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3.
Front Vet Sci ; 11: 1374858, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38638643

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chronic pain can profoundly affect the wellbeing of dogs and our understanding is limited regarding the multidimensional impact it has on dog quality of life. This study aimed to assess the factors that are significant and predictive of behavior problems in dogs using the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) to further understand what factors influence their welfare. Methods: Seventy six AWAG assessments were undertaken across 46 dogs that clinicians diagnosed as having musculoskeletal conditions that caused chronic pain. Wilcoxon-rank sum tests were used to assess the difference in scores between dogs with behavior disorders and a cohort of healthy dogs (n = 143). Results: All physical factors besides body condition, and all psychological, environmental, and procedural factors were significantly different between healthy dogs and dogs with chronic pain, evidencing how chronic pain impacts all domains of a dog's life. Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient (RS) revealed several significant strong positive correlations such as the association between the severity of clinical symptoms with poorer mobility and the frequency at which the dog experienced fearful stimuli. Logistic regression showed that fears and anxieties frequency, the dog's reaction to stressors, engagement with enrichment, and social interactions were significant predictors of chronic pain in dogs. Discussion: This highlights that typical signs of musculoskeletal disorders such as gait changes, stiffness, lameness might manifest after behavioral changes such as increased fearfulness, prolonged recovery from a stressful event, a reduced interested in social interactions, toys or play. Owners only seeking veterinary attention when the presence of physical signs of disease are evident may result in a delayed veterinary attention resulting in reduced welfare. Regular veterinary assessments combined with use of the AWAG can proactively identify these behavioral indicators and result in prompt treatment and improved quality of life.

4.
Animals (Basel) ; 14(8)2024 Apr 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38672321

ABSTRACT

The increasing overlap of resources between human and long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) (LTM) populations have escalated human-primate conflict. In Malaysia, LTMs are labeled as a 'pest' species due to the macaques' opportunistic nature. This study investigates the activity budget of LTMs in an urban tourism site and how human activities influence it. Observational data were collected from LTMs daily for a period of four months. The observed behaviors were compared across differing levels of human interaction, between different times of day, and between high, medium, and low human traffic zones. LTMs exhibited varying ecological behavior patterns when observed across zones of differing human traffic, e.g., higher inactivity when human presence is high. More concerning is the impact on these animals' welfare and group dynamics as the increase in interactions with humans takes place; we noted increased inactivity and reduced intra-group interaction. This study highlights the connection that LTMs make between human activity and sources of anthropogenic food. Only through understanding LTM interaction can the cause for human-primate conflict be better understood, and thus, more sustainable mitigation strategies can be generated.

5.
Animals (Basel) ; 14(4)2024 Feb 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38396496

ABSTRACT

Behavioural disorders in dogs are common and have severe welfare consequences for dogs. This study aimed to assess the factors that are significant and predictive of behaviour problems in dogs using the animal welfare assessment grid (AWAG) to further understand what factors influence their welfare. 177 AWAG assessments were undertaken across 129 dogs that clinicians deemed to have a behavioural disorder. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to assess the difference in scores between dogs with behaviour disorders and a cohort of healthy dogs (n = 117). This analysis showed that all physical factors besides body condition, all procedural factors besides procedure pain, and all psychological, and environmental factors were significantly different between healthy dogs and dogs with behaviour disorders. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (RS) revealed several significant strong positive correlations including the procedural impact on the dog's daily routine with aggression towards unfamiliar people and procedure pain, as well as other correlations between the dog's behaviour during assessment with the frequency at which they encounter fears and anxieties, clinical assessment and procedure pain, and reaction to stressors and social interactions. These findings highlight the interdependent nature of the various influences of welfare. Logistic regression analysis identified that aggression towards the caregiver, fears and anxieties frequency, and choice, control, and predictability were all significant predictors of behaviour disorders. The findings have important implications for veterinary, behaviour, and animal welfare professionals as any changes across these factors may indicate poor welfare linked to emotional disorders in dogs.

6.
Am J Primatol ; 86(3): e23547, 2024 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37667504

ABSTRACT

In 2022, long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), a once ubiquitous primate species, was elevated to Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In 2023, recognizing that the long-tailed macaque is threatened by multiple factors: (1) declining native habitats across Southeast Asia; (2) overutilization for scientific, commercial, and recreational purposes; (3) inadequate regulatory mechanisms; and (4) culling due to human-macaque conflicts, a petition for rulemaking was submitted to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to add the species to the US Endangered Species Act, the nation's most effective law to protect at risk species. The long-tailed macaque remains unprotected across much of its geographical range despite the documented continual decline of the species and related sub-species and the recent IUCN reassessment. This commentary presents a review of the factors that have contributed to the dramatic decline of this keystone species and makes a case for raising the level of protection they receive.


