Animal Welfare Conversations

Episode 19: Prof Cathy Dwyer - Using the Evidence to Support Animal Welfare

In this episode we sit down with Professor Cathy Dwyer of SRUC and Edinburgh University. 
Prof Dwyer will be known already, to many of our listeners, as an advocate for animal welfare. There were so many take-aways from this episode that it's difficult to highlight a few main points, but here goes - sentience, current challenges in animal welfare, generating and applying evidence to animal welfare, education, and influencing government policy to name a few! 
We also reflect on people, rather than animals, as I came away from our conversation thinking about how human behaviour impacts on animal welfare. 
Whether you’re a student of animal welfare, someone working with animals or an animal keeper, this episode has something for everyone. We would love you to join the animal welfare conversation.
 
Further Information:
Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education
International work supporting animal welfare
 
Biography: Professor Cathy Dwyer, BSc, PhD
Cathy is Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare at SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) and has a joint appointment with the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (RDSVS), University of Edinburgh where she is the Director of the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) since 2016. In 2019 she was also appointed by Scottish Government to Chair the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission which provides independent scientific advice on animal welfare to Ministers and parliamentary committees.
Cathy has research interests in parturition, mother-offspring interactions and behavioural development in ruminants; human-animal interactions and welfare in horses; welfare assessment in a number of species, and assessment of pain.
She teaches animal behaviour and welfare to undergraduate vet students, vet nurses and animal science students, and contributes to the University of Edinburgh MSc Programmes in animal behaviour and welfare on campus and online. Cathy sits on the scientific advisory committees for Dog’s Trust, the Horse Trust, British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation, the Scientific Advisory Board of the Global Animal Partnership and University of Vienna Veterinary School.
She was the 2013 recipient of the BSAS/RSPCA Award for outstanding achievement in animal welfare and led the application that resulted in the RDSVS being awarded the first CEVA Animal Welfare Vet School Award in 2020.

Episode 18: Nora Smith and the work of the USPCA

In this episode we focus on the work of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, otherwise known as the USPCA. 
Established in 1836, the USPCA is the second oldest animal welfare charity in the world, and we were delighted to have the chance to talk to Nora Smith, Chief Executive. 
The USPCA work across many different areas of animal welfare including rehoming, working with wildlife, providing veterinary care, animal cruelty investigations, community support and campaigning, particularly around the illegal puppy trade and badger baiting, amongst other things. 
There are lots of challenges in animal welfare, but you'll hear many examples of how the USPCA is influencing, supporting, campaigning and improving the lives of animals and people across Northern Ireland. 
Find out more about the work of the USPCA here 
Speaker Biography
Nora Smith, is the Chief Executive of the USPCA, she has been in post since January 2023.  As CEO her role is to lead the staff team to grow and extend the charity’s services across Northern Ireland.  Prior to working with the USPCA, Nora was the Chief Executive of a membership-based charity providing leadership support for Charity Chief Executives, a post she held for eight years.  She has experience of working across the public, private and third sectors, leading change and growth strategies.  Advocacy and campaigning have been a central function of her experience.  Nora lives with her partner Michael, alongside their eight-year old cat called Eamonn and Cooper a three-year energetic Labrador.

Episode 17 - What impact does behaviour have on animal welfare? With Nikki McLeod

Episode 17 - What impact does behaviour have on animal welfare?
With Nikki McLeod BSc(Hons) PGDip(CAB) NCert(Behav) RVN ISFM CertFN & AdvCertFB 
In this episode we focus on animal behaviour and the impact behavioural problems can have on animal welfare. We consider how important it is for all veterinary professionals to understand animal behaviour both to prevent and cure problems. We also focus on veterinary nursing, and the need for veterinary nurses to play a key role in improving animal welfare through behavioral awareness and education. Along the way Nikki tells us more about her career, taking time out, and following her own path in the world of animal behaviour.
A crazy cat lady and self-confessed study geek, Nikki has been a RVN since 2000. With her fingers in many pies, she splits what little time she has, between working as the Cat Advocate, and a consulting nurse, for a small animal practice in Fife, Scotland, as well as studying for multiple certificates.Not satisfied with gaining her first undergraduate degree at the age of 50, she has now gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Animal Behaviour from the University of Edinburgh. She has a vision of becoming a practice-based Clinical Animal Behaviourist in the near future.She is also keeping a British Veterinary Nursing Association Council seat warm for three years, while also campaigning for promoting excellence in animal behaviour and training as a trustee for the Animal Behaviour and Training Council. When work and studies doesn’t consume her brain, her husband and kids fry it gently and keep her on her toes. Sleep is optional.
Find out more about:
https://bvna.org.uk/blog/category/protect-the-title/
https://catfriendlyclinic.org/
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/how-we-help/professionals/vet-clinics
https://abtc.org.uk/
www.Instagram.com/nurse_positiVety
BehaviouRVNs | Podcast on Spotify

