NGOMPOL: Veterinary

Showing posts with label Veterinary. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A Vet's Guide To Life: Evolving Anesthesia

This is an extract from an article by Chris Bern, an American vet...
http://avetsguidetolife.blogspot.com/2010/12/evolving-anesthesia.html#

Currently my practice is getting ready to change our anesthesia protocols. We've spent time reviewing the literature, consulting with specialists, and deciding what is both safe and cost-effective to use. I'm pretty excited about the changes, and really believe that it will allow us to have better and safer anesthesia, as well as better and safer pain control.
Most clients probably don't realize that the anesthesia can be extremely different from one veterinary practice to another. There simply is no one, single consensus among veterinarians regarding which protocol should be used. Some vets elect to do anesthesia as cheaply as possible to make it available to more people, recognizing that the cheapest drugs usually come with greater risks than others. Some vets use the most modern equipment and drugs, realizing that their anesthesia will be more expensive than their colleagues, but willing to do so for the increased safety. There are numerous variables to how anesthesia is performed, including drugs used (inhaled versus strictly injectable, and then several choices in each category), supportive care given (warming aids to reduce hypothermia, fluid support), monitoring (ranges from none at all to ECGs, blood pressure, and oxygen monitors), and analgesia (ranging from none at all to both pre- and post-operative pain medications).
I have seen many changes in my 13+ years of practice and 26 years in the field. Many of those changes have been in the last 5 years as research expands and companies develop better drugs. The way we as a profession look at anesthesia and pain control in 2010 is a far cry from how we looked at it in 1990. And depending on how they have kept up with their continuing education, a veterinarian who has been practicing for 30 years is likely going to see the subject differently than someone who just graduated.
What does this mean for a client? Ask LOTS of questions about how your pet is being treated and monitored. When you ask about surgery costs and ask "what does that include?", don't settle for an answer of "Oh, it covers everything." Yes, I've heard veterinary practices state it that way. Ask details of precisely what is included, which drugs are used, and how monitoring and supportive care is done. If you're comparing veterinary clinics, please don't go simply on price, as there are inevitably shortcuts made or corners cut in the cheaper of two quotes.
What does this mean for a veterinarian? We all need to keep up with current research and options, striving to do the highest quality and safest care possible. I can guarantee that how you were/are trained in school is not going to be the standard in a decade or two. Change in medicine is continual, usually for the better, and it's our responsibility to keep up with the new knowledge.
In essence, anesthesia is willfully bringing a pet closer to the conditions of death than we do in any other circumstance. It's important to make it safe and reversible with no long-term consequences. There is no way to make this perfect in 100% of the cases, but we can continue to improve. Embracing the change is a good way to do so.

via avetsguidetolife.blogspot.com

Please read this if you own a pet. Chris has made some comments I totally agree with. You really do need to ask these questions of your clinic. I find it sad that so many of our vet nursing students, despite all our "best practice" teaching, find them selves working in clinics that work only to price. Sadder still that many of them come to think it must be acceptable because the vet says it is.
Owners are the best people to demand change and vote with their business, or not.

Posted via email from Four Paws and Whiskers

A Vet's Guide To Life: Evolving Anesthesia

This is an extract from an article by Chris Bern, an American vet...
http://avetsguidetolife.blogspot.com/2010/12/evolving-anesthesia.html#

Currently my practice is getting ready to change our anesthesia protocols. We've spent time reviewing the literature, consulting with specialists, and deciding what is both safe and cost-effective to use. I'm pretty excited about the changes, and really believe that it will allow us to have better and safer anesthesia, as well as better and safer pain control.
Most clients probably don't realize that the anesthesia can be extremely different from one veterinary practice to another. There simply is no one, single consensus among veterinarians regarding which protocol should be used. Some vets elect to do anesthesia as cheaply as possible to make it available to more people, recognizing that the cheapest drugs usually come with greater risks than others. Some vets use the most modern equipment and drugs, realizing that their anesthesia will be more expensive than their colleagues, but willing to do so for the increased safety. There are numerous variables to how anesthesia is performed, including drugs used (inhaled versus strictly injectable, and then several choices in each category), supportive care given (warming aids to reduce hypothermia, fluid support), monitoring (ranges from none at all to ECGs, blood pressure, and oxygen monitors), and analgesia (ranging from none at all to both pre- and post-operative pain medications).
I have seen many changes in my 13+ years of practice and 26 years in the field. Many of those changes have been in the last 5 years as research expands and companies develop better drugs. The way we as a profession look at anesthesia and pain control in 2010 is a far cry from how we looked at it in 1990. And depending on how they have kept up with their continuing education, a veterinarian who has been practicing for 30 years is likely going to see the subject differently than someone who just graduated.
What does this mean for a client? Ask LOTS of questions about how your pet is being treated and monitored. When you ask about surgery costs and ask "what does that include?", don't settle for an answer of "Oh, it covers everything." Yes, I've heard veterinary practices state it that way. Ask details of precisely what is included, which drugs are used, and how monitoring and supportive care is done. If you're comparing veterinary clinics, please don't go simply on price, as there are inevitably shortcuts made or corners cut in the cheaper of two quotes.
What does this mean for a veterinarian? We all need to keep up with current research and options, striving to do the highest quality and safest care possible. I can guarantee that how you were/are trained in school is not going to be the standard in a decade or two. Change in medicine is continual, usually for the better, and it's our responsibility to keep up with the new knowledge.
In essence, anesthesia is willfully bringing a pet closer to the conditions of death than we do in any other circumstance. It's important to make it safe and reversible with no long-term consequences. There is no way to make this perfect in 100% of the cases, but we can continue to improve. Embracing the change is a good way to do so.

