The Veterinarian Magazine September 2022

Veterinarian

Queen’s death sparks sadness

Australia’s Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCAs) have expressed sadness following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth’s interest in animals was well noted, and she was a patron of the RSPCA in England and Wales.

The RSPCA was initially established in Australia in 1871 (in Victoria) and received the royal warrant in 1923, and at that time was known as the Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“Today we join the community, and our colleagues overseas, in sending our deepest condolences to the Royal Family and to the people of the United Kingdom,” an RSPCA spokesperson said.

CEO of RSPCA NSW, Steve Coleman, said The Queen displayed “love and kindness towards all creatures, great and small.”

“She had a passion for horses, and adored being the company of her beloved Corgis,” he said.

“We would like to thank Her Majesty for her commitment to animal welfare, and for showing the world how loyal and special the bond between animals and humans can be.

“May she rest in eternal peace.”

■ SAM WORRAD

Call for rural graduate HECS changes

The AVA has repeated its call to the Federal Government to remove the HECS debts of veterinary graduates who live and work in rural and regional Australia.

The National Farmers Federation (NFF) is also lobbying for discounted fees, loan offsets and HECS relief for graduates and veterinary students who live regionally, as recommended in their 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit.

The recommendations from the summit aim to influence reform in the sector and help agriculture to be “embraced as a modern, professionalised workplace and employer of choice.”

AVA President Bronwyn Orr said the tight job climate in the regions is causing difficulties for vets, and changes are required to create sustainability in the profession.

“Vets play a critically important role in ensuring that commercial

farms and their livestock remain healthy,” she said.

“But not enough veterinary graduates are moving to the regions to fill these important roles, putting increasing pressure on the agricultural industry…a central pillar to Australia’s economy.

“In order to boost the attraction of working in the regions, we are calling on the Albanese Government to wipe the HECS debt for all graduates willing to live and work in the regions and use their skills to support agriculture.”

NFF President Fiona Simson said the federation’s Jobs and Skills Summit provides an opportunity to address labour shortages impeding Australia’s farm sector.

“Even before the pandemic, farmers were reducing planting or shifting to less labour-intensive produce,” she said.

“Recent weather has thrown curveballsat food production. Couple that with issues like the workforce crisis, and the results are devastating.

“Governments can’t control the weather, but they can ease the workforce crisis.”

The skills shortage has plagued the veterinary industry for years. In 2021, the AVA conducted a Workforce Survey which revealed that 31 per cent of practices advertising for vets were taking 12 months or longer to fill vacancies.

Breeding out bad genes to protect biodiversity

Although their presence in the landscape has been relatively short, the impact feral cats have made on Australia’s native wildlife has been significant, with estimates of nearly two thousand native animals – birds, reptiles, mammals, and frogs – falling prey to feral cats every minute. These cats are also considered to have been largely responsible for the extinction of at least 20 native mammal species since European colonisation.

Scientists from CSIRO are hoping new gene technologies they have developed could help halt this destruction, not only by cats, but also the environmental damage caused by other invasive species. Dubbed CRISPR-Cas9, ‘gene drive’ is a relatively new area of science that can determine the sex of offspring and reduce the number of animals able to reproduce, and therefore drive down populations over time.

Aditi Mankad, a CSIRO Senior Research Scientist, led a team of social and behavioural scientists to explore the social and economic research aspects of using gene drive on feral cats. A total of 3823 Australians were surveyed about their support for the technology being used on feral cats with at least 86 per cent moderately to strongly supportive of its use in feral cat control in their area. To page 30

ONTHEINSIDE

NEWS Bird safety

CLINICALREVIEW Penny Linnett

Bronwyn Orr

Veterinarians around the country are responding to the latest State of the Environment report, which paints a grim picture of our nation’s environment under extreme pressure. The report, released in July 2022, found that “[o]verall, the state and trend of the environment of Australia are poor and deteriorating as a result of increasing pressures from climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and resource extraction.”

The State of the Environment report recognises Australia is not the only country facing substantial environmental challenges, citing the findings of the World Economic Forum 2020 that “the top five global risks in terms of likelihood to cause significant negative impacts within the next ten years are extreme weather, climate action failure, human environmental damage, biodiversity loss and infectious

Vets respond to environment report

diseases.” The report also warns that failing to address and reverse environmental damage in Australia is directly linked to our own wellbeing: “Our health, living standards, cultural and spiritual fulfilment, and connection to Country are all interconnected and negatively impacted by our deteriorating environment.”

Mandated by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 , the State of the Environment report is an independently authored evidenced based review released every five years, assessing the changing condition Australia’s natural environment across 12 broad themes including air quality, biodiversity, climate, and extreme events. Each theme is considered in relation to current outlook, impacts, pressures, and management, with the most recent report criticising Australia’s lack of an effective management framework to address and bring about lasting environmental change. Nevertheless, the report’s authors also stated that it is possible that “[a]dequately resourced, innovative, responsive and collaborative measures will foster investment and renewed action to turn things around.”

The West Australia President of the Australian Veterinary Association, Garnett Hall, supports the report’s findings and calls for change, having witnessed the environmental pressures upon his home state. “Here in WA, Lake Argyle (a listed Ramsar wetland) recorded its lowest water level in 30 years,” he said. “The reefs along our Pilbara coast have experienced significant coral mortality due to repeated heatwaves, and the report unceremoniously confirms that Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent.”

Hall points out that extreme

weather is impacting veterinary practice, with increasing numbers of injured animals being brought to veterinary clinics. “In addition, our natural ecosystems and unique wildlife are under stress from habitat loss and invasive animals and plants,” he said. “We need our politicians on all sides to cast aside their historical ideologies and focus on being good decision makers, to seek the advice of experts and then implement policies that will improve the lives of all Australians, including our animals.”

Acting on climate change requires implementing better practices across all industries and professions, which Hall believes will not only benefit the environment but will also boost the economy. “Renewable energy, clean transport, agricultural innovation and mandatory industrial improvements are essential,” he said. “If done well, these will bring Australia aregional jobs boom, help protect the reputation of our farmers, and preserve Australia’s unique natural beauty for generations.”

Deputy chair of Vets for Climate Action (VfCA), Angela Frimberger, agrees with Hall and has called on the Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, and the federal government to prioritise environmental action and protection as a matter of urgency. “The State of the Environment report now discusses climate change in the present tense: it finds there is insufficient investment and coordina tion for the scale of the biodiversity challenge facing Australia, and that ‘rescue’ will be costlier and riskier than protection,” Frimberger said. “Climate change compounds the pressures ecosystems are already under – from land clearing, habitat fragmentation, and invasive species –and increases pressure on native species. Australia has one of the

An ‘island ark’ suggested for bird safety

Following the release of the national 2021 State of the Environment Report recently, there have been calls from several Tasmanian conservation groups and organisations for the state government to release a similar report specific to the island state. Although a State of the Environment Report is required everyfive years under Tasmania’s State Policies and Projects Act 1993, no report has been produced since 2009.

Concern about Tasmania’smarine and coastal environments and the proposed expansion of the salmon farm industry, the health of the state’s river systems, and ongoing protests over native forest logging and mining in the north west’s takayna/Tarkine region, that threaten several iconic wildlife species, such as the masked owl, Tasmanian devils and quolls, has prompted both the Australia Institute and BirdLife Tasmania to urge the government to deliver an updated report.

BirdLife convenor Eric Woehler OAM said that Tasmania’s ecosystems and native habitats were generally in better condition than those on the mainland, but they were under increasing pressure, and habit loss and fragmentation were known to be primary drivers for biodiversity loss and extinction.

“Tasmania’s habitats and ecosystems must remain intact to ensure the future survival of Australia’s remarkable birds. Not all species will survive but protecting our environment now will maximise the protection afforded to species in the future,” he said.

Eloise Carr from the Tasmanian branch of the AI said whichever independent body was tasked to provide it, the government urgently needed to commission the next SOER through an organisation that was adequately resourced.

“The Tasmanian government isn’t doing its job and our wildlife, forests, coastlines and oceans will pay the price,” she said.

Woehler emphasised Tasmania’s role as an ‘island ark’ saying it was critical for the survival of Australia’s birds, now and into the future.

“Cumulative climate pressures are already impacting on some of Tasmania’s woodland birds such as forty-spotted pardalotes, while other species like dusky robins are undergoing rapid population decreases,” he said.

Woehler contributed the seabirds text for the marine chapter of the 2021 State of the Environment Report.

highest extinction rates in the world and has recorded the first mammalian extinction specifically due to climate change, with many other species also in serious danger.”

Frimberger is also concerned about the impact of deteriorating environmental conditions on the wellbeing of veterinarians, describing the increased numbers of injured wild animals requiring treatment as a result of extreme weather events such as bushfires and floods as an animal health and welfare problem. “Veterinarians are already seeing all kinds of animals being harmed by the effects of a changing climate,” she said, “but this also adds stress for members of our profession, which is already facing a workforce and mental health crisis.”

Along with VfCA, Frimberger is calling for “strong, rapid greenhouse gas emissions reductions” in the next decade to protect biodiversity and ensure the health of our country’s ecosystems. “This means ending new coal and gas projects and enacting strong, coordinated policy and laws to reduce emissions,” she said. “We know what is causing climate change, and there are solutions. This is a challenge, but with resolution, it is possible.”

Garnett Hall agrees. “We need to focus on reducing all pollution, including carbon emissions,” he said. “Reducing passive waste and eliminating tolerance of inefficient systems are excellent starting points. Wealready understand how this should be done and need to act to implement these solutions.”

If you would like to support Vets for Climate Change, please get in contact via their website: www.vfca.org.au.

The State of the Environment report can be accessed in full at soe.dcceew.gov.au.

■ JAI HUMEL

Angela Frimberger

Garnett Hall

Picture Eric Woehler

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World Animal Day highlights huge demand for new workers

With the number of pets in Australia now outnumbering humans, TAFE NSW is equipping the workforce of tomorrow with the skills to care for the growing pet industry. TAFE NSW teachers say the need for new workers in the veterinary industry has never been greater, this comes as World Animal Day approaches on October 4.

Approximately 61 per cent of households in Australia own pets. With an explosion in pet ownership during the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia’s pet population of 29 million is now higher than its human population, as people turned to furry friends for comfort and support.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher for Animal Studies, Lisa Tubnor said in her time working in the animal services industry, she has never seen such ahigh demand for vets and vet nurses.

“Employers are screaming out for staff right now – there is an incredible boom taking place in the animal services sector so there are job opportunities galore,” Tubnor said.

“Our hands-on, practical courses at TAFE NSW ensure students can graduate on Friday and walk into a vet clinic with all the skills to start work on Monday.

“If you have a love for animals, veterinary nursing is incredibly rewarding. Helping an animal that comes in sick recover and watching them go home happy and well with their owner isthe best feeling in the world.”

Providing a safe passage for wildlife

It is widely recognised that roads and road users can have a detrimental impact on wildlife, and several overseas studies have been conducted into the effectiveness of road underpasses and overpasses to address and reduce the risk to vulnerable species. Although thirteen underpass studies have been conducted in Australia, they are not considered to be as comprehensive as the most recent longterm study,led by researchers from NSW’s Southern Cross University, and published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

Using wildlife cameras the scientific team studied 12 road underpasses located near Port Macquarie and Grafton over a two to three-year period, detecting more than 4800

installed in conjunction with mesh fences (often with a floppy top to stop koalas climbing over) that line the highways to keep animals off the road and direct them to the underpasses to cross,” he said.

But with Australia’s wildlife species increasingly threatened with extinction by habitat clearing and frag-mentation Goldingay cautioned against the apparent effectiveness of underpasses being used to justify an expansion of road networks.

“One leading cause is the expansion of our road network, particularly the upgrade and duplication of major highways. Underpasses are a useful generic tool to enable wildlife to move across landscapes with roads, but not all ground-dwelling native species will find underpasses to their liking, although so far many do,” he said.

Although a common concern about underpasses is that predators, and especially introduced feral pests, use them as ‘prey-traps’ to forage on small animals, no increased predator activity was recorded.

Many studies show that owning a companion animal has huge benefits for mental health. A recent survey by the Waltham Foundation found that 86 per cent of respondents felt they had bonded more with their animals in lockdown, whilst 60 per cent thought their pet had helped them maintain a regular routine, and 43 per cent said their animal reduced their anxiety.

T'Keyah Johnson is a 20-year-old Gulgong, NSW local who has scored her dream job in the industry at a pet medical centre in Dubbo after studying a Certificate II in Animal Studies and currently studying a Certificate IV Vet nursing at TAFE Orange.

“I love animals and grew up with lots of animals on my family farm– and it was always what I wanted to do,” Johnson said.

“The TAFE NSW training took me three steps forward in my career. The connections I made through TAFE NSW, the support from teachers, and the skills I have gained have all helped me so much.

