The Veterinarian Magazine April 2023

Veterinarian

Animal Justice party has greyhound win

Whole-of-life digital tracking technology for greyhound protection \will proceed in Victoria following a successful motion from the Animal Justice party.

The technology will monitor greyhound puppy births and prevent the animals from going missing from records, and thus vulnerability to illegal export and euthanasia.

On March 22 Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell told Victorian parliament that dogs are “routinely going missing and being illegally

exported and killed,” and advocated for a digital system to improve traceability through the whole of life.

“To this day, in Victoria greyhounds are not afforded the same protections as every other breed of domestic dog,” she said.

Purcell added that the number of dogs reported as rehomed was exaggerated, “when in fact, they are killed in pounds, buried in shallow graves, starving, living in their own excrement hoping to be rescued or in concrete cells breeding hundreds and

Four meerkat pups born

hundreds more greyhounds offshore.”

The motion received unanimous support from the parliament.

Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) said in a statement that it welcomes support for digital tracking to better monitor the location and welfare of registered greyhounds in Victoria.

GRV said whole-of-life tracking is already undertaken by the industry.

“We monitor dogs from when they are born, are microchipped and vaccinated, when they move to training properties and between To page 30

A new disease threat for birds

With the prevalence of plastic waste, and the widespread threat plastics pose for the environment and ecosystems globally, it is perhaps unsurprising a new disease linked to plastic has been identified. Scientists from the Adrift Lab have found the overall health of seabirds is declining due to extensive scar tissue found within their stomachs caused by ingesting plastic. Dubbed plasticosis the disease develops when plastic has repeatedly injured the birds’ soft tissues after being consumed. The study was published recently in the Journal of Hazardous Materials

Taronga Western Plains Zoo has several exciting new additions sure to thrill guests.

The Zoo, located in Dubbo in the Central West region of NSW, welcomed a litter of new meerkats in March, with the tiny pups weighing just over 110 grams each. The pups will soon be able to be seen by guests.

“We’re really excited to welcome three baby girls and one little boy to our meerkat family,” the Zoo’s senior keeper Karen James said.

“They don’t have names yet, but they are starting to show their little personalities, with the little boy a lot bolder than his sisters to go out and explore their habitat.” To page 30

The Adrift Lab’s researchers includemarine scientists, and graduate and post-doctoral students from around the world who study ‘all things adrift in the ocean’. Their aim is to ‘drive positive change for the ecology of our world’s oceans’, and for over a decade these scientists have studied Lord Howe Island’s flesh-footed shearwaters. To page 30

Little penguins

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Human activity could impact devils’ diet

A study published recently in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that human-modified landscapes could influence variations in the diets of Tasmanian devils, with potential implications for the species’ long-term health.

Researchers from the University of NSW and Sydney University found that where devils live plays an important role in the availability of food choices, and these were more restricted for animals living in habitat where disturbance from human activity was greater.

The scientific team’s previous research into the dietary habits of devils found most animals seemed to have favourites, unlike every other scavenger species who have no such tendencies.

( The Veterinarian , Januar y 2022) The latest research has focussed on how changes to their environment might impact the animals living there, and results suggest even small changes can have significant consequences.

Although researchers noted certain benefits can outweigh the risks for adaptive species like devils that are able to, ‘avoid, tolerate, or exploit human interactions’, the increased food availability - either through deliberate feeding, from waste, or by the provision of carcasses from hunting, or as roadkill - supplementary feeding, whether intentional or not, could increase devils’ exposure to pathogens and poisons. Hidden consequences may also include altered

foraging behaviour, and the disruption of long-established ecosystem dynamics with competitors, predators and prey.

The scientific team investigated the diets of devils in populations across a range of environments that had differing levels of disturbance, from cleared pasture to undisturbed rainforest. The chemical stamps, or stable isotopes, found inthe animals’ whiskers were then analysed. Results showed that devils in human-impacted landscapes, such as cleared land and regenerated native forests, fed primarily on medium-sized mammals. Devils from rainforest areas were found to dine on a broader range of prey, that included smaller animals like birds.

Senior author Tracey Rogers, professor and ecologist at UNSW said the procedure was similar tohow tree rings capture chemical signals about atmospheric elements over time.

“We’re doing the same thing with the devils, matching up the biochemical signatures in the whiskers to the prey so we can learn more about what the devils are eating,” she explained.

Researchers also noted that devils living in regenerated native eucalypt forests ate a smaller variety of food items, and their diets compared more closely with that consumed by devils from cleared agricultural land rather than animals from undisturbed forest regions.

To page 30

Tasmania’s greyhound industry under fire

Animal welfare advocates have expressed fears a draft review of Tasmania’s Greyhound Adoption Program could result in many more dogs being killed rather than being rehomed.

Adocument leaked recently to the Tasmanian Greens, and Tasmanian federal Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, was reportedly circulated to GAP staff without any consultation. Suggested changes

included abandoning the zeroeuthanasia policy.

The recommendation Tasmania’s racing industry move towards zero euthanasia was first accepted following a parliamentary inquiry established in 2016, but Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the planned changes could undo any of the modest improvements the industry had made in recent years.

“Tasmania’s greyhound industry is breeding more dogs than it needs for racing, in the full knowledge that some of the surplus dogs will not be rehomed but euthanised. This wind-back of bare minimum welfare standards, lobbied for by an industrythat’sbased on cruelty, will see more dogs sent to an early death,” she said.

Wilkie agreed, stating the industry was systemically cruel and the only way to end the cruelty was to shut it down.

“It’s scandalous that Tasracing is knowingly breeding more greyhounds than it needs, and is killing

some of the surplus, most likely because they can’t run fast enough.

Greyhounds are sentient beings that should be treated with kindness. Tosee them being treated as a commodity and discarded like the weekly rubbish is an appalling blight on both the state government and the industry,” he said.

But Andrew Jenkins, Tasracing CEO, said the review was an early draft and the rare use of euthanasia was not a formal policy change, but consistent with many other Australian greyhound rehoming organisations. He said concerns centred around greyhounds being potentially unsuitable for rehoming because of behavioural and other reasons, and that dogs could be held for extended periods in an environment that was only intended to be temporary.

Tasmania’s Racing Minister Madeleine Ogilvie defended the government’s position arguing it was the industry’s strongest supporter and committed to improving animal welfare outcomes across all

three racing codes. She stressed the government recognised the importance of ensuring animal welfare measures in racing met with community expectations, and the trend in euthanasia has seen it go down.

“A recent review of the GAP by Tasracing senior management and the Chief Veterinary and Animal Welfare Officer identified a need to make strategic and operational changes to the GAP.This will see more greyhounds rehomed in shorter time frames,” she said.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

Cassy O’Connor

Madeleine Ogilvie

Good and bad for little penguins Government focus on agribusiness jobs and skills

“There’s been widespread community support to help Friends group raise the necessary funds. Local businesses have helped us purchase the materials and cut them to shape and students were invited to construct the boxes. More than 50 students from two George Town high schools and a primary school were involved, all of whom were enthusiastic and keen to contribute,” he said.

Penguins were quick to take up residence in fifteen of the nest boxes installed last year, and BirdLife Tasmania’s convenor Eric Woehler, who’s been involved with the group from the beginning, said this summer had been a bumper breeding season with about 60 chicks hatched in the new ‘penguin houses’.

Skills Impact, which held a skills service organisation contract with the Commonwealth Government from 2016–2022, has announced the establishment of a new organisation, Skills Insight, a jobs and skills council (JSC) for a range of industries, including animal care and management.

Over the years Tasmania’s little penguin colonies have suffered from a number of dog attacks which caused many birds to be killed or injured. With mainland colonies under increasing pressure from climate change and warming oceans, Tasmania is now considered an important refuge for these birds.

Following a dog attack in 2018 at Low Head in the state’s north-east, when over 100 little penguins were killed, the community group Friends of Low Head Penguin Colony was formed to help better protect them. The group developed and helped to coordinate anest-building project, designed to replace and reinforce nest boxes built during the 1990s, but which had fallen into disrepair.

This year’s wooden nest box project involved students from three of the region’s schools and will add to the current total of about 60 boxes according to Steve Gordon, Chair of the Friends group.

“Surveys have shown that penguins adopted the boxes almost immediately, using them for breeding and moulting. There are lots of nests with two chicks, and now birds are finishing up the moult. This dedicated group, that’s committed to protecting the colony after the dog attacks, is a remarkable success story for other coastal communities throughout Tasmania,” Woehler said.

Climate change has caused a noticeable shift in little penguins’ breeding schedule according to Woehler, with milder winter temperatures seeing an increase in a winter breeding effort across the state.

“Last year we had about 10 or 15 per cent of burrows being used during the winter. Aconsequence of this has resulted in penguins spending more time ashore, which puts them at greater risk of dog attacks. It adds to the importance of local communities helping to protect them,” he said.

Topage 30

As one of ten JSCsannounced by Brendan O'Connor, the Minister for Skills and Training, Skills Insight will be part of a national network of not-for-profit, industry-owned and led organisations designed to provide leadership in addressing national skills and training needs.

Skills Insight’s support will target industries and services specific to, and adjacent to the veterinarian industry, with its focus including primary production, as well as plants and animals, with the aim to provide the training needed to ensure Australia's animal care and management industry workers are able to adapt and progress their skills to work with and support the welfare of wildlife, exhibited, working, and domestic animals.

As a JSC, Skills Insight will be working to examine all parts of the skills pipeline to analyse what is working and what is not in current processes, and to describe strategies and solutions on behalf of all stakeholders. It aims to work with all sectors, including employers, unions, RTOs, other JSCs and Jobs and Skills Australia to provide strategic leadership and align efforts across industries.

Topage 30

Picture Eric Woehler

A pioneering study by scientists at the University of California, San Diego, is challenging the assumption that dogs lack the cognitive ability to communicate in human language. It has potentially profound implications for animal welfare and the practice of veterinary medicine. It is led by Federico Rossano, director of UC San Diego's Comparative Cognition Lab (cclab.ucsd.edu). The project, TheyCanTalk(www.theycantalk.org), involves about 2500 dogs and 160 cats, each with access to a pawactivated sounding board. Using multiple languages, owners and scientists study subjects in their homes in 40 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan.

TheyCanTalk was partly inspired by its most famous research subject Bunny, a sheepadoodle star on the social media platform TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@whataboutbunny). Bunny achieved celebrity status in 2020, with over 4.3m views after her owner, Alexis Devine, started placing buttons on their living room floor in Tacoma, Washington. Their TikTok postings are constantly updated with videos of Bunny “talking,” now from 83 buttons. Viewing has increased to over 6m followers. Devine was inspired to train Bunny by Christina Hunger, a San Diego-based speech pathologist who similarly taught her dog, Stella, to use buttons to communicate dozens of words.

