Canine behaviour, the greyhound industry, veterinary wisdom and animal welfare

Why do dogs do what they do? Find out for free online via the SPARCS 3rd International Conference on Canine Behaviour.

If you’re at a loss what to do this weekend and you’re interested in animal behaviour, you can’t go further than a TOTALLY FREE ONLINE SPARCS 3^rd International Conference on Canine Behaviour. This is what thinking really should be about – getting experts together for presentations and discussion, and allowing everyone access.

You can choose to watch all day or simply “attend” the talks or panel discussion you’re interested in. You don’t even need to log in (which is good if you, like me, have reached “peak password”). SPARCS is a Washington-based non-profit organisation that was born out of a need to fuel research grants for graduates and PhD students in the field of canine science.

If you want to learn more about SPARCS, check out our interview with founder Prescott Breeden.

Or just log on and find out what’s happening in the world of canine behaviour science here.

Do you have a view on the welfare of racing greyhounds? Here is your opportunity to make your views heard.

The Working Dog Alliance, La Trobe University and Greyhound Racing New South Wales are collaborating on a survey to find out what you think about the way racing greyhounds are managed.

You don’t need to work with greyhounds to provide a viewpoint – the online survey can be completed by anyone, whether you are a greyhound owner, racer, member of an animal advocacy group or the general public.

To participate you must be over 18 and fluent in English. The survey takes 10-15 minutes and is completely anonymous. Pour yourself a cup of tea and click here.

If you’re a vet and you’re interested in giving back to the profession, here’s a fun way to do it. Dr Richard Nap is currently calling for contributions to the Vet Coach Project. It’s a collection of reflections and tips from vets all around the world – and you don’t need to write pages. Just around 300 words (shorter than this post!) with your reflections/tips and another 250-300 biography.

Dr Nap is currently compiling an edition for Australia/New Zealand and looking for those who can answer the question:

“What did you learn after graduation that could help young colleagues optimise their career start?”

For information on the project visit the website here.

To find out about the Australia/New Zealand edition visit The Australian Veterinary Association site here.

Are you working on a project that could reduce the suffering of animals in industrialised farming systems or the commercial kangaroo industry? If so you may be eligible for a 2015 Voiceless Grant. Voiceless is seeking to fund projects which change attitudes or increase awareness about anmal suffering, encourage the public to take action for animals in their personal lives or work to modify or create new laws or policies to further animal protection in Australia.

If that is what you’re up to click here to find out how to apply for a grant. Applications are due by 5pm July 15.

Should academics be recognised for non-peer reviewed writing, and other weekend thoughts

For the love of mud. SAT reader Chester ensures he will be getting a bath as he takes advantage of low tide.

What are you up to this weekend, folks? SAT is preparing to shift its HQ to (hopefully) sunny Brisbane for the 2015 AVA/NZVA Pan PacificVeterinary Conference. The Pan Pacs (a name which always invokes in me memories of Strictly Ballroom), where the the Australian and New Zealand vet associations join forces, only happen once every five years.

Close to 1000 vets are expected to flock to Brisbane to find out what’s happening in the profession.

So this weekend we’re madly packing our bags and planning what promises to be a busy week ahead.

In news from the web…

It’s true that universities promote community engagement. At the same time, they fail to reward academics who make a genuine effort to reach out, cementing the divide between the “ivory tower” of academia and the rest of the world. Blogging, for example, is one way to connect with a wider audience, but unis don’t formally recognise blogging, or writing newsletter articles, or talking to local community groups, at all.

This thought provoking piece by Professor Bill Laurance explains the problem.

If you’re in the mood for something light, check out thisincredible selection of animals with majestic hair, via SAT reader Rach. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better than the feather duster budgie, the hairy pig and the Mary River Turtle gave me some serious hair envy.

A dog cake, novel anatomy lessons, vet nursing cats and oxytocin-infused gazing

Bluey waits for his friends on the track.

Do you have four days and excellent sculpting skills? Then you might be able to make this cake. Although I doubt, having achieved that mean feat, you will want to eat it. In fact if you manage to make this cake you’ll probably dive on top of anyone that walks anywhere near it with a knife.

Mike McCormick is a medical student who used candy to help learn anatomy (of humans) and his Instagram is full of extremely clever, edible anatomy lessons. Veterinary students everywhere could rise to this challenge.

