Saturday, July 19, 2014

Cats playing in the snow and learning resources in animal welfare science, ethics and law

Mio the cat enjoys the snow.
After a small working tour of Italy and England (very select bits of both), SAT has now returned to our home headquarters in Sydney where its 9 degrees Celsius (I know our European friends will be laughing at us, but this is c-c-cold!).

One of the unexpected highlights of the trip was meeting Dr Christine Leeb from the Institute of Livestock Sciences, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Austria.

Aside from talking about animal welfare research in general the discussion turned to companion animals. Dr Leeb shares her life with two cats that she describes as three-quarters “organic farmhouse cat”, one quarter Maine Coon. The brother (Mio, the grey prince, named after a famous Astrid Lindgren story) and sister (Zora, named after a character in the children’s book “Die Rote Zora”) are a stunning pair who enjoy playing in snow when it happens to be around.

Littermate Zora is also a fan of snow.
If you’ve not yet enrolled in the University of Edinburgh’s introductory course on animal welfare, it’s well worth it (especially since it is free).

You can sign up here.

Zora can jump in the snow too.
On the animal welfare theme, AWSELVA, the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association, is an organisation with membership open to vets but also others working in animal welfare science, ethics and law fields. Click here for more info.

If you don’t think birds are clever, this video might change your view. It shows a crow behaving very intelligently – or at least in a way that impresses humans. Check this out.

FINALLY I need to announce that our David Attenborough Giveaway Winners have been selected but the announcement is slightly delayed and will be made on Monday. Thank you to everyone who entered! 



Thursday, July 17, 2014

Grow your own vegies and be a superhero

DIY scarecrows protect the local veg.
 We’re on the home-stretch of our overseas mission and SAT has relocated to the quaint English countryside village of Winscombe, just South of Bristol.

It’s only a few miles to Cheddar Gorge, home of the original Cheddar Cheese, and close to Glastonbury, famous for the Glastonbury festival where this year Dolly Parton (bless her) almost adopted a lost lurcher (now reunited with the owners – for details click here).

One of the most charming things about the place is that everyone grows their own vegies, mostly on little allotments. For a few pounds a year you can lease a patch on a site and grow your own fruit, vegies, herbs and flowers. I’ve never seen such a variety of fantastic looking produce.

Celery growing in paper bags - apparently the best way to keep it on the straight and narrow. Those wayward vagies...
There are even allotmentcompetitions and allotment societies you can join. Its environmentally friendly, its economically sensible and its just a great idea. My colleague Siobhan took a group of us on a tour of her allotment where she grows beans, strawberries, artichokes, cucumbers and even a champion giant pumpkin. The guinea pigs would have had a field day! We even picked some fresh camomile for a cup of tea.

Camomile flowers.
The big news, of course, is that next week is SUPERHERO week. You might think your ordinary life is really nothing special, but the Bear Cottage annual fundraiser offers an opportunity to break out and be a superhero for a very good cause. SAT will naturally be participating. We've had a chat with Bear Cottage about their on-site lab (labrador, anyway) and we've been doing our own superdeeds in the lead-up to superhero week. For more info on that, click here.


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The ever growing cost of becoming a vet

Mildren the chicken walks the fence. One of the nice things about visiting the English countryside is the number of pet chickens around. Mildred, with her cohabitants Storm and Buttercup, produces enough eggs for two families and enjoys a fantastic life. And might I add that she is a mighty fine looking chicken.

The cost of veterinary degrees in Australia will increase massively under the Abbot Government, according to this article in The Sydney Morning Herald by Matthew Knott.

He cites financial modelling by the AVA. For those who don’t know, the current veterinary degree costs just over $57K to local students and the AVA estimates it takes the typical graduate around 22 years to pay off, with total debt paid nudging $102K (may not sound like much, but try applying for a home loan with that amount of debt).

That figure could escalate to over $185K if universities choose to recover funding costs – and really, not sure how else they can survive. That will take around 28 years to repay which seems insane – six years training followed by three decades to pay it off. If you’re female and take the average five years off to have children, you’re really in trouble…the figure could climb to over $270K and the time to pay off would be closer to forty years.

It’s a financial disincentive to become a vet, unless you happen to be an heiress or Bill Gates (and last time I checked, Bill G was busy with the Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation).

Another concern is the animal welfare implications. Increased costs of veterinary study may impact the consumers. It makes the whole exercise of being a vet more expensive, and some of this cost may be passed onto clients.

The problem of student fees is not new, of course, but they’re increasing exponentially. Its not necessarily better overseas. I met a US-based student who was doing her veterinary degree in a State other than the one she came from, and she was looking at around $US250K in debt on graduation.

Meanwhile the situation seems very similar in the UK, with the New Statesman’s journalist India Ross arguing that university practices are worsening the situation.

Today’s universities require money, above all else, from their students, and they are becoming increasingly astute at securing it. They are free to advertise implausible futures – and what they have for sale, the young consumer will buy.

It's an interesting perspective. For the full article click here.

