Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of fosmanogepix IV to oral switch and multiple IV doses in healthy participants.

Fosmanogepix [FMGX, APX001; active form: manogepix (MGX), APX001A] is a first-in-class, intravenous (IV)/oral antifungal currently being evaluated for invasive fungal disease treatment. Data from two phase 1, placebo-controlled studies [IV-oral switch (study 1) and multiple IV doses (study 2)] evaluating FMGX tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) are presented. Healthy adults (study 1: 18-65 years; study 2: 18-55 years) were eligible (randomized 3:1 to FMGX: placebo). Eleven participants completed study 1. In study 2, 51 participants (48 planned + 3 replacement) were enrolled in six cohorts (8 participants each; 34 completed the study). In study 1, overall MGX systemic exposures were comparable from day 1 to day 42 of dosing; steady-state plasma concentrations were achieved in ≤24 h following two IV loading doses (1,000 mg) and exposures maintained after switching [IV (600 mg) to daily oral doses (800 mg)]. FMGX was safe and well-tolerated. In study 2, FMGX IV doses (loading doses twice daily/maintenance doses once daily; 3-h infusion) of 1,500/900 mg (cohort A), 900/900 mg (cohort B), and 1,000/900 mg (cohort C: with ondansetron) were not well-tolerated; most participants reported nausea and infrequent vomiting. FMGX IV doses of 1,000/750 mg (cohort D), 1,000/850 mg (cohort E), and 1,000/900 mg (cohort F: ondansetron prn) were relatively better tolerated. Steady-state systemic exposures were achieved between days 2 and 4. All cohorts had similar geometric mean (GM) concentrations during maintenance dosing and similar GM PK parameters. Dosing regimen evaluated in study 1 was safe, well-tolerated, and may be used for future clinical evaluations.

Cats just want to have fun: Associations between play and welfare in domestic cats.

Play is often considered an indicator and promotor of animal welfare and may facilitate closer cat-human relationships. However, few studies have empirically investigated these associations. The current study aimed to investigate play-related factors associated with four welfare outcome measures in cats (Felis catus) including: cat quality of life; cat-guardian relationship quality; problem behaviour prevalence; and behavioural changes. An online survey was developed using demographic information, questions related to play and resources, free text sections and the following validated measures: cat quality of life (QOL), the cat owner relationship scale, and the adult playfulness trait scale. Responses were completed by 1,591 cat guardians from 55 countries. Higher cat playfulness scores and a greater number of games played were significantly associated with higher cat QOL scores while longer amounts of daily play, greater number of games, both cat and guardian initiating play and higher guardian playfulness scores were all significantly associated with higher cat-guardian relationship scores. Exclusively indoor housing was significantly associated with both higher cat QOL and higher cat-guardian relationships scores compared to cats with outdoor access. Behavioural changes associated with distress in cats were reported when play was absent. Play may be an important factor in assessing and maintaining cat welfare. Further research into the mechanisms of how play impacts welfare and cat-guardian relationships is needed.

Australian and New Zealand Veterinary Students' Opinions on Animal Welfare and Ethical Issues Concerning Animal Use within Sport, Recreation, and Display.

Animals used for sport, recreation and display are highly visible and can divide community attitudes. The study of animal welfare and ethics (AWE) as part of veterinary education is important because it is the responsibility of veterinarians to use their scientific knowledge and skills to promote animal welfare in the context of community expectations. To explore the attitudes of veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand to AWE, a survey of the current cohort was undertaken. The survey aimed to reveal how veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand rate the importance of five selected AWE topics for Day One Competences in animals used in sport, recreation and display and to establish how veterinary students' priorities were associated with gender and stage of study. The response rate (n = 851) across the seven schools was just over 25%. Results indicated little variation on ratings for topics. The topics were ranked in the following order (most to least important): Pushing of animals to their physiologic/behavioral limits; ownership/responsibility; euthanasia; educating the public; and behavior, selection, and training for sport and recreation displays. In contrast to related studies, ratings were not associated with stage of study and there were few differences associated with gender. More females rated the pushing of animals to physiologic/behavioral limits as extremely important than did males ( p < .001). The role of veterinarians in advocating for and educating the public about the welfare of animals used in sport, recreation and display merits further discussion.

VETERINARY STUDENTS' OPINIONS ON THEIR REQUIRED COMPETENCE IN DEALING WITH WELFARE AND ETHICS ISSUES PERTAINING TO WILDLIFE.

