students. The Self-Regulated Learning Perception Scale (SRLPS) is a 41-item instrument that has been previously validated in other graduate student populations, including medical students. It addresses four domains of self-regulated learning including motivation and action to learning, planning and goal setting, strategies for learning, and assessment and self-directedness. For this project, we hypothesized that the SRLPS would have high reliability among veterinary students. As part of a larger online survey, 82 veterinary students (years 1–4) voluntarily completed the SRLPS. The instrument was generally internally consistent, with the dimensions “Motivation and action to learn,” “Planning and goal setting,” “Strategies for learning and assessment,” and “Lack of self-directedness” having Cronbach's alpha values of .73, .8, .87, and .63 respectively. The SRLPS could have broad applications in veterinary educational practices and research, including assessing impact of courses on professional development and/or coaching/mentoring programs and better understanding short- and long-term educational and career outcomes for veterinarians.

Roy Arthur Leonard Batt.

A researcher who contributed to science, the veterinary profession and the arts.

Alastair Robert Wilson Porter.

As registrar of the RCVS for 25 years, he saw many changes to the veterinary profession.

Employing Robotics for the Biomechanical Validation of a Prosthetic Flipper for Sea Turtles as a Substitute for Animal Clinical Trials

Sea turtles are a keystone species for the ocean’s ecosystem, with all species currently being listed as endangered. Such a threat is mainly due to human factors such as fishing net entanglement. This entanglement often comes at the expense of turtles losing a pectoral flipper. The reduction in a sea turtle’s survival odds upon losing a flipper is a significant concern. This issue extends beyond individual animals, as the potential extinction of sea turtles could have detrimental effects on ocean health and subsequently disrupt our lifestyles. In this work, with the help of robotics, we tested the suitability of a prosthetic flipper for sea turtles that have lost a flipper. Testing with our sea-turtle-inspired robot helped to demonstrate the prosthetic flipper’s performance without clinical trials in live animals. The robot showed that the prosthetic could closely mimic the sea turtle’s downstroke and upstroke, allowing the animal to regain control in roll, pitch, and yaw, despite the absence of anatomical joints and related muscles. Additionally, swim speed tests provided an average swim speed of 0.487 m/s while dragging 6 m of cable to give a calculated maximum swim speed of 0.618 m/s, coming close to the average swim speed of wild sea turtles of 0.6 m/s. Our aspiration is that the findings from this study will pave the way for an open-source implant design, empowering veterinary professionals globally to aid injured turtles. Furthermore, this research promises to inspire additional animal-based robotic designs, advancing technologies geared towards assisting other animals in distress.

Responsible use of parasiticides in pets

Parasiticides are an integral part of parasite treatment and prevention in pets. Despite their importance as life-saving medications and a major contributor to better health and quality of life, widespread and inappropriate use of parasiticides could have important consequences. Concerns over parasite control practices involving ‘blanket-treatment’ have caused key organisations to call for more responsible use of parasiticides to minimise the risk of environmental contamination and limit the development of antiparasitic drug resistance. Veterinary professionals are encouraged to follow a more targeted and individualised risk-based approach to parasite control. However, successful adoption and effective implementation of this new approach requires the veterinary profession to overcome many barriers and contextual differences in the way effective parasite control is perceived by the various stakeholders. Recently, evidence-based diagnosis (treatment based on confirmed diagnosis) together with antiparasitic drug stewardship (avoiding unnecessary antiparasitic use in pets which do not benefit from treatment) have been suggested to reconcile the trade-offs between avoiding parasiticide overuse and achieving effective parasite control. Although these new approaches cannot yet fully address the challenges of attaining optimal parasite control, they have the potential to improve the outcomes of parasite treatment and preserve the efficacy of parasiticides, the most essential component of any parasite control regimen.