“It’s amazing to now be in a clinic learning the practical side of things, and I loved it from the very first day. I just want to get as much experience as I can so I can give every animal the very best care.”

For more information, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.

New rehabilitation strategy for Tasmania’s wildlife

Whether through death, injury, or displacement the impact on an estimated three billion of Australia’s wildlife from the 2019–20 bushfires brought the vulnerability of some of our iconic species into the spotlight. It also highlighted the efforts of wildlife carers, many of whom are volunteers, who rescue, care for, and rehabilitate wildlife injured or orphaned due to natural disasters, culling programs, or road trauma. In Tasmania, the Black Summer bushfires were the catalyst for developing a communityled Strategy and Action Plan, designed to create a stronger, more sustainable, and well-supported sector to guide, inspire and unite all those involved in ensuring the best outcomes for Tasmania’s injured and orphaned wildlife are achieved.

an important first step towards improved outcomes for our injured and orphaned wildlife, and I look forward to following the Strategy’s progress as it is implemented,” she said.

Greg Irons, the director of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, said his facility provided the state’s largest rescue service, with almost 14,000 calls received during 2020. Although around 1500 animals were subsequently placed into care with wildlife rehabilitators, he said it was high time Tasmania had an overall wildlife care strategy.

medium-large mammals and goannas. Results showed species such as grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, red-necked wallabies and red-necked pademelons were frequent users, crossing some underpasses more than once a week.

Lead researcher Ross Goldingay, a wildlife ecologist, and Associate Professor at SCU said the number of detections was ‘astounding’, as it suggested animals used the underpasses to forage on both sides of the highway.

“This research provides compelling evidence that highway upgrades need not threaten wildlife populations if road underpasses are installed. The underpasses are

“Only the fox was detected frequently enough to be a potential concern. However, its activity coincided less than expected with the activity of the mammals most at risk to it. In fact, potential prey may actually avoid using the underpasses when foxes are about,” said Goldingay.

Habitat that adjoins underpasses was found to exert a strong influence on their use suggesting greater consideration be given to this aspect in order to maximise their use by wildlife.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

“Use of road underpasses by mammals and a monitor lizard in eastern Australia and consideration of the prey-trap hypothesis’ is available at doi.org/10.1002/ ece3.9075.

Launched in August, the Tasmanian Wildlife Rehabilitation Sector Strategy and Action Plan 2022–24 involved representatives from several organisations. They included Volunteer Tasmania, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Wildcare Tasmania, and the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian VeterinaryAssociation.

Jo Palmer, Minister for Primary Industries and Water, said the state government allocated $460,000 over four years to assist the sector to build capacity and become sustainable over the long term, as well as to support care and services for Tasmania’s injured and orphaned wildlife.

“The funds have helped develop the Strategy and will also help support its implementation. It’s

“We’re receiving an extra 500 to 1000 more calls each year and a lot of unbelievably dedicated people give their time, their passion, their emotions, and of course their money to care for these animals. Weneed to see 1000 to 1500 wildlife carers, so people don’t feel pressured and overloaded to take on animals,” he said.

In November 2021 it was estimated Tasmania had approximately 1000 volunteer wildlife rescuers, and 280 wildlife rehabilitators, but the online survey that began the Strategy process, and that invited responses from all registered wildlife rehabilitators and other individuals and organisations on the DNRE’smailing list, confirmed the vulnerability of the sector with many people reporting they felt burned out and exhausted.

The two key aims of the Action Plan are to better support skilled, capable volunteers and communities, and to safeguard the health, welfare, and wellbeing of Tasmania’s native wildlife, now and into the future. In acknowledging it was necessary Topage 30

T'Keyah Johnson with a lamb on farm

Big Brother goes bush

Cameras that spy on wildlife could provide the secrets scientists need to save vulnerable species.

University of Queensland researchers have embarked on a world-first innovation to study and protect Australian animals by opening-up access to millions of images from the bush.

About 10,000 hidden cameras are installed across Australia at any given time, capturing wildlife in their native environments, and observing species as they behave naturally.

The cameras generate hundreds of millions of images annually, but there’s no central database where the images and corresponding data can be accessed.

Matthew Luskin, from UQ’s School ofBiological Sciences and the Ecological Cascades Lab, and his team want to change this, and they

have partnered with the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) to launch the first dedicated wildlife observatory in the world.

The Wildlife Observatory of Australia (WildObs) will allow scientists, governments, and environmental groups to access millions of images and the accompanying datasets, in a bid to create amore data-driven and streamlined approach to conservation.

WildObs is a collaboration involving expertise from the University of Sydney, James Cook University, Deakin University, The University of Melbourne, Bush Heritage Australia, Queensland University of Technology, Federal Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, NSW Government Department of Primary Industries, Xylo Systems, and Wildlife Insights.

“Asingle camera trapping study can produce millions of images,” Luskin said.

“Researchers must go through every image and document the species, its behaviour, and other observations, which is labour-intensive and can bottleneck research and decision-making.

“And after all that work, the images are often deleted to clear hard drive space, and data is stored offline and lost.”

Luskin said WildObs would open endless possibilities for research, including improved population and animal behaviour monitoring.

“WildObs also provides the baseline information and rapid analysis tools to help us respond to natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and climate change.”

WildObs was made possible with Federal Government funding from ARC, and the project involves many government and NGO stakeholders, including TERN (based at UQ), which will oversee the database once the Wildlife Observatory isfully developed.

The WildObs project is already showing success.

UQ PhD student Zachary Amir is examining how new images and data can be collected and submitted to the new Observatory.

His team placed 25 hidden cameras on K’gari (Fraser Island) to monitor potoroos – a medium-sized marsupial often described as a mix between a rat and a wallaby – in collaboration with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. They were sure to secure the cameras so curious dingoes can’t move them.

Over the space of about two months, they captured 130,000 images, which needed to be categorised.

This would normally have taken months, but Zachary and his team of undergraduate students used the WildObs artificial intelligence (AI) computer vision tools to reduce this tounder 60 person-hours.

“It can be quite a long process from setting cameras to the end result of analysing data, and WildObs will help drastically reduce this time,” Mr Amir said.

Cameras used for monitoring wildlife are not like CCTV equipment.

The cameras remain on standby 24/7 and have heat and motion sensors that automatically trigger the photographs or videos when an animal walks by.

Researchers then retrieve the memory cards and upload images to the cloud for safekeeping.

In his next project, Amir will install hidden cameras across nine national parks in Queensland's Wet Tropics rainforests. That study will examine how invasive species like cats and pigs are affecting native wildlife including cassowaries and the musky rat-kangaroo. Topage 30

National clinical symposium returns in 2022

After a two-year,COVID-19-forced hiatus, the Greencross Pet Wellness Company is excited to host the largest National Clinical Symposium in its four-year history.

Previously, the event was reserved for Greencross Vets and staff whose expenses were covered in-full as part of their membership, but for the first time, external members of the veterinary industry will be able to join approximately 1000 Greencross team members at the event.

Held at the Sunshine Coast’s Novotel Twin Waters and Sunshine Coast Convention Centre from October 22–23, the event provides industry-leading education benefits for vets, nurses, practice managers and veterinary leaders, and offers the opportunity to form new working relationships, gain continued education points and engage with a range of innovative suppliers and sponsors.

The symposium will also feature plenty of opportunities to network and socialise, with a “Music Across the Decades” event planned for the Saturday evening featuring live music and food stalls.

The theme of this year’sevent is “Building Tomorrow Together”, and with so many of the industry reuniting after such a long absence, it will offer the opportunity to learn, network and share.

“This year’sSymposium will be the best yet and we are particularly excited to extend the invitation to the broader veterinary community as part of our commitment to contributing to the professional development of all vets and nurses,”

Chief Operating Officer at Greencross Vets, Michelle Kellaway, said. “The event is such a special opportunity to bring together passionate vets, nurses and veterinaryleaders to create a successful and sustainable future for our profession.”

“We are thrilled to host some of the best clinical speakers and most talented veterinary professionals in the country. The health and happiness of our profession is also of great importance to us, which is why we have a dedicated wellbeing and mental health stream, with thought leaders in this field.”

“I can’t wait to see the best of the industry come together for two days of clinical excellence,a host of informative and inspiring presentations, networking and fun as we all work together to elevate our wonderful profession” Kellaway said.

Attendees have the opportunity to earn up to 13 CE points, with seven streams of lectures delivered byarange of esteemed industryexperts:

■ Vet – Surgical

■ Vet – General

■ Vet – Advanced

■ Wellness

■ Vet nursing – General

■ Vet nursing – Emergency and critical care

■ Stress Free Pets – Where delegates can achieve annual recertification

The symposium will feature some of the country’s best clinical speakers, delivering a variety of fascinating presentations across a wide range of topics including

■ Sam Long – Neurologist – BVSc MVM PhD DipECVN MRCVS Veterinar y Referral Hospital, Dandenong Traumatic Brain Injury: How to manage canine head trauma in the acute setting

■ Rebekah Scotney – Clinical Academic – PhD GCVSt AssocDAppSc University of Queensland Guide to a Mentally Friendly Workplace: Acknowledging risk factors and taking action

■ Jacob Michelson – Specialist Small Animal Surgeon – BVSc BSc MACVS DipACVS&ECVS Animal Referral Hospital, Canberra Arthroscopy: wheredoes it fit in treatment of joint disease?

■ Sarah Goldsmid – Specialist Small Animal Surgeon – BVSc MVetClinStud FACVSc Animal Referral Hospital, Homebush and

■ Natashia Evans – Emergency and Critical Care Specialist – BVSc BSc DiplACVECC Animal Referral Hospital, Homebush Approach to the trauma patient

The event will also feature a trade show with 25 suppliers with booths, and 75 partners including Platinum Plus sponsor Zoetis.

For more information on the Greencross Clinical Symposium and to register for tickets visit the website at web.cvent.com/event/0d72064b-c7d4-45c9-a0d49f49211c81f9/summary.

Zachary Amar

Leaping ahead

Advances in dog and cat lameness management

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

November 15, 16 and 17, 2022

You can't afford to miss our upcoming virtual conference convened by Wendy Baltzer, specialist in small animal surgery, sports medicine and rehabilitation.

Joining Wendy are a host of international presenters including Sharon Kerwin (surgeon and neurologist), Joseph Wakshlag (nutritionist and specialist in sports medicine and rehabilitation), Kristin Kirkby Shaw (surgeon and specialist in sports medicine and rehabilitation), Janice Huntingford (specialist in sports

medicine and rehabilitation, chiropractor and acupuncturist) Rachel Pollard and Nicola Moffatt (diagnostic imaging), Philip Moses, Gordon Corfield and Peter Delisser (small animal surgeons), Sanaa Zaki (veterinarian and biomedical researcher) and Donna White (Sydney Animal Pain Clinic). We look forward to you joining us online!

Pigeon post from the UK

As one pestilence (coronavirus) finally subsided in the UK, the country found itself afflicted by another old adversary … no, not Yersinia pestis (causal agent of the Black Death/Bubonic Plague in 1348–9 and 1665–6 most notably), but economic inflation. The British economy was indeed plagued by high inflation rates during the 1970s when the annual rate peaked at around 26 per cent. After the last ten years of stable, low inflation and historically low interest rates (UK base rate was only 0.1 per cent at its pandemic low point), inflation began to rise rapidly during 2021 and at the time of writing has now reached 10.1 per cent. The Bank of England has responded by incremental rises in the bank base rate to try and hold inflation down, but a rise to 1.75 per cent currently has not yet achieved the desired effect. This alone would be enough to unnerve anyone with a substantial mortgage or borrowing burden, but to this must be added the trade restrictions implicit in Brexit which are impeding trade with the European Union, price rises across the board and in particular an unprecedented rise in energy costs which have been exacerbated by embargoes on Russian gas and oil following the invasion of Ukraine six months ago. With winter on the horizon people on low and modest incomes are facing a real problem of how they will pay their energy bills. The government has announced a £400 (A$684) nonrepayable grant to every household in the country to help with bills over the coming winter. No further support measures will be announced until Boris Johnson’s successor as prime minister is appointed in early September. Back in the 1970s industrial unrest was the norm as workers fought for pay rises to offset inflated prices, the same is now happening today with strikes currently ongoing on the railways, with refuse collectors, dock, and postal workers. There are murmurs of a general strike before too long and maybe even some civil unrest.