The aim of this research was to determine what veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand consider important for animal welfare and ethics (AWE) competence when dealing with wildlife, and to determine how these priorities correlate with gender and stage of study. These students were asked to state their gender and stage of veterinary education and to rank the importance of six AWE topics: (1) "disaster preparedness," (2) "veterinarians' duties to wild animals," (3) "methods and justification for wild animal use" (e.g., harvesting/ hunting, wildlife parks), (4) "tensions between animal-welfare concerns and environmental concerns," (5) "the nature and status of semiowned animals," and (6) "euthanasia," pertaining to wildlife for competence on the first day after their graduation. Data were then analyzed. Of 3,320 students invited to participate, 556 responded to questions about animals in the wild. The AWE topic ranked as the most important was "veterinarians' duties to wild animals," followed by "euthanasia." Senior students ranked "euthanasia" as the most important topic. The rankings of "methods and justification for wild animal use" and "tension between animal welfare and environmental concerns" were significantly less important for students in the later years of study than for those in early years. Male respondents ranked "euthanasia" as more important than female respondents did, especially in later years of study. Senior veterinary students ranked "euthanasia" as the most important AWE topic for day one competency.

A phase 2 study of the sphingosine-1-phosphate antibody sonepcizumab in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Upregulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) may mediate resistance to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-directed therapies and inhibit antitumor immunity. Antagonism of S1P in preclinical models appears to overcome this resistance. In this phase 2 study, the authors assessed the activity of sonepcizumab, a first-in-class inhibitor of S1P, in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) with a history of prior VEGF-directed therapy. METHODS: Patients were required to have clear cell mRCC and to have received treatment with at least 1 prior VEGF-directed agent. Prior treatment with immunotherapeutic agents and ≤1 mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors was permitted. The primary endpoint of the study was progression-free survival. Additional endpoints included response rate and safety, and overall survival (OS) performed post hoc. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients were enrolled with a median of 3 prior therapies (range, 1-5 prior therapies), 78% of whom had intermediate-risk disease by second-line International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) criteria. Although the current study did not achieve its primary endpoint based on the 2-month progression-free survival, a median OS of 21.7 months was observed. Four patients (10%) demonstrated a partial response, with a median duration of response of 5.9 months. No grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were observed in >5% of patients (adverse events were graded and recorded for each patient using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 4.0]); the most frequent grade 1/2 treatment-related adverse events were fatigue (30%), weight gain (18%), constipation (15%), and nausea (15%). Biomarker studies demonstrated an increase in S1P concentrations with therapy. Comprehensive genomic profiling of 3 patients with a clinical benefit of >24 months indicated von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) and polybromo-1 (PBRM1) alterations. CONCLUSIONS: The encouraging OS and favorable safety profile observed with sonepcizumab should prompt further investigation of the agent in combination with VEGF-directed agents or checkpoint inhibitors. Cancer 2017;123:576-582. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Mandatory desexing of dogs: one step in the right direction to reduce the risk of dog bite? A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Preventing dog bites is an intractable problem given the complex dog bite injury environment. Desexing of dogs has the opportunity of creating a safer injury environment, given the potential links between desexing and behaviour change in dogs. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to examine the evidence for desexing of dogs to reduce dog bite risk within a population health paradigm. Medline and CAB Abstracts were searched for studies that reported data on the association of dog neuter status with the risk of dog bite. All definitions of dog bite were included and all empirical studies were included in the review, limited to those published in English. Quality appraisal and data extraction were based on the 2013 evidence-based practice and critical appraisal tool from the University of Auckland. RESULTS: Five out of six observational studies, from four study populations found evidence that intact dogs were associated with an increased risk of dog bite compared with desexed dogs. The effect sizes ranged across the studies and given the heterogeneity of the studies no single effect size on the association between desexing and dog bite risk could be estimated. CONCLUSIONS: There is consistent evidence that desexing dogs is associated with a reduced risk of dog bite, although the studies reflect association and may not be causal. Although recent publications have suggested desexing is associated with health and behavioural costs in some breeds, population level evidence supports desexed dogs having a longer lifespan, and being less likely to wander with the added benefit of reducing unwanted litters. Thus, mandatory desexing presents a possible opportunity for prevention of dog bites expanding dog bite prevention beyond an education-only approach.

