Weekend inspiration

Some days being a vet, or being an anything, is just a hard slog and we need inspiration, motivation or just something from somewhere (and let's face it, most veterinary textbooks just don't deliver on this front, although there are a few exceptions I'll be discussing later).

So this is a quote from philosopher John Armstrong, in an exceptionally brilliant little book called How to Worry Less About Money of all things (and no, the following quote won't make you rich - not in the bank account sense anyway).

He writes:

“Doing valuable things doesn’t always feel good at the time. You have to slog on, when you feel like giving up; risk annoying other people; accept the anxieties that come with competition; put your soul into things that might be rejected or are just plain difficult. Flourishing means getting on with the things that are important for you to do, exercising your capacities, actively trying to ‘realise’ what you care about and bring it into life. 

But these activities involve anxiety, fear of failure and setbacks, as well as a sense of satisfaction, occasional triumphs and moments of excitement. 

 A good life is still a life. It must involve its full share of suffering, loneliness, disappointment and coming to terms with one’s own mortality and the deaths of those one loves. To live a life that is good as a life involves all this.

Flourishing captures what we actually aspire to: the best use of our capacities and abilities; involvement in things we take to be worthwhile; the formation and expression of one’s best self”.

Its a bit of a mouthful and not the sort of cute quote one might tattoo on one's shoulder (unless one is built like the Incredible Hulk, perhaps)(which this one is not). But lovely nonetheless...

 

Renting with pets on think tank agenda

It can be a struggle finding pet-friendly rental accommodation.

The Australian Companion Animal Council is hosting is annual think tank in June, and renting with pets is high on the agenda.

Other key topics on the program are:

* Pets and aged care

* Access for animals in the community

* Education 

The ACAC has already done a lot of work on around renting with pets and has published guidelines on its website for both landlords and tenants. 

Registration for the annual one-day workshop (held on June 11) is open until June 3, and its an opportunity to influence policies around pets. You can register here. Its a discussion worth contributing to if you are interested in the wellbeing of companion animals and the value of the human-animal bond.

Caring for native wildlife

An orphaned joey in a makeshift pouch awaits her next feed.

There is an increased demand for care of orphaned or injured wildlife due to habitat destruction...but when the habitat is destroyed, where do you release these critters? The fate of animals post-release is uncertain, and if they aren't released into a safe environment they may sustain further injuries or illness.

Nina Keener has turned her own property, adjacent to the stunning Litchfield National Park in the Northern Territory, is a sanctuary for native animals and Nina's Ark is a wonderful place to visit if you are nearby. 

A wallaby and her joey feed safely at Nina's Ark outside Litchfield National Park, NT.

There is no doubt that the animals here thrive because the environment is protected (Nina's driveway is a pleasant 8km track winding through stunning bushland). 

A wallaby pauses outside the bush shower at Nina's Ark. This shower, designed
for humans - not wallabies - allows one to enjoy hot water under the stars. 

Dog Science

Exploring the garden

If you have an interest in animal behaviour you might want to visit Julie and Mia's fantastic blog. The two met at a conference and have been corresponding openly, via their blog, ever since. There are some fabulous posts on behaviour in a range of species.

Should I desex my dog?

I believe so - as does Katherine Heigl, although for different reasons (apparently). A colleague sent me this link for a desexing campaign with a twist. Before I go on, I applaud the message behind the campaign, and I think Katherine H is a talented, beautiful comic who does disgust brilliantly...so much so that the clip was compelling.

BUT.

I did wonder if this campaign is wide open to misinterpretation - specifically from people who hold the view (and they are out there) that desexing male dogs is some sort of attack on masculinity. A prominent ethicist I have collaborated with believed that desexing was vehemently promoted by predominantly females with rampant feminist ideals. 

I can say I've never met a vet who desexed dogs (male or female) for such reasons. The key motivation of course is population control - prevention of unwanted litters and animals who subsequently end up being euthanased as they cannot be accommodated in over-stretched shelters.

There are other benefits: elimination of the risk of testicular tumour and some prostate diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, the risk of complicated UTIs, reduction in hormonally-driven aggression, roaming and sexual frustration and so on. (In females, the risk of pyometra is virtually eliminated, the risk of mammary cancer substantially reduced and of course unwanted pregnancies aren't an issue - and female vets are just as happy to desex female dogs as they are males).

My other issue with this campaign is that it alienates the responsible blokes who are man enough to have their dogs desexed - as neutering of male dogs is framed as an anti-testicle stance.

Finally, I don't agree that the motivation for desexing is that part of an animal is disgusting - nay, an object of hatred. I personally don't hate any part of any animal, and my worry is that people might take this message and not treat animals (in part or whole) with the respect they deserve. If I were a human male I don't think I'd feel great if everyone around me went "anti-ball".

If the outcome of this message is that more animals are desexed and kept responsibly, then its great. I think it is cleverly marketed to a group of people who are likely to take the message in the spirit it is intended. 

But I would like to stress that testicles are entitled to just as much respect as any other body part, and I'd like to reassure any worried folk out there that when they are removed by a veterinarian, it is a meticulous, careful surgical procedure with appropriate pain relief.

Watch the full video here. Katherine and her mother Nancy DO care abut animals and their foundation is their contribution to animal welfare.

Juvenile freshwater crocodiles

A juvenile freshwater crocodile undergoes a health check.