Training entails owners pushing buttons to convey and reinforce the words for objects, behaviors, or ideas. Buttons for words such as “outside” are relatively simple to teach – an owner pushes the “outside” button everytime their pet goes outside. For more abstract ideas, such as “ouch” or “now,” trainers act out scenarios or teach them in context with simpler words, such as “walk.” Devine explains her teaching method for Bunny on aYouTube channel (www.youtube. com/channel/UCaQMM2nhHqnX y3oGWZ5yctQ) and gives tips for reinforcing expressions such as “help” and “love you.”

Rossano has stressed TheyCan Talk is not about training dogs to learn words. While achievable, citing the case of a border collie named Rico (www.science.org/doi/ 10.1126/science.1097859) who could recognize over 200 terms, Rossano said Bunny is sparking change in how we communicate with our pets (www.thewildest.com/ dog-behavior/teach-dog-to-talkwith-buttons).

“What we want to know, once they learn the different concepts and signals, what do they do with it?”

Eagle Post

Rossano asks. “Do they produce multi-signal combinations like a toddler would speak a two-word sentence? And then, what about a three-word sentence? What kind of things do they talk about?”

Studies of animals' ability to communicate with humans, including how they feel, are not new. Great apes, parrots, and dolphins have long been the subject of intensive research. The animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg studied Alex, an African gray parrot, for decades. Other famous animals include Washoe, a chimpanzee; Koko, a gorilla; and, more recently, Kanzi, a bonobo, who at age 40 can communicate over 500 words via a lexigram keyboard.

The earlier studies had notable limitations, Rossano maintains. They typically involved only one research subject, progress was not documented systematically, and usually only the trainer understood the animal's words. Consequently, the true extent of animals’ ability to communicate using human language has remained debatable in scientific circles (see Stegmann U. Animal communication theor y information and influence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013).

With earlier experimental design flaws in mind, TheyCanTalk has cast awide net encompassing thousands of dog and cat subjects of various ages and breeds. The first-phase involved owners tracking pets, responding to questionnaires, holding video calls with scientists, or sending them clips. TheyCanTalk has now begun its second and third phases, and involves installing cameras in pets' homes, and selected animals participating in behavioral experiments. Ongoing first-phase efforts have been enhanced by creating an app that lets owners conveniently contribute data and videos. Among Rossano's collaborators is Leo Trottier, a cognitive scientist who developed the sounding board used by Bunny. The product, marketed by FluentPet, has been sold to over 25,000 pet owners since its inception in 2019. The newest version automatically records and uploads data when its buttons are pushed.

Another unique element of the research Rossano highlights is that unlike studies involving great apes or exotic birds, the subjects have not been removed from their natural environments. Furthermore, he emphasizes that dogs and cats have lived closely with humans for millennia and have a much better understanding of human communicative signals than non-human primates.

So far, certain individuals have shown promise, including some cats, which are notoriously hard to train. One feline, called Billi, now knows 36 words. In Bunny's case, many of her apparent communications are unsurprising (“hi,” “come,” “play”); some are clever (“more,” “scratches,” “now”); and some suggest that she may have acursory awareness of the idea of time (“soon” combined with [to go to the] “park”).

Of more direct relevance to the veterinary community, Bunny has indicated when she is in pain. Once, Devine took Bunny to a veterinarian after she pushed the question mark (“?”) button and “ouch.” The sheepadoodle was found to have a cut on her nose. On another occasion, Bunny sounded “mad,” “ouch,” “stranger” and “paw,” leading Devine to discover a foxtail grass awn in the dog's foot.

Some owners with multiple participating dogs had reported

instances of a dog using the sounding board to communicate on behalf of its canine housemates. Owners also have reported less indoor barking since the sounding board arrived, suggesting their dogs are less vocal and perhaps less frustrated because they have a more effective means of communicating their feelings and desires.

Still, whether dogs such as Bunny intentionally combine words or randomly push buttons to get their owners' attention remains to be determined. Scientists, including Rossano, are all too aware of the powerful influence of the Clever Hans effect - an expression used to describe the unintentional cueing of a desired behavior in subjects by their questioner. Clever Hans was a horse in Germany who could answer mathematical questions posed by his trainer by tapping his foot. But Hans was no mathematics prodigy – he read subtle clues from his owner, such as To page 30

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

WITHAMELIAHSCOTT WINGINGIT

There are not many veterinarians in Australia who service an area quite as vast as Dr Ameliah Scott. Based in White Cliffs, Scott tends to all manner of animals scattered over a region covering some 200,000 square kilometres, stretching across the Far West of New South Wales into eastern South Australia, and up over the border into in remote southwest Queensland. Once a month she hits the road to conduct regular treatment runs in her specially equipped ute, but for the past ten years much of Scott’s veterinary work has been conducted via plane. Not surprisingly, she is known throughout the region in connection with her business name: Ameliah Scott is The Flying Vet.

The Outback has always been home for Scott. For five generations, her family have been sheep and cattle farmers. She grew up on the family station – the same one she and her husband, Brendan, are currently in the process of taking over from her parents –surrounded by livestock and pets, and by people who worked with animals and made aliving from them. “We always had heaps of animals all around us: horses, cats, dogs, even the odd pet poddy lamb or calf,” she said. From the age of eleven, Scott had her heart set on becoming a veterinarian, though she did have a backup plan if vet school did not end up being on the cards. “Plan B was to be apilot,” Scott said. “But there wasn’t really anything else; my actual plan from way back then was to fly around being a vet.”

Scott, like many kids in remote communities, also began her schooling on the family station. Long before lockdowns introduced city kids to the concept of home learning, Scott’seducation was being delivered by the School of the Air. Once she reached high school age she headed east to Sydney and began attending boarding school, swapping the red earth of her home for the harbour views of Kambala Ladies College at Rose Bay. “Boarding school was tough,” she said. “Homesickness is real. But you learn to adjust quickly, and you have to accept it’s just the way things are when you don’t have access to schooling nearby.”

After finishing high school, Scott opted to head north and completed her veterinary science degree at the University of Queensland, graduating in 2014. Hers was the first cohort to complete their entire degree at the Gatton campus, situated around 80 kilometres west of Brisbane in the Lockyer Valley. “It was brand spanking new,” Scott recalled, adding that she had expected to begin practicing in Queensland when she completed her degree.

“When I was going through vet school, I thought I would end up somewhere similar to where I’d done a lot of practical work for university,” she explained. “I thought I’d end up somewhere like Longreach or St George, or somewhere there’s a lot of beef cattle –you know, a good mixed practice.” Instead, Scott found herself in Northern Victoria, doing dairy mixed practice work.

Looking back, Scott views this unexpected turn of events positively. “It was definitely the best thing I could have done,” she said, “because now my cattle medicine is well and truly in hand.” Under the guidance of Dr Sarah Archard, a dairy vet who remains a close friend and mentor, Scott expanded her skill set and grew in confidence. “If I’d gone straight into beef cattle work, I probably would have done the odd abscess or caesarean and a lot of pregnancy testing, but with the dairywork you get to do a lot morein-depth medicine,” she explained.

There are not many veterinarians in Australia who service an area quite as vast as Dr Ameliah Scott.

“I still did a lot of beef cattle work, and alongside that there was a fair bit of small animal work, because with mixed vet clinics the small animal work is their bread and butter, but it was great doing the dairy work.”

Scott recalls her first year in veterinary practice fondly, and acknowledges it was one of the most gratifying periods of her career.

“I think everyone remembers their first twelve months in practice, don’t they? You know, you could literally shut your eyes and go back there in a heartbeat,” she said. “It’s such a formative time as a vet, when you do all your learning and all your mistakes and all your ‘first things’, and being a vet is still exciting and you’re not jaded yet!”

Around this time, Scott also did a six-month stint as a locum in charge of a small animal clinic in Victoria, and quickly discovered that shepreferred rural mixed practice to working solely with small animals. “I did it because the pay was good and I was working in a small town where you didn’t have to be on call, which was also good, but it’s not for me,” she said. Nevertheless, Scott still occasionally works as a locum for the RSPCA clinic in Broken Hill, doing predominantly small animal work, because she knows how difficult it is for outback veterinarians to get a break or take a holiday. “I haven’t done it for a while because I’ve been busy with my own stuff, and it’s a one vet practice for a town of 20,000 odd people,” she said. “It’s full on. When I go there, I can probably do about two or maybe three weeks at a stretch, and then I’ve got to get some air.”

Getting some air is now something Scott does – quite literally – daily in her work as The Flying Vet. She acquired her pilot’s licence at the age of 25, having come from a family of aviators. “Pretty much all my family flies,” she said. “Growing up, it was just another transport tool, really. My grandfather flew and Dad still flies. We use the plane for aerial support when we’re mustering, and Dad’s still the main musterer.” Not unexpectedly, Scott recalls her first solo flight vividly. “When you’re up there for the first time, completely alone in the plane and you work out you actually have to get this thing back on the ground again, and do everything on your own, and ‘this is not adrill’ – it’s really exciting, really thrilling,”

Scott said. “That first solo flight I just spent time doing a couple of circuits, up there singing away to myself and loving it!”

For Scott, flying obviously enables her to cover greater distances in shorter timeframes to service clients than she could if she travelled by road. “There’s no limit to where I’ll go, but Idon’t really like to go into another mixed practice vet’s area,” she said, noting there are existing vet practices in Cobar and Bourke. “I’ll scoot down to halfway between here and Cobar, which is about the furthest east I go. The furthest south I go would be Balranald and Pooncarie, the furthest west would be just west of Broken Hill, and northwards I go up into Cameron Corner and the Thargomindah area, just over the Queensland border.”

The area Scott covers is huge, but she is undaunted by it. Over time, she has learned how to handle both the territory

“I had the phone on me all the time and was always trying to respond to calls in as timely a manner as I could. That’s always a challenge out here, where reception is fairly limited and it’s not practical to be sitting around the antenna all day.” A decade on, Scott now tries to book work in advance rather than heading off at the drop of a hat, and attends to more routine appointments and fewer emergencies. “By the time I’ve received an emergency message it’s often quicker for people to have flown or driven themselves into town rather than wait for me to be back in range,” she said. “So, I do a lot of booked in farm consultancy using the plane, and once a month I go on the road for a week and do a loop around the district doing

and her expectations of what she can accomplish. “In the vet industry, I think we traditionally think we have to do it all and be available all the time,” she commented.

“If you start saying, ‘I’m going to what I can do’, that way of thinking makes it quite manageable.” When she is flying, she charges clients for her travel time, point out it is costs less for her to use the plane to travel than to drive, and is also cheaper for her clients. “Because I’ve got the plane, going over to somewhere like Cameron Corner only takes a couple of hours,” she said. “So if I’ve got pregnancy testing booked in, for example, I can fly over first thing in the morning, get that done, and then fly back.” More significantly, Scott has adapted the way she conducts her business as she has gained experience over the past ten years. “When I started up, for the first twelve months I was a lot more open and available, as you are when you start a business – you pretty much flog yourself to get things off the ground,” she admitted, with no pun intended.

preventative care and vaccinations and equine dental work and other bits and pieces.”

While there is no typical day in the life of The Flying Vet, Scott normally begins preparing for a day’s work the night before, when she checks what she has booked in, checks her plane over and refuels it, and packs most of what she is likely to need. “I normally get up fairly early: at least an hour or maybe an hour and a half before the sun comes up,” she said.

