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Recruitment and retention is a big problem for the farm vet sector, but it could be overcome by implementing small improvements at all stages of the farm vet pipeline, argues John Remnant., (© 2021 British Veterinary Association.)

Introduction: For a long time there has been a debate in Switzerland as to whether the veterinary farm animal service is still sufficiently guaranteed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the supply and demand of veterinary services for cattle and pigs through a representative survey of veterinarians and farmers. The results revealed that the veterinary farm animal service was rated by the majority of both, farmers and veterinarians, to be good or very good. Veterinary service shortages exist partly in mountain and peripheral regions, in small areas in otherwise well-served regions and in the canton of Ticino. By contrast, about one third of farm animal practices are rather underutilized and would prefer to increase livestock numbers. The emergency service is currently very well guaranteed. Ninety-five percent of veterinarians and farmers stated that on-site emergency service is provided within an hour or less. The quality of veterinary services were also assessed positively by the farmers. While a third of respondents said veterinary care improved compared to five years ago, only two percent felt that veterinary care had deteriorated. Almost all veterinarians stated that vacancies in farm animal practices were difficult to fill adequately. The majority of practice owners do not receive enough applications from suitable candidates. In addition, the majority of applicants were not trained in Switzerland. The security of farm animal veterinary service is currently mostly good to very well guaranteed. However, there is a lack of veterinarians trained to meet the future needs of farm animal veterinarians.

In the past decade, biobanking has fuelled great scientific advances in the human medical sector. Well-established domesticated animal biobanks and integrated networks likewise harbour immense potential for great scientific advances with broad societal impacts, which are currently not being fully realised. Political and scientific leaders as well as journals and ethics committees should help to ensure that we are well equipped to meet future demands in livestock production, animal models, and veterinary care of companion animals.

Abnormalities of peripheral tolerance are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases of both humans and animals. Furthermore, the induction of allograft tolerance is the 'holy grail' of clinical transplantation. Of the various mechanisms underlying peripheral tolerance, regulatory T cells (Tregs) have risen to particular prominence. Various Treg subsets have been characterised, including naturally occurring cells that develop along a regulatory lineage in the thymus and induced cells that arise in the periphery from conventional T cell precursors. The transcription factor Forkhead box (Foxp3) serves a crucial role in stabilising the Treg transcriptome and is a faithful marker of peripheral Tregs in the mouse, though its expression is somewhat more promiscuous in man. Regulatory T cells display a wide spectrum of suppressive and cytotoxic mechanisms and may convert to specific T helper cell subsets in response to appropriate inflammatory cues. Although knowledge of Tregs in domestic animal species is still in its infancy, a growing body of literature is accumulating in the dog, cat, pig, cow, sheep and horse. We highlight our own and other studies of Tregs in the dog, an important veterinary species and a model for a number of human diseases. The ethos of 'One Health, One Medicine' is anticipated to accelerate efforts to close the knowledge gap between domestic animal and mainstream species in this field. We predict that the prodigious pace of research into Tregs will continue unabated for years to come, fuelled by the exciting therapeutic potential of these cells., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Since the mid 1990s the term transboundary animal disease (TAD) has become widely used for a group of major infectious diseases of livestock with important economic impact. This article explains why the term is so appropriate and examines the severe direct and indirect consequences these diseases have when they cross borders. The paper also looks at the control of TADs and how improved control and trade can take place without having to eradicate them.

This article presents a historical perspective on veterinary anatomic pathology in the United Kingdom from the late nineteenth century to the present. Prior to World War II, the specialty was a rather general one that also included bacteriology and parasitology and was only slightly affected by strong Germanic developments in cell and tissue pathology. The few notable figures of this era include John McFadyean, Sidney Gaiger, and J.R.M Innes. The specialty developed strongly in the second half of the twentieth century, led by a small number of individuals, and was greatly aided by the development of specialist colleges and residency training. Key individuals of this era include W.F. Blakemore, Ernest Cotchin, R.J.M. Franklin, W.F.H. Jarrett, A.R. Jennings, and A.C. Palmer. A remarkable feature of this period has been the increased employment of veterinary pathologists in biomedical industry and in private diagnostic laboratories. While standards of pathology practice have benefited from the college initiatives, there are major financial constraints on the availability of funded training posts in the United Kingdom, and there remain considerable shortages in the supply of pathologists trained to contemporary standards. The acknowledged professional and scientific importance of veterinary pathology needs to be translated into effective financial support for the training that underpins competence in this specialty. Further developments seem likely to be dominated by advances in the technology of tissue handling, applications of molecular biology to pathology, and greater use of telepathology in teaching, in quality assurance, and in continuing professional development.

Companion avian medicine has become a routine part of veterinary practice. More than 16 million companion birds are owned by approximately 6.4 million US households. This report outlines suggested undergraduate veterinary curricula, opportunities for post-graduate education, and options for training avian veterinarians.

