Citizen science opportunity: do you live with diabetic cat?

Do you live with a diabetic cat? Do you test your cat’s blood glucose levels at home?

If so, please share your experiences by completing this quick 10-minute questionnaire.

This questionnaire is part of a research project within Massey University's school of Veterinary Science.

The aim of the questionnaire is to provide information about the difficulties and benefits of home blood glucose monitoring.

This information can then be used to guide education and hopefully improve the welfare of diabetic cats. 

Your participation in this questionnaire is completely voluntary and you will remain anonymous.

Copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
https://massey.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ai1dcTvqiBwVjet

Citizen science in lockdown

You can contribute to the growing evidence base around animal welfare, ethics and One Health by participating in some citizen science.

Its been a very big week in Vetland. As a veterinarian and a lecturer, much of the week has been spent debriefing over this week’s episode of SBS Insight, on veterinary care. 

I don’t know anyone who didn’t find it challenging viewing, for a plethora of reasons. The panelists and speakers were all very brave and generous for sharing their painful stories. The challenge with television is trying to cover a complex, nuanced, multi-factorial issue in the space of an hour. It felt like an exploratory surgery – a wound was created, opened and explored, but there wasn’t time to develop a therapeutic plan before it was closed.

Watching it certainly triggered some painful memories for me. If you have not seen it yet but plan to, I recommend viewing it with a friend (human or otherwise), and having a bit of time to do something renewing afterwards.

Meanwhile there are a plethora of opportunities to contribute to some meaningful citizen science. As anyone running an online survey is all too aware, the incidence of survey fatigue is growing. But its worth keeping in mind that responses contribute to the growing evidence base around animal health and welfare and the role of veterinary professionals.

So, if you find yourself with a bit of free time, grab a cup of tea and consider doing one or more of the following surveys (I’ve pasted the invitations below).

For veterinarians

The global role of the veterinary sector in COVID-19 pandemic responses 

Recent press reports indicate that veterinarians and others working in animal health have been assisting with responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The purpose of this short questionnaire is to document the role of the veterinary sector in COVID-19 responses worldwide. This information will be used to explore the roles and relationships that have been formed during this outbreak, to identify ways to sustain these relationships and build new ones, and to deal with future human, animal or One Health crises.  

Please take a few minutes (less than 10) to fill in the questionnaire and contribute to building stronger and more diverse relationships between people working in human and animal health. You can access the questionnaire using this link. The questionnaire is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Korean. It will soon be available in Mandarin. 

This project is a collaboration between the Veterinary Public Health Institute (VPHI) of the University of Bern (Switzerland), the European Network for EcoHealth and One Health (NEOH), the City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR) and the University of Ilorin (Nigeria). 

This is an anonymous questionnaire. By submitting your answers you consent to the use of this data for scientific purposes. You can contact us via: luis.gomesdocarmo[at]vetsuisse.unibe.ch.  

Ethically challenging situations for veterinarians, veterinary nurses and animal health technicians due to the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has raised additional and perhaps unforeseen ethically challenging situations (ECS) for those working in veterinary clinical settings. As part of my PhD study, I am conducting a survey to determine the frequency, stressfulness and nature of these ethical challenges.

The survey is open to veterinarians, animal health technicians and veterinary nurses around the world who are over the age of 18. It will take 15-20 minutes to complete.

To read the participant information statement and complete the survey, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=KDFEFHCKX3

This is an anonymous survey. You are welcome to share the link with colleagues.

For further information about this study, contact Anne Fawcett: anne.fawcett[at]sydney.edu.au

For dog owners

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major changes to people’s lives across the globe. We do not know for sure how this stressful time might be impacting the welfare of pet dogs or what carryover effects it might have when dogs suddenly find themselves home alone down the road. While we obviously hope we will not experience anything similar again, this does give us a unique opportunity to examine the effects of major changes to routine on our canine companions. The Humane Rescue Alliance and the University of Lincoln, UK, are partnering together to understand how dogs are coping and continue to cope after the pandemic, and we invite you to participate via this link.

For residents of the UK or Australia 

Does animal quantity of life matter?

Help researchers at the University of Edinburgh better understand our attitudes towards animals and their quantity of life by participating in a short anonymous online survey.

