Animal Welfare Worldwide, the Opinion of Practicing Veterinarians.

The objective of this study was to investigate the animal welfare issues considered the most important by companion animal veterinarians worldwide. For this purpose, a global survey of several potential animal welfare issues was distributed via SurveyMonkey® in multiple languages. The distribution of survey responses differed by region. The main animal welfare concern reported worldwide was obesity, although there were differences across regions, possibly due to cultural and socioeconomic factors. Anthropomorphism (attributing human qualities or characteristics to an animal) was an issue in western countries but less so in Asia, Africa, and Oceania. There were significant differences between Asia and Europe, Africa, and Oceania in the importance and prevalence of convenience euthanasia. There were also age and sex differences in participant responses, with older veterinarians reporting fewer welfare problems than younger veterinarians, and female veterinarians reporting more welfare issues than their male counterparts.

The Financial Costs, Behaviour and Psychology of Obesity: A One Health Analysis.

People who are overweight or have obesity are estimated to comprise 30% of the global population and up to 59% of companion dogs and cats are estimated to be above their optimal body weight. The prevalence of human and companion obesity is increasing. The direct and indirect costs of obesity and associated comorbidities are significant for human and veterinary healthcare. There are numerous similarities between obesity in people and companion animals, likely related to the shared environmental and lifestyle elements of this multifactorial disease. While the study of human obesity is relatively robust, research conducted in pets is generally limited to small studies, studies with cross-sectional designs or reports that have yet to be replicated. Greater understanding of human obesity may elucidate some of the factors driving the more recent rise in pet obesity. In particular, there are overlapping features of obesity in children and pets that are, in part, related to dependency on their 'parents' for care and feeding. When feeding is used in a coercive and controlling fashion, it may lead to undesirable feeding behaviour and increase the risk for obesity. A 'responsive parenting' intervention teaches parents to respond appropriately to hunger-satiety cues and to recognize and respond to others' distress. Such interventions may impact on childhood overweight and obesity and have the potential to be adapted for use with companion animals. Social behaviour towards people with obesity or owners of pets with obesity is often driven by beliefs about the cause of the obesity. Educating healthcare professionals and the public about the multifactorial nature of this complex disease process is a fundamental step in reducing the bias and stigma associated with obesity. Children living in low-income households have particularly high rates of obesity and as household income falls, rates of obesity also rise in pets and their owners. There are risk regulators (i.e. dynamic components of interconnected systems that influence obesity-related behaviours) and internal factors (i.e. biological determinants of obesity) that may influence the development of both childhood and pet obesity, and poverty may intersect with these variables to exacerbate obesity in low-income environments. This review discusses the costs, behaviours and psychology related to obesity in people and pets, and also proposes potential techniques that can be considered for prevention and treatment of this disease in pets. A 'One Health' approach to obesity suggests that an understanding of human obesity may elucidate some of the factors driving the more recent rise in pet obesity.

A comparison between fixation methods of femoral diaphyseal fractures in cats - a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcome of three different fixation methods and to determine prognostic factors in cats with diaphyseal femoral fractures. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of case records of cats with diaphyseal femoral fractures surgically corrected using external fixators, bone plate or plate-rod construct. Outcome was evaluated by estimating the time to bone healing and by calculating the complication rate. RESULTS: In total, an external fixator was used in 30 cases, a bone plate in 20 cases and a plate-rod construct in 56 cases. All methods were successful in achieving bone healing without significant differences. There was a significant difference between the categorized complication rates between the treatment groups. The external fixation group had the most complications overall. When only the major and catastrophic complications were taken into account, it had the fewest complications. The plate-rod construct had the fewest complications overall, with most being major complications. The bone plate group had a complication rate between that of the external fixation and plate-rod construct groups. It had the most catastrophic complications in relative terms. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: There was no statistically significant difference in the time to achieve bone healing but there was a significant difference in categorized complication rates between the groups.

[Exaggerated breed characteristics in dogs]. / Schadelijke raskenmerken bij de hond Publieke opinie en de rol van de dierenarts.

Dutch dog owners seem to be aware of bad dog breeding practices with regard to exaggerated breed characteristics that are detrimental to the dog's welfare. Yet they do not always look for these features when buying a dog. Most dog owners think that veterinarians could have an important role in preventing these exaggerated physical traits, by providing information about these traits and taking action in their capacity as veterinarian. Articles 36 and 55 of the Dutch GWWD (animal health and welfare law) provide opportunities to act against the breeding of dogs with exaggerated genetic traits.

The effectiveness of marketing concepts in veterinary practices.

