Why animal lovers need to watch Blackfish

"Never capture what you can't control" - Blackfish is a gripping documentary with a powerful message. (Image courtesy http://blackfishmovie.com/)

SAT's weekend posts are traditionally focused on activities we can share with the non-humans in our lives...this is a bit of an extension of that. Except today its not about companion animals, but wild animals. And one movie that I think anyone who works with animals should see.

Back in February 2010 (the 24th to be precise), the death of Florida SeaWorld killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau made international headlines. When the news first broke the storyline was that the trainer had stuffed up, or been over-confident, and been somehow fatally punished by the 6.9m, 5400kg orca - in front of a crowd of distressed onlookers.

But the orca, Tilikum, had killed before. Twice in fact. 

The news stories changed. Suddenly the incident was concieved as murder, one that could have been forseen and thereby prevented. So was it an accident, or a brutal attack?

Blackfish, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, is the story of Tilikum, and the remarkable trainers who worked with him and other killer whales, as well as the multi-million dollar sea park industry (and, indirectly, about zoorism). Its based on an extended article published in Outside magazine (definitely worth a read, click here).

The movie traces Tilikum's life  - from his heartbreaking capture in the wild to the shocking husbandry, poor (and sometimes cruel) training and his learning history. Cowperthwaite interviewed former trainers and keepers and provides compelling first hand interviews, as well as some fairly confronting footage of near-misses in the pool.

Image courtesy http://blackfishmovie.com/

What happened on February 24 initially appears as a routine show, but with this background, you can understand how a missed cue and an innocent, routine response by the trainer can escalate the situation beyond control.

The trainers interviewed all admit that they had concerns about the welfare of these animals in captivity, but wanted to believe that they were doing the right thing. Nor did they seem to know much about Tilikum's background and previous incidents. Cowperthwaite builds an argument that all of these things culminated and climaxed in the death of Brancheau.

Their story is a potent reminder than even animal lovers with the best intentions can buy into practices which are ultimately cruel. The implication of their collective interviews is that the stress of captivity ultimately lead to injuries of both humans and orcas.

Image courtesy http://blackfishmovie.com/

There have been some negative responses to the movie, such as this, though SeaWorld, according to the filmmakers, declined repeated requests to participate in interviews. It's a shame because it would have been beneficial to hear directly from SeaWorld management.

Cowperthwaite says that she didn't approach the documentary project initially as an activist, but says she became one by default. The SeaWorld camp claims it is pure propaganda. The Blackfish Twitter account is aflutter with comments from celebs like Paris Hilton saying they are saddened to learn "the truth". 

This week the Barenaked Ladies cancelled a SeaWorld gig following a petition from fans and there is a suggestion that SeaWorld's hip pocket is hurting.

Image courtesy http://blackfishmovie.com/

To me the most interesting issue raised by this film is not how corporates dupe employees or skimp on work health and safely (though there is plenty of that), but how good people, who really do care, can do things they "know" are wrong. Blackfish also demonstrates how easy it is for even the most passionate animal people to forget, ignore or selectively address husbandry of animals. (The most shocking example is the footage and keeper interviews of the first marine park that Tilikum was housed in with two other females). If it can happen to them, surely it can happen to anyone?

I am not sure I am convinced that SeaWorld as an entity itself is inherently evil. I'm left a bit uneasy that all former trainers interviewed seemed to have been labouring under misapprehensions and suddenly seen the light (what stopped them from seeing it earlier? Was it all so bad? Did, as one suggested, their relationships with animals force them to let some stuff slide?). I think some of the people who came up with different explanations for Tilikum's behaviour that day really do believe what they are saying. 

There is no single, correct way to interpret and explain "aberrant" animal behaviour - and it is hard to explain the thinking of a deceased person in their final moments. 

But Blackfish raises critical questions about the welfare of orcas...and all animals...in captivity. It is a chilling reminder that when it comes to the welfare of animals, we can always do better and we can always learn more - and its dangerous to think that we know it all.