Subject(s)
Animals, Wild , Endangered Species , Animals , Humans , Macaca fascicularis , Primates , Geography
7.
Vet Rec ; 193(10): e3504, 2023 Nov 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37955283

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The alignment of student and workplace supervisors' perspectives on student preparedness for veterinary workplace clinical training (WCT) is unknown, yet misalignment could negatively impact workplace learning. The aim of this study was to quantify the relative importance of WCT preparedness characteristics according to students and supervisors and to identify differences. METHODS: A survey was completed by 657 veterinary students and 244 clinical supervisors from 25 veterinary schools, from which rankings of the preparedness characteristics were derived. Significant rank differences were assessed using confidence intervals and permutation tests. RESULTS: 'Honesty, integrity and dependability' was the most important characteristic according to both groups. The three characteristics with the largest rank differences were: students' awareness of their own and others' mental wellbeing and the importance of self-care; being willing to try new practical skills with support (students ranked both of these higher); and having a clinical reasoning framework for common problems (supervisors ranked higher). LIMITATIONS: Using pooled data from many schools means that the results are not necessarily representative of the perspectives at any one institution. CONCLUSION: There are both similarities and differences in the perspectives of students and supervisors regarding which characteristics are more important for WCT. This provides insights that can be used by educators, curriculum developers and admissions tutors to improve student preparedness for workplace learning.


Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Students, Medical , Animals , Humans , Students , Learning , Workplace , Surveys and Questionnaires
8.
Front Med (Lausanne) ; 10: 1128058, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37153090

ABSTRACT

Quantitatively eliciting perspectives about a large number of similar entities (such as a list of competences) is a challenge for researchers in health professions education (HPE). Traditional survey methods may include using Likert items. However, a Likert item approach that generates absolute ratings of the entities may suffer from the "ceiling effect," as ratings cluster at one end of the scale. This impacts on researchers' ability to detect differences in ratings between the entities themselves and between respondent groups. This paper describes the use of pairwise comparison (this or that?) questions and a novel application of the Elo algorithm to generate relative ratings and rankings of a large number of entities, on a unidimensional scale. A study assessing the relative importance of 91 student "preparedness characteristics" for veterinary workplace clinical training (WCT) is presented as an example of this method in action. The Elo algorithm uses pairwise comparison responses to generate an importance rating for each preparedness characteristic on a scale from zero to one. This is continuous data with measurement variability which, by definition, spans an entire spectrum and is not susceptible to the ceiling effect. The output should allow for the detection of differences in perspectives between groups of survey respondents (such as students and workplace supervisors) which Likert ratings may be insensitive to. Additional advantages of the pairwise comparisons are their low susceptibility to systematic bias and measurement error, they can be quicker and arguably more engaging to complete than Likert items, and they should carry a low cognitive load for respondents. Methods for evaluating the validity and reliability of this survey design are also described. This paper presents a method that holds great potential for a diverse range of applications in HPE research. In the pursuit quantifying perspectives on survey items which are measured on a relative basis and a unidimensional scale (e.g., importance, priority, probability), this method is likely to be a valuable option.

9.
Front Vet Sci ; 9: 940017, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36187841

ABSTRACT

Animal welfare monitoring is a vital part of veterinary medicine and can be challenging due to a range of factors that contribute to the perception of welfare. Tools can be used, however; there are few validated and objective methods available for veterinary and animal welfare professionals to assess and monitor the welfare of dogs over their lifetime. This study aimed to adapt a framework previously validated for other species, The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG), for dogs and to host the tool on an accessible, easy to use online platform. Development of the AWAG for dogs involved using the scientific literature to decide which factors were relevant to score welfare in dogs and to also write the factor descriptors. The primary tool was trialed with veterinary professionals to refine and improve the AWAG. Content validity was assessed by subject matter experts by rating the validity of the factors for assessing dog welfare using the item-level content validity index (I-CVI) and scale-level content validity index based on the average method (S-CVI/Ave). Construct validity was evaluated by users of the tool scoring healthy and sick dogs, as well as healthy dogs undergoing neutering procedures. Mann Whitney tests demonstrate that the tool can differentiate between healthy and sick dogs, and healthy and healthy dogs post elective surgery. Test re-test reliability was tested by users conducting multiple assessments on individual dogs under non-changing conditions. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by two users scoring an individual dog at the same time in veterinary referral practice. Repeated measures ANOVA for test re-test and inter-rater reliability both show no statistical difference between scores and that the scores are highly correlated. This study provides evidence that the AWAG for dogs has good content and construct validity, alongside good test re-test and inter-rater reliability.