“Once the sun is about half an hour off coming up, I go down to the hangar and push the plane out, do the final checks and then get the engine running, and I take off just as the sun’s coming up to wherever I’m going that day.”

In addition to seeing some breathtakingly beautiful sunrises, the added advantage to Scott starting her day early is that she can also finish earlier – before the temperatures soar. “I’m a visual pilot, so it makes sense to take off at sunrise. Something’s gone really wrong if I’m seeing a sunset and I’m not on the ground at that time!” she said. “Besides, out here we have forty-odd degree days, so the aim is to get whatever I have booked in done by mid-morning and get home before it gets really disgustingly hot.”

‘We always had heaps of animals all around us: horses, cats, dogs, even the odd pet poddy lamb or calf’

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Scott travels far lighter when she is flying than when she is on the road. “For booked in jobs I do with the plane, like pregnancy testing, you don’t need much equipment,” she said. When she hits the road, however, space becomes tight. “I take everything. Everything except the kitchen sink!” she joked. In addition to an oxygen generator and an anaesthetic machine, Scott packs surgery kits, drugs, and everything else she thinks she will need. That said, being a mobile vet has changed her perspective regarding what is essential for veterinary practice. “When you look around a regular vet clinic and you start to think about what you actually use and actually need, it’s only about a quarter of what’s there, and that’s what I’ve got in the car,” she said. While she does not wish for anything else in terms of veterinary supplies and kit when she travels, Scott would love to have a bit morespace for herself: “It would be nice to have a 200 Series or a Dodge Ram with a refrigerated centre console you could put your snacks and drinks in!”

Regardless of whether she is flying or driving, Scott acknowledges that having limited space for supplies and equipment means that when routine appointments turn out to be moredifficult than anticipated, she relies on her ability to wing it using whatever is on hand. “Vets have to improvise all the time,” she said. “It’sno different out here to when Iwas working as a dairy vet. You’ll often get somewhere and you might have packed a few extra things thinking you’ll need this or that, but like most vets who have done mixed practice discover,you get somewhere and suddenly the calving you’ve been called to is not an easy calving, and next thing you know you’re using all kinds of random things you find in the farmer’sworkshop to get a calf out.”

Scott does not mind the challenges posed by situations that requireher to improvise, and is grateful to have a job that allows her to be outside and helping animals every day. What she is concerned by,however,is burnout –particularly as she is the only vet servicing such an expansive area. At the time she was interviewed, Scott was on a brief period of maternity leave, having welcomed her second child in January 2023. When asked what happens when she is on leave, and whether therewas anyone she could call on who possessed the same specialised skill set to manage her Flying Vet practice to relieve her,Scott answers honestly and bluntly.“I just can’t find anyone,” she said. “And the one person I used to get to cover me a little bit – she’sjust had twins.”

The other aspect of rural practice that concerns Scott is how community connections –which, despite vast distances between towns and properties, are typically very strong in isolated regions – can end up becoming a doubleedged swordfor vets and other professionals.

“In this type of work, you’re very involved in the community, and your clients aren’t just your clients, they’reyour friends. You don’t go home and not think about them again, because you’re going to see them at the pub on Friday night, or go to their kids’ birthday party,” she said. “So if something goes wrong, and you’re in the middle of a drought, and you’ve gone out to someone’splace and you have to deal with telling them you have to put down most of their animals – well, it’s hard. You take that home with you.”

Despite these challenges, there is nowhere Scott would rather work – not least because those same community connections draw her

home and enable her practice tothrive. She is committed to using her skills to serve the wider community, not only because working as The Flying Vet is something she finds rewarding, but also because giving back is, in her words, “something everyone does when they’re from the middle of nowhere.” Scott is also conscious of using the opportunities she has been afforded, particularly when it comes to study. “The really big thing out here is education, and a lot of sacrifices are made by families to give their kids the best education possible,” she said. “So if those kids choose to come back, it’s a big win for the community, and the communities are often really keen for any new knowledge that comes back with the kids as well.”

‘That first solo flight I just spent time doing a couple of circuits, up there singing away to myself and loving it!’

Scott is an enthusiastic supporter of governments providing tax incentives or forgiving HECS debts to attract more vets to venture out of the cities into rural practice and believes more graduates might give a go if such measures were introduced. While she encourages veterinary graduates to try rural practice, Scott is refreshingly candid when asked whether she thinks the perception that rural practice is more challenging deters vets from giving it ago. “I don’t think it’s a perception, I think that’sthe reality – it is harder,” she said. “It’snot like you can just refer everything to the emergency centre down the road. It would be good if thereweremorevets coming into rural practice, but I can understand why they don’t.” Without incentives like debt forgiveness or tax breaks, the hours and pay offered in rural areas are often not as attractive as those offered by veterinary clinics in urban centres. “The city clinics aredefinitely better at providing work/life balance than rural clinics,” Scott added. “But in saying that, since they can’tget vets out herein rural areas, a lot of practices have stopped doing after hours work – so I suppose their work/life balance has improved since then.” She also points out that working in rural practice provides vets with the opportunity to manage interesting medical cases on their own, because referring on tends to involve a ten-hour drive to Adelaide.

“You get a lot more hands on skills as a rural vet than you do in the city,” she said.

Similarly,Scott understands why recent graduates often choose to head overseas after finishing vet school rather than heading to the Outback. After all, she headed for the South Island of New Zealand after completing an equine internship following completion of her own degree. “Yeah, it was really terrible,” she laughed. “I was in Blenheim [a region famous for its vineyards], house sharing with an Irish vet, and we both liked wine.” All jokes aside, Scott believes she learned a great deal from the experience of working overseas, noting that veterinarians in other countries approach and do things differently from Australian vets, and it is possible to pick up new techniques and ideas as a result. “I went over there to amixed practice where they needed a horse vet at the time, and while I was mainly doing

large animals, I ended up doing a bit of everything,” she said. “It was a really good experience.”

When asked what experiences the future might hold for her, Scott paints a picture of alife that could best be described as full. In addition to having a newborn son and an eighteen-month-old daughter, Scott and her husband Brendan aretaking over management of the cattle station on which she grew up.

“We’re in the process of succession,” she explained. “My husband and I live on the family farm, and Dad is winding back a bit a little bit and is semi-retiring, so he is handing over the reins to us.” For Scott, this not only means gradually taking on moreresponsibility for the station, but also switching houses with her parents, and renovating the bigger house to which they aremoving to accommodate her newly expanded family.Scott also has plans to grow her Flying Vet business by expanding the farm consultancy side of her practice. “Data collection and analysis is going to be a real bonus for vets to be able to do,” she said. “I’ve just implemented a new software program and have got my head around that, and it’sreally exciting.”

Scott is due to finish maternity leave at the beginning of April 2023, having hired a nanny to help out with the kids. She is looking forward to getting back in the air and on the road, doing what she loves for people who genuinely value her contribution to their community. “There are a lot of good things about being in rural practice, and it’svery rewarding,” she said. “Thereare things that are harder than others, but overall, it’s great. Even when things don’tgo right, people are veryappreciative and understanding.” More importantly, for as long as Scott calls White Cliffs home – which, one suspects, will be for the rest of her life – the people of the Far West know they can call on a committed and capable veterinarian to carefor their animals, one who is only too happy to take offwith the sunrise and wing her way to wherever she is needed to help them out.

■ JAI HUMEL

subtle and can be difficult

“Whenever possible, NSAIDs should be part of an acute pain management protocol”

The a ordable DR Solution

Para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) is a potent methaemoglobin (MetHb) forming agent used for the lethal control of exotic carnivores and mustelids. To assess the sensitivity of Australian wildlife to PAPP we developed an in vivo assay that did not use death as an endpoint. Sub-lethal dose-response data were modelled to predict PAPP doses required to achieve an endpoint set at 80% MetHb (MetHb80).The comparative sensitivity of non-target mammals referenced to this endpoint was found to be highly variable, with southern brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus)the most sensitive species (MetHb80 =6.3 mg kg-1)and bush rats (Rattus fuscipes)the most tolerant (MetHb80 =1035 mg kg-1). Published LD50 estimates werehighly correlated with PAPP doses modelled to achieve the MetHb80 endpoint (r2 =0.99, p <0.001). Most dose-response data for native mammals were collected in the field or in semi-natural enclosures, permitting PAPP and placebo dosed animals to be fitted with tracking transmitters and transponders and released at their point of capture. A protracted morbidity and mortality was observed only in Australian ravens (Corvus coronoides). The combination of sub-lethal dose-response assay and survival data collected in the field provided morerelevant information about the actual hazard of pest control agents to non-target wildlife species than laboratory-based lethaldose bioassays. We discuss the need to replace lethal-dose data with biologically meaningful insights able to define a continuum of toxicological hazards that better serve the needs of conservation and veterinary scientists and wildlife managers.

Clive A Marks12,Lee Allen3,Heli Lindeberg4

Animals (Basel).2023 Jan 29;13(3): 472.doi: 10.3390/ani13030472.

1Nocturnal Wildlife Research Pty Ltd., P.O. Box 2126, Melbourne, VIC3145, Australia.

2Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln P.O. Box 69040, New Zealand.

3Queensland Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia.

4Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Production Systems, Halolantie 31 A, FI-71750 Maaninka, Finland.

Free PMC article

Developing guidelines for pet rat housing through expert consultation

Background: Pet careguidelines play an important role in ensuring that owners are well informed about good husbandry practices, allowing them to provide the best carefor their animals. However, the development of such guidelines is difficult when thereis little appropriate empirical evidence on which to base guidelines, as in the case of pet rats.

Methods: We developed a set of guidelines for pet rat housing by consulting with a group of experts, including veterinarians, veterinary nurses, animal welfare scientists and experienced pet rat owners. The consultation involved two rounds of online surveys (n = 13) and one online discussion (n = 8).

Results: The resulting guidelines cover a broad range of features within pet rat housing, including injury prevention, details of suitable refuges and substrates, and suitable cage sizing. The guidelines may evolve as moreinformation about pet rats comes to light but may nonetheless provide a useful starting point for any future guidelines.

Conclusions: At present, these guidelines may not only be useful for pet rat owners and those advising pet rat owners, such as veterinarians, but may also be useful in the design of housing, including for laboratoryrodents.

Vikki Neville1,Kristina Hunter2,Livia Benato12,Michael Mendl1, Elizabeth S Paul1

Vet Rec. 2023 Feb;192(3): e1839.doi: 10.1002/vetr.1839.

1Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. 2City Vets, Exeter, UK.

