The Veterinarian Magazine April 2022

TheVeterinarian ■ April 2022

■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

Investigation follows apparent GDV political endorsement Guide Dogs Victoria (GDV) is conducting an internal investigation after its chief executive officer appeared to endorse Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s re-election tilt.

In mid-April GDV’s Karen Hayes appeared in a social media video posted on Frydenberg’s Facebook page, and featured in letterbox leaflets delivered in the seat of Kooyong.

The subsequently deleted video clip shows Hayes praising Frydenberg’s contribution to GDV. “We are doing a $30 million redevelopment of our campus here in Kew at the moment, and we would not have been in a position to have even started it without the support that Josh kicked off,” she said.

Hayes added that Frydenberg has been an “amazing supporter” of GDV for over 10 years.

“He gives us good advice and guidance and connects us with people in the community or within government that we need to talk to to make change,” she said.

The letterbox leaflet shows Hayes holding a puppy accompanied by text regarding Frydenberg’s commitment to guide dogs and his local electorate, and is signed “Karen, Chief Executive Officer, Guide Dogs Victoria.”

The endorsement may be a breach of regulations for charities set out by the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC), however the commission is yet to make public comment.

GDV issued a statement which said it fully understands the concerns that have been raised by its supporters and other members of the community.

“GDV is absolutely committed to its important work as a charitable apolitical organisation in line with the ACNC regulations,” the statement said.

“The board had no prior knowledge of the distribution of this material and does not endorse it.”

The board has launched an internal investigation and requested that the material be removed from circulation.

“We will make no further comment during this process,” the statement said.

“We are thankful for all the support that we receive from the community and from our wonderful donors, and we remain committed to our important work of supporting Victorians with low vision or blindness to live full and independent lives.”

■ SAM WORRAD

New executive director for WSAVA Peak body supports calls for Veterinary leadership advocate, Richard Casey MBA has been appointed Executive Director of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) with a brief to accelerate its work to create a global community of veterinary peers and to advocate on issues of concern affecting companion animal veterinarians around the world.

Casey has held senior leadership roles at UK-based veterinary charity Blue Cross, including the delivery of significant change manage-

Richard Casey

ment programmes, resulting in improved clinical, team and commercial performance. Before joining Blue Cross, he worked at another UK-based veterinary charity, PDSA. Prior to entering the veterinary sector, his career was focussed in human resources and leadership development for a range of blue-chip companies.

Casey is also Senior Vice President of the Veterinary Management Group, which represents those in leadership and management To page 30

NEWS Fungus to the rescue

vet mental health funding The Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi) is supporting calls by the Australian Veterinary Association for both major political parties to commit to investing $3 million over five years to save the lives and wellbeing of Australian veterinarians.

AAPi Executive Director Tegan Carrison said veterinarians had one of the highest rates of suicide in the world and ongoing mental health support was crucial.

“In Australia, a vet takes their own life every 12 weeks.

Not only do we need to increase awareness of the pressure they are under and normalise the need to seek support, we need to make psychological services more accessible so help is there when it is needed,” she said.

Nadine Hamilton, AAPi psychologist and a leading expert on veterinarian mental health, To page 30 CLINICAL REVIEW Penny Linnett

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FACE TO FACE Frozen koala sperm

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News

AVA claims vets snubbed in budget Research aims to end

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has expressed disappointment with the snubbing of veterinarians in the recent Federal budget.

Head of Veterinary and Public Affairs at AVA, Cristy Secombe, said vets are struggling with a lack of sector-specific support.

“We were disappointed as there was very little mention of the veterinary sector in the budget, perhaps with the exception of one area mentioned in relation to the koala conservation and protection,” Secombe told The Veterinarian.

“The human health sector received around 150 million over four years to support medical students in rural and remote Australia.

“The veterinary profession was asking for a relatively small amount in the area of HECS fee forgiveness to encourage vets to work rurally, so we’re disappointed not to see the funding.”

Ahead of the budget, the AVA had called on the Federal Government to provide $13.6 million over five years to help graduate vets stay in rural areas.

Other key areas in the AVA’s Pre-Budget Submission included funding for veterinary care of animals in disasters, establishment of a disease control framework, development of an antimicrobial resistance surveillance system

and an increase in mental health support for veterinary professionals.

Secombe said that while AVA welcomes any increases in mental health funding across broader society, she noted that too often vets fall through the cracks.

“The veterinary profession is not seen as part of the health sector, we don’t fit neatly into the agriculture sector either,” Secombe said.

“We're sort of in between and sit out on our own a bit (and) because of that I think we get forgotten.”

Secombe said the AVA is working to make vets more visible to government and the general population, “so we can say ‘this is what we really need for our sector to thrive so we can best look after your animals.’”

“An important part of our role at the AVA is to point out that lack of visibility and to advocate on behalf of the whole profession,” she said.

In the run-up to the Federal election, the AVA has called on both major parties to invest $3 million over five years to support mental health among veterinary professionals.

The proposed investment in veterinary mental health support would include a public education campaign, whole-of-career mentoring for vets, dedicated veterinary counselling services and development of vet-specific wellbeing education material.

The AVA currently operates a telephone counselling service for members, their associates and family members.

Secombe said that while the service is heavily utilised and important to have in times of need, greater support is required in this area.

“What we are looking for is programs where we help people promote and protect their own mental health, so our reliance on services such as these becomes less, and our tool kits are better equipped to help us look after ourselves,” she said.

Secombe also emphasised the importance of graduate mentoring programs.

“Mentor-mentee relationships and support from your colleagues is really important for professionals’ health and wellbeing,” she said.

The AVA’s full election platform can be found at ava.com.au.

■ SAM WORRAD

National program to track wildlife health Tasmania’s Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary established the state’s first dedicated wildlife hospital in 2018 at its Brighton facility, just north of Hobart. The hospital relies on a team of experienced veterinary personnel and trained volunteer wildlife carers, and every year its clinic provides care to the hundreds of animals that are rescued across the state.

Early in April Bonorong Wildlife Hospital joined a national program coordinated by Wildlife Health Australia. The Sentinel Clinic Surveillance Program links veterinary hospitals across the country that either have a high caseload, or an important location, to share data and discoveries that support the health of Australia’s native species. Bonorong will be one of Australia’s wildlife ‘sentinel clinics’ able to track emerging diseases that have the potential to affect human or environmental health.

Rupert Woods, WHA’s CEO said the data collected through the program would be used to better understand disease threats to livestock, human health, and biodiversity.

“Wildlife are the most common source of emerging diseases so we’re also on the lookout for anything new, including diseases found overseas that could come into Australia. We help Australian governments keep an eye on potential disease threats that could impact our biodiversity, as well as threats to farmed animals such as avian influenza, or those with www.theveterinarian.com.au

human health implications such as Australian bat lyssavirus,” he said.

Bonorong’s senior vet Alex Kreiss said the sanctuary’s hospital collected valuable intelligence on Tasmania’s wildlife, some of which is unique to the state. One example is the wobbly possum disease virus, a fatal neurological disease previously believed to be unique to possums in New Zealand.

“We’d never seen those signs before and then suddenly we had two or three possums that presented with it. We didn’t know the disease was in Tasmania and certainly didn’t think it was prevalent,” Kreiss explained.

Woods said the sentinel clinics added to the big picture of Australia’s wildlife health and helped to enhance existing surveillance programs across the country.

“The information these private hospitals feed through to us will complement what is already being collected through the other sentinel clinics, as well as zoo wildlife hospitals, universities and wildlife carers,” he said.

The addition of Bonorong Wildlife Hospital to the program has brought the number of participating clinics across the country to ten and will help to broaden the geographic reach and extend veterinary medicine capability across regional Australia.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

vaccine refrigeration

The World Health Organization estimates that at least 50 per cent of vaccines are wasted globally each year, with a lack of facilities and temperature control the major cause.

Recently published in Acta Biomaterialia, CSIRO researchers encapsulated live virus vaccines with a dissolvable crystalline material called MOFs (metal organic frameworks), which protected the integrity of the vaccines for up to 12 weeks and at temperatures as high as 37 degrees Celsius.

Without refrigeration the vaccines would otherwise last only a few days.

CSIRO scientist and immunologist, Daniel Layton, said the breakthrough science would now focus on proving the approach for other animal and human vaccines, including mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

“Vaccination is undoubtedly one of the most effective medical interventions, saving millions of lives each year, however delivering vaccines, particularly to developing countries, is challenging because they often lack the cold storage supply chains required to keep the vaccine viable,” Layton said.

“Live virus vaccines are extremely effective, but their complex composition makes them susceptible to high temperatures, and a universal stabilisation technique has not been found.

“This breakthrough has the potential to enable more affordable and equitable access to vaccines across the world.”

Ruhani Singh

The research focused on two different types of live viruses as proofs of concept, a Newcastle Disease vaccine designed to protect poultry and a strain of Influenza A. When MOFs were formed around the vaccines, they helped protect the vaccine molecules from heat stress. A solution was then used that dissolved the MOF for administration of the vaccine.

CSIRO senior scientist Dr Cara Doherty said MOFs were the perfect material for protecting vaccines from temperature variations.

“MOFs are a porous crystalline material that can grow around the vaccine to form a scaffold that protects against temperature variations,” Doherty said.

“MOFs work similarly to a scaffold you might put around your house, once you remove the scaffold, your house remains – which is what happens when we dissolve the MOFs in a vaccine.”

CSIRO researcher and author of the paper, Ruhani Singh, said the technique was cost-effective and scalable.

“There are two common approaches to protecting vaccines from heat. You can modify the vaccine, which is complex and laborious and at high temperatures may still only last less than a week, or you can use other stabilising agents which pose challenges including how to realistically scale up the solution," Singh said.

“This world-first approach of stabilising a vaccine with MOFs is simple, rapid, and scalable because it takes one step.”

The team continue to progress this research and are looking to partner with animal and human health companies to commercialise their work.

Their research forms part of CSIRO’s biomedical research, which is aiming to generate new opportunities for Australian businesses and increase national sovereign capability.

The full article can be accessed at doi.org/10.1016/ j.actbio.2022.02.002.

APRIL 2022 TheVeterinarian 3

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News

Fungus to the rescue!

The introduced and invasive European coastal weed sea spurge (Euphorbia paralias) has impacted on coastal ecosystems across the country’s south coast, from Western Australia to Tasmania, threatening the nesting sites of native coastal species like little penguins (Edyptula minor). Mature sea spurge plants can produce up to 20,000 seeds annually which has allowed them to colonise beaches above the high-water mark, and to take over sand and dune vegetation. Until recently sea spurge removal has relied on hand-pulling control methods or chemical spray usage.

With financial support from the NSW government a new biocontrol solution for the weed has recently been released in Port Campbell National Park by CSIRO and Parks Victoria. The release follows research by CSIRO scientists that confirmed the findings of French scientists that a fungus originally found on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast of France,

causes leaf and stem lesions on sea spurge plants.

CSIRO Research Technician Caroline Delaisse said that positive results from the French tests showed it was highly specific towards sea spurge. The fungus was then imported to CSIRO’s quarantine facility in Canberra to be studied extensively before approval by the regulator for release in Australia.

CSIRO molecular plant pathologist and mycologist Gavin Hunter said sea spurge was problematic for nesting shorebirds, including penguins, as it can alter sand dune structure and displace vegetation, potentially impacting shorebird nesting sites. It also has a sap which can cause irritation to animals as well as humans.

“Sea spurge grows along Australia’s southern coastline and is a concern for coastal ecosystems.

We’re hopeful the biocontrol agent will help reduce the dense weed, that can grow up to 120cm high,

CSIRO staff

from penguin nesting sites at Port Campbell and many other beaches along the coastline where the weed occurs.

“There are many challenges with current methods for removing sea spurge so finding a biocontrol agent was important to complement existing management strategies that are labour intensive, costly and cannot be easily deployed in difficult-to-access beaches,” he said.

CSIRO is calling for volunteers to help with the biocontrol release program on beaches infested with sea spurge in Victoria and Tasmania. Approval from the land manager or owner should be sought in the first instance before contacting CSIRO scientists at gavin.hunter@csiro.au or carline. delaisse@csiro.au.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

Collaborative research key to confirming new Hendra variant The Hendra virus, that is fatal for horses, first emerged in Australia during the mid-1990s. It circulates among flying foxes who transmit the virus to horses via exposure to virus-laden fluids such as urine when horses graze near or below trees where bats are feeding. Hendra also poses a risk for humans and dogs who work with, or are exposed to, infected horses, and by March 2021 a total of 63 natural Hendra virus spillover cases had been recognised in horses in Australia, that had resulted in 105 horse deaths. Seven confirmed human cases – four of which were fatal – and two canine cases have also been recorded since 1994.