Image courtesy of http://blackfishmovie.com/

Further reading and resources

The Human Society International published a paper on why orcas should not be kept in captivity and another from WSPA and HSI about marine mammals in captivity. 

Pets in the Park & SAT featured in Generosity Magazine

Generosity Magazine ran SAT's interview with Dr Mark Westman, Pets in the Park veterinarian, on their site. They also gave SAT a lovely plug, so please read it here.

If you'd like to read more about Pets in the Park, check out our interview with Dr Mark Kelman here or visit their site here.

A big thanks to Sam at Generosity Magazine for the acknowledgement!

A passion for emergency and critical care: SAT interviews Garret Pachtinger

Dr Garret Pachtinger with a patient.

Garret Pachtinger is a boarded emergency and critical care specialist and COO of VetGirl. SAT reviewed his webinar on haemoabdomen, which was fantastic. We wanted to ask him more about careers in emergency medicine.

Who are you, where did you graduate from and what do you do?

I am a 2005 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine.  Following veterinary school, I completed a small animal rotating internship in medicine and surgery, an emergency and critical care fellowship, and an emergency and critical care residency at University of Pennsylvania (UPENN).  I became a board-certified emergency and critical care specialist (Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care – DACVECC) in 2010.  I’m the COO of VetGirl, a subscription-based podcast service offering RACE-approved veterinary continuing education (CE). I’m teamed up with my UPENN colleague, Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, CEO, VetGirl.  I’m also in full-time clinical practice, where I’m an associate criticalist at the Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center (VSEC) in Levittown, Pennsylvania. I’m also the VSEC intern director.

What attracted you to emergency medicine?

The variety of the patient presentations, the pace of the environment, and high expectations that force you to step up as a leader each and every day.  I’m a type A personality and live for the adrenaline rush of a new case and emergent nature.  The diversity of the cases I see forces me to continue learning each and every day.

As an emergency and critical care board certified specialist, what emergencies do you find the most rewarding to work on?

My special case interests include trauma, severe metabolic disease, acid-base disturbances, and management of critically ill small animal patients with an emphasis on fluid therapy.  In reality, in the emergency room, we expect everything.  We see the itchy dog, the ear infection, the limping dog, the renal failure patient, the massive trauma, to the septic patient. You have to be ready to see everything that walks in the door without warning.

What kind of emergencies do even ER specialists find challenging?

As an ECC specialist in a multi-specialty referral hospital, what I find challenging is attempting to provide a rapid assessment to a patient with numerous, chronic diseases. The thick medical record can be challenging to decipher in a timely manner.  While pediatric patients can be rewarding, pediatric cases can also be challenging.  Frequent testing such as hematology and chemistry is often difficult due to a low blood volume, vascular access is often limited, they can worsen just as quickly as they can improve, and ultimately they often demand intensive monitoring.

Off the top of your head, what are five drugs you'd always have in your crash cart and why?

The top 5 drugs I choose are epinephrine, atropine, calcium gluconate, vasopressin, and diazepam.

There are formularies for a reason, notably because it is difficult to remember every single drug dose for all the medications out there.  With that said, there are certain medications you should have a dose or a body weight shortcut memorized for rapid delivery of your critically ill and crashing patient. Along with the 5 medications listed above, honorable mention would also go out to naloxone, 50% dextrose, and lidocaine.

You're the COO of VetGirl. Hang on a mo, you're a dude! Tell us a bit about VetGirl. Is it exclusively for chicks?

Absolutely not! VetGirl is designed for any veterinarian, veterinary student, or veterinary technician who wants to learn “on the run.” I don’t know many people in the veterinary community that work 20 hours a week and feel they have enough time to stay up to date on the veterinary literature while enjoying their family life as well as an active social life. Most veterinarians have time poverty, working 80-hour weeks and trying to balance a family and social life. With VetGirl, it provides a great option to learn on the run on their schedule – all they need is a smart phone with internet access!  There are two subscription plans:

VetGirl STANDARD: This provides over 50-60 podcasts (ranging from 3-5 minutes, on average) per year, focusing on what you need to know to stay on top of the field! These include clinical vignettes with topics ranging from ‘How to unblock a cat” to “Treating the po’: parvovirus” to “Phenobarbital or potassium bromide: which one’s better?”  ($99/year)

VetGirl ELITE: Not only do you get the 50-60 podcasts, but with VetGirl ELITE, you get 12 hours of veterinary CE webinars that you can watch from the comfort of your own home! Check out our 2013 and 2014 topics here! ($199/year).