If you’re not into edible anatomy, or you’re trying to be healthy, there’s also the burgeoning field of aKNITomy, where you can purchase a pattern to knit your own simulated dissections of animals, which seems like a much more educational, more human alternative than the high-school science practical classes which often culminate in someone fainting and someone else getting suspended for throwing kidneys. Check out the Facebook page here. 

Wednesday’s post prompted a lot of discussion (if you’ve not seen it, check it out here), specifically “yes, but my dog eats cat poo”. Well yes, that is common. So common that at least one company has produced one novel solution to prevent canine access to the litterbox.

And on that slightly unsavoury topic, an enterprising pair have invented the world’s first reusabledog waste bag.

This cat has been working as a “vet nurse” in Poland. Interesting interpretation of his behaviour. Extremely cute nonetheless. Probably not a nurse I’d completely trust to recover the pocket pets from anaesthesia though…

Kim and Jan sent this linkfrom the Guardian about research suggesting that dogs and humans experience a surge in oxytocin when they gaze into one another’s eyes.

You can read the original article in Science here. I wonder if facilitating the oxytocin-infused gaze has anything to do with our preference for morphological characteristics of certain breeds? Of course not everyone agrees with the findings, including Dr Clive Wynne who wrote this piece.

Feline calicivirus, cat cafe, visible veins, free horse course and fish welfare

The need for a "dose of feline" is so great that cat cafes are popping up everywhere.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) commonly causes disease in cats, albeit typically mild signs such as gingivitis, upper respiratory tract signs (sneezing), transient fever and ulcers in the mouth. But some cats are affected more severely, with extensive ulcers (making it painful to eat), painful swelling of joints and associated lameness, pneumonia, and chronic gingivostomatitis (inflammation of the gums and mouth). There is also FCV-virulent systemic disease which has been fatal.

In Australia cats are routinely vaccinated for FCV and this is important in controlling the virus and reducing the severity and duration of clinical signs. But this is a highly mutable virus so vaccines are not 100 per cent effective.

To date there is no effective, specific antiviral treatment although we are looking. The agent mefloquine shows promise in vitro. You can access the paper free online until April 29 by using this link.

Marked gingivitis (inflammation of the gum - see the bright red section just above/below the teeth?) in a cat swabbed positive for calicivirus.

On the feline front, word is out that Sydney will have its own “cat café” soon where people can pop in, pay a fee and visit cats. The cats will be from rescue organisations, be kept in a room with about eight cats and have access to a human free section. I am wondering if they will be up for adoption and how long cats will be kept on display in terms of their lifespans? More here.

In other news, a colleague just pointed out this amazing technology which allows doctors to visualise the veins of patients as they place IV catheters and give injections. This is especially important for administration of cytotoxic drugs like chemotherapy agents, or drugs that cause damage if they are injected perivascularly (rather than into the vein). A full body version of this stuff would also make a fantastic Halloween costume!

I wonder if it would work as well on animal skin?

If you are into all things equine, Coursera is offering a free course on caring for horses. Check it out here.

This cheeky little Archer fish at the Territory Wildlife Park lined me up and spat at me with impressive accuracy.

On the fish front, the University of Sydney’s Human Animal Research Network, in conjunction with Sydney Environment Institute, is hosting a seminar on fish welfare on June 4 from 5-6.30pm.

There has been a significant expansion in worldwide per capital fish consumption, and a very strong expansion in industrial aquaculture. International agencies such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation have argued that fisheries and aquaculture should play a significant role in future "in eliminating hunger, promoting health and reducing poverty"(UN FAO, 2014). At the same time there has been a great deal of public interest in fishing and environmental sustainability, including in issues such as overfishing,  the impact of fishing practices such as trawl and drift netting; and recently, the impact of climate change on the sustainability of small scale local fishing industries.However, there has been less focus internationally on the welfare of fish used for human consumption, and the ethics of using fish for food. This interdisciplinary forum will offer an opportunity to critically examine current welfare provisions in the context of fisheries and aquaculture, recent research on fish cognition, and possible approaches in the ethics and politics of fishing. 

The speakers are Associate Professor Celeste Black (Unversity of Sydney) – "Fish, Welfare and the Law”; Associate Professor Culum Brown (Macquarie University) – “Fish Cognition and Welfare”; and Dr Dinesh Wadiwel (University of Sydney) – “Do Fish Resist?”