A new variant of the virus has now been identified by researchers led

by Edward Annand, a veterinarian and epidemiologist from the University of Sydney’s School of Veterinary Science, and the Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, and lead author of the observational study published recently in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

A second case was confirmed in October 2021 by the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

It used updated testing methods

made possible by the research, and that serve as a case study on why surveillance and biosecurity programs should be considered of crucial importance in the detection of emerging diseases. Measures that include the examination of areas and scenarios where new viruses and emerging diseases are likely to come into contact with susceptible domestic animals, and humans such as veterinarians, were the foundation of the ‘Horses as Sentinels’ program which led to the detection of the new Hendra virus variant.

Detection of the new variant was due to a seven-year effort to create the ‘One-Health’ network, a collaboration between frontline vets, molecular biologists and virologists working together with the aim of detecting new viruses in domestic species.

“For a long time, there’s been discussion among international organisations about the need for cooperation across multiple research disciplines to monitor for any risks of emerging diseases, but this is very hard to achieve, and this virus was different enough to avoid the established routine

testing and screening,” Annand said.

The researchers found more than 93 per cent of horses that were tested for Hendra were in eastern Queensland and north-eastern NSW, regions where spillover had previously been detected, and where there was reduced scope for detection outside these areas.

“There’s a general misconception that Hendra cases only occur in these areas and that’s served as a barrier to investigating this disease.

The new variant was detected near Newcastle in central NSW which reinforces the need for broader testing – including in all regions frequented by flying foxes,” Annand said.

The new variant was found in a laboratory sample from a Queensland horse that died an unexplained death in September 2015. Although Hendra was the suspected cause of death routine screening and diagnostic tests for the virus were unable to confirm a diagnosis since testing could only be done on known strains.

Annand said that because samples had not been discarded after routine investigations but stored in a state laboratory alongside samples

from horses routinely tested for disease, a partnership with the Queensland state biosecurity department was created. A biobank was established, and a system developed to screen using innovative tests for known and unknown diseases. In 2021 the team used Next Generation sequencing that confirmed the Queensland horse’s death was caused by a previously unrecognised Hendra variant.

“The good news is that the scientific findings support our understanding that the current equine vaccine will be equally effective against this strain, meaning reliable mitigation of human health risk is available via immunisation of horses,” he said.

CSIRO Senior Research Scientist and co-senior author Ina Smith said the collaborative project had made an important discovery that increased the understanding of Hendra and the disease’s distribution.

“This research has already made us realise the importance of this type of work and the positive impacts it can have for protecting the health of horses and humans,” she said.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

Thinking of selling your veterinary practice?

Make sure you get the right result.

1HHG DQ DSSUDLVDO H[LW SODQ RU MXVW ZDQW WR KDYH DQ LQIRUPDO FRQͤGHQWLDO conversation about your practice and personal circumstances?

Please contact us to arrange a time to talk about your options.

There has never been a better time to sell.

Australia’s leading veterinary practice brokerage 1300 282 042 | info@practicesalesearch.com.au | www.practicesalesearch.com.au

www.theveterinarian.com.au

Simon Palmer Managing Director

Kevin Koton National Account Manager

APRIL 2022 TheVeterinarian 5

Welcoming West Ryde Veterinary Clinic to Greencross Pet Wellness Company!

Dr. David Croft founded West Ryde Veterinary Clinic in 1976, it has grown into one of Sydney’s renowned centres of veterinary excellence, operating for 45 years from 1068 Victoria Rd. Now partnering with Dr. Croft and his team, we’re excited to support their skills and expertise with our resources across Greencross Pet Wellness Company.

We’re always looking for like-minded partners to join our Greencross network. Partnering with us involves us investing in your practice and working with you to support your team, to provide outstanding care to clients and patients and grow your practice.

If this of interest to you and you’d like to understand more about what being a partner practice entails, please contact us on a confidential basis at: partners@gxltd.com.au

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For more information visit greencrossvets.com.au

New model could help save koalas Integrating frozen koala sperm into captive management programs is a crucial step to help save the endangered Australian species – a first-of-its-kind model reveals.

Biobanking and assisted reproduction could become a reality for koalas by leveraging the existing technology used to help humans conceive. A detailed model, published in the journal Animals reveals this would significantly help captive breeding programs to retain genetic diversity, and drastically cut the costs currently required to deliver these programs.

Co-author and conservation scientist at the University of Newcastle, Ryan Witt, said a koala biobanking and assisted breeding conservation program could future-proof the species, which, without intervention, faces extinction by 2050.

“Currently, we have no optimised tools that can store live koala reproductive material, such as sperm.

So, we have no insurance policy against natural disasters like the 2019–2020 bushfires that threaten to wipe out large numbers of animals at the one time. If the koala population dies in these kind of fire events, there is no way to bring them back or preserve their genetics.

“Biobanking, if developed for the koala, would offer a solution to store or “bank” live koala genetics by freezing sex cells such as sperm.

The frozen sperm can then be used to impregnate female koalas in breed-for-release programs, using assisted reproductive technology,” Witt said.

The proposed model shows a five- to 12-fold reduction in overall program costs of current captive koala breeding programs, if biobanking and assisted reproduction is incorporated. www.theveterinarian.com.au

“Captive breeding programs require larger koala colony sizes to prevent inbreeding. But by integrating assisted reproduction we can reduce the number of koalas needing to be in captivity, lower costs, and improve genetic diversity,” Witt said.

“This would free up valuable conservation funding to support a greater number of species, or to support other koala conservation efforts such as habitat restoration.”

Through his PhD research at the University of Newcastle, lead author Dr Lachlan Howell has spent years developing and analysing this robust model for various endangered animals but believes it offers the koala the most promise.

“The beauty of applying assisted reproductive technologies to the koala population is that much of the foundation has already been laid, much of the infrastructure is already in place. We’ve identified 16 wildlife hospitals and zoos across Australia that could act as nodes to collect koala sperm and help integrate assisted reproduction,” Howell said.

“Recent advances have shown us that artificial insemination using fresh and chilled sperm works in koalas. The hurdle is trying to freeze sperm and make use of it. All that is needed now is more research and funding to tweak existing assisted reproduction technologies so that we can cryopreserve koala sperm, just like we do for humans.”

“Our modelling shows that supplementing frozen founder sperm into koala colonies using various assisted reproductive technologies – such as those common in agriculture and human fertility – could significantly reduce inbreeding and allow captive programs to hold smaller colonies whilst still meeting optimal genetic diversity targets,” Howell said.

If cryopreservation is made possible for koalas, it will also open the door to recover and biobank genetic material from koalas who may have died in bushfires or been hit by cars so they can still contribute to reproduction and the population.

In North America, an applied research effort to save the blackfooted ferret from near-extinction proved successful.

Howell said dedicated research funding meant assisted reproductive techniques such as freezing sperm and artificial insemination could be developed for the ferret.

“Sperm frozen for 20 years was used to artificially inseminate some of the captive bred ferrets which were becoming more inbred over time. This was crucial to reintroduce genetic variation in the captive population, which over time suffered reproductive complications from inbreeding.

“Thousands of ferrets have since been born and released into the wild.

“In this case, researchers cryopreserved black-footed ferret sperm many years before they figured out how to use the sperm in assisted breeding. This may be the pathway we need to take to ensure the future of Australia’s much-loved koala,” Howell said.

APRIL 2022 TheVeterinarian 7

Management

Speaking with Tony Thelander Tony Thelander has been a prominent figure in the Australian veterinary industry for more than 40 years. Starting out as a veterinarian, he has taken on multiple roles in both the business and management side of being a vet. We asked him to share some advice, from what he has learned over the last four decades from both a career and business perspective.

Simon Palmer is the Managing Director of Practice Sale Search, Australia’s largest practice brokerage. If you’d like more information on practice sales or want to have a confidential discussion about your practice’s circumstances, email Simon Palmer at info@practice salesearch.com.au or call 1300 282 042.

Q1. Tell us a little about your Veterinary career A brief career summary ■ I graduated from University of Queensland in 1970. My first job was with a well-known Brisbane small animal practitioner who turned out to be a very good mentor. After two years, I became a partner in a practice at Chermside (which is where I stayed until I sold the practice in 2007).

■ In 1997 I completed an MBA. I saw the need to run veterinary practices (mine included) more professionally as a business.

■ I became friendly with Dr Jim Martin who seemed to be exhibiting his veterinary equipment at every veterinary conference I attended. Jim had started a veterinary practice valuation company called ValuVet in 1996 and he asked me to accompany him on one of his practice visits. I ended up buying the company in 2006 and running it for the next 15 years.

■ I sold my practice in Chermside in 2007 to concentrate on the consulting work with ValuVet – I balanced work at Valuvet with regular locum work ■ I sold ValuVet in 2018 and I continue to do regular locum work to this day

Q2. With your background and experience in running practices and valuing them, what 4 things do you think that owners commonly get wrong?

The major areas of practice management that owners miss when trying to build their practices are (in order) ■ Missed or low fees – as a profession, we simply do not charge enough for the high-quality service we provide.

■ We fail to re-invest in our businesses, leaving us to offer our clients and our patients an often sub-optimal service.

■ Through lack of skill or otherwise, we do not look after our staff as well as we should, thus creating all sorts of HR problems for the practice owner, and branding our profession as a poorly paid, high-stress workplace. One could say that the consequence of problem #1 (low fees) has a direct bearing on #2 and #3.

■ Practice management has emerged as an essential part of running a business –there is a need in today’s business environment for larger practices to employ a ‘practice manager’ to allow the veterinary practice owner to practice their trade.

Q3. Why did you sell the practice?

I had always hoped that one day, my practice would provide for my retirement. The closer I came to the end of my full-time practicing career, the more I began to focus on the ‘bottom line’ of the business – in other words, I became a better business manager. My ambition (as it was for my ValuVet clients) was to sell my business on my terms and at a time of my choosing. I have no real regrets in selling my practice – I think I went out at the top of my skills and have been able to enjoy my after-practice time thus far.

Q4. Tell us about life post-sale My wife Ros and I have been fortunate to spend time travelling the world, participating in our children’s and grandchildren’s lives and activities (I have become a rowing coach at my grandsons’ school). In the quiet times, I am able to help a couple of my practice-owning colleagues out by locuming and training their staff in veterinary dentistry. I am also a mentor to young veterinarians starting out in their careers. Is this retirement? Probably not, but to me it is fulfilling and flexible enough for me to pursue life at a pace of my choosing – I consider myself fortunate to still have so many options in life without the burden of owning and running a business.

8 TheVeterinarian APRIL 2022

Q5. From its beginning and to this day, ValuVet has always been owned and run by veterinarians. What advantages do you think this gives ValuVet in valuations?

My clinical expertise assisted me enormously in communicating with my colleagues when I visited them with my ValuVet hat on.

Understanding exactly how equipment is used, the complexity of different tasks and having firsthand knowledge of the operations of a practice creates a depth of understanding that an accountant or general valuer cannot match. As a veterinarian I was able to greatly minimise the assumptions that non-veterinary valuers are required to make when valuing veterinary practices. A practicing veterinarian observing from the outside can easily identify and uncover a practice’s risks, opportunities and strengths and at the same time, understanding our clients’ needs – I believe this has always been a core strength and is what differentiates ValuVet from other veterinary valuers.

Q6. Looking back at your career what Career Advice do you have for Vets starting out?

■ Become involved in your professional association – you get back far more than you ever put in!

Membership in Veterinary professional associations helped to keep me stimulated and interested in what was happening in our profession. It also led to my: ■ becoming a founding director of Provet Supplies (yes, it was started here in Brisbane in 1982 with five Queensland veterinarians as directors) and the first Animal Emergency Centre in Brisbane. becoming a hospital inspector for the ASAV hospital accreditation scheme for 10 years.

■ holding leadership positions in my chosen professional associations, becoming an external examiner for final year veterinary students at my own University, building two accredited hospitals and to have a second career as a veterinary business consultant – all of which I enjoyed immensely.

■ Develop a hobby or an external interest as you go – don’t wait till you retire to do it.

■ Build your network of friends and colleagues as you go – they will be there to grow old with you when you retire.

■ Maintain your professional skills and your business right to the end.

■ I am amazed at how time flies, so don’t waste time with the wrong people in life and take your opportunities as they come along.

■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

Letter to the EDITOR All Creatures Great and Small – would you apply for a post COVID position at Siegfried Farnon’s practice?