Vets, though receiving above average wages are not immune to inflationar y pressures and wage concerns have been expressed by the chairperson of the British VeterinaryUnion (BVU) Suzanna Hudson-Cooke. The BVU represents the interests of employed vets, nurses and ancillary staff and is a branch of the large Unite union which has 1.4 million members nationally Dr Hudson-Cooke recently stated that pay rises for employed vets were insufficient to

address the rising cost of living. She feared that poor pay will affect vets’ well-being and drive more people out of the veterinary sector exacerbating the current employment crisis. Some of the large, corporate veterinarygroups have recently announced wage rises: IVC Evidensia announced a6 per cent increase for staff from October on top of a raise inJanuary and Medivet plans to pay all its registered nurses (RVNs) at least £30,000 p.a. (A $50,000) from next May. CVS Group has said it plans to pay its lowest paid workers at least 3 per cent above the compulsoryNational Minimum or the National Living Wage of £9.18–9.50/hour (A$15.70–16.25/ hour).

The UK has reported its first case of the transmission of Brucella canis from an imported pet to its owner. Although the zoonotic risk of B. canis is low in the UK, the increasing importation of dogs from endemic areas in Eastern Europe, for welfare and pedigree price reasons, makes the chance of transmission here ever more likely.Currently testing for B. Canis is advised, rather than compulsory when importing, though groups like the British Veterinary Association are now calling for compulsion. The case in question involved a pregnant German Shepherd cross imported from Belarus in March. Bcanis generally causes assorted reproductive problems in dogs, but it can be entirely asymptomatic. Human infection typically occurs by direct contact with birthing or abortion materials and leads to non-specific symptoms including fever, lethargy, lym phadenopathy, joint pain, and headaches. In this case the human contact, a 61-year-old female,

is currently no vaccine available for dogs or people.

Finally, something more uplifting to finish with. Scottish veterinary surgeon Laura Muir (29) has had a spectacular sporting summer. The 2018 Glasgow university graduate and professional athlete claimed a bronze medal in the 1500m at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA in July. She followed this with the gold in the 1500m and a bronze in the 800m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in early August and retained her 1500m title at the European Athletics Championships in Munich, Germany later in the month. Muir, understandably, spends all her time preparing for her triumphs on the track and none in the surgery or on the farm. Though I imagine the ability to run 1.5km in well under four minutes might have an application somewhere?

required two weeks’ hospitalisation to recover. Three of her four other dogs also contracted the disease and all of them were euthanised. Treatment is not advised and there

Ian Neville BA(Hons) BVSc MRCVS reports from Britain.

Growing up in a rural area, Luke has always had a passion for animals and for helping people to help their pets. His passion is providing the best of carefor all animals, despite working in rural areas and despite the lack of readily available emergency practices.

Annetts graduated from Murdoch University, Perth, in 2009 and has spent time working in mixed practice in Bundaberg, prior to purchasing the Tenterfield Veterinary Clinic. He aims to provide an essential service to a rural area, without compromising quality of care, while ensuring only the best products make it onto practice shelves.

Snake bites: a rural mixed-practice perspective

AtTenterfield Veterinary Clinic we are a small (three full-time veterinarians) rural veterinary practice, with the nearest emergency centre more than three hours away.

Generally, we treat 10–20 snake bite cases per season (August to March), mainly in dogs, though there are some cats and the occasional horse. Despite being a small clinic, we carry five vials of antivenom at any one time, after experiencing several incidents where we had to treat three differentdogs (often Jack Russells and often from the same family) within asingle 24-hour period.

With fast diagnosis and appropriate treatment our success rate is very high, finances permitting. Most of the dogs we see present with typical signs of collapse, and/or vomiting, and/or paralysis. If we are lucky –unlucky for the animal and client –the owner has found their pet playing with a dead or live snake. We confirm our diagnosis either byhistory(if the client has seen the animal with the snake) and clinical signs, or by a combination of history, clinical signs, coagulation testing (generally PT/APTT) and CK (generally peaks 4-12 hours after insult) and urine dipstick.

Once our suspicions are confirmed, we progress to administration of snake antivenom via a syringe pump, generally over

10minutes. Summerland Serums’ Tiger/Brown Multi is the only antivenom we stock, and it has been my trusted product since graduation.

Years ago, I used to pre-med my snake antivenom cases with corticosteroids and antihistamines, but I stopped doing this seven or eight years ago and have not noted any ill effects. In fact, we very rarely

ence between a healthy patient the following day or one requiring days in hospital with expensive and labour-intensive supportive care, not to mention potential death. Weoften perform serial clotting tests to monitor the response to treatment and find great success with our trusted antivenom.

Over the years I have had many success stories and will share a few here. Out of desperation – in rural remote practice years ago –the only antivenom available was an out-ofdate bottle of Summerland’s serum. It worked and an animal was saved. (Obviously I would never advocate this, and thankfully the veterinary profession has moved beyond leaving vets, patients, and clients in similarly compromising positions since then).

note any reaction with the administration of Summerland’s antivenom, with only the veryodd minor issue – minor swelling around the face or a slight elevation in heart rate – which resolves soon after.

In our experience the sooner the venom can be neutralised in the patient’s bloodstream the better. This sometimes necessitates the use of two to three vials of antivenom. Although there is an added cost, this can be the differ-

Another, such story was when Iwas looking after my brother’s four-month-old Jack Russell pup. The dog was helping me fill up water troughs during the drought. She vomited once, so I put her in the car, thinking she must be just hot, and proceeded to continue.

A little while later she had another vomit, so I took her inside and left her with my brother. After much more time had passed my brother asked me a few times if I was sure the pup was ok, and reassured him it was fine. Eventually, my brother To page 30

Luke Annetts

Are keel bone fractures a growing problem for the layer-hen industry?

Discusses the skeletal health of layer hens, using keel bone fractures as an indicator.

Introduction

Several important issues must be taken into consideration when assessing layer-hen welfare. These include food, shelter, freedom from pain and disease, and the degree to which hens can express natural behaviours and cope with sometimes stressful environments (Layet al., 2011). Inlayer hens, skeletal health issues are of growing welfare concern due to their violation of two ofthese principles, causing severe debilitation and pain in those affected (Richardset al., 2011). The most common problems include osteoporosis and bone fractures, of which up to 90 per cent involve the keel bone (Layet al., 2011: Käppeliet al., 2011).

Discussion

Avian osteoporosis, a disease characterised byadecrease in mineralised structural bone, is associated mainly with conventionally caged layer hens (Layet al., 2011). However, Wilkins et al. (2011) showed that these layer hens have the lowest levels of bone fractures, despite having very fragile bones and a consequently increased susceptibility to bone fractures. Their research suggested that increasing levels of floor space and hen activity could significantly improve bone strength.

On the other hand, inadequate housing, genetic factors or nutritional intake of calcium, phosphorus or vitamin D can predispose layer hens to osteoporosis (Layet al., 2011).

Arguably of more concern are layer hens housed in barn and free-range systems. Although these hens may perform more of their natural behaviours due to increased space and access to diverse resources, they are significantly more prone to keel bone fractures than conventionally caged hens, despite having increased bone strength as a result of increased levels of activity (Layet al., 2011: Wilkinset al., 2011). Those housed in systems with aerial perches are particularly susceptible (Wilkinset al., 2011). Perches can be advantageous in that they allow hens to exhibit their natural perching behaviours and thus are a great source of environmental enrichment and improved bone strength, but landing failures can result in bone fractures when hens jump off between perches (Wilkinset al., 2011). In a recent Swiss study by Kappelliet al. (2011), moderate or severe keel bone deformities could be found in more than 25 per cent of laying hens. This figure increased to 55 per cent when slight keel bone deformities were included. These fractures were detected by palpation along the edge of the keel bone to detect alterations, such as S-shaped deviations, bumps, depressions or proliferations. In a separate study by Wilkinset al. (2011), layer hens in furnished cages had the lowest mean level of keel bone deformities (36 per cent) while flocks housed in systems equipped with multilevel perches had the most severely deformed keel bones and the highest levels of keel bone damage (more than 80 per cent).Fracture calluses were evident upon histological examination of moderately and severely deformed keel bones, suggesting a traumatic etiology. Therefore, it is likely that collisions and landing accidents with perches are the cause of these bone fractures.

Furthermore, a layer hen will land with a force four times her bodyweight at a perch height of 30cm, but an increase in perch height to 60cm will result in a landing force seven times her bodyweight. A corresponding increase in poor landings from 2 per cent to 39 per cent can be measured at these heights (Sandilandset al., 2010). Wilkinset al. (2011) also made informal observations that descents to slats or litter from very high perches appeared to result in increased impact velocities and subsequently less controlled landings. This suggests that there is an increased opportunity for trauma, particularly ifobstacles are placed at or above ground level in flight paths between perches. As the impact of landing increases, the possibility of keel bone trauma increases; maximum perch heights above both litter and slats corresponded with the highest mean severity and prevalence of keel bone fractures (Wilkinset al., 2011). Thus we can deduce that an anticipated increase in flight velocity during perch descent may result in a higher risk of keel bone damage.

Gross skeletal damage has major welfare implications. Bone fractures are likely to result in extreme pain, especially given chickens are

floor space for landing, but may reduce the economic efficacy of extensive systems (Wilkins et al., 2011).

Conclusions

Skeletal health is a major animal welfare issue in extensive systems. Poultry farmers are faced with the ethical dilemma of having either conventionally caged layer hens with very weak bones due to osteoporosis, or non-caged hens with massive incidences of keel bone fractures. It must be noted that while provision of facilities, such as perches and floor space, in barn and free-range systems are hugely beneficial for bone strength and expression of normal behaviours (both of which are comprehensively reduced in battery cage systems), these benefits come at a trade-off for severely debilitating and painful keel bone fractures. More research must be conducted on the sustained improvement of skeletal health by looking at animal husbandry requirements and management of these different housing systems to uphold the five freedoms of animal welfare.

■ RICHARD NIALL

References

Hocking, P.M., Robertson, G.W., Gentle, M.J. (2005) Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on pain related behaviour in a model of articular pain in the domestic fowl. Research in Veterinary Science 78:1, 69-75.

Käppeli, S., Gebhardt-Henrich, S.G., Fröhlich, E., Pfulg, A., Stoffel, M.H. (2011) Prevalence of keel bone deformities in Swiss laying hens. British Poultry Science 52:5, 531-536.

Kim, W.K., Bloomfield, S.A., Ricke, S.C. (2011) Effects of age, vitamin D3, and fructooligosaccharides on bone growth and skeletal integrity of broiler chicks. Poultry Science 90:11, 2425-2432.

known to possess sensitive pain perception mechanisms (Hockinget al., 2005). Moreover, most hens survive the immediate trauma of a keel bone fracture and undergo a six-week period of healing thereafter, when they are not only subject to the debilitating pain and discomfort caused by the keel bone fracture, but are also restricted in their access to food, water,nest boxes, range and perches (Richardset al., 2011). This is a serious violation of the five freedoms of animal welfare.

Fortunately, there are a number of methods that may improve the skeletal health of layer hens without compromising their welfare. Direct measures to improve bone strength and thus decrease the occurrence of osteoporosis include dietarysupplementation with Vitamin D and the selection of genetic lines with better mineralised bone (Kimet al., 2011). On the other hand, keel bone fractures could be minimised by lowering the heights of perches and strategically arranging them to reduce the overall number of obstacles between perches (Käppeliet al., 2011). Lowering stocking densities could also lower the risk of keel bone trauma by increasing

Lay, D.C. Jr., Fulton, R.M., Hester, P.Y., Karcher, D.M., Kjaer, J.B., Mench, J.A., Mullens, B.A., Newberry, R.C., Nicol, C.J., O'Sullivan, N.P., Porter, R.E. (2011) Hen welfare in different housing systems. Poultry Science 90:1, 278-294.

Richards, G.J., Nasr, M.A., Brown, S.N., Szamocki, E.M.G., Murrell, J., Barr, F., Wilkins, L.J. (2011) Use of radiography to identify keel bone fractures in laying hens and assess healing in live birds. The Veterinar y Record 169:11, 279-283.

Sandilands, V., Baker,L., Brocklehurst, S., Toma, L., Moinard, C. (2010) Proceedings of the 44th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology, “Coping in Large Groups”, Wageningen Academic Publishers, 249.

Wilkins, L.J., McKinstry, J.L., Avery, N.C., Knowles, T.G., Brown, S.N., Tarlton, J., Nicol, C.J. (2011) Influence of housing system and design on bone strength and keel bone fractures in laying hens. The Veterinary Record 169:16, 414-420.

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

Dr Claire Adams

We all agreed the benefit of increased mucosal immunity to protect against respiratory disease was worth it!

BTW, mucosal vaccines are also strongly recommended by WSAVA for high risk environments such as shelters1 We got the rep in, they sorted out the vaccination protocol and trained our staff. The new protocol worked out to be more cost effective too!

Hmmm...if the flu vaccine came out as an oral mucosal form, how many people would still stick with injections?