Should the Government subsidise student places in veterinary courses? Do vets protesteth too much? Any ideas on how to solve this issue? Is a veterinary career as prospective vets imagine it pure fantasy? We’d love to hear from you.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Interview with pet volunteer Tricia Miles

Tricia and Anton.
Tricia Miles is Coordinator for Animal Care for Seniors At Home, a pilot program designed to keep seniors and their pets together. She’s also an active volunteer and animal lover who took a moment to chat to SAT about her life and dogs.
Who are you and what do you do?
As a retiree, I'm lucky enough to be able to do things that I hold dear - volunteering at an animal refuge and walking their dogs.  My husband and I also spend time with our own beloved dogs.  I'm also involved in matching senior citizens (living at home with their pets) and volunteers to help care for those pets.
How did you come to be involved with YAPS and what do they do?  
When we moved to Cairns, we got our first refuge dog from YAPS, then a second one, then a third.  It is a refuge for dogs and cats and has a no-kill policy.  Apart from taking in unwanted, sometimes terribly abused and neglected dogs and cats, the small dedicated staff find the best homes for the animals.  It is a not for profit organisation that depends on donations and sponsors, plus has boarding facilities and an active voluntary fundraising committee.  There are some wonderful foster carers, a support group for teenagers who learn about caring for animals, and a number of volunteers assisting in keeping the refuge going.  There are never enough volunteers though.  YAPS provided me with a retirement lifeline to do something good for animals while enjoying myself.  YAPS can be found on www.yaps.org.au
Can you tell us a bit about the non-humans in your life?
We currently have our fourth little female yellow labby.  The previous three were pedigrees before we became aware of the importance of adopting from a refuge.  It was amazing to adopt Shelly from YAPS and still have a labrador as we gallop - stumble might be a more apt description - around in our seventies.  The other love of our life is a 16 kg black staffy/kelpie cross, an adored little old greying girl who came from YAPS some 13 years ago.  Shelly wouldn't come inside and didn't know how to play when she came to us and was a whopping 40kg; she is now 30 kg in under 12 months, knows how to open the door to come inside and loves playing with her older canine sister.  It's a joy to watch them.
Georgie and Shelly enjoy a laugh.
How do you spend time together? 
Shelly and Georgie sleep inside with us and yes, mainly on (or in) our bed.  They are the first to stir in the morning and make it known they are ready to start the day; if only us oldies had such exuberence to greet the day!  The four of us walk down to buy the paper; Georgie can't walk as far as she used to (but still runs like a greyhound and thinks she is a rottweiler), so I keep going for an hour or so with Shelly.  They usually nap with us in the afternoon, and watch tv in the evenings, jostling for a position on the couch.  They are incredibly hospitable to other dogs so we often have friends' dogs staying though it gets a bit cramped on the bed!
If you could do one thing to improve the lot of companion animals in this world, what would it be? 
With the small pilot program I'm active in - Animal Care for Seniors at Home (ACSAH) - I hope I am doing something good to keep older people and their pets together.  Recognition by retirement villages and aged care facilities of the importance pets are to humans will go a long way to solve the problems of keeping them together.  It works overseas - why not in Australia? (You can get in touch via email - cairnsacsah@gmail.com)
What are three qualities you think are important in a vet? 

Love of animals, capability, and understanding that not all pet owners belong to Mensa so a vet needs a bit of patience in dealing with the humans too.

Do you have any advice for vets and future vets? 
People who care for animals are wonderful.  I'd really like to see vets take on the pharmaceutical companies and lobby for lower prices for consumers.  Yes, we love our pets, but it becomes a daily battle for lower income people to provide the very best of care for them.  I wish they could expose backyard breeders, report any animals they feel may have been abused, and be available to advise and support any educational programmes to teach people that animals hurt too and need love.
How can people in general help companion animals?
Talk to your family, friends and neighbours.  Ask if they can help you with your pet if you are having problems coping and tell them what should happen to your pet in an emergency if you were unable to care for it.  Keep their vaccinations up to date in case they have to be boarded at a refuge. Ask your health provider, doctor, vet or community centre if there is a programme in your area that provides volunteers to help you care for your pet.
Is there anything else you wanted to share?
No matter the terrible pain of losing your beloved pet.... how awful a life not to know that incredible love.  I will always have pets, but now (as I age) they must be older ones; hopefully they will die of old age before us so we know they have been loved and are not left to an uncertain fate.  I would never let my animals die without me holding them and telling them how much I love them if I am fortunate enough to have a choice.

Thank you for your time Tricia and all the great work you do.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Animals in Bristol Street Art

A man and his dog drive a tractor. Detail from wall mural in Bristol.
SAT has left Italy (we will miss its mycologists, entomologists and tomatoes dearly) and landed in Bristol, land of the Bristol veterinary school and also – as we discovered – famous street art, including some pieces by Banksy.

Every artist has their muse, and it seems that dogs, cats and wildlife inspire graffiti artists too: animals are a recurring theme in Bristol’s street art. Here are a couple of highlights.

Stencil of a cat on a building in Bristol.
An enormous leaping dog-human on the side of a building.
Even tough guys wielding crayons accessorise with dogs in these parts...
Loved this sci-fi birdosaurus.
Diagonally across the road there is this stunning sleeping fox.

I liked the detail on this public art near the harbour.
This very sad panda appears in a number of spots around the city.
If you enjoy animals in your art, you might like this post on dogs in Australian art or this interview with sculptors Gillie and Marc.