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QLD and NSW residents should prepare animals for flooding

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The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) advises flood-hit communities in inland Queensland and northern New South Wales to be prepared not only for their own safety but for their animal’s welfare as well.

While many residents are facing the challenge of cleaning up there are still many communities under increased risk of further flooding, particularly in areas such as Roma, Charleville, Mitchell and St George in Queensland.

AVA President Dr Barry Smyth said that in addition to planning for flooding ourselves, it’s important to make arrangements for animals as well.

“Preparing ahead of time and acting quickly can be the best way to keep yourself, your family, and your animals out of harm’s way,” Dr Smyth said.

“Be prepared for possible disruption to services, including power, water and phone lines for extended periods of time. Bring pets inside and move horses and livestock to safe ground,” he said.

Pet insurance axe a huge blow to responsible pet owners

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Veterinary associations are highlighting consumer guidance on pet insurance following news reports that thousands of pets have been left uninsured by Lloyds TSB and Halifax pulling out of the pet insurance market.

Lloyds TSB has stopped renewing policies from 1st February and Halifax stopped on 24th September 2011 leaving more than 50,000 policy holders looking for cover, according to reports.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) recommends that pet owners whose policies are affected should speak to their own vets as soon as possible to discuss existing treatment, alternative treatment options, and future insurance cover.

The BVA is also refuting claims by the insurance companies that rising veterinary fees are to blame. Although pet insurance claims have increased over the years this is due to improvements in technology and medicines meaning that more can be done for individual animals. Veterinary inflation has remained relatively stable.

The BVA and its division, the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), worked with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to produce a Pet Insurance Consumer Guide. The Guide explains the benefits of pet insurance, the different types of policy, and outlines a number of areas to consider.

Commenting, Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said:
“This is a huge blow to thousands of responsible owners who have pet insurance but are having it taken away from them through no fault of their own.

“We advise owners to speak to their vet as soon as possible to discuss the treatment of ongoing conditions and, if necessary, alternative treatment options. Clients may also be eligible for support from one of the animal welfare charities.

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Internationally acclaimed animal trainer comes to Australia

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The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) will bring together veterinarians, veterinarian nurses, animal trainers and pet industry professionals from around the nation for two days with world renowned animal behaviourist Bob Bailey, who will share his unique insights into the fundamentals of animal training this weekend.

This is Bob’s first visit to Australia. He is well known for his method of teaching animal training techniques through training chickens. He has provided chicken training seminars where trainers teach poultry to discriminate between shapes, to navigate an obstacle course and to link behaviours together.

Bob’s philosophy on animal training is “simple but not easy” and he has been applying this in the training of animals and teaching of animal trainers for more than half a century.

AVA President Dr Barry Smyth said the conference provided an exciting opportunity for animal behaviour professionals in Australia to hear first-hand from such a prominent expert in the field.

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The Gateway to Farm Animal Welfare newsletter: week 27 January - 3 February 2012

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22 items and 2 events have been added
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Dental care for rabbits

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In this podcast we discuss the importance of bringing your pet rabbit in for regular dental checkups.

Rabbits are some of the most popular specialty or exotic pets in the United States, with more than 6 million rabbits owned as pets. And just like our dogs and cats, rabbits require regular veterinary care to ensure they live happy and healthy lives. One important component of these veterinary visits is dental care.

In this podcast, Dr. James Clarkson, owner of Westarbor Animal Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., talks about the importance of regular dental care for rabbits.

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NIH suspends new chimp research grants

Agency adopts strict conditions set out in IOM report
By R. Scott Nolen
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February 15, 2012
Late last year, the National Institutes of Health froze all new grants for studies involving chimpanzees after an Institute of Medicine review found little scientific necessity for using man's closest genetic relative as a research model.

Dozens of ongoing, federally funded projects will be evaluated according to the new stringent conditions adopted by the NIH, which the IOM says are necessary to justify conducting research on chimpanzees.

Advances in alternative research tools and methods, including cell-based tests and other animal models, have made chimpanzees largely nonessential as research subjects, concluded the IOM report, issued Dec. 15, 2011.

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The Gateway to Farm Animal Welfare newsletter: week 20 - 27 January 2012

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12 items and 1 event have been added
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New Website and Logo Marks Welfare Association Relaunch

The Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association (AWSELVA) has developed a brand new website and logo* to provide a wealth of user-friendly information on the Association’s activities and to welcome the growing number of people interested in becoming members.

The site contains the latest edition of the high quality AWSELVA Journal as part of a 10 year archive, as well as information on the Association’s informative and thought-provoking conferences. There are also links to continuing education opportunities in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law as well as a page dedicated to supporting students.

Ambitions on welfare

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GIVEN the complexity of the subject and differences in attitudes and approach, devising a strategy to help improve animal welfare across the European Union is an ambitious undertaking, but the European Commission has attempted to do just that. A communication on an EU Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-2015, which was adopted by the European Commission last week (see p 87 of this issue) has already attracted criticism, with animal welfare groups describing it as lacking in ambition and a missed opportunity. Others, including farmers, have welcomed the strategy, which, it could be argued, presents a pragmatic approach that offers real opportunities for improvement in the future. One only has to look at some of the issues surrounding implementation of EU legislation banning battery cages for laying hens to see the kinds of problem that can arise in this notoriously difficult field.

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FVE welcomes Animal Welfare Strategy but wished the Commission to be more ambitious

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On 19 January, the European Commission adopted the 2012-2015 Animal Welfare strategy paper.

FVE is pleased that several of its recommendations have been taken into consideration. On the other hand the Federation regrets that the document is not more ambitious in its objectives and planned action: the strategy "could have gone further" in the field of companion animals.

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