For more info or to register, click here.

Would a halo help?

Phil after a bath. 

Blind dogs have a tendency to bump into things and become disoriented. One thing that seems to be taking the internet by storm recently is the Halo Vest, an outfit with a built in halo so that instead of bumping its head, the halo makes contact with the object and the dog can avoid collision.

It’s an interesting concept although it has some obvious limitations (it won’t stop a blind dog from falling down the stairs).

There are different versions of this springing up everywhere, like this Jetson-style piece on twitter (here).

Meanwhile over at the Worms and Germs Blog, Scott Weese sussed out a new record in rabies incubation in a person and reckons it is legit. Read more at Worms and Germs here. The man acquired the disease by killing the rabid dog, presumably because he suspected rabies. The act was not performed humanely nor did the man wear any protective gear.

Have a safe weekend!

New Year's Resolution: no more procrastination in 2015!

Missy hangs out in her neighbour's yard.

If you’re planning on studying in 2015 (and I’ve realised I won’t ever stop studying) then you might want to take this free online course on learning, which promises to divulge tips for mastering tough subjects and dedicates a solid week to procrastination (the study of, rather than the practice of).

[The problem is once I get onto the Coursera site I am overwhelmed with the courses on offer, like the University of Melbourne’s course on animal behaviour which starts in June and the University of Edinburgh’s Chicken Behaviour and Welfare scheduled for April. And I've wait listed for Peter Singer's Practical Ethics course (date to be announced). (If a bunch of people wait list, who knows, they might bring it forward! Sign up here...)].

Speaking of procrastination, the web has delivered some worthy material this week which we’ve curated for you.

Ever wanted to make a time lapse video, only to find too much time has lapsed to do what you want to do? These people got it right, making a time lapse of their Rhodesian Ridgeback Sophie growing up. You will see her grow from two months to three years. View it here or see below.

For all the nerds out there who feel that fashion doesn’t speak to them, this will: Norwegian scientist May-Britt Moser shared the Nobel Prize in physiology for medicine with her husband Edvard Moser and colleague John O’Keefe for the discovery of grid cells in the brain.

To the prize ceremony she wore a stunning dress featuring those very grid cells, designed by Matthew Hubble. Check it out here.

For nerds who can’t afford to commission a designer, or aren’t quite up to a Nobel prize (yet), there’s always Black Milk’s “Braaains” leggings, click here.

In other news Blayney vet Ruth Thompson spent Christmas lunch treating a jack Russell terrier for snake bite (the snake didn’t do so well). Had Ruth not been on call, Tater would almost certainly have died. Read the story here.

A few weeks ago I wrote about participating in an experiment which involved observing my dog (via video camera) when I left the house. Someone else did this informally, mounting a GoPro on their dog (Phil is way too small for this!) and uploaded the results here.

Dog Lovers Show ticket winners and links

Becky (left) and Honey.

Why do we love dogs? Elizabeth, winner of our Dog Lovers Show competition, revealed why her family loves dogs.

Without these two Tibetan Spaniels my Grandma would have no one to talk to through the week. Every Thursday the four of us jump in the car and head down to the local dog park for some fun. Dogs give humans an excuse to bond, and share the love that we all need in simple ways! 

Jenna, who came second, said about dogs:

They are always there for you and are unconditional in their love and acceptance.

Words we can’t argue with. Ladies, we hope you enjoy the show on the weekend. If you missed out its not too late - you can still score tickets at http://dogloversshow.com.au/sydney.

The discussion about Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup continues, with the RSPCA calling for a whip-free race in 2015 (read their media release here).

The Guardian’s Oliver Milman wrote this thought-provoking piece about the complicity of Cup consumers.

It will be interesting to see whether this publicity leads to changes, and if so, what? 

Links

On the topic of dogs and love, we were interested to see this article about a Bernese Mountain Dog falling for a ferret.

Meanwhile from the interwebs, Ljudmila send this link about the Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners, and the winner is sensational (check here).

And these images of puppies photographed underwater are interesting.

Farm animals, fish and animals in baby photos

A miniature cow and her calf. Its easy to forget about "the production cycle" and what goes into farming animals.