To participate or for further details, copy and paste this link into your browser:

https://edinburgh.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/attitudes-towardsquantity-

of-life-dogs

Pets and aged care

Hero and I have been getting a lot of mileage out of this cardboard box, which - surprisingly - is still standing.

Last year my friend and colleague Dr Stephanie Ward took part in an amazing television program called Old People’s Home for 4-Year-Olds. If you have not seen it, this is quite an amazing series based on a simple question: does putting older people together with younger people benefit one or both groups, and how?

You can watch the five-part series here.

One statistic I cannot forget, delivered in the first episode by the inspirational Professor Sue Kurrle (watch one of her fabulously engaging talks here), is that 40 per cent of people in aged care don’t get visitors. FORTY PER CENT.

This is a figure that I continue to reflect on in the light of Covid-19, which has seen severe restrictions that have unintentionally but disproportionately impacted vulnerable people and their carers. It is especially painful on days like today, Mother’s Day, when a lot of families would have planned to visit their elderly relatives.

Companionship is critical. Humans need it. Companion animals need it, and we can mutually benefit. Yet many older people have to give up their companion animals when they enter care, and both animals and humans suffer when they are parted. Pets and Positive Aging is one organisation that advocates for the recognition of the bond between people and our pets as we age, and they’ve recently updated their website.  

They’ve developed a Pet Plan that should be completed in case of emergency by those living with companion animals. 

Of course there are many people out there – family members, friends, neighbours – supporting people to care for their animals, whether it’s a helpful lift to the vet, a daily dog walk, minding or feeding an animal while an owner is in hospital, or someone happy to pick up some more supplies when they’re on a run to the shops. Every single act of kindness like that makes a difference.

How to manage companion animals wearing Elizabethan collars

Yustina Shenoda with Chelsea and her owner Rhonda. Chelsea wore the collar to protect her against self-trauma following eye-surgery.

Have you ever lived with an animal who happened to be wearing an Elizabethan collar? Many of my clients have, and so have I, and it isn’t without challenges. In fact, on the weekend I had a call from a close family member whose canine companion is recovering from knee surgery, for the specific purpose of trouble-shooting Elizabethan-collar related issues.

Last year I worked with a fantastic team, including DVM student Yustina Shenoda, looking at the animal welfare impacts of Elizabethan collars and dogs and cats. You can find out about the study and what we found in a webinar tomorrow night through Bova Scholars. Registration is free and you don’t have to be a vet to register. The talk will be of interest to vets, nurses and companion animal owners. Register here.

You can download the full paper from MDPI Animals here. 

Covid-19 updates for vets and pet owners

"Phil" cakes, made by My Little Panda Kitchen in honour of my late dog Phil. Unrelated to this post, except that they go well with a cup of tea. 

Whether you’re working hard in a veterinary hospital, in quarantine or isolating yourself at home, we hope you’re doing well.

I am fortunate enough to be working at this stage, and every day seems to end or begin or both with a webinar or new paper re companion animals and Covid-19.

Some useful updates re Covid-19 for veterinary teams. Each of these probably requires a cup of tea as they’re not brief, but they are very helpful.

The International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID) has released a very detailed series of responses to Frequently Asked Questions for pet owners. 

ISCAID has also provided an update on current knowledge re SARS-COV-2 for veterinarians. 

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association provided a webinar/youtube video for vets. 

Note that all links shared on this site are external and subject to update.

Up to date information on Covid-19 for veterinary teams

Social distancing means that I cannot visit my family, including Bosca. 

Last night I gave a webinar for the Centre for Veterinary Education on ethical challenges for veterinary teams that have arisen from the Covid-19 pandemic. A recording will be available soon (more info here https://www.cve.edu.au/web/ethical-challenges-veterinary-teams-covid-19-era). 

In the meantime a common question was where to go for reliable information.

For reliable it needs to be up to date, as – to repeat an oft-repeated phrase – this is a rapidly evolving situation.

There is quite a lot out there and it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff, but this is an area where our professional organisations play a vital role. For example, the Australian Veterinary Association (of which I am a member) has established a Covid-19 working group which has already produced some very useful resources and answered practical questions.

