Training Veterinary Students in Animal Behavior to Preserve the Human–Animal Bond

Sherman, Barbara L.; Serpell, James A.

doi:10.3138/jvme.35.4.496

Cited by 33 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…It, therefore, appears there is a gap between students gaining ‘real world’ experience with EAD and the ample opportunities to practice EAD that shelters could provide. Practical placements would provide opportunity to witness and perform multiple desexing surgeries at regular intervals (and other services, e.g., diagnosing and treating FIV), improve animal handling, become familiar with the scale of unwanted cats in the local community, and appreciate the limited resources at most shelters [102,103,104,105,106,107,108]. Shelters would also benefit by gaining free workers that assist in many tasks (e.g., rehabilitation, enrichment, training, educating the public, euthanasia, quarantine, cleaning).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes and Practices of Australian Veterinary Professionals and Students towards Early Age Desexing of Cats

Crawford¹,

Calver²

2018

Animals

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Simple SummaryGlobally, desexing is used to reduce/prevent overpopulation of cats. However, its effective use is hampered by widely held views that it should occur at around six months of age, whereas female cats can breed from four months of age. As a result, many cats may have an unplanned litter before they are desexed. In Australia, increasing numbers of municipalities are mandating desexing of cats by three months of age, before the traditional age of 4–6 months. Achieving this goal requires support from veterinary professionals, so we used online and face-to-face surveys to determine the preferred desexing ages for cats and rationale of 957 Australian veterinarians, veterinary nurses, veterinary science students, and veterinary nursing students. A complementary survey of 299 veterinary practice websites across Australia documented information provided about desexing cats. Vet nurses and nursing students were more conservative than vets or vet students, preferring to desex cats (especially females) after four months because of concerns about anaesthetic risk. Over half of surveyed websites provided no information about desexing cats or offered desexing without explaining why it was necessary or when to perform it. In Australia, the preferences and practices of some current/future veterinary professionals do not match changing cat legislation.AbstractSurgical desexing of cats is typically carried out after six months of age (Mature Age Desexing, MAD); between 4–6 months (Traditional Age Desexing, TAD); or before four months (Early Age Desexing, EAD). We complemented existing surveys of veterinarians’ acceptance of EAD with online and face-to-face surveys, to ascertain the preferred desexing ages for cats and rationale of 957 Australian veterinarians, veterinary nurses, veterinary science students, and veterinary nursing students. A complementary survey of 299 veterinary practice websites across Australia documented any information provided about desexing cats. The most common reason for preferred desexing ages was reducing stray cat populations (30%); 78% of these respondents chose ages aligning with EAD. Vet nurses and nursing students were more conservative than vets or vet students, preferring to desex cats >4 months. Perceived anaesthetic risk was a major motivation, especially for nurses ≤5 years’ experience. Across 299 urban practices in Australian capital cities, 55% of surveyed websites provided no information about desexing cats or listed desexing without explaining why it was necessary, or when to perform it. Increasingly, Australian legislatures mandate desexing of cats by three months of age, so the practices of some current/future veterinary professionals do not match changing legislation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes and Practices of Australian Veterinary Professionals and Students towards Early Age Desexing of Cats

Crawford¹,

Calver²

2018

Animals

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“…There is also recognition amongst commentators that veterinary courses should incorporate awareness of HABs (McCulloch, 1985), including training in animal behavior (Sherman & Serpell, 2008), awareness of AAT/AAA concepts and techniques (Schaffer, 2008), and human relations skills (Adams, Conlon, & Long, 2004), although surveys appear to indicate that there is not enough attention paid to HABs in veterinary schools (Beck & Martin, 2008). Perhaps as a consequence, veterinary student consideration of the importance of HABs is variable, may change through their course, and appears to be weakest in those students who specialize in agricultural animals (Blackshaw & Blackshaw, 1993;Martin, Ruby, & Farnum, 2003;Williams, Butler, & Sontag, 1999).…”

Section: Role Of Veterinariansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human-Animal Interactions, Relationships and Bonds: A Review and Analysis of the Literature