Dr Claire Adams

Dr Claire Adams

Dr Henry Jones

Dr Henry Jones

Dr Henry Jones

Dr Claire Adams

Dr Henry Jones

Dr Henry Jones

Behaviour and adoptability of hoarded cats admitted to an animal shelter

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the behavioural characteristics and success of adoption for previously hoarded cats. Methods:Shelter records and post-adoption surveys were analysed for hoarded cats <6months old at intake. A non-standard scoring system was used. Intake scores were allocated contemporaneously, andsocialisation scores were applied retrospectively for three time points (TPs): 5-10 days post-intake (shelter TP), <1 week post-adoption (home TP1) and >1 week post-adoption (home TP2). Adoption returns were compared between hoarded and non-hoarded cats.

Results: The study included 195 hoarded cats, of which 174 were adopted. Of 164 cats with intake scores, 86 (52 per cent) were scored as 'friendly' at intake. Forty-five cats had socialization scores for all of the TPs, and of these, the percentages of 'supersocial' or 'social' decreased from 87 per cent at the shelter TP to 47 per cent at home TP1, then increased to 84 per cent at home TP2. Most cats that scored as'tense' at intake had supersocial or social scores at home TP2. Nine of the 88 cats with survey results had out-of-box (OOB) elimination in either the shelter or home but only 1/88 in both. Adopters expressed positive feelings for 42/43 cats for which feelings-based language was used in their survey responses. Notable behaviours, such as neediness, were recorded for 48/88 cats. Relationships with other household pets weretypically positive. Eighteen of 174 hoarded (10 per cent) and 188/2662 non-hoarded (7.1 per cent) cats were returned postadoption. Of these, six hoarded and 87 non-hoarded returns included behavioural reasons. There were no significant differences between hoarded and non-hoarded cats for total or behavioural returns.

Conclusions and relevance: Hoarded cats had high adoption rates, high adopter satisfaction and the potential for good emotional wellbeing in adoptive homes. Behaviour at intake and OOB elimination in the shelter may not reflect post-adoption behaviour. Behaviourbased outcome decisions for these vulnerable animals should be deferred to allow time for habituation.

Linda S Jacobson1,Jacklyn J Ellis1,Kyrsten J Janke1, Jolene A Giacinti2,Jyothi V Robertson3

JFeline Med Surg. 2022 Aug;24(8):e232-e243.doi: 10.1177/1098612X221102122.

1Toronto Humane Society, Toronto, Canada.

2Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Canada.

3JVR Shelter Strategies, Belmont, CA, USA.

Free PMC article

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most commonly isolated bacterium from skin lesions of dogs with post-grooming furunculosis (PGF). It is frequently found in human hair and skin care products and may pose a health risk to consumers. Information regarding the prevalence of P.aeruginosa contamination of dog grooming products is lacking.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of P. aeruginosa contamination in nonmedicated dog grooming products after either home or professional use in pet grooming salons, and to identify risk factors that may be associated with contamination.

Materials and methods: Of 117 bottles of grooming products sampled for bacterial culture, 97 wereused by pet grooming salons and 20 were used by private individuals. The following suspected risk factors wererecorded: bottle size, relative remaining volume, content dilution, expiration date and ingredient list.

Results: Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 14 of 117 samples [11.97 per cent, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 6.97-19.3 per cent]. Diluted products werecontaminated significantly more often compared to undiluted products To page 30

literature and interviews

In free-range and organic production systems, hens can make choices according to their needs and desires, which is in accordance with welfare definitions. Nonetheless, health and behavioural problems are also encountered in these systems. The aim of this article was to identify welfare challenges observed in these production systems in the EU and the most promising solutions to overcome these challenges. It is based on a review of published literature and research projects complemented by interviews with experts. We selected EU specific information for welfare problems, however, the selected literature regarding solutions is global.Free range use may increase the risk of infection by some bacteria, viruses and parasites. Preventive methods include avoiding contamination thanks to biosecurity measures and strengthening animals' natural defences against these diseases which can be based on nutritional means with new diet components such as insect-derived products, probiotics and prebiotics. Phytotherapy and aromatherapy can be used as preventive and curative medicine and vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics and pesticides. Bone quality in pullets and hens prevents keel deviations and is favoured by exercise in the outdoor range. Free range use also leads to higher exposure to variable weather conditions and predators; therefore shadow, fences and guard animals can be used to prevent heat stress and predation respectively. Granting afree range provides opportunities for the expression of many behaviours and yet many hens usually stay close to the house. Providing the birds with trees, shelters or attractive plants can increase range use. Small flock sizes, early experiences of enrichment and personality traits have also been found to enhance range use. Severe feather pecking can occur in free range production systems, although flocks using the outdoor area have better plumage than indoors. While many prevention strategies are facilitated in free range systems, the influence of genetics, prenatal and nutritional factors in free range hens still need to be investigated. This review provides information about practices that have been tested or still need to be explored and this information can be used by stakeholders and researchers to help them evaluate the applicability of these solutions for welfare improvement.

Claire Bonnefous1,Anne Collin1,Laurence A Guilloteau1, Vanessa Guesdon2,Christine Filliat3,Sophie Réhault-Godbert1, TBas Rodenburg4,Frank A M Tuyttens56,Laura Warin7,Sanna Steenfeldt8,Lisa Baldinger9,Martina Re10,Raffaella Ponzio11, Anna Zuliani12,PietroVenezia12,Minna Väre13,Patricia Parrott14,Keith Walley14,Jarkko K Niemi15,Christine Leterrier16 Front Vet Sci. 2022 Aug 5;9:952922.doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.952922. eCollection 2022.

1INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, Nouzilly,France.

2JUNIA, Comportement Animal et Systèmes d'Elevage, Lille, France.

3VETOPOLE 26, Châteauneuf-sur-Isère, France.

4Faculty of VeterinaryMedicine, Utrecht University,Utrecht, Netherlands.

5ILVO, Instituut voor Landbouw-, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek, Melle, Belgium.

6Department of Veterinaryand Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

7ITAVI, Nouzilly, France.

8Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

9Thuenen Institute of Organic Farming, Westerau, Germany.

10AIAB, Associazone Italiana per l'Agricultura Biologica, Rome, Italy.

11Slow Food, Bra, Italy.

12Veterinari Senza Frontiere Italia, Sede c/o Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie viale dell'Università, Padova, Italy.

13Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Bioeconomy and Environment, Helsinki, Finland.

14Harper Adams University, Newport, United Kingdom.

15Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Bioeconomy and Environment, Seinäjoki, Finland.

16CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France. Free PMC article

Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation from dog grooming products used by private owners or by professional pet grooming salons: prevalence and risk factors

Welfare issues and potential solutions for laying hens in free range and organic production systems: a review based on

Driving without destination

When veterinarians decide to get into practice ownership, they spend many hours analysing possible practices to buy or sites to start up in. They fill spreadsheets with costings and projections, competition analysis, ideas and business plans before they act.

When they are in practice, they spend countless hours agonising over how they are going to make their practice work for them. They develop systems and procedures, stressing about which supplies and advertising they will commit to, go toclinical and business courses…all to make sure they are at the top of their game, so that they can offer a quality, efficient service of integrity to their clients.

With the methodical nature in which veterinarians get into and run their practices, it is quite paradoxical that they spend nearly notime thinking about how they would like it to all end - and let’s face it - it will end. Someday, somehow, the practice that you currently own will one day no longer be yours, and this end of practice ownership can either come on your terms or on someone else’s.

Far too many veterinarians ignore this inevitability. They turn up to work, day after day and year after year, as if each day and year will be like the one that preceded

it…working with little vision about what it is all leading to.

The way most veterinarians own apractice is akin to driving a car without a destination, without ever checking how much petrol is in the tank. Sure, the car may be nice and comfortable, they may be enjoying the journey, but when the tank starts to run dry (and it will in one way or another) the destination that they end up at may be undesirable and they may be left with few choices when they get there.

In 1989, Stephen Covey published his famous book, “The 7 habits of highly effective people”. It is consistently rated by business institutions in the top business selfhelp books in the world. While not all of the habits outlined in his book are relevant to exit planning, one certainly is. Habit number 2 in his book is to “Begin with the end in mind”. The takeaway point of this chapter is that if we take the time to be goal focused in our approach to our lives and businesses, we are much more likely to get outcomes that are right for us.

What this means for you as a vet business owner, is asking and having answers for the following questions for yourselves:

■ What financial figure do you need to reach, in order to retire comfortably?

■ Is there an approximate date or age that you are hoping to work until? Or retire before?

■ Are there any bucket-list trips, hobbies, or relationships that you want to commit more time to that may require a better work-life balance than business ownership would allow?

■ Do you know what your practice is approximately worth and how that value is increasing or decreasing over time?

■ Do you know what your practice’s likely buyer profile looks like? (Is it likely to be a corporate, an aggregator, an experienced owneroperator or a new grad?)

■ Do you know what that buyer profile is likely to be looking for (Pro tip: a corporate is looking for something very different to an owner-operator)?

Ifyou know answers to these questions, you can work backwards and take steps to ensure that, when you reach your exit date, your practice is optimally placed to attract the best possible buyer, to offer the best possible price and terms to facilitate the exit that is best for you.

This doesn’t mean working harder. There are many, many variables that, if positioned correctly, can make a difference when you get to the finish line. To page 30

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

The VET Expo 2022

It’s been a long journey to bring The VET Expo to fruition over several years, and the wait is almost over. The VET Expo was designed from the ground up as a fun, new, festival-style exhibition where the entire veterinary, animal health and pet care worlds unite for 2-days of learning, networking, discovering and exploring new products & services.

After having to shift the original launch in 2020 to a virtual event, The VET Expo is now ready to debut in-person at the International Convention Centre Sydney on 26 & 27 October 2022.

Over two days, The VET Expo unites 2,000+ industry buyers such as veterinarians, veterinary specialists, veterinary nurses, animal technologists and technicians, practice managers and owners, government, associations, pet product retailers, start-ups and innovators and connects them with over 100 leading industry suppliers who showcase new technology, products, and services.

Market-leading solution providers in the veterinary and pet care world are on the Expo floor, ready to help you evaluate new solutions to improve your practice and answer any burning questions. Our list of renowned Sponsors that you can meet includes Dechra Pharmaceuticals, Greencross Pet Wellness Company, DOG by Dr. Lisa, ADM, PAW by Blackmores, Humm Group, Heska, iM3 Veterinary Dental, Troy Animal Healthcare, Medechat, Therian, and Lincoln Institute

The VET Expo also features a world-class conference with 15 conference tracks focusing on key veterinary themes including animal health, animal welfare, practice management, disease management, behaviour, vet nursing, small animals & pets, large animals & livestock, wildlife, equine, anaesthesia, dermatitis, dentistry, technology, diagnostics, treatment & medication.

The VET Expo agenda is packed with over 150 industry experts who are delivering insightful and inspiring presentations and panel discussions about the current issues facing vets and animal health professionals.

You won’t want to miss the keynote plenary sessions that are opening the conference each day. Here are a few highlights:

Dr. Kersti Seksel, Specialist Behavioural Medicine, Sydney Animal Behaviour Service will speak in-depth on the interaction between humans and felines

Dr. Angela Frimberger, Director & Consultant, Vets for Climate Action is exploring climate science from a veterinary perspective, helping you understand how the climate impacts animals

Suzy Green, Clinical and Coaching Psychologist, and Founder, The Positivity Institute, discusses applying the science of wellbeing to veterinary work

Kim Filmer, Chief Animal Welfare Officer, Department of Primary Industries, will be covering animal welfare – who is who in the zoo?

If you are looking for new ways to continue your professional development, then attending The VET Expo will earn you a Certificate of Attendance counting towards PD in all registered states.

But there’s more to The VET Expo than learning and doing business, the Expo is the perfect place to catch up with old peers, have a memorable time with your colleagues, and form new connections with people across the industry.

After wrapping up on Day 1, we’ll be taking networking to a whole new level with a Boat Cruise party touring Sydney Harbour. There’s never been a more important time to reconnect and network, so what better way to mingle than with drinks and amazing views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House?

Registrations are open now! We’re thrilled to offer The Veterinarian readers an exclusive 70% off discount! Use code THEVET70 at checkout to secure an inperson delegate ticket at only $105 for a delegate ticket + entry to the Boat Cruise.

Register now to join 2,000+ veterinarians and animal health professionals at the ICC Sydney in October! Visit thevetexpo.com to find out more information.

This

As vets, we spend our days caring for animals in need. But it’s easy to neglect our own professional development. That’s why we’ve made this year’s Greencross Symposium more accessible to our entire veterinary profession – and you’ll earn CE points as you go. With over 70 sessions run by the most talented professionals in the country, 25+ leading industry suppliers, and hundreds of minds to meet along the way, you can choose to attend in-person, or online.

Dr. Sarah Goldsmid

Environmental enrichment for growing pigs:

Could novelty be the key?