Dear Editor, A new series is now on view in Australia. So much has changed since the days of James Herriot (though nothing can detract from the beautiful countryside). I remember reading these books in my first year of study in Veterinary Science at Sydney University. They were a powerful tonic and incentive to continue – beyond the heavy “pure science” subjects - physics and chemistry that were part of first year study (and a real struggle for my brain). Through the amusing trials and tribulations, there was a positive future waiting for James.

As was the case in those days, he became a trusted, valued and highly rewarded partner of the practice, attaining an almost idyllic family and work lifestyle that inspired so many to join our profession.

The factors that enabled the fictional James to flourish, have long gone from the world of independent veterinary practice.

Culture has changed, farming has changed, village life has changed.

Veterinary service delivery has changed and will continue to change (as evidenced by Ian Neville’s recent article in the Veterinarian on the commodification of the Veterinary Industry).

Vets joining our profession are expected to make the same sacrifices, but without hope of the same rewards at the end. Awareness of the issues is being raised, but with media interest in the ‘bad news’ without providing hope for the future, I despair for those who read the stories and see ‘no good end’ for them in sight. In this regard, the media is remiss in not providing the ‘good news’ stories that are emerging and may even exacerbate the problems they are reporting on.

Back in the fictional life of James Herriot, in episode one, James joins a one-person vet practice that has a history of churning through assistants. Clients are used to encountering a “new assistant” and James’ success in finding a secure footing would surely not have happened if Siegfried’s old friend and housekeeper was not taking care of his team. I doubt in today’s veterinary world where newly qualified professionals have more choices, whether any veterinary assistant would be happy to apply for such a position. Or, that many would have the modern equivalent of the psychosocial and business support that ultimately benefited Siegfried and his practice.

To create a brighter future, veterinary practices great and small, have the scope to change the profession for the better entirely within their grasp, if the owner/leader is ■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

willing to do what is needed to make this happen. If Siegfried was alive today, I have no doubt that he would have been delighted at the scope for innovation in practice leadership. Siegfried was lucky to have had the options of trying out many different assistants until the right one ‘James’ clicked. With today’s recruitment crisis, he might have had a little more trouble finding the right assistant. Like most of us, I am sure that Siegfried would have welcomed the option of finding the ‘best fit’ for his practice through more scientific means, if such options were available. Fortunately, along with the challenges change has brought with it opportunity for those willing to take it on.

One approach I have been privy too (as a mentor) that is genuinely transformational, has been work done by Pauline Willis of Lauriate. Pauline is an Australian Organisational Psychologist who intervenes to help leaders lead!

This is done via a light but very powerful touch, underpinned by her expertise in the science of people at work. Before meeting Pauline, I had no conception of what an Organisational Psychologist was or what she might offer by focusing on the practice context rather than the other type of psychologists we are more familiar with, who focus only at the level of the individual and are all too often called upon to resolve mental health issues that have progressed to a level where there is risk of mental health breakdown, or worse.

Research and practice from this lesser-known domain of psychological science to the veterinary professions, shows that organisations of any size or type can shine if they focus on creating conditions for success, rather than being in constant ‘firefighting mode’ because the conditions are not in place.

Effective communication and creating or building upon an existing culture of trust and respect lie at the heart of change. Taking a ‘conditions thinking’ approach to veterinary practice leadership does not replace but enhances clinical expertise. This is not about ‘contracting in’ the expertise you do not have, it is about developing new ways of working and leading as a clinician. With support that enhances mental health and wellbeing, enabling people to flourish in the workplace and life.

Facing the incredible consequences of overwork, early in 2020 just after the onset of the COVID pandemic, colleague and owner of Blackwater Vets in the UK, Dr Ola Jankowska engaged Pauline to assist

her with ‘team building’. This has resulted in a restart (or reboot!) for the practice. Ola was being insightful and pre-emptive when taking this approach. She was aware of the pressures that were crushing her spirit and knew she needed to do something. Carrying a heavy weight on her shoulders, she knew she needed to act before things reached a point of no return for both herself and the practice. In the tight knit community of Mersea Island, a picturesque holiday destination situated a little way off the Essex Coast of the UK, Ola was introduced to Pauline & her partner Andy by Puss E Cat, a rumbustious tuxedo cat fond of hunting rats and pigeons. It is not unusual in such a village for people to access professionals known to them through personal introduction or engagement. What is more unusual, is that the support for Ola and her team was provided in pandemic style, by both Pauline and myself virtually, via Zoom. With Ola & the team in West Mersea in the UK and Pauline in Perth whilst I was engaging from Melbourne.

Lauriate usually works with larger corporate clients, but Pauline has a heart for smaller veterinary practices that face the same challenges as larger business but with few resources. Pauline has now presented her work with Blackwater Vets at the International Congress of Psychology hosted by the International Union of Psychological Science. Most recently as part of the Australian Psychology Society’s Psychology Week programme on December 5, 2021 in an open session for the veterinary profession. In this, we worked together with Ola to present the story of Blackwater Vets so others could learn about this way of working. Veterinary professionals are now able to view the recording of this webinar free of charge and I would encourage anyone looking for a brighter more hopeful future for the profession to do so.

How did this work? All employees are heard, and a forensic eye placed over communication and ways of working. The process was supported with deceptively short but powerful surveys (I have completed such a survey as part of the process).

Organisational psychology has many tools to help veterinary practices – including communication & co-operation mapping, team diagnostics & personality profiling, mental health support. Pauline emphasised that these tools were ‘prescribed’ and used in specific ways for Ola’s situation, so it is important not to focus excessively on copying a ‘cookbook’ approach

or to bring in ‘tools’ in the hope of creating and sustaining change.

There are many jargon words at work here! But the end result in Ola’s practice has been “rebirth” i.e., the clinic is now working better than it has ever worked. Significant day to day problems are faced with all the resources that a team can muster – not just the frazzled response of an overworked principal! In essence the team as a whole is increasingly more resilient, and this means that individuals, including Ola can flourish as well.

My experience working as a mentor with Blackwater Vets through this process has shown me there is an enormous treasure chest of wisdom and expertise to offer that is not usually or commonly accessed by our profession. An Organisational Psychologist like Pauline who is a registered health professional like us, offers a very different approach and outcome to a standard ‘business or management consultant’ or ‘coach’.

Key to success was that Ola has committed to the last. Including weekly, one hour Zoom meetings.

Time demanding at the outset, but very productive. How this time is used, was needs based ‘just in time’, tailored support on every level needed. This process, which involves coaching as well as organisational psychology consultancy – addresses in ‘real time’, areas of leadership in which vets are currently poorly trained & prepared.

Ola’s skills were already well developed, so Pauline would describe what she has done as providing psychosocial support at key times, together with support for Ola to fine tune her leadership skills through ‘validating’ what she is doing well, as well as advancing her capability as a leader with new ideas, skills, and tools. In time, Ola will no longer need this intensive external support. We do, however, anticipate that our work together as Mentor & Mentee will continue long into the future, with much valued support from Pauline being accessed when something new or unexpected that we have not already covered, needs to be addressed.

Last and by no means least, there is a key outcome I have not yet shared with you. I had myself left the profession some years ago.

Being valued as a Mentor in this process has given me an appreciation of skills and capabilities that had been invisible to me, as well as renewing my passion for practice.

Whilst it is early days, I am now once again a practicing vet and beginning to see the delight in my profession once again.

Dr Ivor Wolstencroft APRIL 2022

TheVeterinarian

9

VETERINARY IMAGING SPECIALIST

X5

Thomas Donnelly, BVSc, DipVP, DipACLAM reports from the US.

Many of this column’s readers have likely heard of the stories using ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19 in humans. Last August, in a Health Alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, poison control centers across the US were seeing a sharp spike in reports of people suffering adverse health effects after taking animal ivermectin.

Peoplewere purch-asing various highlyconcentrated animal ivermectin drug formulations such as pour-on, injectable, paste, and drench intended for horses, cattle, and sheep, and taking these drugs made some people very sick. The US Food and Drug Administration asked veterinarians to help share important safety information about the misuse of animal ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 in people.1 To assist, the FDA developed a sign available for download to either pass out or post in veterinary practices reminding people about the dangers of treating themselves with animal ivermectin.2 Human consumption was so widespread that the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the FDA was hearing reports of decreased availability of certain animal ivermectin products in some areas of the country.

Why was ivermectin touted as an anti-COVID-19 treatment? Surprisisingly it was not misinformation, for there was a brief period when it was thought ivermectin could be an active treatment for COVID-19.

It was not when the in vitro data first came out. Therapeutic concentrations were not achievable in humans. Nor when the anecdotal reports poured in and sometimes made the news. Not when the results appeared evaluating ivermectin use and lower death rates

■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

Eagle Post from COVID-19 in some countries, mainly from tropical regions in South America and Asia. And not when non-medically trained people pushed ivermectin with enthusiasm religious in its intensity. Their treatment “protocols,” with a hodgepodge of antimicrobials (including ivermectin), immunomodulators, and vitamins -- the kitchen sink approach -- strained credibility.

Infectious disease physicians’ greatest hope for ivermectin came just over a year ago, when Dr. Andrew Hill, a well-respected clinical researcher in HIV research at the University of Liverpool, UK, presented results from a meta-analysis of twenty-three randomized controlled trials.3 He would later also give this presentation to the NIH Guidelines panel. He found the risk-ratio for death with ivermectin was 0.17 (95 per cent confidence interval 0.08, 0.35), an 83 per cent reduction in the risk of dying from COVID-19. Outcomes for other endpoints (viral clearance, clinical recovery, hospitalization) also favored treatment over controls.

In retrospect, Hill acknowledged that the data were incomplete but remained strongly suggestive of clinical benefit. Furthermore, he had been regularly communicating with researchers conducting the five largest studies. They reassured him repeatedly that the data were sound. On January 4, 2021, the New England Journal of Medicine came out with a blog entitled “Ivermectin for COVID-19 -- Breakthrough Treatment or Hydroxychloroquine Redux?”4 The clinical trials data for ivermectin looked stronger than they ever did for hydroxychloroquine, but the evidence was not yet at the “practice changing” level. Results

from at least 5 randomized clinical trials were expected soon that might further inform the decision.

However, National Institutes of Health (NIH) treatment guidelines still recommended against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19. What happened next? Hill submitted the meta-analysis to the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases in early 2021. At that point, there were still no readily available effective outpatient treatments for COVID-19.

Something inexpensive, safe, and widely available would have been most welcome. After peer review and some revisions, Hill reduced the survival effect size for ivermectin to 56% (still highly significant) due to some additional studies, and his paper was accepted for publication.5 The editors simultaneously solicited a thoughtful editorial entitled “Ivermectin for the Treatment of COVID-19 Disease: Too Good to Pass Up or Too Good to Be True?”6 And unfortunately, the second part of the title turned out to be the case - too good to be true. Many meta-analysis studies were highly flawed, and one was outright fraudulent. The fake data problem became known shortly after the meta-analysis appeared in print. Hill promptly contacted the journal when the news broke. He immediately retracted the original paper and, even better, submitted a detailed analysis of what went wrong.7 It includes a revealing figure, which shows how the effect size of ivermectin on survival drops to meaningless by excluding the fraudulent and potentially flawed studies.

The revised results highlighted the need for rigorous quality assessments in COVID-19 drug trials, for authors to share patient-level data, and for efforts to avoid publication

bias for registered studies. Since then, a review has been published based on these issues.8 References 1. Food and Drug Administration.

CVM Letter to Veterinarians and Retailers: Help Stop Misuse of Animal Ivermectin to Prevent or Treat COVID-19 in Humans. 2021; content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ USFDA/bulletins/2eef57b.

2. Food and Drug Administration.

Veterinary Ivermectin Safety Alert.

2021; www.fda.gov/media/151853/ download.

3. You Tube. Ivermectin meta-analysis by Andrew Hill. 2020; www.you tube.com/watch?v=yOAh7GtvcOs 4. Sax PE. Ivermectin for COVID-19 -- Breakthrough Treatment or Hydroxychloroquine Redux? 2021; blogs.jwatch.org/hiv-id-observations/ index.php/ivermectin-for-covid19-breakthrough-treatmentor-hydroxychloroquine redux/2021/ 01/04/.