Sustainability and the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industries: an enhanced One Welfare perspective

Associety debates the use of animals in sport, entertainment, and leisure, there is an increasing focus on the welfare, social, and ecological impacts of such activities on the animals, human participants, people close to them, and the physical environment. This article introduces the "Enhanced One Welfare Framework" to reveal significant costs and benefits associated with Thoroughbred breeding and racing globally. In addition, relative to calls to ban horseracing and similar activities as part of sustainability approaches that focus chiefly on animals, the "Enhanced One Welfare Framework" is better positioned politically to guide discussions that renegotiate the conditions under which horses are used for sport and the impact racing has on humans and the planet. In 2020, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities issued its minimum horse welfare standards based on the Five Domains model, positioning lifelong horse welfare as "fundamentally important to the viability and sustainability of the industry". In this article, we critique the One Welfare framework's historic lack of focus on sport and enhance it by including sport, leisure, and entertainment and framing it within the Five Domains model. We offer a novel extension of the Five Domains model beyond animal welfare to consider human welfare and the physical environmental impacts of the sport, leisure, and entertainment industries and propose innovations that may help thoroughbred breeding and racing assure a sustainable future.

Lorann Stallones1,Phil McManus2,Paul McGreevy3

Animals (Basel).2023 Jan 31;13(3): 490.doi: 10.3390/ani13030490.

1Department of Psychology, College of Natural Sciences, One Health Institute, Colorado State University,Fort Collins, CO 80523-1612, USA.

2School of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

3One WelfareResearch Institute, Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.

Free PMC article

Evidence of cat-to-human transmission of Staphylococcus felis

Introduction

Staphylococcus felis is a coagulase-negative staphylococcal species that is commonly isolated from healthy cats. Like other commensal staphylococci, S. felis can cause opportunistic infections, e.g. otitis externa, skin and urinary tract infections, in cats.

Gap Statement

Several studies have reported within-household transmission between humans and pets and human infections caused by coagulase-positive staphylococci. However, human infections with coagulase-negative staphylococci of zoonotic origin are relatively rare.

Methodology

Culture of a surgical site infection in a 58-year-old woman who underwent a laminectomy revealed dominant growth of S. felis. The three cats owned by the patient were sampled to investigate potential within-household transmission. S. felis isolates were sequenced to investigate the relatedness of the isolates and to look for virulence factors and host specific genes.

Results

All cats werecolonized with S. felis.Comparative genomics of the isolates showed that each cat was colonized with a distinct genotype. The patient's isolate clustered with isolates of one of the cats. Sequence analysis of the studied isolates together with 29 publicly available S. felis genomes detected putative virulence factors that can be crucial in potential interspecies transmission. Topage 30

Non-lethal dose-response models replace lethal bioassays for predicting the hazard of para-aminopropiophenone to Australian wildlife

60% off with code VETMAG60

THE VET EXPO IS HEADING TO MELBOURNE IN 2023!

18

- 19 October 2023 | Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

After a highly successful launch event in Sydney in 2022, The VET Expo is excited to be returning in 2023 for an even bigger and better show!

The VET Expo is the largest veterinary and animal health event in Australia with over 4,000 attendees, 200+ speakers, 120+ exhibitors and 30+ startups. The VET Expo is unlike any other event in the industry, bringing together veterinarians, vet nurses, vet specialists, technologists, practice managers, owners, zookeepers, animal scientists, pet product retailers and more all under one roof.

The VET Expo 2023 is the perfect opportunity to network with thousands across the veterinary world, learn from major experts in seminars, earn CPD points and discover new products and services from top suppliers.

Currently all delegate passes are discounted at 30% off. As a reader of The Veterinarian, we also have an exclusive discount for you, giving you an additional 3 0% off!

Register before July 28 using code VETMAG60 to secure your attendance for both days of the conference and exhibition at a total of 60% off!

Find out more information by visiting thevetexpo.com

Sponsorship Enquiries: regina.portelli@terrapinn.com

Speaker Enquiries: benton.ng@terrapinn.com

General Enquiries: vetexpo@terrapinn.com

Sarah Howard graduated as a veterinarian from the University of Sydney in2012. She worked for five years in a combination of mixed and small animal practices, before joining the team at PAW by Blackmores as aTechnical Services Veterinarian. She now works as Head Vet for PAW, and works on product development, education, and the technical advisory services. Howard has two young children, a horse called Flora and avery human-like Whippet called Winnie. She is passionate about natural health and studies Naturopathy in her (very sparse!) sparetime. Howard lives in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

The stress response

In this month’s Veterinarian , we explore the topic of stress. What exactly is stress and how does it affect us physically and psychologically? Can stress be beneficial or is it always detrimental?

What we do know, is that living in an enduring state of stress negatively effects health and can contribute to chronic illness1 However, acute responses to stress can assist us to manage important situations, like emergencies.

Let’s explore how stress can impact health, and what the key drivers are for veterinary professionals.

Physiology of stress

Exposure to stressful stimuli leads to a series of physiological and behavioural changes to return to a state of homeostasis. This is known as the stress response2.Astressor may be external tothe body,such as an extreme in environmental temperature, or internal, such as a cognitive response to a perceived threat.

Beneficial stress vs detrimental stress

Stress can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on an individual's health and well-being. Short term and manageable levels of stress can be beneficial in helping us perform better under pressure, stay alert and focused and prepare for and contend with life’s challenges3.This beneficial, challenge-related stress can promote personal growth and learning4.It is when the stress response is repeated, prolonged and/or chronic that we start to see negative consequences2 with potentially severely deleterious effects on all body systems.3

(See Table 1).

Key drivers of stress in veterinaryworkers

Veterinarians face unique challenges which can contribute to high levels of occupational stress. They need to cope with the normal stressors that occur in any workplace, but also with their emotional response to the suffering of their patients. Combined with other factors, this stress can accumulate and lead to physical and emotional exhaustion, depression and reduce personal achievement12

The main drivers of stress for veterinarians, according to a 2022 review paper, include morality-related stressors such as suspicion of patient or animal abuse, clients unable to pay for treatment, performing euthanasia, as well as perfectionistic traits, long working hours and ethical dilemmas13

Stress is an unavoidable part of our lives as humans, and particularly as veterinary workers due to the intrinsically demanding nature the profession. However, there is a stark difference between beneficial stress, enabling us to attend to that emergency with clarity and speed, and chronic stress, that can have significant detrimental effects on our mental and physical health over the long term. Next up in our series on mental health, we explore how food can impact mood, and discuss some delicious ways you can boost your mental wellbeing through your diet.

Table 1. Effect of stress across all body systems

Physical Effects

Cardiovascular systemIncreased heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke5

Immune system Weakened immune system, increasing susceptibility to infections and diseases6

Digestive system Symptoms such as indigestion, nausea, and diarrhoea7

Muscular system Muscle tension, leading to headaches, chronic pain, and other physical discomforts8

Psychological Effects

Anxiety and depressionChronic stress can contribute to the development of anxiety and depression9

Cognitive functioning Impaired memory and concentration, making it difficult to perform tasks and make decisions10

Behavioural changesIrritability, aggression, apathy, restlessness, and substance abuse11

References

1. Ehrlich R. ALife Less Stressed.Scribe; 2018.

2. Chu B, Marwaha K, Sanvictores T, Ayers D. Physiology, Stress Reaction. 2022. StatPearls Publishing.

3. Collins H, Foote D. Managing stress in veterinary students. JVME.2022; 32(2).

4. Pluut H, Curseu PL, Fodor OC. Development and Validation of a Short Measure of Emotional, Physical, and Behavioral Markers of Eustress and Distress (MEDS). Healthcare (Basel).2022; 10(2):339.

5. McEwen BS. Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: central role of the brain. Physiological reviews. 2007; 87(3): 873-904.

6. Lupien SJ, McEwen BS, Gunnar MR, Heim C. Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2009; 10(6): 434-445.

7. American Psychological Association. Stress effects on the body [Internet]. Washingon DC (USA): American Psychological Assocation; 2018 [updated 2023; cited 2023 Mar 29]. Available from: www.apa.org/topics/ stress/body.

8. Mayo Clinic. Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior [Internet]. Mayo Clinic; 2021. Available from:

www.mayoclinic.org/healthylifestyle/stress-management/indepth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987.

9. Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Miller GE. Psychological stress and disease. Jama. 2007; 298(14):1685-1687.

10. McEwen BS. Neurobiological and systemic effects of chronic stress. Chronic stress (Thousand Oaks, Calif.). 2017; 1:2470547017692328.

10. Smith MA, Alloy LB. A roadmap to rumination: A review of the definition, assessment, and conceptualization of this multifaceted construct. Clinical Psychology Review. 2009; 29(2):116-128.

11. Scotney RL, McLaughlin D, Keates HL. A systematic review of the effects of euthanasia and occupational stress in personnel working with animals in animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and biomedical research facilities. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2015; 247(10)

12. Collins, H. & Foote, D. (2005). Managing stress in veterinary students. JVME, 32(2).

13. Pohl R, Botscharow J, Bockelmann I, Thielmann B. Stress and strain among veterinarians: a scoping review. Ir Vet J.2022; 75(15)McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: central role of the brain. Physiological reviews, 87(3), 873-904.

New Peer-Reviewed Studies that are Closing the Book on Laser Therapy Myths

Join us for a free lunch and learn until 14th April to learn about potential applications in non-musculoskeletal conditions from ears to rears.

code

Photobiomodulation (laser) therapy (PBMT) is best known for its ability to provide a non-invasive, drug-free pain management solution for orthopaedic conditions like arthritis. Recently published peer-reviewed studies have uncovered significant new benefits for many common conditions that may surprise you.

Your free lunch and learn will cover

• Recent studies that show how PBMT significantly reduces gingivitis and pain in post-routine dental cleanings and dental extractions

• Groundbreaking research on treating idiopathic large bowel diarrhoea with PBMT

• How PBMT can provide instant ROI by treating a long list of non-orthopaedic and everyday conditions, including post-surgical incisions, anal gland sacculitis, hot spots, otitis, and more

• New evidence to show that adding PBMT to rehabilitation therapy can slow the progression and extend the survival time for dogs with Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)

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 inNSW, and is co-Director ofYour Hobby Farm Success, helping hobby farmers enjoy their lifestyle, and reap the benefitsof having healthy and happy animals.

Kennel cough: an overview

Introduction

Kennel cough is a very contagious infection which causes tracheobronchitis. It is also known as canine infectious respiratory disease (CIRD), canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC), canine cough, canine croup and infectious tracheobronchitis (ITB). It can affect dogs of any age and has multiple aetiologies involving bacteria and viruses.

Kennel cough is usually a mild, selflimiting disease but it can progress to bronchopneumonia in puppies or chronic bronchitis in aged or debilitated dogs. Puppies are more prone to developing severe disease. Kennel cough is typically spread through direct dog-to-dog exposure/contact to the respiratory secretions of an infected dog; it spreads rapidly among susceptible dogs housed in close confinement such as boarding kennels.

Australia has 20 registered immunimmunotherapy products for protection against kennel cough; inactivated and live, intranasal and injectable formulations. For details see the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority’s Public Chemical Registration Information System (https: //portal.apvma.gov.au/pubcris/).

Aetiology

Kennel cough is typically spread through direct dog-to-dog contact/ exposure (to the respiratory secretions) or by inhaling aerosolised bacteria or viruses from an infected coughing or sneezing dog. Dogs can also get exposed to kennel cough from infected objects such as toys, and water and food bowls.