via avetsguidetolife.blogspot.com

Posted via email from Four Paws and Whiskers

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

New Research on Veterinary Suicide Rate

I had a chat yesterday with a vet nurse that I used to work with many years ago in a distant New Zealand city. We both now work in Christchurch, but we spent some time reminiscing on the alcoholism and erratic behaviour of a past boss, and some of the other cases we have heard of concerning drugs and depression... all seemed quite normal, if sad. Today I read my copy of the latest NZ Veterinary Council Newsbrief... and found this information, which struck a particular chord after yesterday's chat!

A new paper in a recent issue of Veterinary Record by D J Bartram and D S Baldwin, finds that veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom are four times as likely as the general public, and around twice as likely as other healthcare professionals, to die by suicide as opposed to other causes.

The paper ‘Veterinary surgeons and suicide: a structured review of possible influences on increased risk’ appears in the Veterinary Record, March 27 2010 pp 388-397.

The paper suggests that a complex interaction of possible mechanisms may occur across the course of a veterinary career to increase the risk of suicide. Possible factors include the characteristics of individuals entering the profession, negative effects during undergraduate training, work-related stressors, ready access to and knowledge of means, stigma associated with mental illness, professional and social isolation, and alcohol or drug misuse (mainly prescription drugs to which the profession has ready access). Contextual effects such as attitudes to death and euthanasia, formed through the profession’s routine involvement with euthanasia of companion animals and slaughter of farm animals, and suicide ‘contagion’ due to
direct or indirect exposure to suicide of peers within this small profession are other possible influences.

No similar research has been done here, but the Council’s Health Committee considers that the same risk factors exist in New Zealand.

Veterinary science by its very nature can expose its practitioners to a greater number of stressors and hazards than those encountered by the rest of the community. Stresses include the physical demands of the work, long hours, fatigue and sleep deprivation, debt, the demands of clients and external bodies and fear of litigation and complaints. Being able to manage the complex act of euthanasia of animals and accompanying grief management presents additional demands.

Veterinarians are also vulnerable to the same physical and psychological disorders as the rest of the community. These disorders occur in veterinarians just as often as in the general population and some such as suicide, alcohol and drug abuse and accidents occur more frequently.

It is therefore not surprising that some veterinarians are working under some degree of impairment. If professional help is not sought, it is often just a matter of time before serious problems occur.

There is help in New Zealand on identifying and managing stress.

www.vetcouncil.org.nz/vetsHealth.php
and some brochures:

http://www.vetcouncil.org.nz/documentation/06_Health_Brochure.pdf
Vets in Stress brochure - an excellent read, whatever your stress is caused by!

and in the UK - check out http://www.vetlife.org.uk/about/

I wrote about the impact of burnout and animal euthanasia last year too - http://fourpawsandwhiskers.blogspot.com/2009/07/animal-euthanasia-and-human-emotional.html

It is an issue we are very aware of when training veterinary nurses here and one of our techniques is to role play scenarios for dealing with animal euthanasia, angry clients, and level of involvement, to name a few topics. I am pleased to see that veterinary training is also using this technique to help graduates manage these issues...

Practice Imperfect

Using interactive theatre in veterinary education to promote mental health awareness
http://www.rvc.ac.uk/practiceimperfect/

According to Justin Schamotta, Uk Vet students are being warned of the risks:

Predisposition to Suicide Unclear

The predisposing factors are not clearly understood and it is probable that the selection process for veterinary school results in students with a high-risk profile. The course itself doesn't help either. In a presentation to the Veterinary Benevolent Fund, Dr. Jerry Lucke suggests that the demanding teaching programme, exclusion of social skills and self-awareness and the transition from security of the vet school to the business of practice all play a part. "The concern is real about suicide," he says. "The profession and the undergraduate students must understand the risks."

US equine journalist Candy Lawrence, author of Shock Central: Veterinarian Suicides agrees: "Veterinarians are minimally trained, if at all, in psychological issues to cope with the emotional states of their human clients. During vet school, little is addressed in terms of juggling financial aspects of running a practice or anything outside of the technical core complexities of clinical veterinary medicine."