5. Hill A, Garratt A, Levi J, et al.

Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials of Ivermectin to Treat SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Open Forum Infect Dis 2021;8:ofab358. doi:10.1093/ ofid/ofab358 6. Siedner MJ. Ivermectin for the Treatment of COVID-19 Disease: Too Good to Pass Up or Too Good to Be True? Open Forum Infect Dis 2021;8:ofab318. doi:10.1093/ofid/ ofab318 7. Hill A, Mirchandani M, Pilkington V. Ivermectin for COVID-19: Addressing Potential Bias and Medical Fraud. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022;9: ofab645.doi:10.1093/ofid/ ofab645 8. Smith EM. Reimagining the peerreview system for translational health science journals. Clin Transl Sci 2021;14:1210-1221. doi:10.1111/ cts.13050

APRIL 2022

TheVeterinarian

11

■ EDITED BY JENI HOOD BSc (Hons) BVMS PhD

Abstracts Revisiting porcine circovirus disease diagnostic criteria in the current Porcine circovirus 2 epidemiological context Current knowledge on porcine circovirus diseases (PCVD) caused

by Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) includes the subclinical infection (PCV-2-SI), systemic (PCV-2-SD) and reproductive (PCV-2-RD) diseases, and porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS). Criteria to establish the diagnosis of these conditions have not changed over the years; thus, the triad composed by clinical signs, lesions and viral detection in lesions are still the hallmark for PCV-2-SD and PCV-2-RD. In contrast, PCV-2-SI diagnosis is not usually performed since this condition is perceived to be controlled by default through vaccination.

PDNS is diagnosed by gross and histopathological findings, and PCV-2 detection is not recognized as a diagnostic criterion. Molecular biology methods as a proxy for PCVD diagnoses have been extensively used in the last decade, although these techniques should be mainly considered as monitoring tools rather than diagnostic ones. What has changed over the years is the epidemiological picture of PCV-2 through the massive use of vaccination, which allowed the decrease in infectious pressure paralleled with a decrease in overall herd immunity. Consequently, the need for establishing the diagnosis of PCVD has increased lately, especially in cases with a PCV-2-SD-like condition despite vaccination. Therefore, the objective of the present review is to update the current knowledge on diagnostic criteria for PCVDs and to contextualize the interest of using molecular biology methods in the overall picture of these diseases within variable epidemiological scenarios of PCV-2 infection.

Joaquim Segalés1 2 3, Marina Sibila3 4 Vet Sci. 2022 Mar 2;9(3): 110.doi: 10.3390/vetsci9030110.

1Unitat

Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

2Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

3OIE Collaborating Centre for the Research and Control of Emerging and Re-emerging Swine Diseases in Europe (IRTA-CReSA), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

4IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Free PMC article

Low and no-contact euthanasia: associated ethical challenges experienced by veterinary team members during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic Background: During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many veterinary practices around the world have shifted to a low or no-contact consultation model to ensure the safety of their team members and clients, and comply with public health orders, while continuing to provide veterinary care.

Methods: We performed reflexive thematic analysis on a subset of data collected using a mixed-methods survey of veterinary team members globally.

Results: There were 540 valid responses available for analysis. Low and no-contact euthanasia were raised as a common and/or stressful ethical challenge for 22.8 per cent of respondents. We identified five key themes: no-contact euthanasia as a unique ethical challenge; balancing veterinary team safety with the emotional needs of clients; low and no-contact protocols may cause or exacerbate fear, anxiety, and distress in veterinary patients; physical distancing was more challenging during euthanasia consultations; and biosecurity measures complicated communication around euthanasia and end-of-life decision making.

Recommendations: In light of concerns highlighted by respondents, we recommend the development of a toolkit of protocols that will assist veterinary team members in performing low-contact euthanasia in a range of circumstances, in alignment with their values and professional ethical codes. Professional bodies may be involved To page 30

12 TheVeterinarian APRIL 2022

A survey of calf rearing practices in the south-west region of Western Australia Aims: To gather data on the calf management and rearing practices of a subset of dairy farmers in the south-west region of Western Australia.

Methods: A 30-minute face-to-face survey was conducted with dairy cattle producers in the south-west region of Western Australia from April-June 2019 to determine pre-weaning calf rearing practices. Participation was voluntary, using a self-selected subset of dairy farmers registered with a regional extension group. The questionnaire assessed three broad categories: farm demographics, colostrum harvesting and management and calf rearing practices.

Results: The study response rate was 34/140 (24 per cent). The following key areas were identified where there were deviations from recognised best practice: Precalving: no transition diet was fed pre-calving on 4/34 (12 per cent) of farms, and on a further 5/34 (15 per cent) it was fed for less than 3 weeks; mixing of heifers and adult cows in the calving paddocks occurred in 24/34 (70 per cent) of the farms, with 15 per cent (5/34) of the farms using calving induction. During calving 14/34 (41 per cent) of the farms did not disinfect navels of new-born calves; although 23/34 farmers stated that they collected calves within 6 hours of birth, data on frequency of calf pick-up (2/34 did not separate calves and dams and 19/34 picked up only once per day) indicated that on 21/34 farms (62 per cent) the reality was that calves were picked up >12 hours after birth. Colostrum quality was not assessed appropriately on 18/34 (53 per cent) farms and farmers overestimated how soon after birth it was administered: 23/34 (68 per cent) reported feeding it within 6 hours of calving, despite 62 per cent picking up calves >12 hours after calving. Regarding calf rearing practices, no pain relief before or after dehorning was used on 20/34 (59 per cent) farms, calf bedding was removed infrequently (<weekly) on 26/35 (76 per cent) farms and appropriate isolation of sick calves was only reported by 14/34 (41 per cent) farmers.

Conclusion and clinical relevance: Although limited by the low response rate, this is the first survey of dairy calf rearing practices in the south-western region of Western Australia.

We found evidence of at least one process inconsistent with industry best-practice on 34/140 (24 per cent) of responding farms and all farms had more than one sub-optimal calf rearing practice. This highlights the need to improve calf rearing in this region and identifies key areas of deficiency for further study and extension to producers.

J W Aleri1 2, A D Fisher3 4, J Gogoi-Tiwari1, F K Waichigo5, H R Sodagari1, P C Irons1, I D Robertson1 NZ Vet J. 2022 Mar 7; 1-7.doi: 10.1080/00480169.2022.2042413.

Online ahead of print.

1School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia.

2Centre for Animal Production and Health, Future Foods Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia.

3Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.

4Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Parkville, Australia.

5Brunswick Veterinary Services, Brunswick Junction, WA, Australia.

Coevolution of relative brain size and life expectancy in parrots Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between longevity and brain size in a variety of taxa. Little research has been devoted to understanding this link in parrots; yet parrots are well-known for both their exceptionally long lives and cognitive complexity. We employed a large-scale comparative analysis that investigated the influence of brain size To page 30

■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

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Bycatch mitigation strategies in pelagic longline fisheries: an aid to the welfare of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) Introduction Although described as a “rare event” in many fisheries (Gilman et al., 2010), sea turtle bycatch is a significant issue in trawl, set-net and pelagic longline fisheries operating in regions that overlap with sea turtle distribution. International trade of sea turtles is prohibited, with six out of seven species listed as endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (2003). Bycatch mortality from pelagic longline fisheries poses a significant anthropogenic threat to the welfare of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Carreta caretta) (Echwikhi et al., 2010). Recently, numerous bycatch mitigation strategies have been devised to reduce incidental sea-turtle capture while avoiding negative impacts on local fishermen (Gilman et al., 2010).

Discussion Hook shape, bait choice and catch area have proved to significantly affect numbers of loggerhead turtles caught by pelagic longline fisheries (Gilman et al., 2010). Sales et al. (2010) compared the effects of circle hooks and J-shaped hooks on sea turtle bycatch rates and post-release survival. Data were collected on 22 trips by four different vessels from 2004 to 2008 in the south-western Atlantic Ocean.

Hook type and location of insertion were recorded with lighthooking indicating attachment to the mouth, and deep-hooking signifying oesophageal or deeper attachment. Results showed a total of 200 sea turtles captured, 85 per cent of which were loggerheads.

Capture rate increased by a factor of 2.2 when J hooks were used, and deep-hooking was more frequent than with circle hooks.

Furthermore, capture rates of four of the target species, including blue sharks and tuna (42.2 per cent and 14.6 per cent, respectively), were significantly increased when using circle hooks. Only swordfish had significantly decreased capture rates with circle hooks.

The benefits of circle hooks on the welfare of loggerhead turtles are twofold: these hooks decreased loggerhead capture rates and deep-hooking frequency.

Additionally, greater catch rates of targeted species with circle hooks may result in boosted www.theveterinarian.com.au

economic return for pelagic fisheries, increasing the likelihood of the acceptance of circle hooks by local fishermen (Sales et al., 2010).

Deep hooking by J hooks is likely to increase mortality in loggerhead turtles in comparison to light hooking; deeper hooks cannot be removed as easily and attached branchlines may induce strangulation and traction, resulting in delayed mortality in the loggerhead turtles (Valente et al., 2007).

A limitation to this study could be seen in the use of different shipping vessels, since managerial procedures could alter turtle catch numbers and affect post-release survival rates. Similarly, it is unclear whether increased capture of sharks and tuna with circle hooks would adequately negate the loss due to reduced swordfish catch.

Bait variations used in pelagic longline fisheries can further alter bycatch frequencies in loggerhead turtles. Echwikhi et al. (2010) studied the effect of bait type on 21 fishing trips (48 sets) from July to September over two years, using onboard surveyors. Mackerel was used by 29 fishing sets and 19 used stingray fragments, with the aim of catching sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Of the 29 loggerheads that were caught, 26 were off hooks baited with mackerel, while only three were caught off stingray-baited hooks, showing loggerheads’ strong preference for mackerel.

Furthermore, sandbar shark catch rate was significantly greater with stingray-baited hooks. Thus, while improving the catch rate of targeted species, turtle interactions with longline fisheries can be strongly mitigated by altering the type of bait used. This is supported by a similar study performed by Yokota et al. (2009) demonstrating that loggerheads have a higher tendency to feed on squid than on mackerel.

Bait alterations can therefore be seen as a second economically viable option to pelagic fisheries to reduce loggerhead .

Limitations to the study conducted by Echwikhi et al.

(2010) principally lie in the use of only one fishery; bycatch mitigation techniques are likely to be influenced by numerous factors, and may not work as well in alternate fisheries, especially when using a sensory-based incentive

such as bait. Seasonal variations, time of day, age of interacting turtles and oceanographic region are all likely to play a role in sensory capabilities (Gilman et al., 2010).

The importance of oceanographic regions in loggerhead distribution, and subsequent bycatch frequency, is further demonstrated by Howell et al. (2010). In the study, 17 juvenile loggerheads were tagged with satellite-linked depth recorders (SDRs) and released back into the central North Pacific Ocean, from which they had come. The SDRs recognised individual dive events, and collected raw time-and-dive data for more than 50 days, with some tags (n=6) transmitting data for more than one year.

Dive-depth distributions showed 80 per cent of dives were to depths of less than 5 metres and 90 per cent to depths shallower than 15 metres. Moreover, 99 per cent of the turtles’ time was recorded to be in waters warmer than 15°C, with seasonal migration following warmer temperatures. This is supported by Sales et al. (2010), who reported seasonal changes in loggerhead capture. Such information can greatly benefit bycatch mitigation strategies; longline fishing in depths below 25 metres is likely to circumvent shallower regions of the water column where turtles spend 99 per cent of their time. By analysing loggerhead distribution and feeding patterns, probability of fishery interactions with turtles can be determined and consequently, loggerhead bycatch could be significantly reduced.

However, a limitation to this study is that the reasoning behind the turtle distribution is unclear as thermal limitations and prey distributions are unknown. Similarly, only juvenile loggerheads were used, and as such the study is restricted to an age class that might display different foraging behaviours to other classes.

Conclusion In conclusion, altered bait type and use of circle hooks can be used in conjunction with oceanographic data to reduce bycatch mortality in loggerhead turtles. However, while

empirical evidence has shown bycatch mortality solutions may benefit the welfare of loggerhead turtles, it is probable that solutions are fishery-specific. Additional reviews are required to enhance understanding of the risk posed by pelagic longline fisheries on loggerhead populations, in order to prioritise limited conservation resources and ascertain appropriate mitigation opportunities.

■ LOUISE SCHAFFER

References Echwikhi, K., Jribi, I., Bradai, M.N., Bouain, A. (2010) Effect of type of bait on pelagic longline fishery–loggerhead turtle interaction in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia).

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 20:5, 525-530.

Gilman, E. Gearhart, J., Price, B., Eckert, S., Milliken, H., Wang, J., Swimmer, Y., Shiode, D., Abe, O., Peckham, S.H., Chaloupka, M., Hall, M., Mangel, J., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Dalzell, P., Ishizaki, A. (2010) Mitigating sea turtle by-catch in coastal passive net fisheries.

Fish and Fisheries 11:1, 57-88.