The benefit of subscribing to VetGirl? It also can help save yourself the expense of travel, conference fees, and even having to hire someone at your clinic to cover you while you are away!

You've lectured around the world and published in books like The Five Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Small Animal Toxicology  and Feline Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. Do you think you will ever stop learning?

Absolutely not.  When my drive to continue learning is no longer there, that will be time for me to leave medicine.  I love the daily challenge of critical cases, I love teaching, and I love learning.  It is part of my DNA. 

Do you share your life with any non-human companions? If so can you tell us who they are and how you met. 

I currently share my life with a cat named Joie.  She is a Siamese-mix that I adopted when I was an intern at UPenn.  I am sure we all understand that there is very little chance you leave your veterinary training without rescuing something!  I diagnosed her with panleukopenia while on the emergency service rotation and adopted her understanding the risks of this serious and potentially fatal disease.  Fortunately, she was a fighter and 7 years later is still a ball of personality!

Emergency medicine is notoriously stressful. Can you give us an example illustrating why this is and how do you wind down?

Emergency medicine can be extremely stressful.  No matter the severity of the patient’s situation, the owners present in a panic.  Without an “appointment” in the ER, the wait time in the ER can be long and this can be exacerbated by the unexpected and unplanned costs associated with a visit to the emergency room. Complicating matters, there is often no previous relationship with the emergency veterinarian, often described as lacking an “emotional bank” that the owner can fall back on when a veterinarian is delivering information.  When you add all of these concerns together, along with having to deliver unexpected news, the situation can be stressful for both the pet owners and the emergency room veterinarian.

With experience, I have learned to handle these situations better.  One of the most common misconceptions that people have is that veterinarians just deal with the pets, and unlike human medicine they do not need to deal with people.  I emphatically disagree.  I would consider a pediatrician a close comparison in that like pets, often children cannot communicate their symptoms or concerns and we are forced to actually deal with the parents even more.  This is why someone who can communicate well with owners will continue to be a commodity in veterinary medicine.

Dr Pachtinger examines a patient.

To wind down, I typically resort to spending time at the gym or preparing for events such as the Tough Mudder. I also have two active kids that tend to take some of my remaining energy too!

Any advice for aspiring ER vets, and veterinary students?

My advice is to follow your passion and follow your dream.  I love to go into work every day knowing I am going to make a difference, not only to the pet, but the owners as well. Yes, like most veterinarians out there, I have some debt.  That is what is plastered all over the news these days.  But the bottom line is that I love to teach, learn, and practice medicine.  I wouldn’t trade my job for anything, certainly not sitting behind a desk!

How to defrag

I came home and crashed on the couch after a particularly busy day, with an aching neck. Sensing that I was in need of some TLC, my little angels stepped in: Michael gave me a remedial massage and Phil stood guard. Look at her technique. And she only charged one tin of Fancy Feast.

And while we're on the topic of self-care, I spotted this chart on the wall of the ladies room when I was visiting a clinic recently. Its a gentle reminder to stay hydrated at work. 

[While we are on the self-care topic, I was chatting to a vet who was called into a clinic (fortunately not one I work at) from 6am for an emergency and stuck around to help out her colleagues. At 2.30pm she mentioned she might need something to eat and earned disapproving comments from colleagues who suggested she should harden up. Really? 

I am sure most pet owners would prefer their animals to be treated by a normoglycaemic, well hydrated clinician than a starving clinician on the verge of a hypoglycaemic coma and renal failure any day of the week!]