10.
BMC Vet Res ; 18(1): 340, 2022 Sep 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36085152

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The success of workplace clinical training (WCT) is important given that veterinary students are licensed to work independently upon graduation. Considering this, it is perhaps surprising that there is limited published work describing what it means to be prepared for this educational experience, particularly given that the transition to WCT can be stressful for students. This paper reports the results of a qualitative study aiming to generate a rich understanding of veterinary student preparedness for WCT using emic, or insider, perspectives of key stakeholders. METHODS: From a constructivist standpoint, homogenous online group interviews were held with final year veterinary students, recent student alumni, clinical supervisors, faculty, and academic educationalists to discuss what it means to be prepared for WCT. The data was analysed using a template analysis approach. RESULTS: A three-tier taxonomy to describe preparedness for WCT was constructed from the data. At the topmost level, there were seven themes to illuminate different aspects of preparedness: students should be prepared 1) for the transition to learning and working in a clinical and professional environment, 2) for self-directed and experiential learning whilst working, 3) with a growth mindset, 4) with intrinsic motivation and enthusiasm for learning and working, 5) for communication, consultation and clinical reasoning, 6) with the knowledge for work, and 7) with the practical competence and confidence for work. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a deeper understanding of the tools we can provide, and the attributes we can nurture in, senior veterinary students to facilitate their learning and working during WCT. This improved understanding is a necessary precursor to refining pedagogical support and curriculum design within veterinary schools.


Subject(s)
Students , Workplace , Animals , Curriculum , Educational Status , Humans , Qualitative Research
11.
Front Vet Sci ; 9: 833034, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35464375

ABSTRACT

Learning theories are abstract descriptions which help us make sense of educational practice. Multiple theories can inform our understanding of a single concept, in this case: veterinary workplace clinical training (WCT), which occurs just prior to students' graduation as competent veterinary surgeons. The competency movement has strongly influenced reforms in veterinary education and is considered important. In reflection of this, the term "preparedness" is operationalised here as a measure of the likelihood that the veterinary student is going to be a competent learner and participant during WCT. Preparedness itself is therefore important because it directly impacts performance. Workplace clinical training is explored through the lenses of cognitivist, social constructivist and socio-culturalist learning theories and used to inform student preparedness characteristics ("tools") in terms of their behaviours, personal attributes, knowledge and skills, and awarenesses to optimise learning and participation. These form a new conceptual framework-the "Preparedness Toolkit."

12.
Vet Rec ; 191(8): e1486, 2022 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35257378

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medical specialties hold varying degrees of prestige, stemming from the existence of stereotypes among them. These have been shown to lead to prejudice against specific specialists, which not only influences career choices but also affects the perception of equality among specialties. METHOD: The aim of the research was to determine the presence of stereotypes in the UK veterinary community. Using an online questionnaire, participants were asked to provide an adjective that best characterises 15 specialties, in addition to their perceptions on prestige and gender association. Word cloud analysis coupled with sentiment analysis in Python using the language processing software Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) was used to assess sentiments with respect to the adjectives. RESULTS: There were 665 questionnaire respondents, and there was evidence of their construction of specialty-specific stereotypes. Some specialties were perceived more negatively than others, including equine general practitioners, surgeons, pathologists, dermatologists and public health veterinarians/epidemiologists. Gender bias was identified within this study, most prominently within production animal and behavioural medicine veterinarians. The most prestigious specialties were neurology, surgery and cardiology. CONCLUSION: Specialty-specific stereotypes exist within the veterinary community. Acknowledging their existence is a first step to recognising the influence they have on career choices.