Howell, E.A., Dutton, P.H., Polovina, J.J., Bailey, H., Parker, D.M., Balazs, G.H. (2010) Oceanographic influences on the dive behavior of juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the North Pacific Ocean.

Marine Biology 157:5, 1011-1026.

IUCN (2003) IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species. International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Cambridge, UK. Sales, G., Giffoni, B., Fiedler, F., Azevedo, V., Kotas, J., Swimmer, Y., Bugoni, L. (2010) Circle hook effectiveness for the mitigation of sea turtle bycatch and capture of target species in a Brazilian pelagic longline fishery. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 20:4, 428-436.

Valente, A.L.S., Parga, M.L., Velarde, R., Marco, I., Lavin, S., Alegre, F., Cuenca, R. (2007) Fishhook lesions in Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 43:4, 737-741.

Yokota (2009)

This essay is one of a number selected for The Veterinarian magazine Prize for Written Communication for Sydney University third-year veterinary science students.

APRIL 2022 TheVeterinarian 15

Health Bulletin

Emergency animal disease bulletin: Japanese encephalitis Rhyll Vallis, Nicole Byrne and Jarrad Sanderson, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an acute mosquitoborne viral disease of humans and animals which occurs throughout much of Asia. Infections are mainly subclinical, but can be associated with abortion in pigs and encephalitis in humans and horses. Although an effective vaccine is available, the World Health Organisation estimates approximately 68,000 human cases occur annually predominantly in South-east Asia (WHO 2019).

Clinical disease occurs most commonly in pigs, horses (and donkeys) and humans. Reports of disease in other species are rare. JE has been reported in cattle, and chicks and ducks less than 6 weeks old.

In pigs, the most common clinical signs are mummified, stillborn or weak piglets, some with neurological signs. Many cases in horses are asymptomatic and most clinical disease is mild.

However, severe encephalitis can occur, which may be fatal. Reports of clinical disease in donkeys is less common.

Aetiology The virus that causes JE is a single-stranded, enveloped ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus genus in the family Flaviviridae. The virus replicates in various tissues, with tropism for neurological and lymphoid tissues.

There is one serotype of JEV and five reported genotypes. Substantial strain variation has been reported among JEV isolates. While JEV strains vary in virulence and clinical signs, all are readily inactivated by heat, photochemical treatment, pasteurisation, treatment with detergents and low pH. Distribution Global Japanese encephalitis is widely dispersed throughout Asia, and its geographic range extends from maritime areas of the north-east Russia, China and Philippines in the east, to India and Pakistan at its western limits, and throughout South-East Asia.

Outbreaks of Japanese encephalitis have been reported in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and northern Australia, as well as in the Western Pacific islands of Guam and Saipan.

For the latest information on the distribution of JE, refer to the WAHIS information database website of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (wahis.oie.int/#/dashboards/ country-or-disease-dashboard) or the FAO EMPRESi Global Animal Disease Information System (empres-i.review.fao.org).

Australia Japanese encephalitis emerged in the Torres Strait in 1995. A human case was reported on mainland Australia in northern Queensland in 1998. Although serological evidence of pig infection was also detected, a transmission cycle was not established.

On the Australian mainland, a human case was reported from the Mitchell River area of western Cape York in 1998. Serological evidence of pig infection was detected in the Mitchell River area and in the Northern Peninsula area of Cape York at that time, but there was no further evidence of human infections in residents of nearby communities, and JEV did not establish a transmission cycle (Hanna et al 1999). Periodically, overseasacquired human cases of JE are detected; however, there have been no reports of associated viral transmission in Australia.

The disease was not detected in mainland Australia again until 25 February 2022. Initially the disease was confirmed by laboratory diagnosis in three eastern states – in one piggery in Victoria, 6 piggeries in NSW and in one piggery in Queensland. At the time there had been ■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

a large amount of rain across eastern Australia with high numbers of mosquitoes reported.

Vaccination Effective JE vaccines are available for use in people.

The Australian immunisation handbook (ATAGI 2018) provides recommendations on vaccination of humans.

In some Asian countries, pigs are vaccinated as part of control efforts, and horses in endemic areas are vaccinated to protect against disease and for international travel.

Transmission The primary mode of transmission for JEV between hosts is through the bite of infected mosquito vectors.

The virus has been isolated from over 30 mosquito species. JEV vectors are opportunistic feeders and are zoophilic, preferring animals to humans. The principal competent Australian vector mosquito is Cx. annulirostris. This vector species has been primarily responsible for JEV in the Torres Strait islands. As host availability is an important factor influencing feeding, Cx. annulirostris preferentially feed on cattle and marsupials.

JEV has also been isolated in two vector mosquito species found in Torres Strait. They are, C. gelidus and Ochlerotatus vigilax. C. gelidus was introduced into northern Queensland and is now believed to be widely distribributed throughout northern Australia.

Maintenance of the virus is believed to occur in mosquito – waterbird, or mosquito – waterbird – pig cycles. Pigs and waterbirds are important amplifying hosts.

Water birds, particularly herons and egrets, are the main natural reservoir hosts of JE. Waterbirds and pigs are amplifying hosts of JEV and can act as maintenance hosts in endemic areas. Following natural infection, pigs develop a high level viraemia for 4-5 days capable of infecting mosquito vectors. The high birth rate and rapid turnover of pigs in commercial production systems provide a continual source of susceptible hosts, and large epidemics of Japanese encephalitis have occurred when JEV spreads to new areas where susceptible hosts and suitable vectors co-exist.

Japanese encephalitis predominantly affects rural areas where irrigated agriculture human habitation, waterbirds and pig rearing are in close proximity. Typically, two epidemiological patterns exist: endemic activity in tropical regions and epidemic activity in temperate and subtropical regions.

Humans and horses are dead-end hosts of JEV, because they do not produce adequate viral levels required to infect mosquitoes. However, the disease can be fatal to humans and horses.

The virus is relatively unstable in the environment and is not considered significant in transmission.

Clinical disease The incubation period is 1–3 days in pigs, 4-14 days in horses and 5–15 days in humans. Note that less than 1% of people infected with JE virus develop clinical illness.

Clinical signs, mortality and morbidity differ by species, as shown in Table 1 below.

Species

Pigs

Clinical signs

Adult pigs generally show no overt signs of infection Under experimental conditions, pigs can become pyrexic (40–41°C) after 24 hours of infection, lasting up to 5 days, with inappetence and depression Piglets may show central nervous signs indicative of encephalitis, such as hind limb tremor Infected boars may have oedematous, congested testicles, lowered motile sperm counts and abnormal spermatozoa

Horses Subclinical infection is most common Neurological sequelae can occur in surviving horses, and has manifested as incoordination, paraplegia, ataxia and incontinence Transient, lethargic or hyperexcitable type syndrome There are three clinical presentations in horses. These are: Transient type – pyrexia of up to 40°C for 2-4 days, with anorexia, sluggish movement, congested or jaundice mucous membranes, and rapid and an uneventful recovery Lethargic type – fluctuating pyrexia up to 41°C, with lethargy, anorexia, stupor, grinding of teeth and chewing motions, difficulty in swallowing, jaundice, petechial haemorrhages in mucous membranes, incoordination, staggering and falling, transient neck rigidity, radial paralysis, impaired vision and recovery within 1 week Hyperexcitable type – marked pyrexia (>41°C), with aimless wandering, violent and demented behaviour, blindness, profuse sweating, muscle trembling, bruxism, collapse, coma and death

Mortality rates

Mortality in litters of pigs can reach 100 per cent but is rare in adult pigs

Estimated at 5–15 per cent in endemic areas and 30–40 per cent in seasonal epidemics. JE in livestock has not been accurately quantified

Mortality rates

Reproductive losses in pig herds can be up to 50–70 per cent during epidemics

Low (<1 per cent) and up to 1.4 per cent during epidemics

Figure 1 Mortality, morbidity and clinical signs by species APRIL 2022 TheVeterinarian 17

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Health Bulletin Diagnosis JE should be suspected in disease outbreaks in pigs, with clinical disease characterised by abortion, foetal mummification or stillbirth, and encephalitis in animals up to 6 months old.

JE in horses must be differentiated from other causes of neurological diseases. In Australia, this includes infections with Hendra virus and the closely-related subtype Kunjin virus and Murray Valley encephalitis viruses, which have caused outbreaks of equine encephalitis and have very similar epidemiology to Japanese encephalitis.

Geographical and temporal clustering of pigs and horses displaying the described clinical signs should raise suspicion of JE, particularly in JE high risk areas. Where JE is suspected, samples from animals euthanised in the acute stage of the disease or from animals that have been dead for less than 12 hours should be collected. This is because viremia only lasts a few days. Virus isolation is best achieved from infected brain and post-mortem tissues as the virus is rarely cultured from blood or CSF. Samples to collect: ■ ■

■ ■

a range of tissues in formalin whole blood and serum samples (paired serum samples should be collected 2–4 weeks apart) placental tissues from aborted foetuses cerebrospinal fluid and a range of brain tissue from animals with neurological signs

A Hendra virus infection is a differential diagnosis in cases of neurological disease in horses, please consult with the relevant jurisdictional guidelines prior to commencing sample collection. Appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn if Hendra virus is suspected.

For the latest information on specimens required for JE testing, refer to the CSIRO ACDP Japanese encephalitis Virus Diagnostic Testing Factsheet. (acdp.csiro.au/resources/ documents/CSIRO_JE_Diagnostic_Testing_Fact sheet_V3.pdf) Control Management in endemic areas worldwide involves controlling disease in animal populations to support public health initiatives, limiting disease in livestock and protecting highvalue animals (e.g., stud and racing horses).

The primary means of control are awareness raising, use of vaccination where available, and vector control.

In Australia, the national policy is to control JE in pigs in order to support public health agencies. Strategies include:

■ Early recognition and laboratory confirmation of cases ■ Coordination and cooperation with public health response activities ■ Epidemiological assessment to inform decisions on appropriate control measures of mosquito vectors and reservoir host species in the transmission of JEV ■ Movement controls over pigs, pig semen and embryos, and other potential amplifying hosts ■ Tracing and surveillance of domestic and wild animals and potential mosquito vector species.

There is no effective treatment for JE in animals.

Infection with JE is reportable throughout Australia. For further information see the National list of notifiable animal diseases. (www.awe.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/pestsdiseases-weeds/animal/notifiable) For further details on Australia’s response policy, see the AUSVETPLAN Japanese encephalitis response strategy located on Animal Health Australia’s website: animalhealthaustralia.com.au/ ausvetplan/ Risk to Australia JE is endemic in neighbouring Australian countries such as Papua New Guinea and in the Torres Strait.

In Australia, there are three main ways JEV could have been introduced: movement of infected waterbirds, dispersal of infective mosquitoes by wind, and movement by humans of viraemic pigs.

In the case of pigs, animal movement within Torres Strait is controlled, and few animals move south from the Thursday Island group of islands.

In addition, live pigs are not imported into Australia.

However, control of movements of wild waterbirds and mosquitoes is not possible.

Potential JE vector species (such as Culex annulirostris) are present in many parts of Australia. Australia also has significant populations of susceptible host animal species, including amplifying host species such as waterbirds and pigs (domestic and feral).

JE is a disease of public health importance.

Social effects include human fatalities and the ongoing need for vaccination.

Given the February 2022 detections of JE in parts of Eastern Australia, it is important that Australian veterinarians maintain current knowledge and remain alert to the possibility of JE infection in horses and livestock, as early detection and laboratory confirmation are critical for a rapid and effective response.

Vets should: immediately report suspect cases of JE to a government veterinarian or via the EAD Hotline wear appropriate personal protective equipment (coveralls and boots, gloves, mask) when examining animals, performing post-mortem examinations, or handling tissue, carcasses or abortion materials ■ isolate sick/dead animals and limit contact with the sick/dead animals perform personal decontamination when leaving infected premises, and thoroughly clean and then disinfect equipment before leaving the property ■ protect their own health through vaccination advise clients that human infections can potentially occur via needlestick and mucosal exposure, or inhalation of infected samples, or through contact with aborted foetuses, bodily fluids and tissues of infected animals Veterinarians can also encourage clients with pigs and horses to practise good farm biosecurity and implement an effective mosquito control program. The information about controlling mosquitoes around piggeries can be found on the farm biosecurity website (www.farmbio security.com.au/livestock/pigs/controllingmosquitoes-around-piggeries).

Unusual clinical presentations, particularly when symptoms are consistent with an emergency animal disease (EAD), should be reported directly to state or territory government veterinarians or through the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline (1800 675 888).

■

References Animal Health Australia (2020). Response strategy: Japanese encephalitis (version 5.0). Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN), edition 5, Canberra, ACT. AVA (Australian Veterinary Association) (2022) Japanese Encephalitis detected in pigs in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, AVA, accessed 1 March 2022.