Hosey

Melfi

2014

IJCP

137

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The study of human-animal interactions (HAI), and the resulting human-animal relationships (HARs) and bonds (HABs) which are set up as a consequence, is currently a topical issue in comparative psychology. Here we review the HAI/HAR/HAB literature to detect the main publication trends, and to identify the predominant research themes in this area. Research in HAI/HAR/HAB only really started in the 1980s, but since then there has been a growth in studies which is still continuing. Most of these studies have been in the contexts of companion animal or agricultural animal research, but there is now a growing literature on laboratory, zoo and wild animals too. In the companion animal HAI/HAB literature the greatest emphasis has been on Animal-assisted Interventions (AAI), and the benefits to people of pet ownership and interaction with pets. Agricultural HAI/HAR research, on the contrary, has been more concerned with the welfare consequences of HAI/HARs to the animals. This disjunction is reflected in the preference of companion animal researchers to use the term ‘bond’, but agricultural researchers to use ‘relationship’. Other themes prominent in the literature include methodological issues, the characteristics of caretakers, the role of veterinarians, sociological approaches, and theoretical aspects. It is concluded that currently HAI/HAR/HAB research does not constitute a unified field, and there is a need to: i) agree and define a standard terminology; ii) undertake more research on the effects of HAI on companion animals; iii) undertake more research on the form and frequency of interactions; and iv) increase research on HAI/HAR/HABs in laboratory, zoo and wild-living animals. This research is important to understand whether HAI has positive, neutral or negative consequences, both for humans and for animals.

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“…Veterinary support may not only be helpful for the owner but also have a beneficial impact on the animal's welfare. Benefits for both animal and owner are recognized when veterinarians are encouraged to help owners manage their animals' behavioral problems (e.g., Sherman and Serpell 2008). Preparing owners for the special needs of an aging animal and helping owners to monitor their animals' welfare during veterinary treatment would be natural further issues for veterinarians to address.…”

Section: Ways Forwardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking After Chronically III Dogs: Impacts on the Caregiver's Life

et al. 2013

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Studies in human medicine show that care of chronically ill family members can affect the caregiver's life in several ways and cause "caregiver burden." Companion animals are offered increasingly advanced veterinary treatments, sometimes involving home care. Owners choosing such treatments could thus face similar challenges when caring for their animals. This qualitative study uncovers impacts on an owner's life, when attending to the care of an aged or chronically ill dog and reflects on the differing roles of caregivers with animal and human patients. Twelve dog owners were selected for in-depth interviews based on the dogs' diagnoses, and the choice of treatments and care expected to affect the owner's life. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed qualitatively. The dog owners reported several changes in their lives due to their dog's condition: practicalities like extra care, changes in use of the home, and restrictions relating to work, social life, and finances. These were time-consuming, tough, and annoying, but could often be dealt with through planning and prioritizing. Changes in the human-dog relationship and activities caused sadness and frustration, which in turn led to feelings of guilt, and in some cases created a feeling of loss. Also, concerns about the progress of the dog's condition, it's welfare, and euthanasia brought emotional distress and many doubts. The owners did, however, respond to the changes differently and as a result experienced different effects on their own life. This study confirms that the situations of caregivers with human and animal patients are in some ways similar, yet the study also identifies and reflects on some of the differences. These include the caregiver role and the options of assistance as well as euthanasia. Veterinary staff are urged to inform owners about possible impacts on their lives when considering careconsuming treatments, and to be aware of the need for support during treatment as well as in decisions about euthanasia.

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Training Veterinary Students in Animal Behavior to Preserve the Human–Animal Bond

Cited by 33 publications

References 45 publications

Attitudes and Practices of Australian Veterinary Professionals and Students towards Early Age Desexing of Cats

Attitudes and Practices of Australian Veterinary Professionals and Students towards Early Age Desexing of Cats

Human-Animal Interactions, Relationships and Bonds: A Review and Analysis of the Literature

Looking After Chronically III Dogs: Impacts on the Caregiver's Life

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