Read more at Suite101: UK Veterinary Students Warned of Suicide Risk: Undergraduate Vets Embark on Potentially Fatal Career http://universities.suite101.com/article.cfm/veterinary_students_warned_of_suicide_risk#ixzz0mL6qIplY

From http://www.samaritans.org/media_centre/emotional_health_news/vets-likely-suicide-051.aspx

In a blog for the Telegraph, professional veterinarian Pete Wedderburn writes: "Thirteen suicides every year may not sound like a high number on a national scale, but when they happen in a small group like the veterinary profession, it's very significant."

According to the study, one of the main factors which may explain why suicide rates among this group are relatively high is the fact that many vets will know, or know of, a fellow vet who has died by suicide.

The report states: "Knowledge of individual suicides can travel readily through the social networks of a small profession.

"Direct or indirect exposure to the suicidal behaviour of others can influence attitudes and increase vulnerability to suicide."

Another key point identified by the researchers is that vets are routinely obliged to put down animals. This, they claim, not only gives them increased access to items such as lethal drugs and firearms (for the euthanasia of larger animals), but could also result in veterinarians becoming hardened to death.

In the Veterinary Record, they state: "Familiarity with death and dying may affect attitudes in regard to the expendability of life."

They add that this familiarity may make it easier for vets to detach themselves from the emotional impact of death, and thus begin to view suicide as a valid "solution to their own problems."

The researchers also found that many people entering the veterinary profession possess the personality traits of high academic achievers, which can include neuroticism and perfectionism – both of which are risk factors for suicide.

From the article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4310596.stm

another factor is that the means to help is always at hand... whether it is sharp tools, euthanasia solutions, or "helpers" in the form of valium, pethidine, morphine or ketamine....

"There doesn't seem to be an awareness that there is help out there for them."

She also said that there was a "stigma" attached to mental health issues.

To cope with the stresses, Dr Richmond said vets mainly turned to alcohol and drugs - including injecting horse tranquiliser ketamine, which they have ready access to.

"That's part of the problem - they are not having to go out and find it in any devious or dishonest way.

"It's sitting there on the shelves looking at them."

Which brings me back to the vet I used to work for... using alcohol to blot out the pain we never identified.
We can all help the professions, whether doctors, dentists, lawyers, vets or nurses... and the people we work with, by looking into why they are drinking or seem angry, erratic or upset.

But spare a thought for the staff who are putting your precious animal to sleep or losing it despite their best efforts, or you can no longer pay for them to do what they want to in order to save the pet.
Or just because you no longer want it.......

New Research on Veterinary Suicide Rate

A new paper in a recent issue of Veterinary Record by D J Bartram and D S Baldwin, finds that veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom are four times as likely as the general public, and around twice as likely as other healthcare professionals, to die by suicide as opposed to other causes.

The paper ‘Veterinary surgeons and suicide: a structured review of possible influences on increased risk’ appears in the Veterinary Record, March 27 2010 pp 388-397.

The paper suggests that a complex interaction of possible mechanisms may occur across the course of a veterinary career to increase the risk of suicide. Possible factors include the characteristics of individuals entering the profession, negative effects during undergraduate training, work-related stressors, ready access to and knowledge of means, stigma associated with mental illness, professional and social isolation, and alcohol or drug misuse (mainly prescription drugs to which the profession has ready access). Contextual effects such as attitudes to death and euthanasia, formed through the profession’s routine involvement with euthanasia of companion animals and slaughter of farm animals, and suicide ‘contagion’ due to
direct or indirect exposure to suicide of peers within this small profession are other possible influences.

No similar research has been done here, but the Council’s Health Committee considers that the same risk factors exist in New Zealand.

Veterinary science by its very nature can expose its practitioners to a greater number of stressors and hazards than those encountered by the rest of the community. Stresses include the physical demands of the work, long hours, fatigue and sleep deprivation, debt, the demands of clients and external bodies and fear of litigation and complaints. Being able to manage the complex act of euthanasia of animals and accompanying grief management presents additional demands.

Veterinarians are also vulnerable to the same physical and psychological disorders as the rest of the community. These disorders occur in veterinarians just as often as in the general population and some such as suicide, alcohol and drug abuse and accidents occur more frequently.

It is therefore not surprising that some veterinarians are working under some degree of impairment. If professional help is not sought, it is often just a matter of time before serious problems occur.

Predisposition to Suicide Unclear

The predisposing factors are not clearly understood and it is probable that the selection process for veterinary school results in students with a high-risk profile. The course itself doesn't help either. In a presentation to the Veterinary Benevolent Fund, Dr. Jerry Lucke suggests that the demanding teaching programme, exclusion of social skills and self-awareness and the transition from security of the vet school to the business of practice all play a part. "The concern is real about suicide," he says. "The profession and the undergraduate students must understand the risks."