Introduction

Freedom to express normal behaviour is often neglected in intensively farmed animals (de Greef et al., 2011). Failure to provide domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) with suitable substrates to encourage exploratory behaviour, such as rooting, has led to the development of harmful social behaviours towards pen mates (Statham et al., 2011). Tail-biting (TB) is one behavioural manifestation that compromises productivity, profitability and welfare of these animals (Sutherland & Tucker, 2011). Producers are moving away from traditional low-cost/lowbenefit practices, such as tail-docking, as they do not account for what is inciting the redirected TBbehaviour. Understanding the multifactorial causes of TB may have a higher likelihood ofeliminating the behaviour (Turner, 2011). This paper explores recent reports on how providing environmental enrichment in commercial settings encourages natural pig behaviours and minimises damaging social behaviours.

Discussion

Providing substrates, such as straw and compost, is an effective form of enrichment as it encourages natural rooting behaviour (Beattie et al., 1995). However, these materials are impractical in commercial piggeries with slatted flooring, as substrates easily pass through the slats and block sewage systems (Van de Weerd et al., 2006). A study by Statham et al. (2011) found that providing straw bi-weekly on solid floors did not significantly decrease TB outbreaks. Atotal of 706 pigs were followed from birth to slaughter and split among four treatments: straw throughout life (ST), straw from weaning (SW), straw in finishing (SF) and no straw (NS). Due to pen design, groups ST and SW had less straw provided at finishing with a concurrent increase seen in TB. The incidence of TB in the SF group was reduced. These results concur with the suggestion by Day et al. (2002) that it is the change in straw provision, the novelty factor, rather than the straw itself that alters social behaviours. If straw is offered commercially, the level of straw should remain constant or be augmented to avoid increasing TB behaviours.

Statham et al. (2011) found that providing straw prior to weaning did not offer a protective effect against TB after weaning. Interestingly, Oostindjer et al. (2011) have shown that piglets moving from barren housing pre-weaning to enriched housing post-weaning display increased levels of interaction with enrichment and lower TB behaviours. However, piglets moving from enriched housing pre-weaning to barren housing post-weaning display decreased levels of play and increased TB behaviours. This suggests that the best period to offer enrichment is post-weaning. If a production system is unable to incorporate enrichment post-weaning, it should not be presented in the farrowing crates as this may increase the incidence of TB post-weaning (Oostindjer et al., 2011).

The need to account for novelty in enrichment devices was also established by a study by Van de Perre et al. (2011). Their paper compared the use of a single chain for enrich-

ment to seven point-source objects (objects restricted to a single location): rubber bars and balls, yellow and purple ribbons, yellow and grey garden hoses, and orange ropes. The pointsource objects were offered in sequence, with a new object provided each week to 108 pigs split among 12 pens. This was found to decrease incidences of TB compared to providing a single object. However, repeating the sequence of objects a second or third time had less effect on reducing TB behaviour. Habituation to point-source objects has previously been shown tooccur very rapidly in pigs, perhaps due to their long-term presence in the pen (Van de Weerd et al. 2003).

Van de Perre et al. (2011) demonstrated that popular objects actually encouraged TB behaviours by inducing competition for them. In comparison, Manciocco et al. (2011) showed that by offering an increased variety and quantity of enrichment, competition for individual objects was reduced. Four types of enrichment were used (rubber hose, hemp rope, steel chain in rubber hose, and balls) with a density of 19 items per 50 pigs. Offering a large quantity of objects made individual interaction with these items easier and safer and lower levels of TB were seen in the enriched pens (5 per cent) compared with control pens (27 per cent). The study also found a decrease in daily interaction with enrichment objects from 35 per cent after two weeks to 13 per cent during the sixth week. This is in accordance with the findings of Van de Perre et al. (2011) and Statham et al. (2011) and further emphasises that novelty plays a crucial role when providing enrichment. The larger quantity and variety of objects may explain why it took six weeks in the current paper for the “novelty factor” to diminish compared with one week in the Van de Perre et al. (2011) study. If enrichment objects are offered in commercial piggeries, a larger variety and number should be provided per pen to reduce competition for them.

Enrichment devices must have certain characteristics to be suitable for growing pigs (Van de Perre et al., 2011). The best have a mix of complexity, ingestibility, odour, chewability, flexibility and destructibility (Van de Weerd et al., 2003). Manciocco et al. (2011) observed changes in object preference with age. Younger animals preferred rubber hoses lying on the ground while older pigs preferred ropes hung from the ceiling. This may be a facet of increasing body size and reduced space, making hung articles more accessible. Steel chains inserted in rubber hoses remained attractive throughout the study, potentially owing to the complexity of the device and the novel sensation ofbiting steel (Manciocco et al., 2011). Van de Perre et al. (2011) found a similar preference in pigs for hanging objects, with orange rope and ribbons being the most attractive to pigs of all ages. This implies that hanging complex objects are most suitable for finishing pigs in commercial premises.

Conclusions

Novelty is an important aspect of any enrichment scheme, especially in preventing habituation. Offering a greater variety and

number of objects combined with rotation seems to result in the lowest level of competition and lowest number of TB outbreaks. However, further work is required to identify robust solutions to eliminate TB behaviours from intensively farmed pigs.

■ NICOLEMACE

References

Beattie, V.E., Walker, N., Sneddon, I.A. (1995) Effects of environmental enrichment on behaviour and productivity of growing pigs. Animal Welfare 4,207-220.

Day, J.E.L., Burfoot, A., Docking, C.M., Whittaker, X., Spoolder, H.A.M., Edwards, S.A. (2002) The effects of prior experience of straw and the level of straw provision on the behaviour of growing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 76, 189-202.

de Greef, K.H., Vermeer, H.M., Houwers, H.W.J., Bos, A.P. (2011) Proof of principle of the comfort class concept in pigs. Experimenting in the midst of a stakeholder process on pig welfare. Livestock Science 139, 172-185.

Manciocco, A., Sensi, M., Moscati, L., Battistacci, L., Laviola, G., Brambilla, G., Vitale, A., Alleva, E. (2011) Longitudinal effects of environmental enrichment on behaviour and physiology of pigs reared on an intensive-stock farm. Italian Journal of Animal Science 10:52, 224-232.

Oostindjer, M., Van den Brand, H., Kemp, B., Bolhuis, J.E. (2011) Effects of environmental enrichment and loose housing of lactating sows on piglet behaviour before and after weaning. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 134, 31-41.

Statham, P., Green, L., Mendl, M. (2011) A longitudinal study of the effects of providing straw at different stages of life on tail-biting and other behaviour in commercially housed pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 134, 100-108.

Sutherland, M.A., Tucker, B.C. (2011) The long and short of it: A review of tail docking in farm animals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 135, 179-191.

Turner, S.P. (2011) Breeding against harmful social behaviours in pigs and chickens: State of the art and the way forward. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 134, 1-9.

Van de Perre, V., Driessen, B., Van Thielen, J., Verbeke, G., Geers, R. (2011) Comparison of pig behaviour when given a sequence of enrichment objects or a chain continuously. Animal Welfare 20, 641-649.

Van de Weerd, H.A., Docking, C.M., Day, J.E.L. Avery, P.J., Edwards, S.A. (2003) A systematic approach towards developing environmental enrichment for pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 84, 101-118.

Van de Weerd, H.A., Docking, C.M., Day,J.E.L., Breuer, K., Edwards, S.A. (2006) Effects of species-relevant environmental enrichment on the behaviour and productivity of finishing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 99, 230-247.

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

Discusses the effects of environmental enrichment and the important role played by novelty when enrichment is provided on commercial pig farms.

Dr Jane Miller Veterinarian Victoria

Implications of restrictive stabling for the welfare of the performance horse

Explores the association between stabling management and the development and expression of behavioural stereotypies in the horse.

Introduction

Horse owners often stable their horses to avoid risk of paddock-related injury, or to conserve the horses’ energy for training (Werhahn et al., 2012). While the size and design of horse stables vary worldwide, horses that are exclusively stabled are recognised as being at greater risk ofdeveloping behavioural abnormalities than their pastured counterparts (Rivera et al., 2002). Enclosed stalls restrict natural social and physiological behaviours, encouraging the development of behavioural stereotypies, such ascrib-biting, box-walking and wood-chewing (Werhahn et al., 2012; Normando et al., 2011). Stereotypies are repetitive behaviour patterns often adopted by horses as a means of coping with intensive management and subsequent lack of environmental enrichment (Waters et al., 2002; McGreevy, 1997). Crib-biting, the process of drawing air into the oesophagus by resting the upper jaw on a horizontal surface and tensing the ventral neck muscles, often results in tooth wear, chronic jaw pain and tympanic colic (Houpt, 2012; McGreevy, 1997). As such, crib-biting and its causes are significant welfare issues for the horse.

Discussion

Crib-biting is known to be closely associated with feeding large amounts of concentrate feed (Bachmann et al., 2003; Houpt, 2012). More recent research into crib-biting and similar behavioural issues has also shown stabling practices to be a significant influence upon the development of these behaviour patterns (Normando et al., 2011; Werhahn et al., 2012).

Houpt (2012) operantly conditioned horses of mixed sex and breed (n=8) recognised as crib-biters to press a button to access a cribbiting surface and found that the horses were as highly motivated to crib-bite as to eat (Houpt, 2012). The effort of neck-flexing involved in crib-biting was also examined in some horses (n=7) by applying weights to a movable horizontal surface. It was discovered that the repetitive action of crib-biting puts horses at risk of temporohyoid osteoarthritis as 25-30kg of force is exerted on the hyoid apparatus and stylohyoid bone up to hundreds of times per day (Houpt, 2012). Although more horses must be tested to confirm these results, Houpt’sresearch (2012) provides a significant development in the understanding of horse welfare. It is unethical to use anti-cribbing collars on established crib-biters due to the high motivation these horses show to perform the behaviour. As a result, this study underlines the need to prevent cribbing behaviours from ever becoming established (Houpt, 2012).

Horse-management practices var y with the purpose for which the horse is kept. Horses ridden in the English style are significantly more likely to be kept stabled than their Western-style counterparts (Normando et al., 2011). Normando et al. (2011) performed an epidemiological exploration into the prevalence of behavioural problems in mixed-breed saddle horses (n=346) and Arabian breed horses (n=101) ridden in either Western or English style. In doing so Normando et al. (2011) exposed an association between the expression of stereotypies and restrictive stabling. A horse is

considered “restrictively stabled” when it is denied free access to a paddock, or is taken to a paddock for less than six hours per day (Normando et al., 2011). Werhahn et al. (2012) explored this concept by comparing the behaviour patterns of horses (n=6) provided with paddock exercise (for two hours each day, alone or in a group) and those with no paddock exercise. By analysing the horses’ heart rates over time, the degree of physiological “stress” (periods of low heart-rate variability resulting from sympathetic stimulation) each horse underwent could be monitored (Werhahn et al., 2012). Video footage of the horses’ behaviour in training and in the stable, for each of the management styles, was examined and observations of frequency,mean duration and total duration of the behaviours being studied were recorded continuously (Werhahn et al., 2012). The results of the heart rate and video monitoring were then compared, revealing a decrease in heart rate variability and increased restlessness when turnout was denied (Werhahn et al., 2012).

By allowing horses free exercise, solitary or in groups, their stable behaviour will accommodate more resting behaviours and fewer “occupational” behaviours (Werhahn et al., 2012). As well as minimising critical health risks by preventing crib-biting behaviours, there may be added benefits to allowing horses paddock access, such as promoting trainability and reducing aggression (Houpt, 2012; Normando et al., 2011; Rivera et al., 2002). Restrictive stabling is a key factor in the development of stereotypies, such as crib-biting, and should be avoided to prevent establishment of crib-biting behaviours with their resultant welfare implications (Normando et al., 2011; Houpt, 2012).

Conclusions

To improve horse welfare, further research must focus on the development of a suitable management program to eliminate behavioural stereotypies. Crib-biting poses a critical risk to horse health, and the removal of potential environmental triggers is essential. Horse owners and managers must strive to provide horses with extended periods of paddock exercise daily, establishing a management routine that more closely resembles the horse’snatural environment. By this means stereotypical behaviours will be less likely to develop and the lifelong welfare of the horse will be enhanced.

■ REBECCABEAUMONT

References

Bachmann, I., Audigé, L., Stauffacher,M. (2003) Risk factors associated with behavioural disorders of crib-biting, weaving and box-walking in Swiss horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 35:2, 158-163.

Houpt, K.A. (2012) Motivation for cribbing by horses. Animal Welfare 21:1, 1-7.

McGreevy, P.D. (1997) Do stabled horses cope? Journal of Biological Education 31:3, 207-211.