Speaking of winding down, on Thursday the team from www.wildwalks.com is launching a fantastic book and project about the Six Foot Track in the Blue Mountains. Not only did they write a book, but they created a backpack mounted camera system that publishes panoramic images every 5m along the spectacular track, built an interactive website with a detailed map, and made a series of videos with some very handy bushwalking tips.

Calm blue ocean: I was invited to a very early breakfast meeting this week in the most spectacular location. Imagine how chilled we would be if we all started our respective days in this way. My only regret was that Phil had skipped out on the meeting to sleep in - he would have loved it.

How to help your fur baby deal with a human baby

Image courtesy Shutterstock.

It is often said that people treat their animals as surrogate children. I’m not going to “unpack” that statement here, loaded as it is, but I will confess I possibly fit into that category and I’m happy to be there. However, what if you have “fur kids” and then actually have human offspring? Life can get a bit complicated. A number of close friends (including some vets) have struggled with balancing the needs of the dependent humans and non-humans in their lives. No judgement here.

SAT interviewed behavior vet Dr Lewis Kirkham about his work and his new book, “Tell Your Dog You’rePregnant”.

Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do? 

I am veterinarian that has had many years of experience in a variety of practices, both in Australia and the United Kingdom. I have further qualifications in animal behaviour and provide private counselling and behavioural advice for pet owners and zoos. I divide my time between my family, private veterinary practice, companion and exotic animal behaviour referrals and online veterinary support.

Dr Lewis Kirkham and friends.

What moved you to write a book about introducing your dog to the new baby in your life?

Many modern couples are having “fur kids” prior to having a baby. These pampered pets enjoy the highest quality of life. I began seeing more and more couples for behaviour consults because they were expecting a baby and worried about how they would all cope with a new baby in the family. I was also visiting families who already had their baby and were having significant issues as a direct result of not preparing their dog for the changes that a new baby brings. I felt that if I could advise expectant parents about how to prepare their dog, many subsequent problems could be avoided. I was also concerned with the number of dogs that are unfortunately re-homed or relegated to the backyard just because the owners are having a baby.

Babies can be a terrifying prospect to other humans in your household, let alone animals who may have no idea some new flatmates are on the way. These gorgeous bubs belong to vet nurse Kim, who doesn't have a dog but did have to tell her cats, python and Siamese fighting fish that she was pregnant...with TWINS.

As a non-parent I was fascinated to read that children between the age of 2 and 5 years old may have some negative reactions to the homecoming of a new baby including more demanding behaviour and regression in toilet training. Are we expecting too much of our dogs to suddenly adapt to a new being in the house?

All dogs have individual temperaments and some will cope easily with the transition to a larger family, while other dogs can become quite distressed which can lead to a variety of behavioural problems, such as house soiling and barking. The key is to start preparing early for the new baby to minimise sudden changes to the household.

The book comes with a CD of baby related sounds. 

It is often said that pets are treated like children, but that changes when a baby comes along. In your experience, how long does it take for a dog to adapt to new household rules such as not sleeping in the bed?

It can take several months for a dog to adapt to new household routines, therefore changes should be made gradually to reduce anxiety in all family members.

You provide a CD of baby noises and the sounds of baby toys. Why is it important for dogs to hear these sounds before the real baby arrives?

There are several important reasons why dogs should be accustomed to a variety of different sounds that a baby makes before the real baby arrives: to decrease a dog’s reactivity to the sounds; to ensure the dog isn’t scared of the sound of a baby; and to gauge the dog’s body language when listening to the sounds. Two tracks of toy sounds are also included on the CD to help the dog prepare for the sounds of the ‘new’ toys that are likely to arrive. Also some dogs get quite excited with the sounds of squeaky toys and we do not want the baby to have a squeaky toy and the dog thinks it is playtime and goes to grab it off the baby.

You advocate never leaving dogs and babies alone. What if you have an exceptionally well-trained dog with a lovely temperament?