Department of Agriculture and CSIRO. 2019.

Emergency animal diseases: A field guide for Australian veterinarians, Canberra, August.

CC BY 4.0.

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (27 February 2022) Japanese encephalitis detected in pigs in southern Queensland [media release], Queensland government, accessed 1 March 2022.

DPI (Department of Primary Industries) (2022) Japanese Encephalitis, DPI, accessed 1 March 2022.

WHO (World Health Organization) (2019) www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/ japanese-encephalitis

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Is there a topic you’ve wanted to tell everyone about?

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Then don’t delay – email The Veterinarian at editor@vetmag.com.au and let us know – because your words could be in the pages of next month’s issue!

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Clinical Feature

Staying alert to lumpy skin disease Australia’s animal health system relies on veterinarians reporting any suspicion of an emergency animal disease. Lumpy skin disease has never occurred in Australia, but it is an emerging threat as it continues its spread through Asia and most recently into Indonesia and Singapore.

Lumpy skin disease is caused by a virus from the Poxviridae family. It is a serious disease that primarily affects cattle and water buffalo, although it has also been seen in other bovids and giraffes.

There is no reliable evidence that the virus causes disease in humans. It is vital that veterinarians stay alert to this disease so that early detection of an outbreak can be made. The disease would have significant and far-reaching impacts should there be an incursion in Australia. There is currently no vaccine available for use in Australia.

Infection with lumpy skin disease virus typically causes painful characteristic skin nodules which cover the body of the animal. Cattle with lumpy skin disease may show firm, raised nodules up to 50 mm in diameter which develop on the skin around the head, neck, genitals and limbs. Scabs develop in the centre of the nodules. When the scabs fall off, large holes are left which may become infected. The limbs, brisket and genitals can become swollen. The virus can persist in scabs for up to four months after the animal is infected and can persist in the environment for extended periods. Other disease symptoms include fever, watery eyes, loss of appetite, and a reluctance to move. There may also be a marked reduction in milk yield, damaged hides, and abortion in pregnant animals. While some infected animals may not show signs of disease, it can kill some animals.

The disease is highly infectious and is primarily spread through biting insects such as flies and

■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

mosquitoes, and also ticks. The movement of infected animals is another cause of spread, enabling new populations of biting insects to become mechanical vectors of the disease.

The disease can also be spread by fomites such as contaminated equipment (for example, used vaccine or antibiotic needles) and in some cases, directly from animal to animal. The Emergency Animal Diseases Field Guide for Veterinarians (Department of Agriculture & CSIRO 2019)1 has more specific information about lumpy skin disease, including differential diagnoses, and is free to download.

Lumpy skin disease is a nationally notifiable disease; veterinarians should be aware of what the disease looks like and report any suspected cases of the disease immediately to the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888. This number will connect you with your state or territory’s department of primary industries or agriculture.

Further information about lumpy skin disease can also be found on the department’s lumpy skin disease webpage (Department of Agriculture 4 March 2022)2.

References 1. Department of Agriculture & CSIRO 2019, Emergency animal diseases: A field guide for Australian veterinarians, Canberra, available at www.outbreak.gov.au/for-vets-and-scientists/ emergency-animal-diseases-guide 2. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, 4 March 2022, ‘Lumpy skin disease’, Canberra, available at https://www.awe.gov.au/ biosecurity-trade/pests-diseasesweeds/animal/ lumpy-skin-disease accessed 5 April 2022.

■ KALLY GROSS

Cows infected with lumpy skin disease virus.

Pictures Michel Bellaiche, Kimron Veterinary Institute

APRIL 2022 TheVeterinarian 21

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Clinical Review

Rectal prolapse – a brief review Summary

Penny Linnett BSc (Zool Hons) BVSc MPhil MANZCVS Penny has worked extensively in private mixed practice, and in animal biosecurity and welfare for both government and not-for-profit organisations.

She manages a 212 hectare Dorper sheep breeding property in NSW, and is co-Director of Your Hobby Farm Success, helping hobby farmers enjoy their lifestyle, and reap the benefits of having healthy and happy animals.

Rectal prolapse occurs in many species and may be caused by persistent tenesmus associated with enteritis, intestinal parasites, rectal disorders, and other underlying conditions. Diagnosis is made based on seeing a cylindrical tissue-mass protruding from the anus – either temporary or more permanent. Treatments include lavage of the protruding tissue, reduction, and placement of a temporary purse-string suture to prevent relapse. Use of local and epidural anaesthesia can help reduce straining and aid in reduction of the prolapse.

A rectal prolapse can be lifethreatening as much of the large intestinal tract can prolapse.

Introduction Rectal prolapse is characterised by the protrusion of one or more layers of the rectum through the anus.

It may be ‘partial’ (also known as ‘incomplete’ and ‘rectal eversion’) or ‘complete’. In a partial prolapse, only the rectal mucosa protrudes through the anus; there may be a small portion of the rectal mucosa that is visible during defaecation but recedes afterwards. In a complete prolapse, there is a double layer evagination of the rectum, sometimes including the anorectal junction through the anal canal, and the tissue mass does not recede back through the anus.

Rectal prolapse has been typed into four categories - mucosal prolapse of the rectum, complete prolapse of the rectal wall, rectal prolapse with invagination and rectal hernia.

There may be multiple contributing factors, but the basic premise is persistent tenesmus associated with anorectal, intestinal, or urogenital disease. Rectal prolapse can affect animals of any age, breed, or sex; it is most commonly seen in cattle, donkeys, pigs and sheep, and in young animals with severe diarrhea and tenesmus. Prolapses occur less often in goats than sheep.

Aetiology There are many contributing factors including age (young animals are more susceptible; rectal prolapse affects about 2 per cent to 10 per cent of lambs from weaning to approximately 1 year of age); gender (females are thought to be over-represented); enteritis / colitis; severe / chronic diarrhea and persistent tenesmus; constipation post-gastrointestinal surgery; genetic susceptibility (not a problem in pigs); endoparasitism; pathology of the rectum (e.g. neoplasia, lacerations, foreign bodies); genitourinary pathology (e.g. urolithiasis, urethral obstruction, cystitis, prostatic disease); parturition (dystocia; very common in horses); pelvic musculature and neurological defects (e.g. perineal hernia); interference with the external anal sphincter; hormonal (in sows, prolapses occurring after oestrus may be related to sex hormone levels) and environmental.

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Environmental factors are important in pigs; stalls or tethers with an excessive floor slope, and sow stalls or farrowing crates with the back retaining gate consisting of parallel bars, predispose individuals to rectal prolapse.

In pigs, rectal prolapse is a common gastrointestinal problem and is mainly due to diarrhea or weak/absent supporting tissues for the rectum within the pelvis. It is usually a sudden onset, widespread condition typically occurring in good growing pigs from 8 to 20 weeks of age; the highest incidence being described in young pigs between 6 and 16 weeks of age, varying from 0.7 per cent to 15 per cent. It is rare in piglets but may be seen occasionally in sows, where the incidence varies between 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent; two-thirds of cases occur around parturition (Borobia-Belsue, 2006). In cold weather the incidence of rectal prolapse increases as pigs tend to huddle together in low temperatures, thereby increasing abdominal pressure. Also, wet conditions and slippery floors, particularly those with no bedding, increase abdominal pressure and hence the likelihood of rectal prolapses occurring. High stocking densities can prevent pigs from laying on their sides across the pen and predispose individuals to rectal prolapse.

In dogs, especially young ones, individuals with viral infections or endoparasitism are at increased risk of developing a rectal prolapse. Other predisposing factors include laxity of the anal sphincter or perianal connective tissue (perineal hernia with rectal sacculation). Rectal prolapse most commonly affects puppies under 6 months of age who have frequent bouts of severe diarrhea or strain to defecate. If left untreated, a puppy with a rectal prolapse will be unable to defecate, which will invariably lead to severe illness and eventually death.

Rectal prolapse is not common in adult horses and it is usually a sequel to excessive straining due to dystocia or other disease. However, it is common in foals in association with severe diarrhea and straining to defecate or urinate.

In cattle, rectal prolapse is an occasional occurrence and may be associated with coccidiosis (in young cattle especially), rabies (sometimes), and vaginal or uterine prolapse.

Occasionally, excessive “riding” and associated traumatic injury may cause rectal prolapse in young bulls.

In sheep, rectal prolapse is common in individuals with short docked tails and especially in lambs which are fed high-concentrate rations, as occurs in feedlots. Exposure to oestrogenic pastures and oestrogenic fungal toxins may also predispose to rectal prolapse.

Various clovers (e.g. lush red and white), and legumes such as alfalfa and field peas contain phytoestrogens which can cause relaxation of the anal sphincter muscles.

Rectal prolapses are common in growing, weaned lambs and cattle from 6 months to 2 years of age and are usually secondary to other diseases or management-related circumstances. Overly fat cattle and sheep, and especially those animals in the latter stages of pregnancy, may also exhibit intermittent rectal prolapse.

Also, abdominal enlargement related to excessive rumen filling or bloat may cause rectal prolapses, as can coughing during respiratory tract infections (e.g., chronic coughing).

Intermittent rectal prolapse has been seen in embryo transfer cows and may be caused by obesity with excessive pelvic deposition of fat and chronic administration of estrogenic hormones.

A common cause of rectal prolapse in sheep is the result of ‘too short’ tail docking which compromises the innervation of the anal sphincter and perianal muscles, leading to chronically progressive rectal protrusion and ultimately, rectal prolapse.

Anderson (2009) cited a prospective study (Thomas et al 2003) where 1227 lambs at 6 locations were assigned to one of three groups – one group to have short tail dock at the level of the body, a second group to have medium tail docking at the midpoint between the body and the attachment of the caudal tail fold to the tail skin, and a third group to receive long tail dock at the level of the attachment of the caudal tail fold to the tail skin.

Figure 1. Colin’s rectal prolapse before treatment (manual reduction under caudal epidural anaesthesia; with purse-string suture). Colin was a healthy 5-month-old pure-bred Dorper wether lamb

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Clinical Review The incidence of rectal prolapse was reportedly 7.8 per cent of lambs with short tail docks compared to 4 per cent of lambs having medium tail docks and 1.8 per cent of lambs with long tail docks. The study also observed that lambs in feedlots had rectal prolapse more often than grazing lambs, and genetic analysis of rectal prolapse using half siblings indicated a low heritability factor (0.14). However, other factors such as increased coughing, increased body fatness, lack of exercise and diet components were not considered in the study.

While sheep of any age, breed or sex may be affected, ewe lambs that prolapse should not be retained for breeding, as they are more likely to exhibit vaginal prolapse at (or just before) lambing.

Rectal prolapses may be accompanied by intestinal intussusceptions that will likely further complicate treatment and increase mortality.

Occasionally, acute rectal prolapses with evisceration will result in shock and prompt death of the animal.

Clinical signs The primary clinical sign is an elongated, cylindrical mass protruding from the anus. The mass is usually a bright cherry-red colour initially, and it will seep red blood if the tissue has been injured or ulceration is present. With continual exposure to the environment, the mucosal surface becomes darker and congested, dry and even cracked, and possibly grossly contaminated with faeces and soil. This causes more irritation to the animal and hence, more straining. In the chronic stages, the exposed tissue mass can be necrotic.

It is important to distinguish a rectal prolapse from a prolapsed ileocolic intussusception. In small animals this is done by passing a well-lubricated probe (blunt instrument or thermometer for example) or finger between the prolapsed mass and the inner rectal wall (ie: alongside the prolapse). In a rectal prolapse, the probe cannot be inserted because of the presence of the fornix, whereas in an intussusception, the probe can be inserted cranially more than a few centimetres (i.e., 5 or 6 cm past the mass).

In the horse, systemic clinical signs include tachycardia, tachypnea, increased borborygmi, normal or increased rectal temperature, inappetance, depression, dehydration, and cardiovascular compromise.

In pigs, the size of the prolapse can vary from 10mm to 80mm and if small, it will often revert into the rectum spontaneously. In most cases however the prolapse remains out and becomes swollen and oedematous and subject to haemorrhage; it is often cannibalised by other pigs in the pen. If this happens, it normally results in death of the animal by septicaemia, shock, or faecal peritonitis. Affected pigs may also be anaemic, constipated, have blood in the faeces and death may occur.

Diagnosis Diagnosis is straight forward - a tube-like mass of varying length protruding through the anal orifice is usually diagnostic. The mass can be differentiated from a prolapsed ileocolic intussusception by passing a blunt instrument or probe or finger between the prolapsed mass and the inner rectal wall. In rectal prolapse, the presence of a fornix will prevent the probe from being inserted.