It is recognised that horses kept stabled post-weaning are more likely to develop abnormal behaviours than paddock-kept horses of the same age (Waters et al., 2002). This is echoed in Werhahn et al.’s (2012) research, identifying the greatest degree of “stress” in horses denied paddock turnout. Those horses without paddock access show more “occupying” behaviours (investigating bedding and stall equipment), which may develop into behavioural stereotypies such as crib-biting (Werhahn et al., 2012). Similarly,Normando et al. (2011) demonstrated that restrictive stabling is strongly linked to the expression of locomotory stereotypies (p=02) and has a significant influence on the prevalence of oral stereotypies, including crib-biting, when in conjunction with English-style training. The results of both studies may be expected as restricted paddock exercise and limited access to other horses, seen in standard stabling management, deviates significantly from the horse’s natural environment (Normando et al., 2011; Werhahn et al., 2012). Future trials featuring a wider variety of horse breeds and training styles would prove useful in refining the conclusions drawn by the two studies.

Normando, S., Meers, L., Samuels, W.E., Faustini, M., Ödberg, F.O. (2011) Variables affecting the prevalence of behavioural problems in horses. Can riding style and other management factors be significant? Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 113:3-4, 186-198.

Rivera, E., Benjamin, S., Nielsen, B., Shelle, J., Zanella, A.J. (2002) Behavioural and physiological responses of horses to initial training: the comparison between pastured versus stalled horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 78:2-4, 235-252.

Waters, A.J., Nicol, C.J., French, N.P.(2002) Factors influencing the development of stereotypic and redirected behaviours in young horses: findings of a four year prospective epidemiological study. Equine Veterinary Journal 34:6, 572-579.

Werhahn, H., Hessel, E.F., Van den Weghe, H.F.A. (2012) Competition horses housed in single stalls (II): effects of free exercise on the behaviour in the stable, the behaviour during training, and the degree of stress. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 32:1, 22-31.

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

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Introduction to worms in chickens

Introduction

Gastrointestinal worms in poultry are very common and most chicken owners will have to deal with them at some point. Worm identification is animportant step when assessing the significance of finding worms.

Ahealthy chicken can handle some worm burden without ill-effects. But if the chicken gets stressed or sick, the immune system may get over-whelmed, and the internal worms have the opportunity to overpopulate and cause pathology.And if the chicken continually eats feed that is contaminated with worm lar vae, then the worm burden may continue to increase leading to development of disease, infection and even death. Nutritional deficiencies are not uncommon with high worm burdens.

Chickens can be infested by several types of worms, but the most common parasitic worms that may cause problems in poultry are roundworms, thread or capillary worms, tapeworms, caecal worms, and less commonly gape-worms. Birds can carry multiple worm species simultaneously.

Parasitic worm life cycle

Parasitic worms have either a direct lifecycle (i.e., need to infect a single host species in order to complete their entire lifecycle) or an indirect lifecycle (i.e., need two different hosts to complete their lifecycle – a main host and an intermediate host). Worms with an indirect lifecycle spend some of their immature phase in an intermediate host but need to infect the main host in order to be able to reach maturity and reproduce. Some worms require specific intermediate and/or main host species.

Poultry and chickens become infected by ingesting worm eggs from the soil, litter, or droppings (direct digestion). Once in the gut, the eggs hatch and mature. The eggs of the worms are excreted in the birds' droppings and the cycle starts again.

In indirect digestion, the chicken eats infected insects carrying worm eggs (earthworm, grasshopper, fly, slug, snail, beetle). Insects can act as the intermediar y host which means that they carry one or more parasites that only affect the chicken if the chicken eats the slug. Once the chickeneats the insect-host, the eggs are deposited, hatch, mature and produce more eggs which are excreted in the bird’s faeces.

Risk period

Eggs excreted into the environment require warm and moist conditions to become infective.

The warmer months (i.e., spring and summer), especially when wet, are often the times when worm problems are most prevalent due to the climatic conditions that favour their growth.

Common parasitic worms

Different worms usually infest various parts of the intestine, and some even live in the respiratory system:

■ Hairworms are found in the oesophagus, the crop or the upper part of the small intestine.

■ Tapeworms attach to the wall of the upper and middle thirds of the small intestine.

■ Roundworms are found in the small intestine.

■ Caecal worms are found in the blind end of the caeca.

There are three main types of parasitic worms that chickens can contract:

Roundworms (ascarids; Ascaridia galli) are by far the most common parasitic worms in chickens. There are a few different types of roundworms including threadworms, hairworms, and the large roundworm which is most common. Roundworms can be found anywhere in the chicken’s digestive system (e.g., hairworms are found in the oesophagus, crop, or the upper part of the small intestine), and it may be possible to see the worms in droppings. The prepatent period is 35-42 days in young birds and 50-56 days in older birds.

Adult worms are thick and usually ahalf to three inches long (even up to 12cm) by approximately an eighth of an inch wide. They are spindle-shaped and non-segmented with a smooth cuticle or skin, but some may have transverse grooves. Most roundworms have separate males and females. Roundworms can have either a direct or an indirect lifecycle. Those that have a direct lifecycle pass through four developmental stages before becoming adults viz. mature roundworms living in the infected bird produce eggs that pass in the droppings, where they embryonate in the environment, and when ingested, they hatch in the proventriculus of the host and undergo larval growth to maturity.

Death of the bird may occur due to intestinal obstruction especially in those who are immunosuppressed or have a concurrent infection with a second disease. Chickens older than four months of age develop resistance to roundworms. Young chickens with heavy infections of these big intestinal worms lose weight despite having a good appetite.

Gapeworms –(Syngamus trachea)are much less common. They attach to the trachea of chickens and other poultry. Gapeworms are also called “forked worms” because the male and female worms are always locked in copulation and form a “Y”. The bright red y-shaped adult worms (the male and female adults are almost always found attached) reside in the trachea and are between 1-2cm long. Worm eggs are coughed up, swallowed and passed out in the faeces. Larvae are ingested and travel via the liver and lungs to the trachea where they attach to the mucosa. The prepatent period is 18-20 days.

The worms can grow up to one inch and are capable of blocking the trachea and causing suffocation of the bird if present in sufficient number. Achicken with gapeworms will ‘gape’where they appear to be gasping for air and will stretch their head and neck up to the sky.Chicks and young birds are much more likely than older birds to be susceptible because of their relatively small tracheae. It is more common for these worms to be picked up through intermediate hosts such as worms, slugs, and snails. Infective larvae can live for months or years in

intermediate hosts. Passage through anearthworm may increase infectivity to the end host as large numbers of larvae can be found in one earthworm.

Tapeworms –(Cestodes)are white or yellowish ribbon-like segmented flatworms long, flat, white, or yellowish ribbon-like worms composed of numerous segments or divisions. Tapeworms grow by forming new segments (called proglottids) just behind their head (scolex); each segment containing both male and female sexual organs. As the worm grows, segments on the tail end mature and break off passing out of the intestine with the droppings. The excreted segments are filled with eggs. Tapeworms have an indirect lifecycle. Insects and other arthropods eat the excreted segments and become intermediate hosts for the parasite. Many tapeworms require a specific intermediate host. Poultry become infected by eating infected intermediate hosts.

Tapeworms live primarily in the intestinal tract, attaching to the lining of the upper and middle thirds of the small intestine. Tapeworms do not usually present a hazard to the chicken’s health unless there are significant numbers present (in which case the birds can be very thin), but they can significantly weaken the chicken’s immune system. Tapeworm infections result in emaciation in mature flocks, especially if severe infestation is exacerbated by malnutrition or immunosuppression. Young birds may show slower growth. Depending on the species, tapeworms can grow more than five inches.

The various tapeworm species include Davainea proglottina (microscopic adults) and Raillietina cesticullus (adults 4-15cm long). Beetles and snails can act as intermediate hosts. Tapeworms are difficult to treat, and control may be more easily achieved in intensive systems by controlling the intermediate hosts.

Flukes (trematodes) are flattened unsegmented, leaf-like parasites. Flukes are hermaphroditic and all trematodes that infect poultry have an indirect lifecycle. Their lifecycles vary in complexity and can involve up to four hosts. More than 500 species have been found in birds but only a few are known to cause disease.

Two other types of worms that may be seen are:

Caecal worms Heterakis spp. (e.g., H. gallinarum)worms, reside in the caeca of chickens. Heterakis worms are white, 1.5cm long with a pointed tail. Worm eggs may be ingested directly, or infected earthworms may transport eggs or host partially developed larvae. Heterakis worm eggs may remain viable for months in the environment. The prepatent period is 24-30 days.

These worms are verycommon and of themselves are not considered to be amajor hazard to the bird’s health. However, the main concern with caecal worms is that they are a carrier for histomoniasis (caused by the protozoan Histomonas meleagridis), which is associated with mortality in

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turkeys (up to 90%); it rarely causes disease in chickens. Pheasants, partridges, and peacocks are also very susceptible. Consequently, regular worming becomes more important when these species are kept in close vicinity with chickens and turkeys in particular, should not be raised in the same environment as chickens.

Capillary worms Capillaria spp. (threadworms) are found in the crop or oesophagus; the eggs can be found in the lining of the intestine.

Capillaria may cause thickening or inflammation of the crop tissue and focal lesions in the intestinal tract. Heavy infections cause droopiness, pale combs, weight loss, and sometimes death.

Capillaria obsignata (hair worm) has a prepatent period of 20-26 days and is barely visible to the naked eye. Even small burdens can be pathogenic and can be quite quickly fatal.

Clinical signs

The greatest impacts in a worm infestation are reduced feed efficiency and egg quality. In severe infestations, death may occur. Occasionally worms are found inside the chicken egg.

Clinical signs specific to worm infestation can be difficult to identify due to the chronic nature ofinfection, and some birds show no obvious signs of illness at all. Non-specific signs include ill thrift, reduced or increased appetite, weight loss or weight gain, reduced egg production (perhaps with smaller-sized eggs or eggs with fragile shells), pale combs and wattles (due to anaemia in severe cases), pale yolk colour and intermittent diarrhoea.

Other signs seen are ruffled feathers, droopiness and an unthrifty look, and slow growth. In the case of gapeworm, chickens will gasp for breath or ‘gape’ stretching their neck, as shown in the photo. In severe cases, worms can be detected in the droppings of birds.

Some specific clinical signs that have been reported are:

■ Capillaria obsignata diarrhoea, depression and wasting.

■ Heterakis gallinarum there are few pathogenic lesions as a result of Heterakis infection, other than caecal thickening and petechiae, and infection is generally asymptomatic.

■ Trichostrongylus tenuris –severe enteritis and weight loss.

■ Amidostomum anseris –gizzard worm, mainly affects ducks and geese, and infection results in depression, anaemia, weight loss and stunted growth.

■ Syngamus trachea (gapeworm,) – dyspnoea, head shaking, extension of the neck, coughing and “snicking”, also anaemia, weakness, and emaciation.

Diagnosis

Worm infestations can be diagnosed macroscopically (roundworms and tapeworms can be seen with the naked eye in the faeces when their respective populations are high); and/or microscopically via a fresh faecal smear and/or faecal flotation test, and/or by molecular biology tests such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or ELISA testing.

Examining the morphology of the adult worms provides more reliable diagnosis of the causative species than does faecal flotation. Worms detected during post-mortem can be carefully removed, put into a saline solution, and examined under a microscope. However,identification can be difficult and may be complicated by intraspecies variation. Post-mortem examination of mucosal scrapings of affected tissue (respiratory or intestinal) will help gauge the health status of the remainder of the flock.

Detection of worm eggs in the faeces by faecal flotation proves infection but does not usually differentiate between species. Eggs can be shed intermittently and in varying numbers, so absence of eggs in one sample does not necessarily mean that worms are absent.

For faecal examination:

1. Need to obtain an adequate sample of fresh faeces.

2. Better to obtain faeces directly from the cloaca or from a non-absorbent cage lining (e.g., wax paper or aluminium foil). Note that it is not easy to obtain faeces directly from small birds. 3.Choose the test which will best demonstrate the parasite that you are looking for. Not all eggs will float with normal flotation procedures. For example, if trophozoites of Giardia or Trichomonas are placed into a concentrated salt solution, they will be destroyed before they are detected.

4. Examine each slide preparation systematically and completely.

5.To help give comparable results, standardise your own procedures. Importantly, there is usually no correlation between eggs per gram of faeces and the number of worms producing these eggs.

ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) systems to detect antibodies against A. galli have been described. However, they are not commercially available, and the detected antibodies are not species-specific.

There are several different products available for the treatment of worms in various formulations (liquid, tablet or syrup). Wormers generally cater for the prevention of all types of worms, rather than one specific type. Whichever one ischosen, it is important to follow the label directions. Ideally, do not administer these medications when chickens are under stress, showing signs of illness or brooding. Also do not administer in extreme heat conditions.