Effects of induced placental and fetal growth restriction, size at birth and early neonatal growth on behavioural and brain structural lateralization in sheep.

Poor perinatal growth in humans results in asymmetrical grey matter loss in fetuses and infants and increased functional and behavioural asymmetry, but specific contributions of pre- and postnatal growth are unclear. We therefore compared strength and direction of lateralization in obstacle avoidance and maze exit preference tasks in offspring of placentally restricted (PR: 10M, 13F) and control (CON: 23M, 17F) sheep pregnancies at 18 and 40 weeks of age, and examined gross brain structure of the prefrontal cortex at 52 weeks of age (PR: 14M, 18F; CON: 23M, 25F). PR did not affect lateralization direction, but 40-week-old PR females had greater lateralization strength than CON (P = .021). Behavioural lateralization measures were not correlated with perinatal growth. PR did not alter brain morphology. In males, cross-sectional areas of the prefrontal cortex and left hemisphere correlated positively with skull width at birth, and white matter area correlated positively with neonatal growth rate of the skull (all P < .05). These studies reinforce the need to include progeny of both sexes in future studies of neurodevelopmental programming, and suggest that restricting in utero growth has relatively mild effects on gross brain structural or behavioural lateralization in sheep.

Resilience in Veterinary Students and the Predictive Role of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion.

Resilience is a dynamic and multifaceted process in which individuals draw on personal and contextual resources. In difficult situations, resilient people use specific strategies to learn from the situation without being overcome by it. As stressors are inherent to veterinary work, including long work hours, ethical dilemmas, and challenging interactions with clients, resilience is an important component of professional quality of life. However, while resilience in other health professionals has received attention, it has received little in the veterinary field. In this cross-sectional study, veterinary students from six veterinary schools in Australia completed an online survey, with 193 responses (23%). Very few veterinary students (6%) reached the threshold to be considered highly resilient using the Brief Resilience Scale, and approximately one third classified as having low levels of resilience. In the final linear multiple regression model, predictors of resilience included nonjudgmental and nonreactive mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) and self-compassion (Neff Self-Compassion Scale). Students with higher nonjudgmental and nonreactive mindfulness and self-compassion had higher resilience scores. These findings indicate that fostering these qualities of mindfulness and self-compassion may be aligned with strengthening veterinary student resilience. Importantly, if the factors that help veterinary students develop a capacity for resilience can be identified, intervention programs can be targeted to educate future veterinary professionals with a high quality of life, both professional and personal.

The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue among Veterinary Students in Australia and the Associated Psychological Factors.

Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and other characteristics such as mindfulness and mental health stigma have not been investigated in veterinary students. The aims of this study were twofold: first to determine the prevalence of compassion, satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress among Australian veterinary students and second to investigate the association between these factors and self-stigma, coping, empathy, and mindfulness. A cross-sectional online survey consisting of demographic questions and four validated psychological measures sampled 828 students, with a response rate of 31% (255/828). We obtained a usable sample of completed surveys from 193 of 828 (23%) veterinary students from six of the seven Australian veterinary schools. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to examine associations between the psychological predictors and the outcome variables. Approximately 30% of veterinary students were at high risk of burnout, 24% were at high risk of secondary traumatic stress, and 21% reported low compassion satisfaction. High empathic concern, low personal distress, female gender, and employment history at a veterinary clinic were associated with high compassion satisfaction. High dysfunctional coping, low nonjudgmental and acting-with-awareness mindfulness, and lack of previous employment at a veterinary clinic were associated with high burnout. High dysfunctional coping, low acting-with-awareness mindfulness, high self-stigma, and high personal distress were associated with high secondary traumatic stress. As a result of these findings, certain emotional characteristics can be identified as targets for intervention to minimize the frequency and potentially negative impact of compassion fatigue and burnout in veterinary students.

The Importance of Animal Welfare Science and Ethics to Veterinary Students in Australia and New Zealand.