US equine journalist Candy Lawrence, author of Shock Central: Veterinarian Suicides agrees: "Veterinarians are minimally trained, if at all, in psychological issues to cope with the emotional states of their human clients. During vet school, little is addressed in terms of juggling financial aspects of running a practice or anything outside of the technical core complexities of clinical veterinary medicine."

In a blog for the Telegraph, professional veterinarian Pete Wedderburn writes: "Thirteen suicides every year may not sound like a high number on a national scale, but when they happen in a small group like the veterinary profession, it's very significant."

According to the study, one of the main factors which may explain why suicide rates among this group are relatively high is the fact that many vets will know, or know of, a fellow vet who has died by suicide.

The report states: "Knowledge of individual suicides can travel readily through the social networks of a small profession.

"Direct or indirect exposure to the suicidal behaviour of others can influence attitudes and increase vulnerability to suicide."

Another key point identified by the researchers is that vets are routinely obliged to put down animals. This, they claim, not only gives them increased access to items such as lethal drugs and firearms (for the euthanasia of larger animals), but could also result in veterinarians becoming hardened to death.

In the Veterinary Record, they state: "Familiarity with death and dying may affect attitudes in regard to the expendability of life."

They add that this familiarity may make it easier for vets to detach themselves from the emotional impact of death, and thus begin to view suicide as a valid "solution to their own problems."

The researchers also found that many people entering the veterinary profession possess the personality traits of high academic achievers, which can include neuroticism and perfectionism – both of which are risk factors for suicide.

From the article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4310596.stm

another factor is that the means to help is always at hand... whether it is sharp tools, euthanasia solutions, or "helpers" in the form of valium, pethidine, morphine or ketamine....

"There doesn't seem to be an awareness that there is help out there for them."

She also said that there was a "stigma" attached to mental health issues.

To cope with the stresses, Dr Richmond said vets mainly turned to alcohol and drugs - including injecting horse tranquiliser ketamine, which they have ready access to.

"That's part of the problem - they are not having to go out and find it in any devious or dishonest way.

"It's sitting there on the shelves looking at them."

Monday, April 26, 2010

Arthritis treatment for dogs - Stem Cell Therapy....,.

via tvnz.co.nz

Not sure if this video will post?
If not - go here
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/arthritis-treatment-dogs-gives-hope-3491724/video

Certianly an even mroe exciting prospect if this gives hope to people too!
You can look here for more information:
http://www.nzpetdoctors.co.nz/index.cfm/PageID/314/ViewPage/Adicell+Therapy
Stem Cell therapy for dogs - now available in NZ
AdiCell for your dog's joint pain - Treating arthritis with your dog’s own healing cells
Pet Doctors is excited to announce that in partnership with Regeneus Australia, we are now performing the exciting new AdiCell™ treatment. AdiCell™ can offer hope for an improved quality of life to the thousands of New Zealand dogs affected by degenerative joint disease.
AdiCell™ is an advanced yet simple treatment for your dog's osteoarthritis. It uses your dog’s own fat cells to heal an arthritic joint, such as a hip or knee. It is a safe procedure that puts to work your pet’s natural regeneration system. Think of these cells as your dog's own emergency repair kit.
To date results have been excellent and the improvement in mobility is significant. AdiCell-treated dogs are healthier and lead more active lives without drugs.
TO FIND OUT MORE:
To find out more about the treatment, visit the Adicell website.
http://www.regeneus.com.au/
You can also watch a real life example of Adicell treatment on YouTube,

or view this Australian TV news item.

Posted via web from Four Paws and Whiskers

Arthritis treatment for dogs - Stem Cell Therapy....,.

via tvnz.co.nz

Not sure if this video will post?
If not - go here
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/arthritis-treatment-dogs-gives-hope-3491724/video

or view this Australian TV news item.

Posted via web from Four Paws and Whiskers

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Declawing - of cats and tigers and lions... oh my!

The continuing saga of the lions at the northern Lion Park in Whangarei continues. As a vet, I read today's news with some horror... ( as if the recent death of their Head Lion Keeper and strange business dealings aren't enough)..

Big cats featured on The Lion Man hit TV show are suffering after having their paws 'mutilated' so they could perform with their handlers, says the wildlife park troubleshooter now overseeing the animals’ welfare.Some 29 of the 37 lions and tigers at Zion Wildlife Gardens have been declawed - a practice condemned as 'barbaric' by consultant Tim Husband, hired after the fatal mauling of Zion ranger Dalu Mncube in May.
"One only needs to watch these animals trying to eat to see how they struggle to grip their meat without having the use of claws to hold it. To my mind it's absolutely barbaric,'' Husband told Sunday News.

and perhaps the saddest part of all for the veterinary profession - it was (surprise, surprise), all about money and increasing the public exposure of the lions for the tourists and television!

The findings of a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry investigation into declawing at Zion is a 12-page report that considers the possibility of charges being laid over the declawing. But the fact most of the controversial operations, from 2000-2008, were supervised by MAF vets was "problematic to any prosecution".