Canine separation–related problem behaviours – part 1: social living and owner absence

Members of the veterinary profession will have noticed the demise of the term ‘separation anxiety’, along with the previous assumption that all canine separation problems boil down to an excessive intensity of the human-canine bond. A range of replacement terms for separation anxiety have materialised: ‘separation disorder’, ‘separation syndrome’, ‘separation-related problems’ and ‘separation-related behaviours’ are just some, all of which are now regularly used to replace the term ‘separation anxiety’. This article produces a summary of the profession's current understanding of the issues associated with owner absence-related problems in dogs. Further articles will consider options for behavioural modification to support the needs of dogs whilst owners are absent.

Antibiotic Use, Awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance and Residue in Veterinary Professionals and Farmers in Selected Districts of Kellem Wollega Zone, Ethiopia.

Antimicrobials have a crucial role in reducing mortality and morbidity in animals, but misuse of them may cause antimicrobial resistance and residues which are challenging in animal production and public health. These problems are mostly aggravated in developing countries including Ethiopia. Assessment of antibiotic use, awareness of antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial residue in veterinary professionals and farmers. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2021 to August 2022 in three districts (Seyo, Hawa Gelan, and Dale Sadi) of the Kellem Wollega zone, selected by purposive sampling. The study population was farmers and veterinary professionals. Data was collected from a total of 312 respondents; 230 farmers and 82 veterinary professionals using interviews and questionnaires, respectively. Out of 312 total respondents, 230 (73.71%) were farmers and 82 (26.28%) were veterinary professionals. From the farmer respondents, 127 (55.22%), 153 (66.52%), and 142 (61.74%) had an awareness of antibiotics and their usage, antimicrobial resistance, and withdrawal period, respectively. Out of 82 veterinary professional respondents, 92.68% practice dose calculation during animal treatment, 79.27% diagnose systemic infections by tentative diagnosis, 85.37% have no laboratory facility for bacterial disease, and 81.71% give broad-spectrum antibiotics for undifferentiated cases. The income type of respondents looks to have a strong association (P < 0.05) with awareness of antibiotics (OR: 3.427, SE: 1.404, CI: 1.535-7.654), antimicrobial resistance (OR: 3.536, SE: 1.339, CI: 1.683-7.430) and withdrawal periods (OR: 3.297, SE: 1.267, CI: 1.552-7.004). This study shows most farmers have awareness about antibiotics and their use, antimicrobial resistance, and residue but inappropriate use of antimicrobials in farmers and lack of laboratory facilities in most veterinary professionals observed.

Highly stressful events and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among veterinary professionals: Prevalence and associations with mental health and job-related outcomes.

Explore the relationship between highly stressful events in veterinary medicine and mental health outcomes such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using narratives of highly stressful work events from 359 veterinary professionals, we calculated the prevalence of PTSD using both the standard Criterion A from DSM-5-TR and an expanded definition of a traumatic event that included animals as victims. Bivariate correlations were performed to probe for relationships between exposure to highly stressful events and other negative mental health outcomes. Seventy-six (21.1%) veterinary professionals reported exposure to a Criterion A work-related event, and 141 (39.3%) reported exposure under the expanded definition. Further, 13 (3.6%) to 50 (13.9%) veterinary professionals screened positive for PTSD, depending on how the traumatic stressor was defined and whether PTSD symptoms were linked to the same event or multiple events. Screening positive for PTSD was positively associated with suicidal ideation, psychological distress, and burnout. Defining traumatic stressors broadly and linking PTSD symptoms to multiple events resulted in more robust correlations and revealed positive associations with depression, suicide attempt, and problematic alcohol and drug abuse. The number of exposures to highly stressful work events was also positively associated with depression, suicidal ideation, psychological distress, and burnout and negatively associated with job satisfaction. Future research should consider strategies to mitigate the negative consequences that result from unavoidable exposure to highly stressful events in the veterinary workplace. Moreover, the types of events specific to veterinary medicine should be considered when assessing for traumatic events and post-exposure symptoms in veterinary professionals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).