A thorough physical examination should be performed. Faecal analysis (e.g., for parasite larvae/eggs), complete blood count (e.g. there may be high levels of white blood cells) and blood profile are also useful. Urinalysis (+/culture), abdominal imaging (may demonstrate a large prostate, foreign bodies, thickening of the bladder walls, or kidney stones) and thoracic imaging may provide additional diagnostic causative information. In all species, identification, and elimination of the cause of the prolapse is important to prevent recurrence.

■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

A rectal examination may be performed but it is important to be very careful to ensure that the animal is not in any undue stress during the procedure.

During examination of the rectal tissue mass, it may appear swollen, and will ooze red blood if incised. The tissue, if dead, appears dark purple or black and will ooze bluish blood if incised.

And a quick note about (the lack of) haemorrhoids in dogs. Haemorrhoids are distended blood vessels in the rectum or anal area.

Haemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels that form either externally (around the anus) or internally (in the lower rectum) in the rectum or anal area. Dogs do not suffer from haemorrhoids because they do not have the added downward pressure of body and organ weight pushing on the blood vessels of the rectum and anus; this is often a contributing factor to developing haemorrhoids. By age of 50 in humans, about half of the population has experienced one or more of the classic symptoms of haemorrhoids, including rectal pain, bleeding, itching and possibly prolapse (i.e. haemorrhoids that protrude through the anal canal).

tissue to its proper anatomic location, or amputation if the segment is necrotic. There are three surgical techniques to treat/prevent rectal prolapse, which are placing a perianal pursestring suture; colopexy; and rectal resection.

Selection of the best technique depends on whether the mass can be successfully treated (and if it is recurrent) and assessment of the viability of the prolapsed tissue.

Partial prolapses usually respond well to medical management. This includes warm saline lavage and lubrication (e.g., gel) of the prolapsed tissue before gently replacing it through the anus.

Topical hypertonic sugar solution (50% dextrose or 70% mannitol) is also useful to reduce the oedema in the mucosa, as is topical glycerine, magnesium sulphate or lidocaine. Application of a topical antibiotic-steroid ointment for 7 to 10 days is recommended. To prevent a recurrence of a prolapse, a loose, anal purse-string suture should be placed and left in situ for 5 to 7 days.

Purse-string sutures are fairly quick and easy to place, and the risk of complications is minimal.

It is the least invasive and least expensive technique and is usually chosen when the condition

Figure 2. Colin’s rear end after 6 weeks

Treatment In all animals, treatment is based on lavage of the protruding tissue, reduction, and placement of a temporary purse-string suture. Identification and correction of the underlying cause is essential for treatment success. Laparoscopic evaluation of reduced prolapse can help assess viability of bowel and mesentery.

Treatment should be initiated promptly to reduce the possibility of further trauma, but options will depend on the stage at which the prolapse is identified, as the level of irritation and amount of prolapsed rectal tissue increases with time. Continued blood in the faeces is suggestive of tissue necrosis.

Many cases, especially those in large animals, may require immediate euthanasia on welfare grounds; also costs of treatment, ongoing care and prognosis may make treatment prohibitive.

It may be possible to provide some ‘first aid treatment’ to keep the area clean and to prevent further damage to the prolapsed tissue. For example, spraying the mass with some sterile saline contact lens solution placed into a squirt bottle, or you can make your own version of saline by mixing 1 to 2 teaspoons of table salt with about 2 cups of lukewarm water; lubricating the area with a cream, ointment, KY jelly, obstetric lube. In small animals, it may be possible to wrap the area with a towel moistened with saline solution.

Small animals Treatment options for rectal prolapse in small animals include replacement of viable prolapsed

causing the prolapse is readily treatable, and any tenesmus can be controlled.

Tenesmus (straining) can be prevented by applying a topical anaesthetic or by administering a narcotic caudal epidural injection before or after reduction. A moist diet and a faecal softener (e.g., dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate) or enema/s are recommended postoperatively.

Diarrhoea may occur post-reduction and may require appropriate supportive treatment.

Management of a complete rectal prolapse depends on tissue viability and the number of recurrences of the condition. If the rectal tissue is viable (i.e.: feels warm and has red oxygenated blood oozing from the surface) and it is the first occurrence, a simple reduction under general anaesthesia / epidural analgesia with the placement of an anal purse-string suture should be enough. The oedematous mucosa should be well lubricated and gently massaged to reduce the swelling prior to reduction. Warm isotonic solutions dilate blood vessels and allow interstitial oedema to be removed by gentle manipulation.

In order to have correct tension on the pursestring suture, it is useful to preplace the suture (at the anocutaneous line immediately cranial to the anal sac duct orifices) and then insert a well-lubricated small tube (e.g., the ‘old’ glass lavender top blood collection tube works well) and then draw the purse-string tight enough so that the rectal mucosa rests gently on the tube.

The tube is then removed, and the suture can usually be left in situ for 7 to 10 days.

If the rectal prolapse is viable but cannot be reduced manually, or if there is a history of APRIL 2022 TheVeterinarian 25

Clinical Review multiple recurrences, then celiotomy or celiotomy and colopexy is recommended. Colopexy is an effective prophylactic treatment in cats where purse-string management is often ineffective and the risks of suture line dehiscence or rectal stricture after amputation are high. Epidural anaesthesia is useful to prevent and reduce straining.

When the prolapsed segment is devitalised (i.e., is dark purple or black in colour and exudes dark cyanotic blood from the surface), rectal resection and anastomosis are required.

Complications include suture line dehiscence and stricture formation.

If the underlying cause remains undetermined or was not eliminated, owners should be made aware of the likelihood of recurrence of the rectal prolapse. A rectal prolapse does not occur without cause. Also, any surgery site needs to be monitored for the first 5 to 7 days, as there is the possibility of splitting and reopening, especially when the animal defaecates.

Colopexy is invasive, and recurrence of the prolapse may occur if the cause of the tenesmus is not controlled. There is little additional risk to the patient.

Rectal resection has the advantage of removing the diseased portion of the rectum and it eliminates redundant tissue, thereby decreasing the risk of the prolapse recurring. There is increased risk of more serious complications with this technique such as incontinence, formation of strictures, and wound dehiscence which may be life-threatening.

For all cases, the goal should be to eliminate any post-operative tenesmus. Local anaesthetic ointments instilled rectally, or epidural analgesia are recommended for short-term (i.e. few days) use. Faecal softeners, such as dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, should be given as well as antibiotics, intestinal protectants, or anticholinergics if diarrhea is present.

Prognosis depends on degree, duration, and underlying cause. It is usually good provided the underlying cause can be identified and corrected, and the prolapse is not chronic.

Large animals In large animals, caudal epidural anaesthesia is recommended to reduce straining, facilitate reduction of the prolapse, and permit surgical manipulation. A purse-string suture should be placed to prevent recurrence of the prolapse, and it should be loose enough to leave a onefinger opening into the rectum in pigs and sheep, and appropriately larger in cattle and horses.

In horses, the preferred treatment for the most commonly seen types of rectal prolapse (rectal mucosal prolapse and prolapse of rectal mucosa and muscularis layers) is manual reduction of the prolapse (under general / epidural anaesthesia) in conjunction with physiotherapy to reduce oedema and swelling of the rectal mucosa, and supportive treatment. More severe cases (prolapse of the small colon that has undergone intussusception through the rectum and prolapse of the rectal mucosa and muscularis with concurrent intussusception of the small colon) represent a much more difficult problem and carry a guarded prognosis; exploratory laparotomy is recommended in the management of these cases. Surgical resection or euthanasia may be required. If neglected, rectal prolapse in mares can lead to prolapse of the small colon. As the blood supply to the small colon is easily disrupted, replacement of a rectal prolapse with prolapse of the small colon followed by the placement of an anal pursestring suture, has a poor prognosis. Treatment success depends on the extent of the prolapse – good in many mild cases if the underlying disease is also treated and guarded in cases where amputation of the prolapsed portion of bowel was necessary.

Generally, a rectal prolapse can be salvaged by conservative treatments unless deep necrosis or ■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

trauma to the tissue exists, or the tissue is firm, indurated and cannot be manually reduced.

Amputation of the rectum should be reserved for severe cases; complete amputation has a higher incidence of rectal stricture formation, especially in horses and pigs.

A prolapse rectal ring, syringe case, or short piece of hose/plastic tubing may be used in severe cases and as an alternative to surgical amputation in pigs and sheep. The ring (use the largest size possible) is inserted into the rectum and the prolapse is tied off close to the body with an elastrator ring or umbilical tape. The prolapsed tissue will slough in about 7 to 10 days (may be as early as 5 days). The animal should be given a faecal softener and adequate antibiotic coverage.

In pigs, rectal prolapses need to be recognised early and the animal removed from the pen. The simplest treatment is to replace the prolapse and insert a purse-string or mattress suture. If the prolapse has been badly torn, it should still

Figure 3. A photo of a vaginal prolapse for comparison. This 5-year-old ewe was heavily pregnant (twins) and very overweight.

Previous pregnancies had been uneventful

be replaced, and the pig moved to a separate pen and treated with a long-acting antibiotics.

The damaged tissues may become scarred in a proportion of cases, with constriction leading to rectal strictures. The incidence of this can be reduced by replacing the prolapse and suturing.

Postoperative antibiotics and faecal softener are recommended.

In 2008, the Pipestone Veterinary Clinic published a technique for the early treatment of rectal prolapse in sheep. Briefly, the technique involves the injection of a substance such as oxytetracycline or iodine along the rectal wall (use a maximum of 4 ml and a 2-inch 18-gauge needle inserted full length, 1 ml per site, and the needle should stay parallel to the rectum and should not penetrate the rectal wall); injecting at 3 (female) or 4 (male) sites around the anus.

It is recommended that ewe lambs be injected at the 12, 3 and 9 o’clock positions and male lambs at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions. Injecting ewe lambs at 6 o’clock can form adhesions between the rectum and the reproductive tract.

This may be combined with a purse string

suture; daily administration of a mild laxative and suitable antibiotic coverage are required.

For more severe cases, a prolapse rectal ring (or short piece of hose) can be used for repair.

The ring is placed in the rectum and umbilical tape (or elastrator band) is placed around the protruding rectal tissue. The prolapsed tissue will slough in about 7 to 10 days. And daily administration of a faecal softener and antibiotic coverage is recommended.

Prevention As rectal prolapse is, generally speaking for most species, an uncommon disorder, it is difficult to prevent. Good management practices such as keeping animals healthy (regular parasite control, vaccination, good feed with attention to concentrate rations and water availability), not breeding from affected individuals, and seeking veterinary assistance for coughing / diarrhoea / constipation / dystocia will help reduce the possibility of rectal prolapse occurring.

The incidence of rectal prolapses can be reduced, or even prevented, with good management practices. Given the possible causative factors, probably the most important step is selecting the correct/best genetics. Rectal prolapse is closely associated with oestrogen and therefore, incidences of rectal prolapse are rarely observed in rams, for example.

In breeding programs, ideally, ewe lambs that have prolapsed should not be used and rams that have prolapsed themselves or that sire a high percentage (greater than 10) of prolapsing offspring should not be used either. A more conservative approach for the young ewes could be limiting access to high quality supplementary feeding from weaning to 10 months of age; these animals only receiving natural pasture and moderate to low quality roughage. Black-headed lambs are thought to be more susceptible to developing rectal prolapse so judicious weightmanagement is recommended for owners of these breeds.

Fat ewe lambs are more prone to prolapsing than ram or wether lambs as they have more fat in the pelvic region. And this means that even more pressure is placed on the rectum when the animal coughs. Ewe lambs should be monitored as part of a good management program so that the body condition score does not exceed much more than a 3 – and ewe lambs that have prolapsed should not (ideally) be kept as replacements.

Tail dock length is important as is maintaining lambs in good, but not fat, condition score.

Chronic coughing is a primary cause of rectal prolapse in lambs raised on dry pasture and this is especially the case during drought conditions.

A rectal prolapse as a result of coughing will usually worsen if not treated. Infectious agents, dusty feeds and internal parasites are well known causes.