"Front pad declawing was deemed necessary by Zion's principal veterinarian at the time in order to facilitate close interaction with both handlers and veterinarians, and the need for a commercial income stream to be generated by Zion."
"Key drivers" given by the vet - whose name was withheld - behind his declawing of the big cats included "the animals were being used commercially to permit the financial survival of the zoo", and "close contact with handlers and film crews was required and personal safety was an issue".

Claw removal ( Onchyectomy) in cats is one of the issues vets rank with tail docking and debarking in New Zealand. Cropping of dogs' ears is illegal here, but the rest falls in the category where it is encouraged that vets only consider performing these procedures when other measures have failed. In Vetscript, October 2008, the NZ Veterinary Association issued this, apparently specifically in response to the declawing of lions.

The Animal Welfare Act 1999 defines declawing as ‘the removal from the foot of a cat by a surgical procedure of the whole or part of one or more claws of the cat’ and categorises this as a ‘restricted surgical procedure’. This means that it can be performed only by a veterinarian or veterinary student supervised by a veterinarian, and that the veterinarian, whether performing the procedure or supervising it, must first satisfy himself or herself that the declawing is in the interests of the animal.

The NZVA has specifically stated said that this procedure
is to be considered contrary to the welfare of large cats.

From The Facts about Declawing

Removal of the last digits of the toes of a cat alters the conformation of their feet and causes them to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes. In my experience on the few I had to do when in practice, they also bleed heavily and there are risks of post operative complications...

Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger.

Complications of this amputation can be excruciating pain, damage to the radial nerve, hemorrhage, bone chips that prevent healing, painful regrowth of deformed claw inside of the paw which is not visible to the eye, and chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken.

Don't forget, lions and tigers are heavier than domestic cats. They often require further surgery to correct the gait abnormalities and pad damage caused... and then there is the issue of how removing their nails makes it difficult for them to eat meat... with no grip.

This Lion Park recently lost their Head Ranger..sadly he was bitten in the head by one of the tigers while working with him in front of a group of tourists. But when I read this - I have to wonder what impact claw removal might have had on the personality of the tiger - if this is what is reported in domestic ones!

Some cats are so shocked by declawing that their personalities change. Cats who were lively and friendly have become withdrawn and introverted after being declawed. Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth. In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box...permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box. Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine instead resulting in inappropriate elimination problems, which in many cases, results in relinquishment of the cats to shelters and ultimately euthanasia. Many of the cats surrendered to shelters are surrendered because of behavioral problems which developed after the cats were declawed.

and for those of you who own a furniture shredding feline... check out some alternatives, ( good article)
or learn to trim them yourself!

One popular, non-surgical alternative to declawing available through veterinarians is the application of vinyl nail caps (marketed in the US under brand names such as Soft Paws and Soft Claws) that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks, depending on the cat's scratching habits).
Apparenly these have arrived in New Zealand - sigh... they do coloured nail caps...

and I am not commenting as I don't know enough about them - but please, think twice before asking for your cat to be declawed.

Declawing - of cats and tigers and lions... oh my!

Big cats featured on The Lion Man hit TV show are suffering after having their paws 'mutilated' so they could perform with their handlers, says the wildlife park troubleshooter now overseeing the animals’ welfare.Some 29 of the 37 lions and tigers at Zion Wildlife Gardens have been declawed - a practice condemned as 'barbaric' by consultant Tim Husband, hired after the fatal mauling of Zion ranger Dalu Mncube in May.
"One only needs to watch these animals trying to eat to see how they struggle to grip their meat without having the use of claws to hold it. To my mind it's absolutely barbaric,'' Husband told Sunday News.

and perhaps the saddest part of all for the veterinary profession - it was (surprise, surprise), all about money and increasing the public exposure of the lions for the tourists and television!

The findings of a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry investigation into declawing at Zion is a 12-page report that considers the possibility of charges being laid over the declawing. But the fact most of the controversial operations, from 2000-2008, were supervised by MAF vets was "problematic to any prosecution".

"Front pad declawing was deemed necessary by Zion's principal veterinarian at the time in order to facilitate close interaction with both handlers and veterinarians, and the need for a commercial income stream to be generated by Zion."
"Key drivers" given by the vet - whose name was withheld - behind his declawing of the big cats included "the animals were being used commercially to permit the financial survival of the zoo", and "close contact with handlers and film crews was required and personal safety was an issue".

The Animal Welfare Act 1999 defines declawing as ‘the removal from the foot of a cat by a surgical procedure of the whole or part of one or more claws of the cat’ and categorises this as a ‘restricted surgical procedure’. This means that it can be performed only by a veterinarian or veterinary student supervised by a veterinarian, and that the veterinarian, whether performing the procedure or supervising it, must first satisfy himself or herself that the declawing is in the interests of the animal.

The NZVA has specifically stated said that this procedure
is to be considered contrary to the welfare of large cats.