In general, the best strategy is to control worm burdens twice per year – once in the autumn and once in the spring. To keep resistance from developing, rotate two or three products in a program (i.e., product A in the autumn, product Bin spring and product C in the following spring). It is best to worm poultry regularly throughout spring as well as autumn; these months have less extreme weather which can stress the birds.

One recommended worming program is to use the same product on the entire flock twice at an interval of about 7–14 days, depending on the product. Clean the litter in the coop and run after the second treatment.

Treatment of helminthiasis is mainly based on the use of flubendazole, fenbendazole or levamisole. Control of infected soils or water and intermediate hosts can reduce the risk of re-infestation.

There are limited numbers of medications approved for treatment of helminthiasis in poultry, and resistance is known to be developing to their use. Consequently, it has been recommended that treatment should be limited to birds with severe infection that show clinical signs of disease. Conversely,even if one or two of a flock have high worm burdens, the entire flock should be treated since they all share the same environment. What is certain is that worm loads can quickly rebound following deworming if changes and/or improvements in the management of the birds are not undertaken.

PCR testing for species identification uses universal primers that amplify the partial cytochromecoxidase subunit II (cox2) gene, a fragment of the rDNA gene comprising the internal transcribed spacers, and the partial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene. This is followed by sequencing of the PCR products used to characterize different worms. However, there are few published reference sequences, and these are necessary to validate the tests for routine diagnosis.

Treatment

Chickens are kept under a wide variety of management systems and often with other avian species. Therefore, when considering the medication of all birds co-habiting, the following should be factored in:

Route of administration

a. Oral i.Tablets

ii. Drops – but birds can flick the dose out iii. Gavage – avomec is bitter, panacur is sweet, benzelmin is tasteless iv.Drinking water

v. Feed

b.Parenteral (not commonly used in birds due to the difficulty of administration and assessment of the correct dose)

c.Topical (not appropriate for intestinal therapy,although avomectin, ivermectin, moxadection, for example, are absorbed through the skin) d. Inhalation (not appropriate for intestinal therapy).

Oral administration through drinking water is widely used. However there are a range of factors which affect the intake of water and hence, should always be considered. These are environmental temperature, environmental humidity, time of day,body size and metabolic rate, moisture content and taste of food, mineral content of water,and season.

Improvement of management and sanitation will generally lower worm levels in birds. In freerange environs, the only option really is to move the chickens onto new pasture and then regularly rotate onto other feeding areas. Approved insecticides may be applied to soil and litter when chickens are not present; thereby destroying intermediate hosts. Groups of birds of different species or ages should be separated to avoid spread of parasites. Migration of beetles or other insects may infect new or widely separated housing.

Only approved drugs should be used in birds producing eggs or meat. Label directions and recommended doses should be followed.

Medications that are effective against internal parasites include: piperazine (used in drinking water; resistance has been reported); flubendazole (e.g. Flubenol 5%, no withholding period), fenbendazole (added to drinking water or feed; should not be administered during moult, because it may interfere with feather regrowth) and levamisole (e.g. Aristopet Wormenda Poultr yWormer; Sykes Big Pig and Poultr y Wormer; Vetsense Kilverm Pig and Poultry Wormer; effective against roundworms, capillary worms, caecal worms, and gapeworms); and levamisole and praziquantel combinations (e.g. MavLab Avitrol Bird Wormer Syrup (and tablet form)). Note that Kiwis are extremely sensitive to levamisole at doses well within the safe range for domesticated poultry. Also, albendazole, cambendazole, tetramisole (administered at 3.6 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days in the drinking water removes gapeworms; poultry treated while larvae are migrating in the body develop immunity to gapeworms, even though therapy may abort larval migration) and pyrantel tartrate, phenothiazine, and methyridine (in pigeons, a subcutaneous injection of 1 mL of 10% methyridine in the pectoral region or leg of pigeons removed Capillaria spp., but the drug must be handled with care because contact with skin may produce lesions). Thiabendazole at 75 mg/kg

controls Ttenuis infections but it is important that poultry producers wanting to treat for tapeworms should be aware that expulsion of the parasite will be a short-term remedy if the scolex is not removed or if the intermediate host is not eliminated as a source of reinfection.

Alternative therapies are also widely used; some are reportedly more successful than others. Natural methods of worm control differ from chemical dewormers in that they do not paralyse or kill the existing parasites but rather work by making the environment inside the chicken less attractive to totally unpleasant for the parasites to live in. Therefore, they are more suited to preventing worms from establishing in the intestine than removing an existing worm burden.

Diatomaceous earth –the use of diatomaceous earth supplemented at 2% in feed and fed continuously lowers numbers of Heterakis and Capillaria in chickens. It is often added into chickens’ feed as a natural dewormer, working by dehydrating the parasites and worms. It also provides extra trace minerals. A 1/4 cup of food-grade diatomaceous earth is mixed into every 35 ounces of feed. The efficacy of diatomaceous earth is thought not to be 100%.

Apple Cider Vinegar –added to water and it has many health benefits including acting as a mild antiseptic and a mild antibiotic. ACV makes the gastrointestinal tract environment less ‘homely’ for worms. It is not a 100 per cent guaranteed treatment for the elimination of worms. Adding ateaspoon of ACV per litre of water regularly (one a week) is said to be sufficient to keep chickens healthy. As ACV kills some microorganisms, it enhances the absorption of nutrients from the feed.

Garlic –makes the gastrointestinal tract environment less ‘homely’ for worms and helps boost the respiratory system and immune system. Garlic can be ground up and added to the feed; alternatively, slightly crushed cloves can be added into the drinking water.

One recipe for an anti-worm mash is: 1 clove chopped garlic + 1/2 tsp slipperyelm or 1 tablespoon of live yoghurt / kefir. Add 1 or 2 of these –1fine chopped leaf of comfrey,1teaspoon finely chopped wormwood tips and/or tansy leaves, 1 teaspoon dried nettle. Add water to make a porridge consistency

Asimple garlic treatment: chop up 1 clove per bird and hand feed to each chicken to ensure everyone has some. If you just scatter it in their feed, some may not take it. If the birds won’ttake garlic like this, make garlic water. Crush a couple of garlic cloves per bird and put in a stocking. Hang this in the water bucket. Make this is their only drinking water for the week. Scrub out the bucket and fill with plain water the following week, then repeat garlic water the following week

Pumpkin seeds –there is no evidence currently available that indicates that the active in pumpkin seeds (Curcurbitin) is capable of deworming or reducing worm loads in chickens, despite popular theory.

Use of plants –some examples are lavender and rosemaryin the hen house and nesting boxes, comfrey in runs, tansy, and wormwood where they forage.

Control

Worm control requires accurate species identification and knowledge of the worm’sor worms’ lifecycle/s. For example, worms with indirect lifecycles may require control measures for both the main and intermediate host levels.

As with most diseases, prevention is better than cure and while many parasitic worms can be killed using appropriate medications it is desirable to minimise exposure through good

biosecurity management practices. Worms that are transmitted through the oral-faecal route can be greatly reduced by housing the birds on clean materials (e.g., wire) from their droppings.

In floor-based housing systems stocking rates, shed cleanout and litter and range management are important factors. However, in some cases, such as with the common roundworm, insects (e.g., flies) can carry worm eggs, which means they may also need to be controlled to break the worms’ lifecycle.

Achieving the best overall results requires judicious use of anti-parasitic drugs (usually added to the water), regular cleaning of the birds’ housing, feeders and drinkers, and removal of the faecal material. Also, wet areas encourage worm growth so having good drainage to limit water pooling and puddling is important.

Strategic control

The presence of worm eggs in the environment on an ongoing basis can mean that irregular treatments for worms will be ineffective in reducing the worm pressure, meaning strategic approaches for long-term worm control are

they can be responsible for a large proportion of aworm burden in the flock, by serious contamination of the environment with worm eggs.

Environment

■ moisture – worm eggs thrive in wet, muddy areas so remove or eliminate access.

■ sunlight – worm eggs and larvae dry out and are destroyed when exposed to ultra-violet light from sunlight.

■ oxygen – worm eggs need oxygen to start development and. Hence, testing for parasites in springtime is important as it is a critical time.

■ humidity – eggs need some humidity to develop

■ temperature – if the temperature is below 10oC, the eggs cannot develop, and they basically lie dormant. If the temperature is above 34oC, eggs will die-off.

■ pasture/grass – best to rotate grazing pasture (or area) whenever possible and when keep any available grass short. In small, muddy areas consider the use of gravel, sand or hardwood chips as a substrate (not bark chippings as this can cause Aspergillosis); change when dirty or when needed to get it fresh.

■ rotation – if at all possible, after a heavy infection, move your flock to land that hasn’t been occupied by chickens. Any area that has manure on it consistently will eventually have a high load of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

Overcrowding/stress

Healthy chickens build-up some resistance to internal parasites as they mature. A low background level of worms in a bird is normal, but if the worm burden increases, the health of the bird can be adversely affected. This can occur quite suddenly with overcrowding or if birds become stressed.

As young birds do not have any resistance to worms, different aged chicken groups should not be run together. In mixed-aged flocks, older, apparently “healthy” chickens can shed eggs in their faeces and subsequently infect the younger chicks. Adding point-of-lay chickens to an established flock will be stressing them as well as introducing birds with less resistance to worms. Recommend doing additional faecal egg count tests about 4 weeks after adding any new birds. And consider treating or testing the older birds before introducing chicks.

Housing

required. Also, increased or increasing infection pressure will almost certainly increase the number of birds affected and the severity of clinical signs.

In situations with high infection pressure, treatment intervals should be reduced to within the prepatent period for the worm in question, approximately at 3-4-week or 4–5-week intervals. This regime prevents worm eggs from being shed and re-contaminating the environment, which will gradually reduce the infection pressure. Once the infection pressure has been reduced, as measured by a reduction in faecal egg test counts, treatment intervals can be extended. In medium pressure situations, treatment every 6 to 8 weeks is recommended, and in low infection situations, treatment every 8– 10 weeks is recommended. Generally, control can be achieved by treating every 10–12 weeks.

Prevention

It is inevitable that worms and worm eggs will always be present at some level within the chickens’ environment. So good husbandry and flock management are vital, and this includes a good understanding of the environmental conditions worms need to grow and thrive in, and also, worm biology.Sound control measures focus on interruption of the worms’ life cycle, together with environmental sanitation and judicious use of efficacious worming products.

Chickens with repeated parasite problems should be removed from the flock and culled as

Regular cleaning (may be required daily) of chickens’ housing, waterers and feeders is essential; lack of cleanliness is a common cause of disease. Proper manure management will help reduce the fly population; one way to help control tapeworms by reducing the intermediate hosts.

Biosecurity

Good biosecurity practices are essential. Worm eggs can be introduced into new facilities and new flocks through contaminated or dirty equipment. Both worm eggs and larvae can be introduced on clothing, footwear, feedbags, animals, or equipment. Worm new birds and keep in isolation for 24 to 48 hours before providing access to pasture and the rest of the flock. Wild birds can also introduce contamination and infected wild or domestic birds can excrete thousands of parasitic worm eggs every day.

Selected References

1. www.poultryhub.org/all-about-poultry/healthmanagement/disease/parasitic-worms-or helminths

2. www.veterinary-practice.com/article/commonpoultry-worms

3. www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/hobby-farming/chickens/parasitic-wormsin-chickens-167867/

4. www.msdvetmanual.com/poultry/helminthiasis/helminthiasis-in-poultry

5. poultrykeeper.com/keeping-chickens/worming-chickens/

Assessing and alleviating the pain of castration and tail-docking in sheep

Introduction

Castration and tail-docking are routine lamb husbandry procedures traditionally performed without anaesthesia or analgesia. In an increasingly welfare-conscious society, practices that cause pain are becoming less acceptable to consumers. The Australian sheep industry has been under global scrutiny in recent years, with international boycotting of Australian sheep-meat and widespread disgust at an industry that appears cruel to animals. This has led to increased research into methods to decrease the pain and stress of castration and tail-docking procedures.

Discussion

Pain is not directly measurable but measurements of plasma cortisol concentrations and behavioural response scores can be used to provide an indication of pain. Mellor and Stafford (2000) claim that plasma concentrations of cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticotropin-releasing factor indicate how unpleasant an experience is and can be used to provide a measure of the distress caused by castration and tail-docking. Typically, abnormal behavioural responses, such astremors, lateral lying and abnormal walking/standing, are observed and recorded within a period after the intervention to give a score of total abnormal behaviours (Lester et al., 1996), but there are limitations when comparing ring and knife treatments as these procedures elicit different behaviours. A 2009 study by Paull et al. concluded that castration by rubber ring has less impact than knife castration when serum biochemistry, haematology, behavioural responses and growth parameters are considered together. Conversely, in 2010 Lomax et al. found that ring castration and tail-docking elicits significant abnormal behaviours that persist for more than 2 hours. Grant (2004) supports this finding yet states that the different behavioural responses due to ischaemic pain and surgical wound pain may not be directly comparable.