While some dogs have been infected without ever leaving their own backyards, the incidence of infection is far greater in crowded places like boarding kennels and in places with poor airflow and warm moist air. Clinical signs can develop for up to seven days post-contact with an infected dog.

Shedding of the kennel cough agents can occur for one to three weeks after infection with kennel cough.

There are multiple aetiologies. The gram-negative Bordetella bronchiseptica is a primary respiratory pathogen and while it is commonly implicated as the principal cause of kennel cough, it is not usually the exclusive agent and it is not the most virulent pathogen implicated.

B.bronchiseptica is a gram negative aerobic coccobacillus that can persist in the environment for extended periods. It is closely related to B.pertussis which causes whooping cough in humans. Humans are not natural carriers of B.bronchiseptica. Interestingly, while B.bronchiseptica does not express the pertussis toxin, it has the genes to do so.

In children with respiratory infection due to B.bronchiseptica,a‘whooping cough’-like syndrome is described. This is not surprising given that B.bronchiseptica produces a dermatonecrotoxin, tracheal cytotoxin, and adenylate cyclase similar to that is olated from B.pertussis. In one interesting report, three children

with B.bronchiseptica infection developed whooping cough-like symptoms; both their pet rabbits and cats subsequently died of B.bronchiseptica pneumonia (Kristensen and Lautrop 1962). Fluoroquinolones have been used successfully to treat the disease in humans.

B.bronchiseptica have pili that facilitate attachment to the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory tract. This bacterium actively attaches to cilia and can produce significant ciliostasis within 5 minutes of contact (Bemis et al 1977); this ability to paralyse a key component if the respiratory tract’s local defence mechanisms and create ciliary dysfunction is a unique and key virulence factor that helps B.bronchiseptica evade the immune system of the host. Therefore, the presence of B.bronchiseptica causes: direct cellular injury of respiratory epithelium, impaired immune recognition and disrupted immune clearance.

have been seen with tracheobronchitis, conjunctivitis, and rhinitis (upper respiratory tract infection - URI), mandibular lymphadenopathy, and pneumonia.

Particularly in dogs younger than six months of age, B.bronchiseptica is known to act as the primary pathogen. B.bronchiseptica and other bacteria (usually gram-negative organisms such as Escherichiacoli, Klebsiellapneumoniae and Pseudomonas species) can cause secondary infections after viral injury to the respiratory tract. The most common concurrent infections are with B.bronchiseptica , canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV) and canine adenovirus 2 (CAV-2). Canine distemper virus is much less likely. Canine reoviruses (types 1, 2 and 3), canine herpesvirus and canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1) are not considered to be of any significance.

Other bacteria recovered from dogs with kennel cough include

B.bronchiseptica has been isolated from the respiratorytracts in variety of different hosts including cats, dogs, horses, guinea pigs, pigs, primates, rabbits, seals turkeys). It causes a range of pathologies in the host species.

■ In pigs, B. bronchiseptica and Pasteurellamultocida can act synergistically to cause atrophic rhinitis, a disease resulting in arrested growth and distortion of the turbinates in the nasal terminus (snout). This bacterium is commonly cultured from most swine herds and is not always associated with disease.

■ In guinea pigs, B.bronchiseptica can cause severe upper respiratory tract infection. Isolates B. bronchiseptica from different species have been typed according to their bacterial sensitivity and it has been suggested that infected rabbits and guinea pigs can infect each other

■ In rabbits, B.bronchiseptica is appears to be relatively non-pathogenic but it is has been thought to cause a nearly asymptomatic infection known as snuffles. ‘Snuffles’ is caused by Pasteurellamultocida, and B.bronchiseptica often co-infects the nasal passage at the same time.

■ Cats infected with B.bronchiseptica

Streptococcusequi subspecies zooepidemicus and to a lesser extent, Mycoplasma species, particularly M. cynos.The role of Mycoplasma species has not yet been clearly established.

B.bronchiseptica can infect multiple host species, including humans, and it can potentially be transmitted from dogs, cats and rabbits to other animals and humans. Humans are at low risk for infection when exposed to an infected dog but there is a greater risk for immunocompromised people and those working in kennels and shelters (i.e. high density environments).

In late 2022, together with the H3N2 strain of canine influenza and other respiratory pathogens, B.bronchiseptica experienced a surge in canine infections. This was partially due to increased human travel and reopened offices following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic public health measures, leading to large numbers of dogs being placed together in kennels and doggy day care centres. Changing pet ownership behaviours also led to overcrowded animal shelters, which had been emptied at the height of the pandemic. [from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Bordetella_bronchiseptica]

Penny Linnett BSc (Zool Hons) BVSc

MPhil MANZCVS

Anthes, E (2022). Dog Flu Is Back, Too. New York Times Archived from the original on 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.

B.bronchiseptica can reside on the epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tract as a commensal organism, so it is commonly recovered from the respiratory tract of healthy dogs and cats. The virulence of Bordetella is linked to a gene complex (Bvg) capable of expressing multiple, well defined virulence factors (toxins) that cause serious, rapid injury to respiratory epithelium.

Streptococcusequi subspecies zooepidemicus can colonise the upper respiratory epithelial cells ofdogs and it appears to be a significant cofactor in upper respiratory tract infections and has been attributed to fatal necrohaemorrhagic pneumonia in outbreaks of CIRD in shelters.

Primary viral pathogens in kennel cough include canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV), canine adenovirus-2(CAV-2), canine influenza virus (CIV) and canine distemper virus (CDV).

Mode of Transmission

Transmission of B.bronchiseptica and CIV occurs byoronasal contact with other dogs, caregivers, or fomites, and by inhalation of aerosolised microdroplets of respiratory secretions.

In high-density housing situations, direct contact among dogs is most common. Less commonly, fomites serve as a source of transmission.

Shedding and Survival

Most viruses begin shedding within two days post-infection, and may continue to shed for six to ten days before viral load decreases.

B.bronchiseptica can survive in the environment for extended periods of time, and can be shed from dogs that appear healthy because it can elude the immune system for weeks to months.

Susceptibility

Dogs with kennel cough can recover without complication/s in about one or two weeks but some dogs become very sick and can develop life-threatening pneumonia. Dogs that have complicated cases of kennel cough can be unwell for three to six weeks, and have a long recovery. Dogs severely affected by kennel cough may develop pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. Stress and extremes of temperature, ventilation and humidity all contribute to increased susceptibility to, and severity of, clinical disease.

Dogs with mild kennel cough are usually sick for about one or two weeks and recover well. These dogs usually only experience mild clinical signs and quickly recover from kennel cough, which translates to a good prognosis.

Dogs that have complicated cases of kennel cough can be sick for three to six weeks, with a long road to recovery. If dogs are severely affected by kennel cough and develop pneumonia, they could possibly die.

Dogs that are more susceptible to complications from kennel cough include:

■ Puppies with immature immune systems, and especially young puppies that have not been vaccinated.

■ Dogs with a compromised immune system.

■ Pregnant dogs (may have lower immunity).

■ Dogs with a pre-existing respiratory disease such as chronic bronchitis, tracheal collapse and severe respiratory allergies.

■ Dogs with a serious disease such as cardiac failure, cancer or diabetes.

Clinical signs

Disease spectrum

The spectrum of disease that results from infection with B.bronchiseptica is wide, with some dogs manifesting mild disease characterised by nasal discharge and intermittent cough and others developing severe pneumonia that can be life threatening.

Dogs develop kennel cough around three to four days after they are exposed. A distinctive harsh dry hacking cough, which sounds like a

‘goose honking’, is the stereotypical and main clinical sign. The more the dog coughs, the more irritated the lining of the airways becomes. The cough can be induced by gentle palpation of the larynx or trachea, and may be followed by retching (with the production of white foam) and gagging. Other signs include sneezing and aserous nasal discharge.

The severity of the cough usually lessens during the first five days, but the disease can persist for 10 to 20 days. Affected dogs may have few or no additional signs except for reduced appetite. Body temperature and white blood cell counts usually remain normal.

If the kennel cough develops into bronchopneumonia, clinical signs will include pyrexia, purulent nasal discharge, depression, anorexia, and a productive cough, especially in puppies. Stress, particularly from adverse environmental conditions and inadequate nutrition, may contribute to a relapse during convalescence.

Laboratory tests are usually normal. Chest X-rays and ultrasound examination to determine the severity of the disease and to rule out other causes of coughing.

The clinical signs of kennel cough infection var y based on the individual pathogen or

honking cough, other clinical signs, history (e.g., exposure to affected dog/s), physical examination, and by ruling out other possible differential diagnoses. Tracheal trauma secondary to intubation may produce a similar but generally less severe syndrome.

Kennel cough should be suspected whenever the characteristic cough develops 4 to 10 days after exposure to other susceptible or affected dogs. The cough is usually most severe after rest or a change of environment or at the beginning of exercise. While the acute stage of bronchitis lasts for about 2 to 3 days, the cough may persist for several weeks. Generally, clinical severity usually diminishes during the first five days, but the disease itself persists for 10 to 20 days.

Thoracic radiographs are usually unremarkable/normal in dogs with mild to moderate cases of kennel cough; they are useful to exclude other differential diagnoses such as pneumonia, bronchitis, collapsing trachea and congestive heart failure. Radiographs are essential in determining the severity of the kennel cough; dogs may have evidence of alveolar disease if the disease has progressed to pneumonia. It is difficult to differentiate between severe bronchitis and pneumonia; in fact, bronchitis

pathogens responsible for infection in affected dogs; and noting that a spectrum of clinical manifestations are encountered in practice. For example, some dogs simply seroconvert without developing any significant respiratory signs, while others develop serious illness and die. In these cases it is likely that co-infection and other cause/s (e.g. malnutrition, underlying pathology) are present.

Viral pathogens tend to be associated with mild or no clinical signs (seroconversion only) to an acute onset, highly contagious cough with expectoration of mucous that normally lasts for one to two weeks. Affected dogs usually clear infectious viruses within two weeks of the onset of clinical signs but they may have a cough which persists for several weeks.

Bacterial pathogens tend to be associated with coughing and systemic illness characterised by mucoid to mucopurulent nasal and ocular discharge/s, pyrexia and anorexia. Orthopnoea, dyspnoea, and even life-threatening pneumonia, particularly in young animals, may also be present. Clinical signs can persist for several days or longer depending on treatment/s administered. Post-vaccinal sneezing and coughing have been reported in dogs that received intranasal vaccines.

Diagnosis

In most cases, diagnosis of kennel cough can be made based by hearing the distinctive goose

often extends from the bronchial tubes into the lung cells and results in pneumonia.

Bloodwork (specifically a complete blood count) can sometimes reveal an elevated white blood cell count in those dogs with pneumonia as a complicating factor.

Nasopharyngeal or tracheal swabs may be taken for PCR (polymerase chain reaction assay) testing to determine the cause (e.g., viral) of the clinical signs. False negative and positive results are possible. Identification of the underlying virus or bacteria is usually only necessary: when pneumonia is suspected; the affected dog is not responding to supportive therapy; in dogs with signs of systemic disease; and if an identified outbreak is occurring in multiple dogs and/or across multiple households/locations.