The study of animal welfare and ethics (AWE) as part of veterinary education is important due to increasing community concerns and expectations about this topic, global pressures regarding food security, and the requirements of veterinary accreditation, especially with respect to Day One Competences. To address several key questions regarding the attitudes to AWE of veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand (NZ), the authors surveyed the 2014 cohort of these students. The survey aimed (1) to reveal what AWE topics veterinary students in Australia and NZ consider important as Day One Competences, and (2) to ascertain how these priorities align with existing research on how concern for AWE relates to gender and stage of study. Students identified triage and professional ethics as the most important Day One Competences in AWE. Students ranked an understanding of triage as increasingly important as they progressed through their program. Professional ethics was rated more important by early and mid-stage students than by senior students. Understanding the development of animal welfare science and perspectives on animal welfare were rated as being of little importance to veterinary graduates as Day One Competences, and an understanding of "why animal welfare matters" declined as the students progressed through the program. Combined, these findings suggest that veterinary students consider it more important to have the necessary practical skills and knowledge to function as a veterinarian on their first day in practice.

Career Preferences and Opinions on Animal Welfare and Ethics: A Survey of Veterinary Students in Australia and New Zealand.

Historically, the veterinary profession has understood animal welfare primarily in terms of animal health and productivity, with less recognition of animals' feelings and mental state. Veterinary students' career preferences and attitudes to animal welfare have been the focus of several international studies. As part of a survey in Australia and New Zealand, this study reports on whether veterinary students prioritize animal welfare topics or professional conduct on the first day of practice and examines links between students' career preferences and their institution, gender, and year of study. The questionnaire was designed to explore the importance that students assign to topics in animal welfare and ethics. Of the 3,320 students invited to participate in the online survey, a total of 851 students participated, representing a response rate of 25.5%. Students' preferences increased for companion-animal practice and decreased for production-animal practice as they progressed through their studies. Females ranked the importance of animal welfare topics higher than males, but the perceived importance declined for both genders in their senior years. In line with previous studies, this report highlighted two concerns: (1) the importance assigned to animal welfare declined as students progressed through their studies, and (2) males placed less importance overall on animal welfare than females. Given that veterinarians have a strong social influence on animal issues, there is an opportunity, through enhanced education in animal welfare, to improve student concern for animal welfare and in turn improve animal care and policy making by future veterinarians.

Guardians' perceptions of caring for a dog with canine cognitive dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is difficult to diagnose, as its clinical signs are similar to those of other age-related conditions. The experience of caring for a senior dog with or without CCD is not well described. METHODS: Data were collected via an online survey. Using a mixed methods design, the level of CCD and burden of care were measured using validated tools, and open-ended questions gathered qualitative data. A general linear model showed the factors associated with guardian burden of care. RESULTS: Sixteen percent of guardians experienced a clinically significant burden of care. Factors associated with burden of care included severity of CCD, sleep location, guardian employment, household size, dog age, guardian age and the dog taking medication. Few dogs with CCD were prescribed CCD medications to ameliorate clinical signs. Euthanasia, strong attachment mitigating burden and the complexities of caregiving were themes presented by guardians. LIMITATIONS: Measures are based on self-reports and as such the usual limitations apply. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of caring for an older dog is greater if they have CCD. More attention to the treatment of senior dogs, including medications to reduce clinical signs of CCD, could improve the welfare of older dogs and decrease the clinical burden experienced by guardians.

Team-based learning increases active engagement and enhances development of teamwork and communication skills in a first-year course for veterinary and animal science undergraduates.

Team-based learning (TBL) was implemented into a first-year course (Principles in Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics) for BSc Veterinary Bioscience (VB) and Animal Science (AS) students. TBL is now used widely in teaching medical students, but has had more limited uptake in veterinary education. This study reports its use over 2 years with cohorts of 126 and 138 students in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Average individual marks for multiple-choice question (MCQ) tests in the Readiness Assurance component of TBL were higher for the teams than for individuals for each session, explicitly demonstrating the advantages of teamwork. Students reported that they felt actively involved and that TBL helped them both with their learning and in developing other important skills, such as teamwork and communication. Qualitative analysis of written feedback from the students revealed positive themes of discussion, application, revelation, socializing, engagement, clarification, and retention/revision. In 2011 negative comments included the need to shorten the TBL sessions, but in 2012 tightening of the timelines meant that this was no longer a major concern. Requests to provide better introductory and background materials and ambiguity in questions in the TBL activities were what students least liked about the TBL. However, most comments were positive rather than negative in nature, and many students preferred the TBL to lectures. With requirements for curricula to teach professional skills, such as communication and teamwork, and the positive results from TBL's implementation, it is hoped that this study will encourage others to trial the use of TBL in veterinary education.

Understanding the Role of Therapy Dogs in Human Health Promotion.