From The Facts about Declawing

Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger.

Complications of this amputation can be excruciating pain, damage to the radial nerve, hemorrhage, bone chips that prevent healing, painful regrowth of deformed claw inside of the paw which is not visible to the eye, and chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken.

Some cats are so shocked by declawing that their personalities change. Cats who were lively and friendly have become withdrawn and introverted after being declawed. Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth. In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box...permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box. Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine instead resulting in inappropriate elimination problems, which in many cases, results in relinquishment of the cats to shelters and ultimately euthanasia. Many of the cats surrendered to shelters are surrendered because of behavioral problems which developed after the cats were declawed.

and I am not commenting as I don't know enough about them - but please, think twice before asking for your cat to be declawed.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Inbreeding makes pedigree cats diseased and deformed, animal welfare groups warn | Mail Online

via dailymail.co.uk

There has been a lot of discussion on how dogs have been bred to meet some idea of beauty, at the expense of their health. Well, it happens in cats too, with no excuse for the need to help them "perform" better. It i all about beauty.

Cats bred with certain physical characteristics, such as flat faces and small legs, are at increased risk of getting cancer, kidney disease or joint problems.

The RSPCA, PDSA and Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) are now highlighting the issue to try to put pressure on cat breeders to eliminate the deformities which cause suffering.

The body responsible for registering pedigree cats is so concerned about the problem it has decided to look afresh at its rules which govern breeding.

If you haven't already read it - my previous post was about a cat with wings!

Have you got a cat that you think has problems because of its breeding? Can you give me some examples :)

Posted via web from Fiona's posterous

Inbreeding makes pedigree cats diseased and deformed, animal welfare groups warn | Mail Online

via dailymail.co.uk

Cats bred with certain physical characteristics, such as flat faces and small legs, are at increased risk of getting cancer, kidney disease or joint problems.

The RSPCA, PDSA and Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) are now highlighting the issue to try to put pressure on cat breeders to eliminate the deformities which cause suffering.

The body responsible for registering pedigree cats is so concerned about the problem it has decided to look afresh at its rules which govern breeding.

If you haven't already read it - my previous post was about a cat with wings!

Have you got a cat that you think has problems because of its breeding? Can you give me some examples :)

Posted via web from Fiona's posterous

Friday, August 14, 2009

Things that my students have taught me.

Not all vets make good teachers. Being a vet, or a vet nurse, even for many years, does not mean you will instinctively have the craft of teaching at your disposal. But some of them do make good teachers; in my humble opinion, an essential part of it is a willingness to admit that you need to practice this new skill!

In our line of work, an interest in people also helps you to develop a feeling for what might help people learning, to be always open to new ideas, or maybe it just helps us to offer an encouraging word, a shoulder when they need help coping with the upheaval that education seems to bring to their lives.

Making a decision to carry on with study when they leave school sets tertiary students apart from a large chunk of the population and working with them is generally a lot of fun, certainly never dull. Choosing to study when you are mature and busy with lives and relationships and children takes even more commitment, but these students bring life skills and wisdom to their classes. I remain in awe of what some of them take on, what they achieve and I have followed their progress throughout the world, into new ventures and careers, and have to remind myself that the capable vet nurses, company reps and practice managers they are today is often a far cry from the hesitant and fearful people that first walked thought the doors.

The aspect that has always pleased me is that they are people I grow to like. Not just "students" but men and women with histories and futures. I can say that the past eleven years of my new career as a teaching vet have shown me a lot of things that the first 20 years in practice and vet school didn't manage.

It is an area I have been thinking about this week, and one of the veterinary blogs I follow wrote about it tonight as they have recently started teaching.

So, a few of the things I have learned from working with my students:

1. All students will have strengths and weaknesses. Do them the courtesy of figuring out both before you dismiss them as disinterested or unenthusiastic. Walk a mile in their shoes...

2. Some students are just plain wonderful - always. However, don't forget that students who are quieter, but get the job done, arrive on time, are polite and pleasant and cause you no trouble are probably the ones that will stay as vet nurses and you will work with them for years, even if occasionally you have trouble remembering their time in class later! The wild party animals, or the ones that turn up to class dressed in their night club clothes from the night before, spit on their class mates, get in fights, expose butts and breasts and muffin tops to the world, are hungover in class, are late, rude, abusive, arrogant - they either learn to cope or disappear into other lines of work!

3. That when a woman returns to study and improve her lot, there is often a partner who resents it. Remind the ones whose partners support them, care for the children, clean the house and allow them time to study, that they are to say thank you. For those whose partners or families sabotage them by abuse, waving shotguns, wrecking computers, having mental breakdowns... give them a lot of air time and help them work through it. Same for those who are affected by the death, sadly often through accident or suicide, of their friends and families. Be patient with the "cutters", the anorexics, those on antidepressants... not everyone can cope with life and pressure and low self esteem, It appears that animals don't hurt people the the way other humans do and that safety attracts them to this line of study.