The Australian Veterinary Association have set up an online Coronavirus Information Hub which includes FAQs about PPE, telemedicine, protocols and procedures: https://www.ava.com.au/coronavirus/

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS Knowledge) has established a coronavirus information page: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/covid-19/

The American Veterinary Medical Association also has a page here: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association have provided information, available in a number of languages: https://wsava.org/news/highlighted-news/the-new-coronavirus-and-companion-animals-advice-for-wsava-members/

Dr Scott Weese's Worms and Germs blog is extremely useful and very current. I am not sure when he sleeps, but if there's a new pre-print about Covid-19 with a veterinary angle, he covers it: https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/

For general information of the non-veterinary kind, the World Health Organisation provides situation reports, rolling updates and online courses: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

For veterinarians based in Australia, Judy Gillespie from Vet Answers has been compiling a Covid-19 resource hub for the veterinary industry: http://www.vetanswers.com.au/covid-19-the-veterinary-industry

How do we continue to minimise stress in companion animal patients during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Since I've been doing a lot more work from home, Hero is demanding meals at very specific times. 

Companion animal vets work hard to minimise fear, anxiety and stress in our patients. While the Covid-19 pandemic necessitates some dramatic changes to the way we practice in order to protect veterinary team members and clients, there are still steps we can take to make the veterinary experience easier on companion animals. The Fear Free team have a host of webinars on topics from euthanasia in the time of Covid-19 to infection control: https://fearfreepets.com/resources/webinars/

For a non-companion animal specific activity, a researcher at the University of Texas, Austin (USA) is conducting The Pandemic Project, a social psychology initiative that is studying how our everyday lives are affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The survey, which took me about 15 minutes to complete, provides some feedback on how your reactions to the outbreak compare with others. You will get personal feedback about your coping methods with information about what may work best for you (I thought this was very helpful).

http://utpsyc.org/covid19/index.html

If you want to share an image of animals in this very unusual era of quarantine, please feel free to email me a JPEG.

Is it safe to take my dog or cat to the vet?

You can take your pets to the vet...but you will need to practice social distancing.

Now that the global community is coming to terms with a pandemic, veterinary clinics are changing the way they operate to minimise risks to staff from contact with our human clients.

You can help your veterinary team by:

• If you have been unwell or in contact with someone who has been unwell and need to take your pet to the vet, phone ahead and let the vet clinic know;
• Order medications and food by phone to minimise the amount of time you need to spend in the clinic and avoid unnecessary trips;
• Limit veterinary visits to one person per animal coming into the clinic;
• If you are able, ask a friend or family member to take your pet to the vet for you;
• Reschedule non-urgent appointments until you are well or your self-isolation period has concluded.

Please ensure you don’t let your stocks of medication or prescription food run too low before you order more, as there may be some delays in orders.

We may see some additional changes in the near future, including the use of telemedicine to help some animals and their owners.

Fellow blogger and infectious disease guru Scott Weese shared some excellent data compiled by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association showing how hospitals have altered their operations, and what social distancing measures they have implemented. Check it out here: https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2020/03/articles/animals/covid-19-and-veterinary-clinics/

If you're at home and you have a spare 30 minutes, you can undertake a very short, free online course on coronavirus. You will need to create an account. You do not need to be a health care worker or expert to do the course, and you will receive a certificate at the end. The handwashing videos are great. https://covid-19training.gov.au/

Covid-19 and companion animals

Hero catches up on some reading. (c) Anne Fawcett

There is a lot of confusion and misinformation about companion animals and SARS-Cov-2, the novel coronavirus, circulating.

The bottom line is that there is no reason for companion animal owners to panic, and there is no evidence to date that dogs, cats or other companion animals can transmit SARS-Cov-2 to humans. All of the experts add the caveat that this is a rapidly evolving situation.

Here are some reputable sources of information online. Please recheck for updates.

The World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) has posted Q&As about SARS-Cov-2 on their page here: https://www.oie.int/en/scientific-expertise/specific-information-and-recommendations/questions-and-answers-on-2019novel-coronavirus/

The American Veterinary Medication Association have posted FAQs about SARS-Cov-2 and companion animals here:

https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/covid-19-faq-pet-owners_031620.pdf

The International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM) is a good site for information about cats. See their statement about SARS-Cov-2 and cats here: https://icatcare.org/can-cats-spread-the-new-coronavirus/

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association is collating advice about companion animals and SARS-Cov-2 here: https://wsava.org/news/highlighted-news/the-new-coronavirus-and-companion-animals-advice-for-wsava-members/

Winners of the 2019 Jetpets Companion Animal Rescue Awards Announced

Most of the winners were able to attend and collect their awards on the night. Photography: (c) Jo Lyons Photography.