Dogs may provide humans with a range of physical, mental and social benefits. Whilst there is growing scientific evidence of benefits to humans, there has been less focus on the impact to canine health, welfare and ethical considerations for the dogs. The importance of animal welfare is increasingly acknowledged, indicating that the Ottawa Charter should be extended to include the welfare of non-human animals supporting the promotion of human health. Therapy dog programmes are delivered across a variety of settings including hospitals, aged care facilities and mental health services, highlighting the important role they play in human health outcomes. Research has shown that that there are biomarkers for stress in humans and other animals engaged in human-animal interactions. This review aims to assess the impact of human-animal interactions on therapy dogs engaged in providing support to human health. While challenging, it is paramount to ensure that, within the framework of One Welfare, the welfare of therapy dogs is included, as it is a key factor for future sustainability. We identified a range of concerns due to the lack of guidelines and standards to protect the wellbeing of the dogs engaged in these programmes. Extension of the Ottawa Charter to include the welfare of non-human animals with leveraging through a One Welfare approach would promote animal and human health beyond current boundaries.

The moral deliberation pathway in veterinary practice: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Veterinarians may face various ethical decisions and potential moral conflicts in clinical practice. The ethical decision-making process often leads to a satisfying resolution. However, when such a process is accompanied by a perceived inability to act according to a person's values, it can lead to psychological distress that characterises moral distress. Theoretical models in professions such as nursing attempt to explain the evolution of moral conflict into moral distress. In veterinary professionals, a model has been proposed to explain this pathway (the moral deliberation pathway). However, empirical data are still lacking on whether veterinary clinicians experience a moral deliberation pathway as hypothesised. METHODS: Using thematic analysis, this qualitative study investigates veterinary clinicians' experiences with moral distress and aims to explain the moral deliberation pathway in these veterinarians. RESULTS: The results suggest that veterinarians' experiences with moral distress follow a deliberation process that can be explained by the proposed moral deliberation pathway. Experiencing a moral conflict leads to moral stress, then either to moral distress or resolution into moral comfort. LIMITATIONS: Self-selection of participants and possible recollection bias may have biased the findings. CONCLUSIONS: The empirical data provided by this study can inform future research and intervention strategies to identify, measure and manage moral distress in the veterinary context.

The Impact of the Social Determinants of Human Health on Companion Animal Welfare.

The social determinants of health (SDH) focus on the social, physical and economic factors that impact human health. Studies have revealed that animal guardians face a range of challenges in attaining positive welfare outcomes for their companion animals, which can be influenced by socioeconomic and environmental factors. Despite this, there is a lack of research specifically exploring the relationship between SDH and animal welfare outcomes. Given that the SDH impact on humans, which in turn directly impacts on their companion animal, it is important to adapt an SDH framework for companion animal welfare by characterising the impact of the SDH on companion animal guardians in their attempts to care for their animals and, by extension, the associated welfare outcomes. This paper explores how these human health determinants may impact animal welfare and the possible challenges that may arise for the guardian when attempting to meet their companion animal's welfare needs. By integrating the SDH with other key frameworks, including the five domains model of animal welfare, through multidisciplinary collaboration, this framework can be used to inform future programs aiming to improve animal welfare.

Developing and Planning a Protocol for Implementing Health Promoting Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) in a Tertiary Health Setting.

The Ottawa Charter identifies that multiple levels of government, non-government, community, and other organizations should work together to facilitate health promotion, including in acute settings such as hospitals. We outline a method and protocol to achieve this, namely an Action Research (AR) framework for an Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) in a tertiary health setting. Dogs Offering Support after Stroke (DOgSS) is an AR study at a major tertiary referral hospital. AAI has been reported to improve mood and quality of life for patients in hospitals. Our project objectives included applying for funding, developing a hospital dog visiting Action Research project, and, subsequent to ethics and governance approvals and finance, undertaking and reporting on the Action Research findings. The Action Research project aimed to investigate whether AAI (dog-visiting) makes a difference to the expressed mood of stroke patients and their informal supports (visiting carers/family/friends), and also the impact these visits have on hospital staff and volunteers, as well as the dog handler and dog involved. We provide our protocol for project management and operations, setting out how the project is conducted from conception to assess human and animal wellbeing and assist subsequent decision-making about introducing dog-visiting to the Stroke Unit. The protocol can be used or adapted by other organizations to try to avoid pitfalls and support health promotion in one of the five important action areas of the Ottawa Charter, namely that of reorienting health services.

