Opinions of Turkish veterinarians on the termination of unwanted pregnancies in dogs.

BACKGROUND: No time constraints exist in Turkish veterinary law regarding the termination of unwanted pregnancies in dogs. Having undergone limited ethical debate, opinions on this issue vary among veterinarians. This study aimed to determine appropriate indications accepted by veterinary practitioners for the termination of unwanted pregnancies in dogs and the cut-off point preferred by these professionals for performing this medical and surgical intervention. METHODS: A qualitative methodology was used for the collection of the data. Interviews were conducted with 40 veterinarians (13 practitioners and 27 academics). RESULTS: The main reasons for performing pregnancy termination were 'institutional obligations' and 'demand of the animal owner'. Meanwhile, the cut-off points for veterinarians were 'possibility of pregnancy', 'implantation/diagnosability/visibility', 'heartbeat' and 'viability'. LIMITATIONS: The inclusion of ethics experts among the authors may have caused bias in the comments of the participants on ethical issues. CONCLUSION: The fact that animals are legally relegated to the custody of humans not only adds a unique character to the veterinary ethical debate but also creates a comfort zone for veterinarians not willing to examine compelling ethical issues.

Historical profile of gender in Turkish veterinary education.

Women in Turkey were first given the opportunity to attend schools of higher education in 1914. Following the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, a number of social, judicial, and economic reforms took place that enabled women to participate actively in both the public and private sectors, and, as a consequence, the number of women students in higher education increased rapidly. The first woman graduated from the veterinary school in Ankara in 1935, becoming the first female veterinarian in the country. Since that time, the number of female veterinary graduates in Turkey has steadily increased.

Evaluating the curriculum of the veterinary school of Firat University, Turkey, in terms of professional and technical skills.

A significant portion of the problems faced by veterinarians is related to communication. These problems are intensely experienced between veterinary practitioners and animal owners; yet no lectures or courses aiming to improve professional skills are available in the curriculum of veterinary schools in Turkey. In this study, all students currently enrolled at, and 1992 and 1998 graduates of, the Veterinary School of Firat University (VSFU), Turkey, were surveyed to evaluate the attitudes of veterinary students and graduates toward technical and professional skills. Data were collected from 581 students and 61 recent graduates via personal interviews with students and questionnaires mailed to graduates; information was obtained about participants' technical and professional skills. The overall response rate was 85%. The results show that learning about technical and professional skills is highly valued; competence and comfort in skill sets are associated with comfort in establishing communication with instructors. Positive correlations were also noted between feeling comfortable with and feeling competent in both skill sets. In conclusion, it appears to be essential to introduce courses addressing improvement of professional skills to the curriculum of veterinary schools in Turkey, given that a successful veterinarian profile requires feeling competent in and comfortable with both technical and professional skills.