4. That night clubs can be fun when you get to visit them as an old lady with a crowd of youngsters who include you... a heart felt thank you to you all - it made me a far more relaxed mother when my kids started going. Actually, it put them off because they didn't want to run into me there!

5. I learned early that you should NEVER ask a student a question in a polite, quiet coffee shop that you would not want answered in front of anyone you know. "So why exactly did you get your tongue pierced"?

6. When car pooling in my falcon station wagon, watch out for the" flashing" from the van of students in front... which I missed, but I did wonder why the man trying to overtake me nearly drove off the road! Poor bloke,,, she was a generously endowed young woman! Would have taken some explaining if he had crashed....

7. That when the tequila comes out, it is time to leave the party.

8. That it is probably not a good idea to play "I have never...:" with your class. Certainly not when alcohol is around. I did learn about vibrating cell phones though... Might stick to bus trips... refer point 7.

and pole dancing?

9. That a student covered in a lot of pancake make up is probably hiding their blotched skin from heroin abuse... how did we miss that !!! Also that they support their habit with shop lifting, and working the local red light district. Once you are aware of the problem, you still can't get them "expelled" as it is all hearsay. The local paper and court reporter still runs an article about their extensive past as a con artist, complete with jail time for fraud, and heroin, in the north island...when they are sent to trial for the shoplifting. Still not enough.... but you are a little perturbed to read they are successfully completing a course with you and so don't get returned to jail, just to class, and the vet clinics!!!!Meanwhile, you and the 7 students in the station wagon keep an eye out for her at night in the red light district... crossing your fingers that none of the local vets drive that way too often and recognise her!
We did eventually get her removed... and for many years I kept one of her excellent assignments displayed on my office windowsill - read point 1 again.

10. That on reflection my work has been about as fulfilling as it can be and despite the admin stress and worry that has gone along with it all, I don't regret it for a moment. Hi to all the wonderful friends I have made along the journey.

Finally, working with students has changed my outlook on life and aging:

Remember, we don't get stop playing because we get old: we get old because we stop playing!

Good times...Class trip 2005.. younger, thinner and very happy - check out the nails... courtesy of one of the students!!!

Things that my students have taught me.

and pole dancing?

Remember, we don't get stop playing because we get old: we get old because we stop playing!

Good times...Class trip 2005.. younger, thinner and very happy - check out the nails... courtesy of one of the students!!!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Animal euthanasia and human emotional burnout

Emotional burn out of animal rescue and veterinary staff is becoming an increasingly common issue around the world. I don't suppose the global recession is helping as more owners are abandoning pets, or refusing to pay for surgical procedures.

I found a blog recently... it was simple and to the point and lingered in my mind... and last night, in a discussion relating to fish farming, I remembered it again. I don't suppose this person expects this blog to be widely read. It is a coping mechanism; a small memory of each life that passes through their hands. I am sure many who work in our industry will relate to it.

What I Killed Today - I work with a lot of injured wildlife. Also not wild animals that are just in a lot of pain. Sometimes I have to euthanize them. I decided to record each animal I euthanize here.
The reference to the fish farming came here

Next a male is removed from the water. He is clubbed, in theory, to death on the floor then the sperm is milked out of him. His body is thrown out the window into a pile on the ground.

I refused to participate. The instructor, disappointed and possibly angry, said "you're going to have to kill something sometime." I rolled my eyes. I stepped outside to avoid ridicule and realized that many of the male fish lying on the ground were still alive. I told one of the hatchery workers and he came out and half-heartedly clubbed one again. It was still moving. While it may have just been postmortem nerve reflexes, it still unsettled me so I spent the next hour cutting the heads off the fish as they were tossed out the window to ensure they were dead rather than have them suffocate to death. The knife they gave me was dull and it took all my strength to cut through.

So, honestly, I don't know if I killed anything today but it still felt as bad, if not worse, than any euthanasia I've ever performed.

So this got me thinking today as I teach Grief Management to my classes . ....which is about learning to deal with euthanasia and grief - for both their clients and themselves. People enter animal industries because they want to work with animals. They don't want to watch them die. And yet they do....

Coping with Euthanasia

Animal Control Officers and shelter workers routinely deal with many challenges besides euthanasia: cruelty, ignorance and carelessness towards animals; hostility from the public; disrespect for their skill, commitment and love of animals. Of all these stressors, however, euthanasia is the most heart wrenching and unique to animal care work. No other profession asks people to end lives of those they deeply care about and want to help.

Euthanasia: A Veterinary Technicians Perspective

Each one hurts us, too. In fact, veterinarians and technicians alike tend to suffer more burn out in this field than in most jobs. It’s an emotional field to work in. It is not exactly professional for us to break down crying for each pet, and we try to keep in our minds that this is the right thing, but we see the owner’s suffering, we see the bond- whether it’s your first and last visit in one, whether this was something unexpected when you pulled in, or whether you made this appointment last week. We can see it in your face, hear it in your voice- we know how it feels because we love our pets so dearly and know how strong your bond is with your loved pet- each and every single euthanasia is a heartbreak for us, and we feel your pains.