Characteristics and outcomes of dog attacks to dogs and cats in Melbourne, Australia: A retrospective study of 459 cases (2018).

Dog-dog and dog-cat attacks can result in severe medical, financial, and emotional injury to pets and owners. The characteristics of dog-dog and dog-cat attack victims, the circumstances surrounding these attacks and the financial burden from veterinary visits is not reported in Australia. Medical records from 459 animals that were presented to the emergency service of four specialty hospitals in Melbourne, Australia in 2018 following a dog attack were assessed via univariate and multivariate methodologies with a retrospective case-control study design. Animals who had been attacked by a dog comprised 2.4% of the overall caseload at these four hospitals. Risk factors identified in dog-dog attack victims for presenting to a veterinary emergency hospital after being attacked were being cross-bred (OR = 1.4, p = 0.014, 95% CI = 1.07-1.84) and neutered (OR = 1.4, p = 0.035, 95% CI = 1.03-2.00). Being aged > 2-7years was protective (OR = 0.70, p = 0.010, CI = 0.48-0.88). Dogs from houses with a lower Socio-economic Indices for Areas score (SIEFA) were more likely to be attacked at home by a known attacker, compared to those from houses with a higher SIEFA score who were more likely to be attacked in public by a dog unknown to them (p = <0.001). Cats who presented following a dog attack had a 46.3% survival to discharge, compared to 91.8% in dogs (p < 0.001). Final cost of treatment for dogs and cats was similar (median AU $380 vs AU $360, respectively). Further research is needed to evaluate the population of dogs and cats attacked by dogs, to inform and direct public education campaigns aimed at reducing their incidence and overall burdens.

Evaluation of canine detection of COVID-19 infected individuals under controlled settings.

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is currently the standard diagnostic method to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals infected with Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, RT-PCR results are not immediate and may falsely be negative before an infected individual sheds viral particles in the upper airways where swabs are collected. Infected individuals emit volatile organic compounds in their breath and sweat that are detectable by trained dogs. Here, we evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dog detection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Fifteen dogs previously trained at two centres in Australia were presented to axillary sweat specimens collected from known SARS-CoV-2 human cases (n = 100) and non-cases (n = 414). The true infection status of the cases and non-cases were confirmed based on RT-PCR results as well as clinical presentation. Across dogs, the overall diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) was 95.3% (95%CI: 93.1-97.6%) and diagnostic specificity (DSp) was 97.1% (95%CI: 90.7-100.0%). The DSp decreased significantly when non-case specimens were collected over 1 min rather than 20 min (p value = .004). The location of evaluation did not impact the detection performances. The accuracy of detection varied across dogs and experienced dogs revealed a marginally better DSp (p value = .016). The potential and limitations of this alternative detection tool are discussed.

Can teaching veterinary and animal-science students about animal welfare affect their attitude toward animals and human-related empathy?

Attitudes toward animals are important in influencing how animals are treated. Few studies have investigated attitudes toward animals in veterinary or animal-science students, and no studies have compared attitudes to animals before and after a course teaching animal welfare and ethics. In this study, students enrolled in veterinary (first-year) or animal-science (first- and third-year) programs completed a questionnaire on attitudes toward different categories of animals before and after the course. Higher attitude scores suggest a person more concerned about how an animal is treated. Normally distributed data were compared using parametric statistics, and non-normally distributed data were compared using non-parametric tests, with significance p < .05. Attitudes toward pets (45.5-47.6) were higher than those toward pests (34.2-38.4) or profit animals (30.3-32.1). Attitude scores increased from before to after the course in the veterinary cohort on the Pest (36.9 vs. 38.4, respectively, n = 27, p < .05) and Profit (30.3 vs. 32.1, respectively, n = 28, p < .05) subscales, but not in the animal-science cohorts. Attitude scores in all categories were higher for women than for men. Currently having an animal was associated with higher pet scores (46.8 vs. 43.8, ns = 120 and 13, respectively, p < .05), and having an animal as a child was associated with higher profit scores (31.0 vs. 26.6, ns = 129 and 8, respectively, p < .05). Students electing to work with livestock had lower scores on the Pest and Profit subscales, and students wanting to work with wildlife had significantly higher scores on the Pest and Profit subscales. This study demonstrates attitudinal changes after an animal-welfare course, with significant increases in veterinary but not animal-science students.