Yes, I know...this is a site about companion animals and traditionally that means dogs and cats. But in many places people keep wildlife as companions - subject to licensing requirements. I had the opportunity to examine a juvenile freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) kept as a pet in Darwin.

They are extremely beautiful and at this age very soft, rubbery and non-threatening. In fact, juvenile freshies are under attack from a number of threats including the cane toad, which has made its way up North and is decimating the wild life, and their larger relatives, saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus). Strangely enough, the first patient I ever drew blood from was a juvenile saltwater crocodile. 

They are beautiful but they are not major fans of vets and they're challenging patients as they are subject to some nasty infections, they're not keen on taking meds and they have dominance issues. They can get very stressed during examinations.

What happens when you smile at a crocodile?

Getting to Zero: eliminating "euthanasia" of unwanted companion animals

Nell Thompson with the gorgeous Vulcan, a three-year-old dog adopted from a shelter she was managing.  Nell says "we were on a Vulcan-specific beach holiday, as you can see by the wetsuit, in the middle of winter." But winter wasn't an issue for Vulcan!!! 

The Getting 2 Zero movement is growing in Australia. We spoke to national co-ordinator Nell Thompson to find out what its all about. 

1)      Who are you and what do you do?

My name is  Nell Thompson and I am the Coordinator of the national Getting 2 Zero program which is delivered by Animal Welfare League of Queensland. I have worked in the animal welfare, care and veterinary sectors for over 20 years and was the Victorian G2Z representative since the development of the program.

I love assisting people and organisations with their aim of getting to zero euthanasia of healthy pets, all around Australia. My background in shelter operations and management and animal health is a great resource for Councils, shelters and all groups and individuals involved in the program.

2)      Where did the concept of Getting to Zero come from? What are the barriers to getting to zero?

Hundreds of thousands of healthy and treatable cats and dogs are being abandoned and killed in pounds, shelters and vet clinics each year in Australia.

Studies in whole cities in Australia and internationally show that at least 90% of stray and surrendered dogs and cats are either healthy or treatable. Based on the ethical treatment of animals, and community expectations, these animals should be rehomed. By definition, euthanasia should only occur if an animal is irremediably suffering. In addition, some dogs and cats may need to be killed if they are aggressive (i.e. likely to cause significant harm to people or other companion animals and the prognosis for rehabilitation is poor).  In a whole city these untreatable animals represent less than 10% of all stray and surrendered animals.

However, currently on average 20-40% of stray and surrendered dogs and 60-90% of stray and surrendered cats are being killed in the majority of pounds and shelters in Australia and these proportions have not reduced significantly in the last 10 years, with a few exceptions.

AWLQ has been working intensively on two key goals:

 1) To achieve zero killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs in one large Australian city,  and

 2) To develop a strategic model that can be applied in other cities and shires around Australia to Get to Zero nationwide.

This has resulted in the Getting 2 Zero Model which details the principles, structures and strategies for achieving zero killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs in whole communities.

The only barrier to G2Z is resistance to change. We recognise that things don’t happen overnight and are realistic with what can be achieved by resource poor organisations. However, taking the first step to try something new is often the hardest. This isn’t reinventing the wheel, these strategies are being implemented in one way or another by many organisations who want to do better by the community and their pets. Implementing one strategy at a time is ok and better than doing nothing at all.

3)      How can vets and vet students become involved? What about passionate pet owners? 

There are many ways vets and students can be involved in G2Z and a great start is to attend the 5th National G2Z Summit to be held in Gold Coast 11-13 September 2013  and visit the G2Z website to learn more about the issues and how you can be involved. Students should request work placement at a shelter clinic to experience this side of the coin and it is a great opportunity to get hands on.

Vets are needed to be part of the G2Z strategies and can have a direct impact on the number of lives a community can save.

Pet owners can advocate for the G2Z strategies to be taken up by their local council and animal shelter. Sharing information  is an easy and effective way to make a difference. You can also get involved in many other ways (including attending the Summit in September) and can read more about this here.

4) What has G2Z achieved so far?

The lowest euthanasia rate for a large city in Australia has been achieved through applying the G2Z model.

There has been a significant reduction in the numbers of incoming stray and surrendered kittens from Gold Coast City residents since implementation of the G2Z model, while other communities have maintained similar numbers.

In 09/10 zero euthanasia of all healthy sociable dogs and cats in a whole city was achieved.

In addition the G2Z program and the support that it provides as assisted councils and NGO’s to put into place the policies, strategies and practices that contribute to Getting 2 Zero. This is achieved by working with and alongside all of those involved in a respectful and supportive way.

4)      What humans and non-humans have influenced your involvement in G2Z?

Having been involved in this sector for a number of years I have learnt so much from the many people I have met along the way. Of course I have been influenced by not only my own shelter pets but by every rescue pet that I have met over the years. It doesn’t matter what country you go to, you find the same faces needing a forever home. There is a lot of work still to do  and there is always more to learn and challenge yourself with but I think this is a fantastic era to work in animal welfare.

6) How would Australia look different if we actually got to ZERO?

This is the happy place that I go too when things are getting a bit overwhelming! Our shelters and pounds would have very small numbers of animals in them and these pets would only be homeless for a very short time as people would adopt them so quickly! Our community would be prepared to adopt those not so perfect pets that are older or with medical issues. The newspapers and “for sale” sites would be empty of pets for sale or free…. I could go on…