Shelter workers pay a high price of traumatic stress and compassion fatigue

I believe that the majority of front line workers in animal welfare organizations suffer from traumatic stress and compassion fatigue. Why? Because the work is the most emotionally complex and morally challenging of any trauma worker role in our society. Remember, compassion fatigue is different from burnout in that the cause of compassion fatigue is always related to caring about, taking care of, or exposure to trauma victims, while burnout can result from any type of stress. Compassion fatigue is unique to certain roles and situations.
The factors impacting the severity of these traumatic stress symptoms include: the duration of the experience/exposure, potential for recurrence, degree of exposure to death, dying and destruction, degree of moral conflict inherent in the situation, and the extent to which the role is direct or indirect. Every one of these factors exists in the shelter/animal control/rescue workers job:
Caring for traumatized animals is a daily event, not occasional. It is on going, not episodic.
Exposure to death is frequent at many shelters
Degree of moral conflict is extremely high for humans who deeply love animals and are in a role of choosing who will live and who may die, and are in the role of personally performing euthanasia
Their role is seeing these animal victims of trauma is direct and hands on, along with direct and on-going exposure to the very perpetrators of animal abandonment, neglect or abuse

Convenience Euthanasia - Just say no

What price do we pay for convenience euthanasia?

The highest rate of suicide in our profession in America involves workers who euthanize dogs and cats in animal shelters and pounds on a daily basis.

Researchers from the University of Southampton School of Medicine in Hampshire, England, report that the rate of suicide in veterinarians in the UK is four times that of the general public and twice that of doctors and dentists.

Richard Mellanby, David Bartram and David Baldwin published this sad information in the October 2005 issue of the UK’s journal Veterinary Record. They listed several factors that influence suicide in their veterinary surgeons, such as access to lethal drugs, euthanasia being an encouraged and justified procedure, job dissatisfaction, job stress and predisposition to depression.

Is there anything we can do?
I liked these suggestions from Cornell University and the Maddie's^® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell
Working with Veterinarians
Introduction

The simple truth is that enacting real change in our communities regarding the welfare and disposition of homeless pets requires participation from us all. We all have to work together in positive and effective strategies to non-lethally control the pet surplus. Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to participate and to take leadership roles in these efforts. These roles include: helping to increasing adoptions (through direction of shelter medical programs and building strong relations with shelters and the public), increasing sterilization of pets (in shelters and in practice--including feral cats), and increasing owner-retention of pets (through applied behavior counseling and permanent identification (microchipping) in practice).

Good on Hills pet Food for running workshops
Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Workshop
Highlighted in Animal Sheltering Magazine, published by the Humane Society of the United States, SSACP's highly praised Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Workshop helps animal care professionals deal with the feelings that often lead to fatigue and burnout. The workshop provides a safe, confidential, supportive environment to address these feelings and restore hope, energy and enthusiasm.

And you, as members of the public, pet owners etc, can acknowledge the good work these people do, daily....

Animal in our Hearts

Have you ever wondered why people work at animal shelters? Have you ever thought or said, "Oh I couldn't work there, I love animals too much"? Interestingly, in response to both written surveys and verbal exercises in workshops I've conducted, involving several hundred shelter employees since 1995, the number one reason shelter workers have given over and over again for working in shelters is "because I love animals". They work there because they love animals, despite the pain and heartache they witness and feel themselves.

The next time you find yourself in a conversation with an animal shelter worker (or animal control officer or humane officer), instead of saying, "Oh I couldn't do your job, I love animals too much", try saying, "You must love animals a great deal to do the work you do." This type of comment, this acknowledgment, will go a long way toward boosting the morale of the people who care for the abused, neglected and abandoned animals of your community.

So to the person who started the What I Killed Today Blog
Thank you for reminding me that they are all worthy of being remembered.

Now that I ave made myself cry, I apologise if I have upset you in any way, or unearthed memories and fears for anyone reading it... losing a pet is never easy and their memories live on in your hears forever. Perhaps they go "Into The West"... like Frodo and Bilbo...

This moving piece was written for New Zealander Cameron Duncan ((April 20, 1986 – November 12, 2003) .. and then used in The Lord of The Rings... see lyrics below the video clip :)

Into The West

Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
Night is falling
You have come to journey's end

Sleep now
Dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across a distant shore

Why do you weep
What are these tears upon your face
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away

Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping

What can you see
On the horizon
Why do the white gulls call

Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come
To carry you home

And all will turn to silver glass
A light on the water
All souls pass

Hope fades
Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time

Don't say
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again

And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping

What can you see
On the horizon
Why do the white gulls call

Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come
To carry you home

And all will turn to silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the west