For most of us, the animals in our lives tend to be domesticated companion animals. But farm animals, or production animals, play a huge role in society. 

Their welfare is often discussed but is easy to overlook if you’re only interaction with these species is shopping for their meat or products like eggs and milk. The Coursera MOOC on Animal Behaviour and Welfare has a fantastic review of farm animal welfare this week which is worth a look even if you don’t complete the entire course. There is also extensive further reading which is a great resource whether you’re a vet, vet student or just interested. Check it out here. 

Fish Vet Dr Richmond Loh has released this helpful powerpoint presentation for the aspiring fish vet: “Gettingyour feet wet – guidance and resources for the developing aquatic veterinarian.” Dr Loh is VERY passionate about fish and is known around the world for his expertise and enthusiasm.

He argues that the world needs more fish vets – around 100,000 veterinarians, as by 2050, 50 per cent of the world’s protein will be derived from fish.

This couple spotted their neighbour’s professional photos of their newborn human offspring and had the inspired idea of doing their own “newborn” style photoshoot with their six-year old Jack Russell terrier Snuggles. Apparently Snuggles mostly snored and slept through the entire thing but the photos have taken the internet by storm. You can view them here.

I think these images are a fascinating take on the human animal bond, although so concerned was the photographer about being judged for taking them, about making light of the miracle of human birth (like homo sapiens have a monopoly on this stuff) etc., that they were hidden for eight months. I know we all worry about what others say, but I think this poor photographer worries too much as evidenced by this post.

Try shopping at Flower Powerin a Wonderwoman outfit on a Sunday morning!!! Overthink it and you end up in the foetal position in your bedroom.

How do you know your pet is old? The whole “seven dog years for one human year” is a very loose rule of thumb, but deciding when to call pets senior or geriatric is something that owners and vets have differences of opinion about. See here.

Do we breed companion animals ethically?

A Frenchie pops into the clinic for a visit.

Do we breed companion animals ethically? On Monday March 24, the Faculty of Veterinary Science is hosting its 4^th Robert Dixon Memorial Symposium from 3.30-5pm. Registration is free but you do need to RSVP.

The question will be approached by a panel of experts including Dr Linda Beer (vet and dog breeder), Dr Andrew Cornwell (NSW MP, Chair of the NSW Companion Animal Taskforce), Ms Maryann Dalton (Pet Industry Association of Australia executive officer), Dr Karen Hedberg (vet, breeder, judge and Chair of the Canine Health and Wellbeing Committee), Bidda Jones (RSPCA Australia Chief Scientist), Professor Richard Malik (small animal specialist) and Professor Claire Wade (geneticist).

You can sign up here.

Grooming is not something we should consider a treat for pampered pets: it is critical in maintaining the health and wellbeing of small animals. If you have worked in a shelter you may have encountered a case similar to this one, posted by the Quebec Society for the Protection of Animals. Knots and matts in fur are painful and restrict movement. (This story contains some upsetting images but has a really happy ending).

Here’s the best reason I’veever seen for taking up knitting: creating jumpers for penguins. Not for the sake of making them appear cute, although that is a happy side effect: they help prevent penguins affected by oil pollution from preening and swallowing the oil.

If you’re considering joining twitter, but think it’s just for people who want to troll celebrities or experience their 140 characters of fame on QandA, this brief slideshow might convince you otherwise.

This week's pet and animal related links

Forbidden furniture...its SOOOOOO good.

US Winter Olympian Gus Kenworthy is winning hearts and twitter followers around the world by drawing attention to the stray dog problem in Sochi - and doing something about it: not only is he bending the ears and cameras of any journo who wants to listen, the skier is also planning to adopt some. Clearly there will be some quarantine issues to sort out, but we're impressed with his personal committment. 

There has been much debate, as there should be, about the culling of "surplus" giraffe Marius at Copenhagen Zoo. Sydney Uni Human Animal Research Network (HARN) associate Dr Matthew Chrulew did some interviews last week on the topic. He has done some important research on the culture and practice of zoos and wrote a chapter in Animal Death on the topic. You can read and listen to his interviews with the Sydney Morning Herald here and on Sunrise here. (Its a shame that the latter interview cuts off when the host asks a great big philosophical question at the end...I was left hanging on the edge of my seat!).