Selected references 1. Anderson DE (2009) Rectal Prolapse in Food Animal Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/ B978-141603591-6.10032-6 2. Brister J (2020) Rectal Prolapse in Dogs and Cats. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default. aspx?pid=19239&catId=102903&id=9761112 3. Gallagher A (2020) MSD Manual – Rectal prolapse in animals. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/ digestive-system/diseases-of-the-rectum-andanus 4. Gillette J (2021) Rectal Prolapse in Dogs. https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/diges tive/c_multi_rectal_prolapse 5. ScienceDirect Topics – Rectum Prolapse: an overview. https://www.sciencedirect.com/ topics/immunology-and-microbiology/rectumprolapse 6. Schoenian S (2006) Rectal prolapse. https://www.sheepandgoat.com/rectalpro 7. Thomas DL (2003) Length of docked tail and the incidence of rectal prolapse in lambs http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14601875 APRIL 2022 TheVeterinarian 27

BUSINESS

Business Agility Part 2: Your Industry In ‘Business Agility Part 1’, we discussed how being adaptable and agile with our clients is not just beneficial but essential to any business.

This month we will delve into how your business can thrive by addressing the ever-changing demands of your industry. This is a complex topic, so we will dissect our discussion using a variation on the SWOT analysis framework (Linstead, Fulop and Lilley, 2009): 1. Audit your business’ strengths and weaknesses 2. Analyse what opportunities exist in your industry

3. Consolidate, plan, action, and critically evaluate your business performance While I assume, most readers will be working primarily in the Veterinary or Animal Welfare industries, I have attempted to use broad themes in the article, which I trust will be valuable to a reader from any industry. It is also pertinent to note that I have written this for business owners or Managers, therefore the frameworks and questions outlined below should be viewed with that lens.

Audit your business’ strengths and weaknesses Honestly critiquing your own business is challenging, but essential to ensure you excel professionally. External consultants can be a support if this level of auditing and analysis is too time consuming. However, there is no reason why you cannot complete a self-audit. The key to a successful self-audit is a sturdy framework, and ruthless honesty when critiquing yourself and your business. Below is an example of the type of framework you may wish to adopt. I have inserted examples of business components and answers to aid with the explanation.

Strength & Weakness Audit Template Business Component

Do I identify this as a strength or weakness?

Do my employees identify this as a strength or weakness?

Do my clients / customers identify this as a strength or weakness?

Reliable cash flow

Strength

Strength

Strength

Flexible work hours

Strength

Strength

Weakness

Long term strategic vision

Weakness

Weakness

Weakness

Business contingency planning and adaptability

Weakness

Weakness

Weakness

Market size captured

Weakness

Weakness

Strength

Now, let’s review the examples provided above: Reliable cash flow

Strength

Strength

Strength

We identified reliable cash flow as a strength across all three pillars (business owner, employee, and client). The weight of the importance of this strength is noted in the colour. Dark green indicating importance, and lighter green indicating little importance.

Flexible working hours

Strength

Strength

Weakness

Flexible work hours is understandably an important strength to the business and to your employees. However, it may be seen as a weakness by your clients if this flexibility impacts their ability to receive service or purchase products.

Long term strategic vision

Weakness

Weakness

Weakness

In this example we identified there was a lack of long-term strategic vision for the business, this was an important weakness for you to address, but less important to your employees, and almost negligible to your clients.

Business contingency planning and adaptability

Weakness

Weakness

Weakness

As with strategic vision, we identified business contingency and planning as a weakness, with varying levels of importance.

Market size captured

Weakness

Weakness

Strength

Lastly, we identified that the business captured only a small percentage of the market available. While this was identified as a weakness, it was less important than other weaknesses identified. We noted that your current clients may see this a strength as it provides them greater access to you as there is less demand for services.

This framework is a hypothetical example only, and the business components can be analysed in many ways. There are also contextual factors to consider when determining how your employees and clients value your business, and how important the certain aspects of its operation are to them individually. Now that we know what our strengths and weaknesses are, we can look externally to identify the opportunities and threats in your industry.

Analyse the opportunities & threats in your industry - Opportunity & Threat Analysis Template Industry Component

Do I identify this as an opportunity or threat?

Do my employees identify this as an opportunity or threat?

Do my clients/customers identify this as an opportunity or threat?

COVID-19 Impact

Threat

Threat

Threat

Competitive recruitment

Threat

Opportunity

Threat

Increasing number of owners

Opportunity

Opportunity

Opportunity

Corporatisation of the industry

Threat

Opportunity

Opportunity

Digitization of service delivery

Opportunity

28 TheVeterinarian APRIL 2022

Threat

Opportunity ■ www.theveterinarian.com.au

As with our first analysis, let’s review each segment: COVID-19 Impact

Threat

Threat

Threat

For most industries, the pandemic has been a threat (however, some have used it as an opportunity to thrive). In this example, we assume the impact of lockdowns and restrictions have threatened your business’ ability to function (reduced ability to operate), we can also assume it is a threat to employees who may find their hours reduced, (or conversely – they may be required to work overtime to meet demand). Lastly, we identified that our clients likely see the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic as a threat to their ability to received service.

Competitive recruitment market

Threat

Opportunity

Threat

We have all experienced the shortage of supply of professionals in our industry, and it has been a challenge to meet the demand of our growing client base. This has made way for our talented staff to find greater opportunities at alternate workplaces or industries. This is certainly one of the most evident threats for business owners, and a threat to clients who are loyal and bonded to their veterinary professional team.

Increasing number of pet owners

Opportunity

Opportunity

Opportunity

Australia has seen a surge in pet ownership during the pandemic, and this has certainly been an opportunity for our businesses and our staff.

The opportunity for pet owners themselves is relatively negligible.

Corporatisation of the industry

Threat

Opportunity

Opportunity

I have assumed a non-corporate ownership structure when analysing this threat / opportunity. Corportisation can pose a threat as that business model has strength in capital and size. However, it is always possible to turn this threat into an opportunity. As corporate businesses expand, staff will find further professional opportunities, and clients will have a great access to services and products.

Digitization of service delivery

Opportunity

Threat

Opportunity

Most services are providing their clients with an ‘online’ opportunity. As an industry we have seen an increase in the use of telehealth, and case conferencing via digital platforms. This is likely an opportunity for clients as their ability to access services is improved. However, it may be seen as a threat to staff – who are required to practice in a different environment.

Consolidate, plan, action, and critically evaluate your business performance Once you have completed your SWOT analysis through the three different lenses (business, employee, and client), you can now start to consolidate your findings. It is important at this stage, to look at any threats and determine how you can turn them into opportunities. This will result in a plan focused more on what ‘can be done’, rather than a plan that is heavily focused on ‘what we can’t achieve’.

I recommend tackling your top three strengths/opportunities initially (rather than trying to address all of them together). After you have determined these top three strengths/opportunities, make a plan to change your business! This plan should specifically spell out the actions your need to turn those weakness/threats into strengths/opportunities.

Once you have your plan confirmed, and all stakeholders are committed, you can take action straight away. Remember to consistently evaluate your progress to ensure you are meeting the expectations you set for yourself and the business at the very beginning.

This is a meaty topic to cover in a few pages. However, I trust this have given you some scope to start the process. For a free consultation, you can contact me at info@graycounsel.com.au where we can discuss your own SWOT and plan together.

References Linstead, S., Fulop, L. and Lilley, S., 2009. Management and Organization.

2nd ed. London: Macmillan Education UK. ■ MICHELLE GRAY

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29

News Peak body supports calls for vet mental health funding From page 1

said she made a number of submissions for grant funding for vet mental health, but all had been rejected, including a pre-budget submission by AAPi in 2021.

“I feel the government is not seeing the desperate need in this profession. The funding we applied for would have gone towards counselling, wellbeing workshops and educational resources,” she said.

Hamilton, founder of the charity Love Your Pet Love Your Vet, said although community awareness of vets and their mental health had improved, there was still a stigma among vets about seeking help in the first place.

“A lot of vets feel ashamed about asking for help and often don’t want to go to their GP in the beginning to get a referral to a psychologist – if they could self-refer it would streamline the process," she said.

“Vet nursing staff are also under pressure and often need counselling but for them it is often a budgetary issue that stops them from going.”

Carrison said the Medicare rebate for all psychologists needed to be raised to $150 so those who needed mental health care could afford it.

Hamilton is the author of Coping with Stress and Burnout as a Veterinarian and provides reduced cost counselling via her website, www.loveyourpetloveyourvet.com.au.

New executive director for WSAVA From page 1

roles in the veterinary profession in the UK. During his presidency, from 2020–2022, he led the successful transformation of the association, despite his presidential term coinciding with the most serious stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. “Richard brings to us not only a deep understanding of the veterinary sector, but also of the key role of associations in facilitating positive change,” WSAVA President Siraya Chunekamrai said. “In these turbulent times, the WSAVA’s role in supporting our profession globally and in raising standards of companion animal care has never been more important. We are delighted to welcome him and look forward to even more exciting times ahead.”

“When I first joined the veterinary world in the UK back in 2011, I was inspired by the energy, passion and sense of purpose ingrained in members of this unique community,” Casey said.

“Now, I’m even more inspired to see this same energy and passion in evidence at a global level. It shows

Richard Casey

that the veterinary sector truly is a global community - but it’s a community whose members face different challenges, depending on the region of the world in which they work. Many colleagues, for instance, struggle to gain access to continuing professional development – and even access to the essential drugs they need to treat their patients. This must change and the WSAVA is working hard to bring about this change”.

Latest poll confirms Australians oppose live export trade Results of a poll commissioned by the RSPCA and conducted independently during January among a representative sample of 1500 Australians, showed more than two out of three people want to see an end to the live export trade.

Polling also showed overwhelming opposition to a reduction of the northern summer prohibited period for live sheep exports to the Middle East, and that is understood to be currently under consideration by the government.

RSPCA Australia’s CEO Richard Mussell said the new poll confirmed most Australians, no matter where they lived, continued to oppose the live export trade.

“It’s particularly relevant as it’s revealed the industry is pushing to wind back the northern summer prohibition that was implemented to protect Australian sheep from being exported to the Middle East at the most dangerous time of the year. If the plan goes ahead, it will see tens of thousands more sheep every year exported in extreme heat 30 TheVeterinarian APRIL 2022

and under extreme risk,” he said.

Mussell said both government and industry have spent millions of dollars over the last few years in an effort to redeem the live export trade’s reputation, despite the practice being deemed unacceptable from an animal welfare perspective and being unpopular with the community.

“It’s time for the government to phase out live export, begin rapidly reducing the number of animals being exported and exposed to unacceptable conditions and increasing temperatures, and transitioning to a more valuable trade in chilled and frozen meat from animals slaughtered humanely here in Australia.

“Allowing more sheep to be exported during the hot northern summer is an unacceptable animal welfare risk, and – as the repeated polling shows – is a move that the community does not and would not support,” he said.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

Abstracts - parrots From page 14

and life-history variables on longevity in parrots. Specifically, we addressed two hypotheses for evolutionary drivers of longevity: the cognitive buffer hypothesis, which proposes that increased cognitive abilities enable longer lifespans, and the expensive brain hypothesis, which holds that increases in lifespan are caused by prolonged developmental time of, and increased parental investment in, large-brained offspring. We estimated life expectancy from detailed zoo records for 133 818 individuals across 244 parrot species. Using a principled Bayesian approach that addresses data uncertainty and imputation of missing values, we found a consistent correlation between relative brain size and life expectancy in parrots.

Simeon Q Smeele1 2 3 4, Dalia A Conde4 5 6, Annette Baudisch4, Simon Bruslund7 8, Andrew Iwaniuk9, Johanna Staerk4 5 6, Timothy F Wright10, Anna M Young11, Mary Brooke McElreath1 2, Lucy Aplin1 12 13 Proc Biol Sci. 2022 Mar 30;289 (1971): 20212397.doi:10.1098/rspb.

2021.2397. Epub 2022 Mar 23.

1Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany.

2Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.

3Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.

4Interdisciplinary Centre on Popullation Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

5Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

6Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, Bloomington, IN, USA. 7Vogelpark Marlow gGmbH, Marlow, Germany.

8Parrot Taxon Advisory Group, European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

9Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada.

10Biology Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA. 11The Living Desert Zoo and GardensPalm Desert, Palm Desert, CA, USA. 12Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.

13Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Free article

Abstracts - euthanasia From page 14

in developing, updating, and diseminating this information, and ensuring a continuous supply chain of PPE. Anne Quain1, Siobhan Mullan2, Michael P Ward1 Animals (Basel). 2022 Feb 23;12(5): 560.doi: 10.3390/ani12050560.

1Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

2School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland.

Free PMC article

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Picture Sharp Photography

A medium-sized wading bird, the hamerkop is the only living species in the genus Scopus and the family Scopidae. The shape of its head is reminiscent of a hammer, which has given the species its name. (Hamerkop is Afrikaans for hammerhead.) The bird is found in Africa, Madagascar and Arabia, and lives a sedentary life.

Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta umbretta)

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