Antibiotics are still deemed necessary for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in farm animals intended for food production and to protect public health from food-borne diseases. All antibiotics used in veterinary medicine are the same or closely related to antibacterials used in human medicine or may induce cross-resistance. Consumption figures of antibiotics in the European Union (EU) indicate an about 10-fold higher number of treatment days in human medicine when compared to veterinary usage with tetracyclines being the most frequently used group. However, the conditions of antibiotic use in farm animals, mainly in swine and poultry by oral treatment of a large number of animals for prolonged periods of time and risk of underdosing might favour the selection of bacterial resistance. In order to reduce the use of antibiotics and thus to minimize the development of resistance in veterinary medicine, compulsory guidelines for prudent use of antibacterials in animals were published in Germany in December 2000. These guidelines describe the minimum requirements to be followed by veterinarians when administering antibiotics to animals. Key elements of the guidelines are the use of antibiotics on the basis of an exact (preferentially microbiological) diagnosis, choice of the most suitable antibacterial substance (antibacterial spectrum as narrow as possible, margin of safety as high as possible, good tissue penetration if necessary), restricted use of antibiotics with last resort character, adherence to the label instructions (no underdosing or prolongation of dosing interval). Any deviations from the guideline recommendations must be justified and recorded. Results of monitoring of antibiotic usage as medicated feeding stuffs in pig production in the German state Sachsen-Anhalt from October 2000 until March 2002 indicate a change of the prescribing attitude of veterinarians after implementation of the guidelines. The consumption of antibiotics continuously declined from 4255 kg before the guidelines to 1145 kg in the first quarter of 2002 resulting in a reduction of the treatment days per animal from 31.6 (third quarter 2000) to 13.6 days (first quarter 2002). Simultaneously the use of chlortetracycline decreased from initially 76% of the total amount of antibiotics prescribed to 14.7% at the end of the study, respectively. These results suggest an acceptance of the guidelines for prudent antibiotic use by veterinarians as an important tool to reduce the usage of antibiotics and the consecutive development of resistance.

Many new modalities have been introduced in human and veterinary physical rehabilitation. In many instances, there is sound theory of how they may impact the physiology of various cells, tissues, or organs. This article reviews some of the modalities that have been introduced recently in human and veterinary rehabilitation. Topics include low-level laser, phototherapy, and extracorporeal shock wave treatment.

I have attempted to give insight into many of the aspects of a corporate veterinary job in the retail pet industry. Understand that these are my experiences, and corporate jobs are as diverse as the number of corporations in this field. My experiences have been positive because I have been fortunate enough to become an integral part of a company with an outstanding company ethic regarding animal care and business as a whole. This is a dream position for a veterinarian who wishes to make a far-reaching difference for animals. At PETCO I am the Animal Advocate and I do have the responsibility to look at every situation through the eyes of the animals. I take this responsibility very seriously and understand that every decision I make has a lasting impact on not only the animals we sell but also the associates who daily give their heart and soul as they care for the animals in our stores. This is the way I have chosen to make a difference in the world: by using my veterinary education as well as my life experiences in ways that are very different from the James Herriot of old-different from the advanced veterinary practices in this new millennium but steadfastly following the same principles we promised to uphold when we took the veterinary oath... Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering,the conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge. I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.

Animal welfare is to do with the feelings experienced by animals: the absence of strong negative feelings, usually called suffering, and (probably) the presence of positive feelings, usually called pleasure. In any assessment of welfare, it is these feelings that should be assessed. Because feelings are subjective, they cannot be investigated directly. However, there are indirect methods by which animals can be 'asked' what they feel about the conditions under which they are kept and the procedures to which they are subjected. These methods involve preference tests, followed up by motivational tests to assess how important the animal's choice is. Measurements of impaired biological functioning, particularly those connected to decreased health and increased physiological stress responses, can provide good corroborating evidence that welfare is compromised.

Human history reveals that the way in which humans treat animals is based on their views of themselves as well as of the living environment around them. These views may vary from an assumption of human superiority to one of equality between humans and animals. Recent trends affecting companion-animal welfare are: modern philosophies on animal issues, the specialised and varied roles that companion animals play in modern societies, new results from animal neuroscience, human-animal interaction studies and the new profession of companion animal ethology. This paper concludes that applied ethology could provide science-based criteria to assess companion-animal welfare. Due to the integral part that companion animals play in human societies, the paper is divided into an animal component that deals with the animal's basic needs and its ability to adapt, and a human component assessing the living environment of animals as provided by humans and responsible companion-animal ownership. The greatest challenge for future research is to find ways to disseminate knowledge of companion animal ethology to companion animal owners.

Livestock production in the People's Republic of China has expanded at an unprecedented rate over the last decade and this trend is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. Government and private sector investment supports this growth, and the fact that small farmers are incorporating more animal husbandry into their work is expected to mitigate some of the concerns over recent World Trade Organization accession, particularly in the more precarious grain growing regions. Modernisation and intensification of the livestock industry in the People's Republic of China is subject to significant risks as regards both infectious and production-related diseases and within the framework of food safety and public health challenges. Although historically, the veterinary service system in the People's Republic of China has been successful in the eradication and control of major disease outbreaks, domestic and international market concerns are providing the catalyst for significant reforms in the animal health delivery system in the country. This paper provides an overview of the existing veterinary system in terms of the education and qualifications of veterinary personnel, delivery mechanisms, and future approaches to reforming the system in the context of a dynamic livestock industry in transition.