Other diagnostic tests may include endoscopy (bronchoscopy) and collection of biopsy and swab samples for laboratory analysis may be required; bronchial lavage (to demonstrate the causative agent or to ascertain the dog’sresponse to disease); transtracheal lavage and bacterial culture.

Treatment

Kennel cough is often self-limiting so treatment is aimed at controlling the symptoms while the dog recovers. Systemic signs such as pyrexia, depression or anorexia usually only develop if secondary bacterial infections are involved; in these cases a course of antibiotics may

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be required. Antibiotics are usually needed in severe chronic cases. Stress, particularly due to adverse environmental conditions and inadequate good nutrition, may contribute to a relapse during convalescence.

Ideally, a harness instead of a collar should beused if the infected dog is walked in-hand to avoid applying pressure on the trachea which can worsen the dog’s cough.

Antimicrobial therapy

Generally, antibiotics are not indicated for the prevention of signs of kennel cough in individual dogs. However, in animal shelter situations, daily administration of a broad-spectrum antibiotic for a short period such as five to seven days, may help manage endemic respiratory disease associated with bacteria among shelter-housed dogs. In addition, one clinician has reported using doxycycline at 5 mg/kg per os once a day for five days, administered to all dogs entering the animal shelter experiencing high rates (>50%) of acute onset cough. Apparently, follow-up over a 30-day period showed rapid and substantial reduction in the incidence of kennel cough at the shelter, reduced euthanasia rates, higher placement rates and lower operating costs.

Use of antibiotics is indicated when severe or persistent clinical signs occur. Ideally, the antibiotic should be selected based on bacterial culture and sensitivity patterns of specimens collected by tracheal wash or bronchoscopy.

Recommended antibiotics include:

■ amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 12–25 mg/kg, PO, every12 hours

■ trimethoprim-sulfa drugs 15–30 mg/kg, PO, every 12 hours (schirmer tear test should be performed before starting medications)

■ gentamicin and kanamycin (nebulisation of either may be helpful in severe cases)

■ azithromycin, fluoroquinolones, and cephalosporins

■ enrofloxacin 10 mg/kg, PO, every 24 hours

■ doxycycline or minocycline (5–10 mg/kg PO every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days; or 5 mg/kg PO every12 hours, or 10 mg/kg PO every 24 hours).

There are concerns about using doxycycline in young patients due to its potential to cause enamel discolouration of developing teeth. This is less likely to occur with doxycycline compared to other tetracyclines, and limiting treatment to the shortest course possible (i.e. 10 days or less) will further reduce the risk.

Some isolates of B.bronchiseptica are known to be doxycycline-resistant, and patients may require treatment with a fluoroquinolone (enrofloxacin or marbofloxacin), azithromycin, or chloramphenicol. Culture and sensitivity testing is essential if resistance is suspected.

The tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones readily cross the blood–bronchus barrier, but the penicillins and cephalosporins do not cross this barrier so the clinician should be aware of the possibility of possible treatment failure. Use of the fluoroquinolones is less desirable in young animals due to the effects on cartilage development, but in patients with life-threatening infections, this risk may be of less concern.

Supportive Therapy in Critically Ill Dogs

In critically ill patients, supportive therapy is essentially focused on three core areas – to provide adequate (increased) oxygen concentrations, to improve the clearance of the respirator y secretions and to provide appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

Oxygen supplementation

Severe cases may present in respiratory distress and require oxygen supplementation. Pulse oximetry and/or arterial blood gas analysis are used to assess oxygenation levels. Oxygen supplementation is recommended for patients with:

■ an SpO2 [haemoglobin oxygenation saturation measured by pulse oximetry] of <92% to 94% or PaO2 [arterial partial pressure of oxygen] <80 mm Hg, and especially if the dog is displaying signs of respiratory difficulty. ■ increased respiratory effort.

Oxygen supplementation can be provided by various methods including an oxygen cage or tent, nasal cannula/s and nasal prongs. The nasal cannula or prongs may work best for highly contagious patients who are in isolation, but they require supervision to ensure the catheter does not become dislodged.

Improve the clearance of the respiratory secretions

Critically ill patients can lose fluids through the respiratory tract, especially if they are febrile. This leads to reduced ciliary clearance and increased viscosity of the respiratory secretions. Intravenous fluids are indicated to replace the fluids lost and improve the clearance of respiratory secretions.

Nebulisation with sterile saline (about 6 to 10 mL) results in a liquid particulate suspension that improves the clearance of bronchial and tracheal secretions. Nebulisation followed by coupage (also known as percussion therapy; it is performed on dogs with pneumonia to facilitate the dislodgement of mucous which can then be expelled from the respiratory tract through coughing) may be performed for 15 to 20 minutes every 4 to 8 hours in hospitalised patients. A handheld jet nebuliser is useful for in-home care.

What is coupage? [adapted extract from vcahospitals.com and www.vetinfo.com]

Coupage or percussion therapy is a manual and mechanical ‘chest physiotherapy’ technique used in the treatment of respiratory-compromised patients to improve mucociliary transport, and loosen/dislodge secretions and fluid that has accumulated in the lungs so they can be expelled through coughing. Coupage eases breathing difficulty experienced by the patient. Coupage should not be performed on dogs with any injuryto the chest wall such as a fractured rib or wound, and not on dogs with cardiovascular problems or dogs in respiratory distress.

How to perform coupage on a dog

Place the dog on a table or elevated surface so you can reach the chest. Next, cup your hand and pat the side of the dog’schest. If you have alarge dog, you can use two hands (one on each side of the dog’s chest). For smaller dogs, use one hand and do one side of the dog’schest at a time. When you pat the dog’schest, there should be a small amount of air remaining between your palm and the side of the chest; your palm should not flatten against the body wall. This impact should make a sound similar to drumbeats or like a horse galloping. The impact should be gentle and firm enough to loosen fluid that may be trapped deep within the lungs, but gentle enough to not cause any discomfortor pain for the dog. Gradually work your way around the dog’sentire chest, coupaging each area of the chest on each side. If you are using only one hand, work on one side of the chest and then alternate to the other side. Ensure that both sides of the entire chest area are patted firmly and fairly rapidly.

This procedure should take only a few minutes. After coupage, encourage the dog to get up and walk around, as activity will promote coughing and help the dog to cough up the loosened secretions.

Coupage should not be performed immediately after the dog eats a meal; it is best to wait at least one to two hours afterwards. Coupage should be continued until the dog is well again.

Appropriate antimicrobial therapy

Antibiotic therapy to treat primary or secondary

pathogens should be administered via injection inall critically ill patients, to avoid poor bioavailability because of gastrointestinal upset or anorexia, for example. Fluoroquinolones (enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin) may be preferrable for injection because, when compared to doxycycline, they provide more broad spectrum coverage for gram-negative organisms, and are unlikely to result in phlebitis.

Cough Suppressants and Corticosteroids

Cough suppressants (also known as antitussives) are sometimes prescribed to control a persistent non-productive cough such as that associated with suspected tracheitis secondaryto frequent coughing or infectious tracheobronchitis. If the cough is persistent, hydrocodone at 0.22 mg/kg, PO, every 6 to 12 hours or butorphanol at 0.5 mg/kg, PO, every 6 to 12 hours, or both as needed, can be used. Judicious use is advisable - patients should have no evidence of pneumonia and be otherwise systemically well before using corticosteroids and/or cough suppressants.

Cough suppressants are contraindicated in patients with bronchopneumonia and should be avoided if a productive cough is present. Suppression of the coughing reflex can prevent the clearance of bacteria, thereby worsening the disease, and/or delaying recovery. However, antitussives may be useful in situations where the dog is in continual discomfort from coughing or where the cough is interfering with sleep. Concurrent use of a nebuliser or steam from a hot shower may be of benefit to help loosen the respiratory secretions. Aerosolisation treatments that contain antibiotics may be of benefit too.

Bronchodilators

Methylxanthines and beta-2 agonists, such as aminophylline, theophylline or terbutaline, can be helpful in reducing reflex bronchoconstriction/bronchospasm. Methylxanthines improve ventilation and diaphragmatic contractility in dogs, which may result in improved PaCO2 levels in severely affected puppies. They also have other potentially beneficial effects, including anti-inflammator y properties, improved mucociliaryclearance, and improved diaphragmatic contractility.

In contrast to cats and humans, dogs do not develop true smooth muscle bronchoconstriction, and therefore, beta-2-agonists are not considered to be useful in the management of canine respiratorydisease. Others consider that as, in general, bronchodilator therapy has limited value in canine respiratorydisease and may have undesirable cardiac and gastrointestinal adverse effects, the use of bronchodilators for the treatment of infectious tracheobronchitis or pneumonia caused by B. bronchiseptica or CIV in dogs is not recommended.

Expectorants

Judicious use of aerosolised or oral expectorant or mucolytic therapy in cases of canine respiratory diseases that result in excessive tracheal and/or bronchial secretions is recommended. Nebulized N-acetylcysteine can be irritating and result in bronchospasm, further worsening tracheobronchitis and coughing. Guaifenesin, an expectorant often paired with a cough suppressant, has no scientific or anecdotal (that I have observed) evidence supporting its use in patients with B.bronchiseptica or CIV.

Antiviral agents

The efficacy and safety of antiviral agents, such as the neuroaminidase inhibitors such as zanaminir has not been evaluated in dogs. Therefore, the use of antiviral agents in any respiratory-treatment protocol cannot be recommended.

In summary, treatment consists mainly of using drugs to suppress the cough with adequate supportive care such as keeping the affected dog warm and dry, with no strenuous exercise, and

no contact with other dogs to help minimise spread of the infection. If the affected dog is part of a multi-dog household, it is worthwhile considering separating the dogs but in reality, by the time one dog is showing signs, the other one/s will already have been exposed to the disease. However, some dogs do have better immunity than do others so not all dogs in the same household will develop signs of kennel cough.

Hospitalisation

In most cases, affected dogs should not be hospitalised. Kennel cough is highly contagious and it generally improves on its own. Good nutrition and hygiene, and avoiding stressful situations, all contribute to the recovery process.

Home remedies

There are home remedies available for the treatment of kennel cough, and they are reportedly of most use in mild cases. If the owner chooses to use one or more home remedy, itis advisable to inform the owner of the signs that indicate that the kennel cough is getting worse or not improving.

Honey and warm water

Honey can be very useful in mild cases of kennel cough as it can soothe the dog's throat and thus help minimise coughing. Mix 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of honey with a little warm water in a cup or bowl. This can be gently fed to the dog (via spoon or syringe) or offered up to three times a day in drinking water, depending on how often the dog is coughing.

Use of a humidifier

Asmall humidifier can be placed near the dog; the humidifier will moisten the air which can help reduce the irritation in the respiratory tract. Alternatively, a room humidifier placed in the room is helpful.