Subject(s)
Students, Medical , Female , Horses , Animals , Male , Humans , Sexism , Career Choice , Specialization , Attitude
13.
J Vet Med Educ ; 49(2): 223-235, 2022 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33929288

ABSTRACT

Online resources are being increasingly used by veterinary students to complement their learning. However, their use by veterinary students, especially for cardiology learning, remains poorly understood. This article investigates the extent to which clinical veterinary students use online resources to study cardiology and whether this is affected by factors of gender, age, year of study, or entry status. This was a questionnaire-based study distributed to clinical veterinary students across eight UK universities and achieved 213 respondents. The lecturer was the most preferred resource except for direct entry students and students aged 27 or more, who preferred recommended textbooks. Some 95.3% of students use search engines to research cardiology topics, and 93.4% indicated that they would first search for answers online rather than contacting their instructor. Online video clips were popular as 71.8% of students accessed them at least once per week for cardiology learning. Of those students, 89.3% found online videos useful for understanding cardiological concepts. Social media was only rarely used (6.6%) to discuss cardiology information. Nonetheless, most students (64.3%) stated that they would enjoy interacting with course material on an instructor-led social media page. Despite most students (62%) not automatically trusting online resources, only 46.9% of students indicated that they verify online cardiology information. Online resources play an important role in complementing traditional resources in cardiology learning and suggest that some level of academic oversight may be necessary to ensure students use these resources in an appropriate manner.


Subject(s)
Cardiology , Education, Veterinary , Animals , Humans , Learning , Students , Universities
14.
Animals (Basel) ; 11(6)2021 Jun 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34207202

ABSTRACT

The public health implications of the Covid-19 pandemic have caused unprecedented and unexpected challenges for veterinary schools worldwide. They are grappling with a wide range of issues to ensure that students can be trained and assessed appropriately, despite the international, national, and local restrictions placed on them. Moving the delivery of knowledge content largely online will have had a positive and/or negative impact on veterinary student learning gain which is yet to be clarified. Workplace learning is particularly problematic in the current climate, which is concerning for graduates who need to develop, and then demonstrate, practical core competences. Means to optimise the learning outcomes in a hybrid model of curriculum delivery are suggested. Specific approaches could include the use of video, group discussion, simulation and role play, peer to peer and interprofessional education.

16.
PLoS One ; 16(5): e0249669, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33983962

ABSTRACT

The transition into the clinical environment is challenging and associated with significant stress and anxiety. This study aimed to examine the perspectives of students on the characteristics important for preparedness for clinical learning and the influence of gender, age, and graduate status on those perspectives. This descriptive, questionnaire-based study of 62 characteristics categorised into six themes was conducted within the Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine completed by 139 students commencing their final clinical year. The Friedman test and post-hoc Wilcoxon signed rank sum test explored for differences in ranking across the themes. Ordinal logistic regression and Mann-Whitney U pairwise comparisons were utilised to investigate for effects of gender, age, and graduate status on theme ranking. There was a significant difference (P <0.05) between medians for themes of preparedness characteristics with comparisons revealing willingness and communication and interaction as the most highly rated characteristics. Knowledge and understanding were viewed as the least important characteristic. Regression and pairwise Mann-Whitney U comparisons confirmed no significant effects (P >0.05) of gender, age or graduate status on student rating of preparedness characteristics. Integrating learning opportunities of those preparedness characteristics in the pre-clinical curriculum may improve students' preparedness for the clinical environment.


Subject(s)
Education, Veterinary , Learning , Models, Educational , Students, Medical , Adult , Age Factors , Female , Humans , Male , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
17.
Adv Physiol Educ ; 45(1): 160-171, 2021 Mar 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33661046

ABSTRACT

Online resources are becoming increasingly important in undergraduate education and have been associated with a number of advantages and positive outcomes on students' learning experience. However, online resource use by veterinary students for physiology learning remains poorly understood. Thus the present questionnaire-based study aims to investigate the extent to which first- and second-year veterinary students use online resources, including online video clips and social media, in their physiology learning and if this is influenced by factors of age, gender, entry status, or year of study. One-hundred and twenty-two students across seven UK universities completed the survey. Traditional resources (the lecturer and recommended textbooks) were the most preferred sources for physiology learning. Nonetheless, 97.5% of students used Internet search engines to explore physiology topics. Furthermore, students' tendency to contact their instructor regarding a physiology question was low. Rather, 92.6% said they would first search for an answer online. Particularly popular was the use of online video clips with 91.1% finding them valuable for physiology learning and 34.21% finding them more useful for understanding physiology than university taught material or lecture slides. YouTube was the most common online video clip platform used by students. Most students stated that they would enjoy interacting with course materials on an instructor-led social media page, but only 33.9% currently use social media to discuss physiology-related issues with classmates. Additionally, most students expressed concerns regarding the reliability of online resources but attempts to fact-check these resources were relatively low. Therefore, online resources represent an essential part of veterinary students' physiology learning and this suggests that educators can significantly improve student engagement and understanding of physiology by integrating these resources.


Subject(s)
Students , Universities , Humans , Internet , Learning , Reproducibility of Results , United Kingdom
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