What makes pet owners chose one veterinary practice and not another? This survey was performed to gain insight into what factors influence new clients' choice of veterinary practice, and consequently the most effective way to promote veterinary practices. To this end, a questionnaire was completed by 129 pet owners who became new clients of one of eight selected veterinary practices in January 2005 or later. All selected practices are members of the Dierenartsen Dienstgroep Domstad, Utrecht, The Netherlands. This survey showed word-of-mouth referral to be the most effective way to increase a practice client base: 32.8% of all respondents first heard of their practice of choice through a fellow pet owner. Other pet owners first 'heard' of their practice by passing the practice (17.2%), seeing an advertisement in the Yellow Pages (14.1%), visiting the veterinary practice website (13.3%), and looking in the phone book (10.9%). These information sources should be considered for promotional activities. However this is not the case for advertisements in newspapers or magazines: none of the respondents became acquainted with the practice through these media. Respondents primarily based their choice on personnel and product (the total package of services and its quality) and less on location, but many prospective clients also based their choice on promotional activities and prices. Because pet owners apparently take so many aspects into consideration when choosing a veterinary practice, the marketing orientation (focusing on the client with her/his wishes and problems) is crucial.

[Pets, veterinarians, and multicultural society]. / Huisdieren, dierenartsen en de multiculturele samenleving. Huisdieren en de positie van de dierenarts bij niet westerse allochtonen in Nederland.

Dutch society comprises a growing percentage of non-Western ethnic minority groups. Little is known about pet ownership among these groups. This study explores some aspects of pet ownership, and the position of veterinarians, among the four largest non-Western ethnic minority groups in the Netherlands. Information was gathered through street interviews with people from a Moroccan, Turkish, Surinamese, or Antillean (including Aruban) background. Five hundred people where interviewed, including 41 pet owners. Results showed that people from non-Western ethnic minorities kept pets less often than Dutch people, with fish and birds being the most frequently kept pets. The number of visits to the veterinary clinic was comparable to that of Dutch pet owners; however, reasons given for the last visit were different. People from non-Western ethnic minorities mostly visited a veterinarian if their pet was ill whereas Dutch people visited the veterinarian if their pet needed to be vaccinated. People from non-Western ethnic minorities were positive about veterinarians, considering that they had sufficient knowledge about and concern for their pets. Moreover, veterinarians were trusted and provided understandable information--the respondents felt that they could go to their veterinarian with any question or problem regarding their pets. Although most respondents considered a visit to the veterinarian expensive, they were more than willing to invest in their pet's health.

[The foot and mouth disease outbreak 6 years later: consequences for veterinarians]. / Terugblik op de MKZ-crisisis door betrokken dierenartsen zes jaar later. De gevolgen van de MKZ-crisis bij dierenartsen.

The consequences of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 in The Netherlands can still be noticed in the daily work of the veterinarians involved. In particular, the number off arm animals has decreased, regulations have changed, and cattle farmers have become more confrontational. While the psychosocial consequences to veterinarians of the outbreak have decreased compared with immediately after the outbreak, this decrease is not statistically significant. Moreover, 40% of the veterinarians involved still show signs of a traumatic stress reaction. Should another outbreak occur, it is important that local veterinarians are contacted, in order to improve communication with cattle farmers.

[Non-payment of veterinary bills in The Netherlands]. / Onderzoek naar wanbetaling in de dierenartsenpraktijk in Nederland.

Non-payment of bills is a phenomenon that has grave economic consequences for all entrepreneurs, veterinary practitioners included. Little in depth research has been performed into the non-payment of veterinary bills. The aim of this study was to quantify the non-payment of bills in Dutch veterinary practices and to investigate the procedures implemented in the case of non-payment and their effectiveness. Non-payment of bills is a potential source of a substantial loss of income in Dutch veterinary practices. Even though veterinarians actively tried to collect the money owed them, often bills were paid very late or were paid in part only.

[Aggressive clients in Dutch veterinary practice]. / Agressieve cliënten in de Nederlandse dierenartsenpraktijk.

Aggressive clients seem to be becoming more common. This article describes a study in which questionnaires on client behaviour were sent to veterinary assistants and veterinarians in randomly selected practices in the Netherlands. Results showed that 26.4% of the veterinarians and 29.3% of the assistants had experienced aggressive clients in the last year. Age, experience, and sex of the veterinarian or assistant did not influence the frequency with which aggressive clients were encountered. The same was true for the type of veterinary practice (companion animals, farm animals, horses, etc). The risk of encountering aggressive clients was higher among practices in large towns and in practices with a small turnover Of the veterinarians who had encountered aggressive clients at least once in their career, 31% has taken some kind of action after the aggressive encounter Nearly a quarter (24.9%) of veterinary practices have adopted a Risk Inventarization and Evaluation (RI&E) approach to preventing client aggression and 26.6% of practices have adopted another approach. While veterinarians tend not to consider aggression a big problem, they are often open to the suggestion that more attention should be paid to aggression in veterinary practice.