Speaking of HARN, you can watch the recent presentations in the comfort of your own home on the HARN vimeo channel which has just been updated. Check it out here. Its a great way to stay current with some excellent research in the animal studies area.

Visit Lili Chin at http://doggiedrawings.net/

Artist Lili Chin and Design Lab Creative Studio created this fantastic poster on the World's Most Dangerous Foods for Dogs. You can download it here. They've done a great job summarising some of the key food hazards (I have to tell clients every day to avoid feeding grapes to their dogs. For some reason, dogs do love them...but they can cause severe toxicity and death, so it isn't worth the risk).

This clip, released a couple of years ago now, is hard not to re-watch. It combines two of our favourite things: ABBA and enthusiastic, positive animal lovers. I don't know how many takes they did, but it was worth it.

Date with your dog: roadtrips and DIY dog beds

The late TP has a sleep in my suitcase. (NB I NEVER pack animals IN the suitcase...they just love to sleep in it when I arrive).

This week we celebrate the humble "roadie" with your dog. If your dog is good in the car (not everyone copes well with car travel and I treat plenty of dogs for motion sickness), getting out of town for a night is an excellent way to spend a bit of time with your bestie. 

Phil practically dances when I pack my bags (I say bags - one of them is for him...when we arrive I throw a blanket in and he has a portable dog bed.

Phil with his booty.

If you are tied to the home or workplace this weekend, spend a few minutes checking out Tim Flach's dog photos. That white Hungarian pulli is stunning!

And if you didn't catch it this week, researchers have worked out that flying in a "V" formation actually reduces the effort required for migratory birds.

Free veterinary webinars, a biological dilemma and jewellery for the chemist in your life

Betty sits helpfully in the middle of the action.

Today’s post is brought to you by Betty, a stunning Burmese who loves hanging out in her mum’s sewing room (having visited myself, I can attest that it’s a delightful living space).

If you’re putting together your continuing education plan for next year, the Australian Small AnimalVeterinary Association has released its program of webinars. This year’s series were excellent and 2014 promises great topics. See the program here. They're free for ASAVA members, and in my view the webinars alone are worth joining for.

[For those who had issues downloading I've typed it here, please forgive any typos]:

Date	Time	Topic	Speaker
4/2	7pm	Dx and rx of FIP	Amy Lingard
18/2	7pm	Brain disease	Georgina Child
4/3	7pm	Acute renal failure	Graham Swinney
18/3	7pm	Rx for demodex – problem with drug interactions	Rob Hilton
8/4	6.30pm	Cherry eye	Anna Deykin
29/4	6.30pm	Addison’s	Bruce Mackay
13/5	6.30pm	Safe anaesthesia – sedation for the compromised patient	Thierry Beths
27/5	6.30pm	Cardio/respiratory emergencies	Ryan Ong
10/6	6.30pm	Anxiety/phobia disorders	Kersti Seksel
24/6	6.30pm	Abdominal radiography/ultrasounds	Cathy Beck
8/7	6.30pm	Surgical management of traumatic wounds, wound reconstruction	Gordon Corfield
22/7	6.30pm	Spinal disease	Georgina Child
5/8	6.30pm	Soft tissue surgery – handy tips	Gordon Corfield
2/9	6.30pm	Use of NSAIDs in cats	Richard Gowan
16/9	6.30pm	Managing feline lymphoma	Veronika Langova
7/10	7pm	Orthopaedic radiology	Cathy Beck
21/10	7pm	Skin neoplasias	Linda Vogelnest
11/11	7pm	ECGs	Niek Beijerink
25/11	7pm	Anaesthesia problems in dogs and cats	Anthea Raisis
9/12	7pm	Separation anxiety	Gabrielle Carter

Betty's family keep plenty of toys in her favourite room.

For those with strong stomachs, Dr Scott Weese posted this thoughtful piece about a very disgusting dilemma involving a cat and a very queasy lady with bad aim. Read on here.

And Betty makes use of them! A lot.

Here at SAT we are big into science-themed fashion. Especially if we can purchase it online in betwixt writing science-themed blogposts.

If you are seeking a gift for the chemistry-oriented in your life, check out these stunning chemical formula necklaces. Somewhat intriguingly, they are themed around illicit drugs and reproductive hormones, a teratogenic combination. Have a look here. 

Thanks Betty!