Nebulisation

Nebulisation can be performed using a nebuliser from a pharmacy.A steamy bathroom, hot shower or bath can provide steam therapy and help decrease irritation to the respiratory tract. The dog should stay in the bathroom (not actually in the shower under the water spray) for 5to 15 minutes a few times each day.This helps to moisten the airways and decrease irritation.

Holistic antioxidants

Holistic antioxidants made specifically for dogs, such as dimethylglycine (DMG), can be used to help modulate and boost the dog’s immune system. Rest is veryimportant for the affected dog during the recoveryphase and also to reduce the number of coughing episodes. This includes reducing the amount of exercise that the dog gets each day.

Nosodes

Nosodes are liquid homeopathic preparations (sometimes called homeopathic vaccines) and contain verysmall (minute) amounts of infectious material (tissue/discharge) collected from actively infected, unvaccinated animals. Nosodes are administered orally and are apparently efficacious in not only preventing, but also treating infectious diseases in dogs (and cats). However, nosodes are not recommended for the treatment of prevention of kennel cough on a scientificbasis because no studies have been published on their efficacy or safety; the values for composition, concentration, and purity of ingredients have not been standardised; and nosodes are not subject to any regulatory oversight.

Prevention

Immunity against kennel cough requires regular annual vaccination. For puppies, an initial vaccination should be given at 6 to 8 weeks of age and repeated twice at 3 to 4 week intervals until the dog is 14 to 16 weeks old. And thereafter, annually.

Australia has 20 registered immunotherapy products for protection against kennel cough; inactivated and live, intranasal and injectable; single and combination formulations. For details see the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority’s Public Chemical Registration Information System. The constituents and the routes of administration of commercially available vaccines vary. The route of vaccine administration stipulated by the manufacturer must be followed.

Kennel cough vaccination provides protection against B. bronchiseptica and parainfluenza virus, which are highly contagious and cause the severe forms of the disease. However, similar to a human influenza vaccine, kennel cough vaccination does not provide protection against every respiratory infection that is circulating in the environment.

Vaccines should only be administered to healthy animals. For example, administering a live, avirulent B. bronchiseptica vaccine (intranasal ororal) to a dog concurrently receiving an antibiotic may exert an antibacterial effect on

that is, not earlier than 19 to 21 days following administration of the first dose.

Ease of administration

Parenteral and oral vaccines are the easiest to administer and are well tolerated by most dogs. For the small number of individuals who resist intranasal vaccination, change to an oral or parenteral kennel cough vaccine is recommended.

Route

Intranasal administration of vaccine to dogs can result in sneezing and head shaking post-administration with a small volume of the vaccine dose being expelled from the nose. Due to the high antigen concentration per dose and the affinity of avirulent live B.bronchiseptica for the respiratory epithelium, this loss of a small volume of vaccine will not result in reduced vaccine efficacy.

Regardless of the dog’s age when the dosing route is changed, the dog may be revaccinated annually thereafter.

Vaccines registered for use in dogs to protect against kennel cough must be administered in accordance with the product label/manufacturer’s recommendations. For example: the concentration of Bbronchiseptica in an intranasal vaccine is less than that in an oral vaccine; intranasal vaccines, if administered orally, are not expected to induce protective immunity; parenteral B is not effective if administered orally or intranasally; and if oral or intranasal (attenuated) B.bronchiseptica vaccines are administered by the parenteral route, injection-site granulomas or abscesses may develop.

Reduction of diluent volume to reduce volume/dose

the vaccine antigen, resulting in reduced to no immunity.

Veterinarians recommending vaccination against kennel cough base their selection on several factors:

Age

Intranasal vaccines can be administered as asingle dose as early as 3 to 4 weeks of age (according to the manufacturer label instructions) because maternally derived antibody (IgG) does not interfere with mucosal immune responses (secretoryIgA).

Puppies housed in high-risk environments such as animal shelters may benefit from early vaccination at 3 to 4 weeks of age, with repeated intranasal vaccine at 2 to 4 week intervals until the puppies are 12 weeks of age.

The parenteral B bronchiseptica vaccine requires two initial doses, at a minimum interval, with the first dose administered to dogs eight weeks of age or older.

Exposure risk

An assessment of the exposure risk is important when selecting a suitable vaccine. For dogs with limited risk of exposure to kennel cough, administration of any combination of oral, intranasal or parenteral vaccine is indicated. However, in high-risk exposure environments, administration of either the oral or parenteral B bronchiseptica vaccine by itself limits the extent of protection. Furthermore, neither product can protect against CPiV or CAV-2.

Onset of immunity

Following a single dose of intranasal Bbronchiseptica vaccine, studies have shown that dogs are protected against aerosol challenge by 48 to 72 hours. Vaccination with oral Bbronchiseptica vaccine induces a rapid-onset mucosal immune response similar to the intranasal vaccine.

Dogs initially vaccinated with parenteral B bronchiseptica vaccine are not expected to derive protective immunity until 5 to 7 days following administration of the second dose,

Reducing the volume of diluent when reconstituting lyophilized vaccine antigen has been reported for administration of intranasal vaccine to small dogs, particularly small brachycephalic breeds. This practice reduces the volume of vaccine that reaches the nasopharynx without reducing the concentration of antigen or vaccine efficacy.

Vaccine mixed with food

Administering a dose of oral vaccine by mixing it with food is not recommended as it may result in significantly reduced antigen contact with mucosal surfaces and, consequently,ineffective immunisation against kennel cough.

Selected References

1. Kennel Cough – Respiratory System – MSD VeterinaryManual (msdvetmanual.com)

2. vcahospitals.com

3. www.vetinfo.com

4. Bledsoe S (2020) Kennel Cough in Dogs and Puppies: What Is the Treatment for Kennel Cough? PetMD

5.Ford RB (2014) Kennel Cough Revisited. Today's Veterinary Practice (in: todaysveterinarypractice.com)

6. Nafe LA (2014) Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach: Dogs Infected with Bordetella bronchiseptica and Canine Influenza Virus (H3N8) Today's Veterinary Practice (in: todays veterinarypractice.com)

7. Kristensen KH and Lautrop H (1962). A family epidemic caused by the whooping-cough bacillus Bordetella bronchiseptica (Danish) Ugeskrift for Laeger,124, 303-308. As cited in Ghosh HK and Tranter J (1979) Bordetella bronchicanis (bronchiseptica) infection in man: review and a case report Journal of Clinical Pathology 32, 546-548.

8. Bemis DA, Greisen HA and Appel MJG (1977a). Pathogenesis of canine bordetellosis. Journal of Infectious Diseases 135, 753-762.

9. Bemis DA, Greisen HA and Appel MJG (1977b). Bacteriological variation among Bordetella bronchiseptica isolates from dogs and other species. Journal of Clinical Microbiology

5, 471-480.

Reference: 1. APVMA number 88412. 2. De Ridder, T., Campbell, J., Burke‐Schwarz, C., et al. Randomized controlled clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of intratumoral treatment of canine mast cell tumors with tigilanol tiglate (EBC-46). J Vet Intern Med 2021;35(1):415-429

Dr Jane Miller Veterinarian Victoria

The emotional decision to sell

To effectively negotiate any deal, you need to be able to understand the person on the other side of the negotiation. You need to know what their fears and motivators are. Somehow though, buyers often misjudge the emotional journey that a seller is going through towards the end of their career.

Most buyers on the journey into ownership see a business solely as a source of increased wealth creation. A means to a financial goal. They think that when an owner decides to sell their practice at the end of their career, they must also be looking at the transaction as primarily financial in nature. They assume that the owner must have come to the decision to sell having achieved their financial goals and/or arriving at this juncture, excited about the impending release of capital, responsibility and obligations.

Inmy experience, when a veterinarian is coming to the end of their career and decides to sell their practice, the emotional journey that they are going through is usually much more complex; it is ver y rarely primarily a financial assessment that makes them proceed with the sale. While a business owner will naturally always want a good price for the practice, the actual decision to sell at the end of a career usually has more to do with reallocation of time than financial capital.

Their age or health or an event (health of a friend or family member) “wakes them up” to the opportunity cost of time. There is adesire to reduce stress, get rid of the admin and compliance involved with ownership, have

more holidays, and spend more time with family (spouses, children, grandkids), on hobbies (golf, sailing, fishing, and so on) or travelling.

Even though they realise that it is the right time to start making the transition out of ownership, and even though they want to reallocate their time, it isn’t usually a decision that sits 100 per cent comfortably with them.

1. When a business owner calls their business their baby,it is because they have an emotional attachment to it. They have cultivated and nurtured the team and patient base over decades and generations, celebrated its successes, mourned its failures, seen it mature and grow. As with any longstanding emotional attachment, saying goodbye is not an easy time.

2.Selling is usually a big step into the unknown for the owner. As with any major change to the status quo, there is usually a sense of fear of what they will be trading the predictability of their current lives for. They often don’tknow themselves anymore without the practice, and there is a very real concern of losing their sense of identity and relevance with the sale of their business. Retirement is something that is easier to phase into, rather than jump into all at once.

Abuyer sitting across the negotiating table from a seller would be wise to be sensitive to the emotional journey that the seller is going through.

■ Be gentle with any critique of the practice while you negotiate. Tothe

vendor, it is not just a P&L and asset list; it is the inner workings of their lives. The number of active patients isn’t just a number to the seller; it represents relationships that span decades and generations.

■ Recognise that just because a seller wants to sell, get rid of the burdens of ownership, and cut down their time at work…this doesn’t mean that they want to retire…at least, not straight away.

■ Assure the seller that they will be able to work in the practice post sale, if they so desire, and can phase out of the practice at a rate that they feel comfortable with (from 4, to 3, to 2 days a week, taking long holidays each year). This should be in the buyer’sinterests too, as it will minimise client attrition.

■ Assure the seller that you appreciate their experience, won’t treat them like a new grad, won’t micromanage them, and will give them the clinical independence and respect that they deserve.

■ If you can tell the seller that you want to keep the staff in their current roles and conditions, it will help put their mind at ease that their staff will be taken care of. Assure the vendor that you appreciate the special place that the practice is, and that you will do right by their legacy.

As a buyer, your challenge in negotiations is to emotionally put yourself in the vendor’s shoes. If you can show a vendor that you aren’t just the right fit financially, but that you are also the right choice of buyer from a compatibility viewpoint, you will find that you have a much greater chance of placing the winning bid.

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?

Is thereatopic you’ve wanted to tell everyone about?

Have you ever thought you would like to write a clinical review but don’t know where to start? Do you have a hobby or history that you think vets everywhere would like to learn more about? 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!

Simon Palmer is the Managing Director of Practice Sale Search, Australia’s largest vet practice brokerage. If you’d like more

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Saddle up for Sarah

Sarah Nitschke a 14-year-old equestrian from Mount Barker, South Australia, has been accepted to attend an equestrian school in Greenfield, Massachusetts, USA. Sarah has been riding at Nyroca Riding Centre in Yattalunga for the past three years and has developed a passion for horses and equestrian sports.