[The organizational culture of ten Dutch veterinary practices. Based on the model of competitive value]. / De organisatiecultuur van tien dierenartspraktijken in Nederland. Gebaseerd op het model van de concurrerende waarden.

The aim of this study was to study the organizational culture of ten Dutch veterinary practices. In each practice, two veterinary nurses, two associates and two partners filled out the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument for the current and preferred situation. Results showed that practice culture could be characterised best as the clan culture and, to a lesser extent, an adhocracy culture. The market culture was least prevalent. The family, adhocracy and hierarchy cultures were preferred above the market culture. The difference between current and preferred (i.e. the discrepancy) cultures was highest for the veterinary nurses, followed by the associates and smallest for the partners. Agreement between the three groups was stronger for the preferred situation than for the current situation.

Adaptation of dogs to the amputation of a limb and their owners' satisfaction with the procedure.

Forty-four Dutch dog owners were interviewed by telephone about their experiences with their dog after it had had a limb amputated. Most of the dogs adapted to walking on three legs within a month, sooner than most of the owners had expected. There were few complications after the amputation, although changes in behaviour were observed in approximately one-third of the dogs.

Perceptions and attitudes towards horses in European societies.

In spite of the fact that horses were domesticated between 5000 and 3000 B.C., the relations between humans and horses constitutes a relatively unexplored area. This may be due to the fact that horses in middle class western society are seen as companion animals, of primarily social and recreational value. Horses, however, have historically enjoyed an enormously important utilitarian, economic and sporting significance and in many countries horse meat is also eaten. Nowadays, we can classify the different ways in which horses are used into four different fields: recreational and/or social purposes breeding sport and competition meat production In each category one can distinguish 4 main areas of concern: the behaviour and wellbeing of the horse feeding maintenance veterinary care All 4 fields make their own particular demands on these aspects of the care of horses. In addition, people have also approached these different fields of equine exploitation through the centuries with different attitudes. The goal of this article is to review the attitudes of people towards horses. The main conclusion of this article is that the diversity of uses for equines and corresponding organisations makes it difficult to get a clear overview and thereby inhibits scientific research into human-horse interactions.

The percentage of feline, canine, avian and exotic animal consultations in veterinary practice in The Netherlands in 1994 and suggested consequences for the veterinary curriculum and residency programs.

The percentage of feline, canine, avian and exotic animal consultations in 1994 was established by means of a survey among veterinary practitioners in the Netherlands. The results from the response to a questionnaire which was sent to companion animal practitioners were compared with those of an at random telephone survey and tested for reliability. Results showed that the cat tended to be the most frequently presented species in companion animal practice in the Netherlands in 1994 (46%), followed by dogs (44%) and birds and exotic animals (10%). In mixed practices these percentages were 40%, 51%, and 9% respectively. From the 'avian and exotic animal' group the following species or orders were the most important: rabbits (32%), rodents (26%), parrots (12%), pigeons (9%), songbirds (9%), ferrets (4%), others (8%). It is concluded that the veterinary curriculum should be adapted to prepare veterinary students to deal with this greater variety in pet animals species and related problems. The need to include exotic animal medicine in resident training programmes is emphasized.

Influence of orchiectomy on canine behaviour.

One hundred and twenty-two dog owners were interviewed to obtain information about the effects of orchiectomy on the behaviour, unwanted side effects, and testosterone-dependent disease processes in their dogs. Behavioural problems were the main reason for orchiectomy, unwanted sexual behaviour being the most common, together with roaming, aggression, and abnormal urination behaviour. Objectionable sexual behaviour, inter-male aggression, roaming, and abnormalurination were reduced after orchiectomy in approximately 60 per cent of the dogs. The side effects of orchiectomy included increased bodyweight, increased appetite and decreased activity in less than 50 per cent of the dogs, and there was a significant relationship between increased appetite and bodyweight. The clinical signs of testosterone-dependent disease in most of the dogs either decreased or disappeared after orchiectomy.

[What clients want from veterinarians following the death of their companion animal. Bobby died, what now?]. / Wat cliënten van dierenartsen willen na het overlijden van hun gezelschapsdier. Bobje is dood, wat nu?

The aim of this investigation is to determine whether Dutch people would appreciate support, either from or via veterinarians following the death of a companion animal. In general, clients believe both local practitioners and specialists, even though they might not have seen the animal more than once, should offer some form of support. Being called by the veterinarian in question, a few days after the death of the animal, was the option that was most appreciated. Twenty one respondents (15%) wished to be able to attend a pet loss support group or call a hotline, following the death of their companion animal. The need to have questions answered by the veterinarian and the role the respondents thought the veterinarian should play following pet loss, were significant factors determining whether use would be made of support offered to them. Other factors included in the survey, such as age, sex and social status were not significant.