This analysis of global veterinary personnel was based on the available quantitative data reported by individual countries to international organisations. The analysis begins with a time series of globally reported numbers of veterinarians, starting in the year 1959 (140,391). In 2000 this number reached 691,379. Of this total, 27.77% of veterinarians were working as government officials, 15.38% were working in laboratories, universities and training institutions and 46.33% were working as private practitioners. The ratio of veterinarians to technicians was 1:0.63. The global average of resources serviced by each veterinarian was as follows: 8,760 inhabitants; 189 km2 of land area and 20 km2 of arable land; 1,925 cattle, 242 buffaloes, 87 horses, 1,309 pigs, 1,533 sheep and 20,714 chickens; in abattoirs: 401 slaughtered cattle, 699 slaughtered sheep and 1,674 slaughtered pigs; the production of 336 tonnes (t) of meat, 708 t cow milk and 74 t hen eggs; in international trade: 12 cattle, 23 sheep, 22 pigs, 1 horse, 1,086 chickens, 33 t meat and meat products; 2,289 units of livestock (50 minutes of annual veterinary working time for each unit). These averages were also analysed according to employment categories. The author also discusses factors influencing veterinary personnel analyses and planning.

The dramatic changes in the human and animal populations in Africa over the last century demand the re-examination of priorities and policies. The introduction of developed medical and other human technologies into the continent has contributed to increases in population and a rapid, unsustainable increase in the utilization of resources. This in turn has led to the destruction of flora and fauna on an unprecedented scale with little real improvement in the human condition. One factor in this has been the increase in livestock in line with human demographic growth, as it is a traditional livelihood of many African peoples. In recent years the growth in livestock populations has slowed owing to a cycle of degradation and disease, affecting especially traditional pastoral systems with a close physical association between people, livestock, and wild animals. Pathogens benefit hugely from the dynamic state created by animal migration, although to some extent the livestock and certainly wildlife show considerable tolerance to this. One of the grave economic consequences of this increase in disease has been collapse of the export trade. In order for Africa to fully benefit and share in world trade, the zoosanitary situation must show improvement. To do this without destroying the natural resource base and traditional pastoral systems, will require a careful, future-oriented land-use policy along ecologically sound criteria. Export livestock will have to be maintained in areas, probably free of ruminant wildlife, with strict veterinary controls. If this can be balanced with sufficient areas retained for traditional pastoralism and wildlife, with perhaps the main income from recreational tourism and local consumption, the benefits will be considerable. The answer may be community-based, low-cost, decentralized health systems for pastoral communities, with less stringent sanitary mandates, a private/parastatal sector servicing, with specialization in wildlife, dairy or export livestock and a central veterinary policy, related to surveillance and monitoring using small well-resourced professional teams to carry out regulatory and statutory duties.

Objective: To evaluate the present and future supply of veterinarians in California, in light of changing trends in animal ownership., Design: Database analysis., Sample Population: Human and animal populations, including populations of veterinarians, throughout the United States., Procedures: Data on animal and human populations were compiled from a number of sources, including the US Census Bureau, American Veterinary Medical Association, State of California Department of Finance, and State of California Veterinary Medical Board. The distribution of veterinarians in California was contrasted with other health professionals in California and with that of veterinarians in other states. Recent changes in veterinary medical demographics in California were quantified and used to develop in-state projections about the supply of veterinarians for the next 20 years., Results: Although California is the most populous of the 50 states, only 7 states had fewer veterinarians per capita. Furthermore, California ranked next to last among states in increase of number of veterinarians between 1990 and 1995. Los Angeles County had the smallest per-capita number of veterinarians among 9 populous California counties. During that period, California had a net gain of only 6 veterinarians who were exclusively or predominantly large-animal or mixed-animal practitioners., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: If current trends continue, the per-capita number of veterinarians will continue to decrease in California. To maintain the current ratio of 17.8 veterinarians/100,000 people in California in the future, we estimate that an additional 50 veterinarians above the currently predicted increase will be required annually.

In the past, emphasis was on deficiencies in relation to nutrition and animal health, but nowadays it is more on the relevance of nutrition (or nutrients) to the aetiology and prevention of disease. This is illustrated by an outline of the association between the (over)feeding of dairy cattle before and around calving and the incidence of diseases that frequently occur post calving. The nutritional management of clinical diseases and the application of enteral or tube feeding is nowadays part of modern pet animal practice. The difference between a nutrient and a medicine is becoming vague and the application of recombinant DNA-technics offers new and interesting possibilities to increase the medicinal value of certain feeds. These trends in animal health care together with the wish of clients to be informed of the feeding of their animals, either pet animal of farm animal, greatly increase the demand for knowledge and skill of animal nutrition. The current veterinary medicine curriculum does not allow sufficient time for students to gain the necessary knowledge and skill in animal nutrition. Therefore specialists in veterinary nutrition are needed who can advice the providers of veterinary nutritional and other health care services in order to use optimal the nutritional support possibilities in animal health care as well as in improving productivity.