Knife castration is associated with a more significant and sustained elevated cortisol concentration than ring castration (Paull et al., 2009). However, Lomax et al. (2010) question the validity of using cortisol concentrations to compare treatments because cortisol secretion is a physiological response to surgical wounding even in the complete absence of pain. Thus increased cortisol secretion may reflect greater breaching of skin in knife-castration and tail-docking wounds and not indicate increased levels of pain. It is evident that neither behavioural analysis nor measurements of plasma cortisol concentrations provide a clear comparison of ring treatment versus knife treatment.

Anaesthetics and analgesics have the ability to reduce the pain of castration and tail-docking (Dinniss et al., 1997; Mellor & Stafford, 2000). Despite the effectiveness of injectable local anaesthetics, they are not practical for general farmuse due to economic constraints, increased handling times of lambs and veterinaryintervention required (Lomax et al., 2010; Paull et al., 2009). Tri-Solfen is a "farmerapplied" topical anaesthetic, haemostatic and antiseptic gel formulated to provide pain relief for mulesing wounds in sheep (Lomax et al., 2009; Lomax et al., 2010). Studies by Lomax et al. (2010), Paull et al. (2009) and Lomax et al. (2009) have examined the efficacy of Tri-Solfen to provide pain relief for other wound types, specifically tail-docking and castration wounds. Topical anaesthetics arerapidly and highly effective on open wounds and mucosal surfaces but penetrate intact skin poorly and thus are more suited as a post-procedural treatment and less effective as pain relief in ring treatments (Lomax et al., 2009; Paull et al., 2009).

Lomax et al. (2010) and Lomax et al. (2009) used behavioural responses to light touch and pain stimulation by VonFrey monofilaments to assess the effectiveness of Tri-Solfen as pain relief in castration and tail-docking. Involuntary pain responses such as skin twitching, head jerks and lifting of the tail were scored according to vigour and added to give each animal a cumulative score. Both studies found that Tri-Solfen was successful in significantly reducing hyperalgesia in knife tail-docking and the hyperalgesia response was absent in

Tri-Solfen-treated knife-castrated animals compared with placebo and untreated animals. Hot-iron docking produced amild and transient secondary hyperalgesic response, which was absent in treated lambs. Lomax et al. (2010) found that ring-treated lambs were unsuitable for wound sensory testing as their distress made them oblivious to additional external environmental stimulation.

Lomax et al. (2010) also assessed pain-related behaviours using a Numerical Rating System developed by Lomax, Sheil and Windsor in 2008, where individual lambs were given a score between 0-3. Significant changes in lamb behaviour were found after castration and tail-docking, with TriSolfen-treated lambs showing significantly less pain-related behaviours than all other groups, including ring-castrated and docked animals.

Carprofen, a systemic anti-inflammatory, and Tri-Solfen have also been assessed recently for their ability to reduce cortisol concentrations and abnormal behaviour associated with knife and ring castration (Paull et al., 2009).

Subcutaneous injection of carprofen 90 minutes prior to the procedure significantly reduced total pain-associated behaviours and restlessness in ring-castrated animals. In knife-castrated animals, carprofen reduced cortisol concentrations 6 hours post procedure but at 24 and 48 hours treated animals had higher cortisol concentrations than untreated knife-castrated animals. Tri-Solfen was effective at reducing cortisol concentrations in knife-treated animals yet increased abnormal lying behaviour. Using carprofen and Tri-Solfen in conjunction provided no added benefits.

Conclusion

From these studies it is evident that Tri-Solfen is effective in reducing the pain associated with knife castration and docking, and hot-iron docking. However,due to its poor penetration of skin it does not relieve the pain associated with ring castration and docking. Carprofen injection provides pain relief for ring castration but is less practical as an on-farm treatment and requires double handling of lambs. It is difficult to compare the different methods of castration and docking due to the limitations of the current methods of assessing pain in animals. Nevertheless, these methods do allow a comparison of Tri-Solfen- or carprofen-treated animals versus untreated animals when the same castration or docking method is used. The results demonstrate that Tri-Solfen is an effective formof pain relief for surgical procedures. Tri-Solfen currently has a restricted permit for use in alleviating post-mulesing pain. However,its wider application in pain relief for surgical castration and tail-docking has the potential to improve the welfare of millions of lambs.

■ MADELEINE BRADY

References

Dinniss, A.S., Mellor, D.J., Stafford, K.J., Bruce, R.A., Ward, R.N. (1997) Acute cortisol responses of lambs to castration using a rubber ring and/or a castrating clamp with or without local anaesthetic. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 45:3, 114-121.

Grant, C. (2004) Behavioural responses of lambs to common painful husbandry procedures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 87:3-4, 255-273.

Lester,S.J., Mellor, D.J., Holmes, R.J., Ward, R.N., Stafford, K.J. (1996) Behavioural and cortisol responses of lambs to castration and tailing using different methods. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 44:2, 45-54.

Lomax, S., Sheil, M., Windsor,P.A. (2009) Use of local anaesthesia for pain management during husbandry procedures in Australian sheep flocks. Small Ruminant Research 86:1-3, 56-58.

Lomax, S., Dickson, H., Sheil, M., Windsor,P.A. (2010) Topical anaesthesia alleviates short-termpain of castration and tail docking in lambs. Australian Veterinary Journal 88:3, 67-74.

Mellor, D.J., Stafford, K.J. (2000) Acute castration and/or tailing distress and its alleviation in lambs. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 48:2, 33-43.

Paull, D.R., Lee, C., Colditz, I.G., Fisher,A.D. (2009) Effects of a topical anaesthetic formulation and systemic carprofen, given singly or in combination, on the cortisol and behavioural responses of Merino lambs to castration. Australian VeterinaryJournal 87:6, 230-237.

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

Breeding out bad genes to protect biodiversity

From page 1

“The results showed respondents were significantly more likely to support the use of gene drive technology if there was a perceived problem of invasive species in their local neighbourhood. Only 11 per cent indicated little or no support, and although still a long way off the science being implemented, it was important to start conversations with the public early,” she said.

Agene drive is the mechanism by which a specific genetic trait can be spread through a pest population’s DNA, so all future generations are more likely to inherit that particular trait. It could ‘virtually guarantee’ the invasive animal’s offspring would be only male leaving fewer females to reproduce.

CSIRO researcher Owain Edwards, who has worked in the gene technology space for over 20 years and leads the organisation’s Environmental and Biocontrol Domain and Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform investigating the technology, said the benefits would be significant, with Australia already playing a leading role in the development of vertebrate genetic technologies.

“Current methods for managing the control of invasives include baiting, trapping, and shooting, which pose many challenges. Feral cats are an ideal candidate for gene drive research given their reproductive rates are up to three litters a year, which greatly outpaces conventional measures,” he said.

New rehabilitation strategy for Tasmania’s wildlife

From page 5

for the Plan to be initially peoplecentric, the goal is to ensure it transitions to being wildlife-centric in nature over time.

Among the most pressing needs to be identified were:

■ Improved coordination and placement of wildlife

■ Affordable and accessible training for wildlife carers and rehabilitators

■ Access to veterinary treatment and advice

■ Financial support for volunteers,

Big Brother goes bush

From page 7

“WildObs is a multi-year continental-scale vision,” he said.

“Weare designing new datasets that will provide cutting-edge solutions and tools for new surveys, which future ecologists will be able to build on.

“By having more shared data and collaboration we’ll be able to help protect, and potentially save, more species.”

Last year Luskin received a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award from the Australian Research Council to help fund this project.

Luskin said Australia’s annual $10 million investment in wildlife camera surveys could be used more effectively.

“Our project will have far-reach-

Business

From page 11 told me the pup had begun to collapse, and my brain clicked to what had happened. A quick trip to the vet clinic, administration of Summerland’s serum and a sleepless night of worryand monitoring for me and the pup was bouncing around as happy as ever the following day.

Summerland’smulti tiger/brown antivenom helps our business by ensuring we only need to stock one type of antivenom. This limits the chance of stock expiring, as stock is easily rotated with thenew stock placed at the back of the fridge. With a two-year expirydate, it is the

many of whom personally bear the costs of feed, materials for enclosures, and other items needed to support the wildlife in their care.

The Strategy’s coordinating body said it was an ambitious Plan that would need the ‘commitment and partnership of the wildlife carers, the broader sector, government and the Tasmanian community.’ But it also presents an opportunity for the sector to ‘galvanise and achieve transformational change.’

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

ing benefits, not only to vulnerable species but also to governments, NGOs and landowners by saving them millions of dollars in research and monitoring,” Luskin said.

“The WildObs tools will also produce rapid outcomes back to stakeholders so they can implement cost-effective interventions.”

He said WildObs would empower Australia’s diverse research communities - across academia, govern ment, NGOs, Traditional Owners groups and environmental consultancies - to store, process, share, and analyse vast amounts of camera trap data.

“We’re creating a national standard for wildlife monitoring so researchers can, for the first time, systematically monitor wildlife across the Australian continent,” Luskin said.

only antivenom I would trust with my patients.

Having spoken with John Curtin of Summerland Serums over many years about his product and knowing the attention to detail and extensive testing carried out with ever y batch of antivenom, I am assured of a quality product which always exceeds expectations. John and family pride themselves on producing quality antivenom which covers a wide geographical range of Australian snakes, so I can be assured the antivenom will neu tralise the venom in the patient I am treating.

The product speaks for itself. This article was supplied by Summerland Serums.

The technology is species-specific and cannot spread to other non-target species. It could also be developed for use for other pest species such as feral pigs, rabbits and mice and the researchers said the study was an important step forward in informing policy makers, the public, and the research community about societal views on the development of possible new synthetic biology applications in Australia.

No gene drives have yet been released into the environment, and experts said the technology is at least a decade away from development in most cases.

■ ANNE LAYTON-BENNETT

The report ‘Public perspectives towards using gene drive for invasive species management in Australia’ is available at www.csiro.au.

Management

From page 15

For example: Ensuring that you have a long lease on the premises, the zoning permit on your premises is correct for use, reducing key-man dependence, having written agreements with employees, contractors and partners, making sure that financials are clear and not mixed up with other business interests, not taking excessive holidays in your final years, timing reinvestment to ensure that it is reflected in revenue and profit before you sell, etc., etc. Afar more comprehensive list can be found at our exit seminar (https://practicesalesearch.com.au/ vet/seminars).

Aveterinarian’spractice is usually one of their most valuable assets. If vet practice owners applied the same methodical process to exiting ownership that they applied to entering and operating their practice, its sale would be able to make a massive difference in their (and their families) lives post sale.

Abstracts - dog grooming

From page 14 (odds ratio = 15.5, 95 per cent CI 2.05-117.23; P < 0.01). None of the other variables was significantly associated with P.aeruginosa contamination.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination of dog grooming shampoos and conditioners was significantly associated with product dilution. Contaminated grooming products may predispose dogs to severe bacterial skin infections such as PGF.

Elad Perry1,Gila Abells Sutton1, Lotem Haggag1,Marcelo Fleker2, Shlomo Eduardo Blum2,Ronnie Kaufmann1

Vet Dermatol .2022 Aug;33(4): 316-e73.doi: 10.1111/vde.13072.

1Veterinary Teaching Hospital, The Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.

2Department of Bacteriology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Beit Dagan, Israel.

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CREATURE

Feature

Costa’s hummingbird (Calypte costae)

Formally described by French ornithologist Jules Bourcier in 1839, Costa’s hummingbird is named for the nobleman Louis Marie Pantaleon Costa, the Marquis de Beauregard. Thespecies is small, with mature adults growing only to 9cm in length, with a wingspan of 11cm and a weight of 3.05g. Picture Pete Gregoire

The first liquid solution for hypertension

Semintra® 10 mg/mL Oral Solution for Cats is the first angiotensin receptor blocker licensed for feline hypertension. Its unique, targeted mode of action provides reliable, long-term control of blood pressure.1 And, as Semintra® is an easy to give liquid formulation, it is well accepted by cats, making administration easy.2

References: 1. Glaus, T.M., et al. (2019) Efficacy of long‐term oral telmisartan treatment in cats with hypertension: results of a prospective European clinical trial. JVetInternMed, 33(2), 413-422. 2. Zimmering, T. et al. (2015) Effect of Semintra® and owner observations on quality of life in cats with Chronic Kidney Disease - update on cat owner feedback (“EASY Programme”). Poster presentation at SEVC 2015, Barcelona. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Australia Pty. Ltd. Level 1, 78 Waterloo Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113. Semintra® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH – used under licence.