All dogs have teeth and all have the ability to bite. This can be due to numerous different reasons – and these are discussed within the book. But, that statistics tell us that 70 % of dog bites towards children are by a dog that is known to the child (i.e. family or friends dog). So it is not a stray dog running down the street. Also, scarily, two-thirds of dogs that bite children, the owner says that the dog ‘has never bitten before’! This may be the well-trained dog with a lovely temperament you mention. Supervision and separation when not supervised is a must.

The twins sleeping. Contrary to popular belief, babies spend a small proportion of their time sleeping and much of it making noises that can be unsettling to pets (and, lets face it, quite often other humans, although I should add that Kim's bubs are perfect).

When should expectant parents call on the services of a veterinarian with training in animal behaviour?

Expectant parents should get help from an appropriate veterinarian if they notice any behaviour that worries them. Undesirable behaviours may include things such as jumping up, barking at the front door and more serious problems including concerning body language, resource guarding and aggression. The book outlines more deeply areas when owners may need further help.

Is it true that the Queen enjoyed your book?

It is true that The Queen has a copy of my book. I received a lovely letter thanking me for it – hopefully the CD was playing in Buckingham Palace at one stage to help prepare the Royal Corgies [for the impending birth of Prince George]! It is important for all dog-owning members of a family to prepare their dogs if they are planning to have a newborn baby visit their home.

What tips would you give veterinarians and vet students asked to provide advice to pet owners who are expecting their first child?

Vets and vet students should tell owners to read my book ;) Owners should start preparing their dog as early as possible for the transition to a larger family by changing their household routines, work on any problem behaviours occurring now, learning to read their dog’s body language, and getting their dog accustomed to the sounds of a baby. If they own cats they should also look out for the cat version; Tell Your Cat You’rePregnant book.

Thanks Dr Kirkham for the tips. I love the image of the Corgis sitting next to the fireplace in Buckingham Palace with their earbuds in. 

Emergency Identification of Animals for Disaster Preparedness

Orpheus the lamb wears a collar, tag and harness.

Today's post is about identification of animals for disaster preparedness, inspired by the fantastically dedicated team at Pet Search. 

Most of our lives are generally boring. But now and then terrible, unexpected things happen...they freak us out and they freak animals out as well. But pets don't have mobile phones, they may not be familiar with the area outside of your property and they need all the help they can get to find their way back in the event of a disaster.

Orpehus again. Because he is gorgeous.

According to Pet Search, whilst microchips are very helpful in reuniting lost animals with their owners, we should not rely on them as not everyone who finds an animal has a microchip scanner. These machines are also not totally foolproof - the animal must be scanned thoroughly, the chip details must be updated on the database, and the person with the scanner needs access to the database. A microchip is not, as some people believe, a GPS device that allows us to track animals (although you can buy those).

If there are severe weather warnings, you live in a disaster prone area or disaster looms, consider the following tips.

1. Put a collar on your pet - dogs, cats, ferrets, cattle and sheep can wear collars. Other animals such as goats, alpacas & horses can wear head collars. A head collar can also make it easier for someone to catch a frightened pet.
2. Write your name and phone number on the collar in permanent marker.
3. Write your phone number on your pet's body in permanent marker - you can do this with dogs, cats, horses, cattle, alpacas, chickens, rabbits, ferrets, snakes, turtles, rats, larger birds, ducks and other similar type pets.
4. If the emergency is close and you cannot safely evacuate your pets, let them out of their enclosure. They will have a better chance of outrunning the danger rather than being trapped in it.

Little Orpheus again.

Remember that pets behave differently when they are scared. If your pet is missing when the emergency has passed call your local vet and any vet clinics in your area, contact the local councils and pounds, ring shelters in the region and contact Pet Search on 1300 309 004. 

It is also important to check all neighbouring homes in case your pet/s have taken shelter there. For more info about how pet detectives find missing pets, check out our interview with Lee from Pet Search.

If disaster strikes, the best thing to do is take your animals with you if at all possible. And if you find someone else's pet, give them a call or take the animal to the nearest vet or shelter. Let someone know!