Last week the winners of the Jetpets Companion Animal Rescue Awards were announced at the Getting 2 Zero Summit. I've included the press release below. There were so many worthy finalists and winners. Its great to see their work recognised.

The Jetpets Companion Animal Rescue Awards is thrilled to announce the WINNERS for 2019. The Rescue Awards is a national program that celebrates and recognises achievements in the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of companion animals Australia-wide.

“In our second year, it was very competitive with more than 1,000 entries across 8 categories, which made it very difficult for the judges! Our amazing winners demonstrated excellence and innovation in their approach to improving the lives of companion animals in their communities,” said Cathy Beer, Rescue Awards Founder and pet adoption advocate from Pets4Life, an independent education resource for cat and dog guardians.

Following the announcement of the Finalists in August, one winner from each category was selected by an expert panel of 12 Judges. The winners were revealed on 12 September 2019  among hundreds of their peers at a special Rescue Awards Ceremony held during the 8th National G2Z Summit & Workshops in Queensland. Bondi Vet, Dr Alex Hynes and her rescue dog, Yoshi announced the winner of the Volunteer of the Year. The Ceremony was broadcasted live across the country via the Rescue Awards Facebook page.

A selection of the judges, overshadowed by Yoshi who lives with Alex (in the red dress). Image (c) Jo Lyons Photography.

This year, Jetpets is again the Platinum Rescue Hero and naming Partner. Sandy Matheson, Jetpets Managing Director, said, “Jetpets congratulates this year’s winners of the Companion Animal Rescue Awards. The quality of the entries were outstanding, and we are humbled to be able to share in celebrating the achievements of rescue organisations, volunteers and adopters alike, who have had a significant impact on the welfare of companion animals Australia wide.

For category 8, the Advocate® People’s Rescue Story received hundreds of entries from Aussie pet guardians who shared their stories about pet adoption and fostering.  Dan White, Senior Brand Manager of Advocate® at Bayer said it was incredibly difficult narrowing our choice down to 10 Finalists, let alone choose an overall winner!

Dan said, “The judging, although a lengthy process, has also been a thoroughly rewarding and uplifting one. All the stories – although different in a number of ways – have one thing in common: they demonstrate the difference a re-homed pet can make to an individual or people’s lives. 

“Moreover, the fact that almost twice as many stories were submitted as last year further demonstrates there are still many amazing and inspiring stories to be told.  Our overall winner (Sally and her hero cat Sandy) really exemplifies a real-life rescue story because Sandy literally saved Sally’s son’s life.  It’s been a real privilege for Advocate® and Bayer to be involved for the second year running.” 

Sandy the cat. Image by Sally Gaunt.

Cathy thanked Supporters for making the Rescue Awards possible, and acknowledged the great efforts of rescue groups, animal shelters and thousands of volunteers across the country.

Rescue Awards Ambassador and Animal Behaviourist Dr Joanne Righetti also congratulated the winners and thanked rescue organisations and their volunteers for helping surrendered and abandoned pets get a second chance in a loving home.

For more information/updates on the 2019 Awards, visit www.rescueawards.com.au, follow the Rescue Awards on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or sign up to the newsletter here.  #jetpetsrescueawards2018

2019 WINNERS

Category 1: Outstanding Rescue Group - Maneki Neko Cat Rescue (VIC)

Category 2: Outstanding New Rescue Group - Dandy Cat Rescue (VIC)

Category 3: Outstanding Animal Shelter - Second Chance Animal Rescue (VIC)

Category 4: Outstanding Council Animal Shelter - Sutherland Shire Animal Shelter (NSW)

Category 5: Innovation in Rescue – AMRRIC’s One Health Program (NT)

Category 6: Community Education and Outreach Program – Camden Council’s PAWS: Pet Awareness and Safety Program (NSW)

Category 7: Volunteer of the Year - Sue Quartermain (RSPCA Victoria)

Category 8: Advocate® People’s Rescue Story - Sally Gaunt and her hero cat, Sandy (VIC) adopted from RSPCA Burwood (VIC)