Sarah's acceptance to the equestrian school is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and natural talent asarider. She will join a select group of young equestrians from around the world at the school, where she will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best trainers in the industry and hone her skills as a rider.

“Iam so excited to get a place, it’s such an amazing school, and they compete most weekends,” Nitschke said. “I have always dreamed of taking equestrian sport to a high level and I am so grateful for the opportunity. They have some of the best trainers and I can do the British

Horse Society program which is recognised all around the world.”

Stoneleigh Burnham School is the only secondary school in the US to offer British Horse Society certification. Sarah was also thrilled to learn she has received apart scholarship to attend. “I can’t believe I got in but got a part scholarshipas well. It's 12 months away from home, so I'll have to take lots of Vegemite” she said.

Nitschke’s parents, as well as her trainers, Sarah Harcourt and Alison Gray, are extremely proud of her accomplishments and are excited to see where her equestrian journey takes her.

To support Sarah's journey to the USA, a fundraiser has been set up by Julia Nitschke, Sarah's mother.

Donations to the cause will go towards covering the costs of Sarah's tuition, travel, equipment, and competition costs.

To learn more, visit www.saddle upforsarah.com.au.

WSAVA awards nominations open

TheWorld Small Animal Veteriary Association(WSAVA) is now accepting nominations for its 2023 Awards.These prestigious Awards recognise veterinary professionals from any background, generation or region of the world, who are creating positive change for companion animals and people.

Nominations are invited in the following categories:

Award for Companion Animal Welfare. This Award is presented to aveterinarian or veterinary team member in recognition of their contribution to companion animal welfare at a local, regional, or global level.

Future Leader Award. This Award, supported byHill’s Pet Nutrition, acknowledges the work of a veterinarian, graduated within the last ten years, who has contributed significantly to the betterment of companion animals, the veterinary profession and society at large.

Award for Global Meritorious Service. This is awarded to a veterinarian who has contributed meritorious service to the veterinary profession in the broadest sense.

Award for Global Scientific Achievement. This Award is presented annually to an individual judged to have made an outstanding contribution to the field of small animal medicine.

In addition, the WSAVA One Health Committee selects the recipient of the One Health Award,

which recognizes exemplaryservice by an individual in promoting the global One Health concept, particularly in relation to the importance of small companion animals.

All WSAVA Award recipients receive free registration for WSAVAWorld Congress, which, this year, takes place in Lisbon, Portugal, from September 27-29. They also receive support with travel and accommodation.During theCongress, they will be presentedwith an engraved plaque. Recipients of the Global Scientific Achievement, Companion Animal Welfare, Future Leader, and One Health Awards will also be invited to give an Award Winner Lecture during the event.

Commenting on the launch of the 2023 WSAVA Awards, the association’s President, Dr Ellen van Nierop said: “It is an immense privilege for the WSAVA to recognize some of the most outstanding professionals working in companion animal veterinary medicine today.

“With so many exceptional colleagues going the extra mile to support their patients and their colleagues, we hope to receive arecord number of nominations this year”.

Award winners to our Congress in Lisbon later this year and to hear first-hand about the amazing work they are doing.”

An explanation of the nomination process can be found at wsava.org/ about/awards.

New Greencross hospital open for Minchinbury

Greencross Pet Wellness Company has announced it will open a 1270m2 purpose-built multidisciplinaryAnimal Referral Hospital (ARH) in Minchinbury later this year.The new animal hospital is due to the growing demand of pet ownership and to meet the needs of the local community.

The announcement of ARH Minchinbury follows a strong period of growth for Greencross Pet Wellness Company following several successful new partnerships including the Centre for Animal Referral and Emergency (CARE) and the newly established Greencross Vet Hospital located at the University of Melbourne Werribee.

The hospital will feature nine consultation rooms, three operating theatres, a Critical Care Unit and dedicated cat and dog waiting areas and separate wards.

In addition, ARH Minchinbury will feature an advanced diagnostic imaging suite, brand new humangrade 1.5 Tesla MRI, CT, X-ray, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, endoscopy as well as an onsite laboratory.

Greencross’s Vet Services business is led by Chief Operating Officer Michelle Kellaway, previously a veterinarian with an extensive executive management career who has a passion for providing best quality care for pets and pet owners.

Kellaway’steam is vet-led, consisting predominantly of vets and vet nurses who have years of clinical, speciality, emergency,

and management experience.

“We are excited to announce we will be opening our purposebuilt ARH Minchinburylater this year which will provide care for the pet owners of the Greater West, Kemps Creek and Lower Blue Mountains area,” Kellaway said.

The new hospital will be overseen by the General Manager of Specialty and Emergency, David Mason who brings more 23 years of experience in the veterinary industry.

“I’m looking forward to building a fantastic team of specialists and emergency vets who will provide best quality care for pets and their owners at ARH Minchinbury. The site is due to open in September and we’re currently recruiting for several roles including Emergency vets and specialist veterinarynurses,” Mason said.

With a strong culture of teaching, training, and developing its vets and nurses throughout their career, ARH Minchinbury will also feature one of the largest onsite education centres and training facilities for training animal attendants, vets and vet nurses.There will also be a seminar room and wet lab for practical hands on-learning.

Vets and vet nurses who interested in a career with ARH Minchinbury, or specialists looking for equity partnership opportunities can email vetrecruitment@gxltd.com.au for further information.

Anew disease threat for birds

From page 1

The species is known to be highly impacted by plastic ingestion, with up to 90 per cent of chicks found with plastic in their digestive tract.

Lead author Hayley CharltonHoward, a researcher at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, said that in severe cases many of the chicks with high plastic burdens starve to death.

“We found that when plastic is consumed, it can impact so many aspects of physiology and health, and the birds’ size and blood chemistry is affected. It can cause inflammation and tissue damage in several major organs and will likely

Four meerkat pups born

Frompage 1

“They are still quite small so mum, dad and their older siblings are still very protective, but it won’t be long before the pups can be seen out doing all the things meerkats do –digging, foraging for food and of course sentry duty!”

The Zoo is now also offering guests the chance to observe their lion pride up close, from the comfort of the Lion Pride Lands Patrol truck.

make the birds more susceptible to outside threats, as well as weaker and less likely to adapt to a changing environment,” she said.

The study’s findings show plastics can penetrate most organs since they are able to cross cell membranes, and potentially damage tissues and intracellular structures. Microscopic plastics can also cross the bloodbrain barrier and the placenta.

“In addition to causing fibrosis, the ingested plastic is also damaging vital digestive glands. This may mean the birds are unable to secrete necessary digestive fluids, to digest and absorb nutrients, or prevent infection or parasites. During digestion, small fragments

“There’s no better way to see our lion pride than from the vantage point of our specially constructed, lion-proof tour bus,” the zoo’s director, Steve Hinks said.

“Guests will be in prime position to see the cubs playing, exploring, sleeping, and learning from mum and dad. Marion and Lwazi are terrific first-time parents, ver y patient with their cubs which is adorable to see.”

■ JULIA GARDINER

Animal Justice party has greyhound win

From page 1 trainers, when they race, retire and are rehomed via a participant or through a rehoming program,” aGRV spokesperson said.

However, the GRV said it welcomes the “opportunity to update and enhance our existing systems.”

“A fully integrated digital solution will further enhance our ability to ensure everygreyhound registered in Victoria is monitored and its location recorded and registered in real time, at every stage of

the greyhound’s life,” the spokesperson said.

“Our comprehensive greyhound welfare strategy covers all aspects of greyhound care and welfare… the strategy includes a series of regulations, policies and programs such as breeding controls, injury prevention, rehoming and adoption, and regulatory oversight to ensure greyhound welfare standards are being met.”

■ SAM WORRAD

Human activity could impact devils’ diet

From page 3

“These regenerated forests not logged for many decades may look like natural landscapes to us, but the devils that live there have similar diets to the devils that live on cleared agricultural pastures. The regenerated land doesn’t have the complex features such as tree hollows in large old trees to support diverse bird life and small mammals that the devil eats in the rainforest,” she said.

Rogers said the findings highlighted the urgent need to protect what remains of untouched landscapes – both for the devils and the species they eat - and to be mindful of the consequences our actions might have on changes to the environment.

“It’s apparent there’s much more diversity of species available in these old-growth forests, and the devils are shining a light on how vital these pristine areas are, and the urgent need to preserve what remains from the constant threat of clearing and mining,” she said. In the next stage of research the scientists hope to investigate the eating habits of devils in native grasslands to better inform conservation efforts across more habitats.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

‘Living in human-modified landscapes narrows the dietary niche of a specialised mammalian scavenger’ is available at doi.org/10.1038/s41598023-30490-6.

Government focus on agribusiness jobs and skills

From page 5 care and management industr y workers are able to adapt and progress their skills to work with and support the welfare of wildlife, exhibited, working, and domestic animals.

Drawing on its networks, Skills Insight aims to support industry,

government, and the VET sector to address system-wide barriers and add value across the economy and all education pathways.

For further information, visit www skillsimpact.com.au.

■

can also break off and become embedded in the tissue, causing further inflammation and damage. Of the 30 birds we examined the majority showed several examples of scar tissue formation,” she said. Although the study found no evidence the birds’ consumption ofnatural abrasive materials like pumice caused similar fibrosis, it highlighted plastic’s unique pathological properties, and linked the significant damage it causes to plastic ingestion.

■ JULIA GARDINER

‘Plasticosis’: characterising macroand microplastic-associated fibrosis in seabird tissues’ is available at www. sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S0304389423003722.

Good and bad for little penguins

From page 5

On the same March weekend that students spent their weekend erecting penguin nest boxes, several north-west coast teenagers were charged with the mistreatment of little penguins on the Burnie foreshore. One bird died and another required surgery for its injuries. The youths involved in the incident will be subject to the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

Abstracts - Staphylococcus felis

From page 15

Conclusion. The current case is the first reported human infection caused by S. felis and highlights the zoonotic potential of this bacterial species. Evidence of cat-to-human transmission was shown by comparative genomics of isolates from the patient with isolates of her cats.

Gregorius J Sips12,Marloes A M van Dijk3,Mireille van Westreenen1, Linda van der Graaf-van Bloois3, Birgitta Duim3,Els M Broens3 J Med Microbiol. 2023 Feb;72(2).doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.001661.

1Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

2Present address: Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands.

3Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.

Eagle Post

From page 7

facial expressions and changes in body posture, to figure out when to stop tapping.

Ihave little doubt that animals can communicate with humans, and I like the concept that some animals create novel sentences. But Iwould like to see humans spend more time understanding animals' ways of communicating rather than the other way around. As a tourist in France, I know that French people will treat me better if I try to speak French, even if it is a little.

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CREATURE Feature

SriLankanpitviper( Craspedocephalustrigonocephalus )

Measuringupto75cminlength,theSriLankanpitviperisavenomoussnakeendemictoSriLanka.Itisfoundacrossallthreeclimacticzonesoftheisland,excepthigherhillsandarid zones.Whilesomebitevictimshaveexperiencedpolyuricrenalfailure,fatalitiesfromthepitviperísbitehavenotbeenreported.

PictureGihanJayaweera

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