Episode 16 - Prof Stuart Carmichael - The impact of arthritis on animal welfare

Welcome to the latest collection of conversations, focussing on the world of animal welfare. We’re going to start this season by considering pain, analgesia and arthritis, with Professor Stuart Carmichael.
Did you know that 40% of all dogs, across all ages, have pathological osteoarthritis? And that the condition can be detected in dogs as young as 6 months of age. 
Or that 80% of cats over 10 years old with have arthritis? 
In this episode we consider osteoarthritis, consider how this can affect young and older animals, and the challenges associated with recognising chronic pain. We look at the long term management, rather than acute relief of chronic pain, including monoclonal antibodies, regenerative techniques using stem cells and owner education. One of the main themes from this conversation is the team approach to this condition and we look at how the traditional 10-15 minute veterinary consultation needs to change to provide animals and their owners with a more rounded approach to pain management. We discuss the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance initiatives including the Blue Paw Award and practice accreditation scheme.  We also discover some of the surprising similarities between the management of osteoarthritis and dermatology cases!  
Prof Carmichael has a wide experience as a specialist clinician in orthopaedics and in veterinary business management. He is Diplomate, a past Specialist and current Fellow of the RCVS.  He has been Director of both Queen Mother Hospital and Small Animal Hospital at Glasgow and Professor of Clinical Studies and Associate Dean for Clinical Services at Glasgow University.
He has also been National Referrals Director at Vets Now Ltd, a Director at Fitzpatrick Referrals Ltd. and visiting Professor at University of Surrey.
Charity roles have included acting as Board member and Chair of International Cat Care and as a trustee and Board member of Blue Cross. He is currently running a veterinary consultancy business, Joint Adventures Ltd., is a Co-Founder and Board member of the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance and is also Director and Co-founder of Aim-OA Ltd., providing a web-based Disease Management System for chronic osteoarthritis in dogs. 
Further information:
Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance – Providing information and education to veterinary professionals in the field of osteoarthritis
Blue Paw – Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance
Practice Accreditation Scheme – Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance
Treated Like Animals - Simmons - 9781784273415 – Pelagic Publishing
Are we smart enough to know how smart animals are? 

Announcing a new award for animal welfare

Sneak preview!
We are still finalising things, but I wanted to let you know that Animal Welfare Conversations is launching a new award for Animal Welfare. 
The Alex Fraser Medal for Animal Welfare will be awarded on an annual basis to someone who has shown outstanding commitment to improving the lives of animals. 
More information about how to nominate someone (or put yourself forward for consideration) will be available soon, but I wanted to let you know that this will be happening later in the year, so you can start thinking about your animal welfare heroes now. 
More information will be on the website soon and you if you sign up to the podcast newsletter then you'll be the first to know about things. 
In the meantime we've been recording new interviews with some amazing guests, and the podcast will be back to normal in a few weeks, after the summer break!

Episode 15 - Dr Bronwyn Orr - Animal Welfare Science

Welcome to the next episode of the Animal Welfare conversation. This week we’re joined by Dr Bronwyn Orr, who is a veterinary surgeon in Australia.
Dr Bronwyn Orr has a particular interest in animal welfare, completing a Master of Science majoring in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law from the University of Edinburgh and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from University of Sydney. She is a Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists by examination in Animal Welfare, and has spent much of the past decade of her career working in animal welfare policy, research and in frontline settings including shelters and abattoirs. She was President of the Australian Veterinary Association between 2022-2023 and last year was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to explore veterinary workforce policies overseas. She is based in Canberra and in late 2023 took over CAWSEL, Courses in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law held in Cambridge annually for the past thirty years.
Find out more about Bronwyn’s career journey and her diverse experiences in animal welfare, policy and education. Join us as we consider the current challenges for animal welfare in Australia, including industrial farming,  political polarization, lack of progressive policies, and resistance to change; find out more about undertaking a Churchill Fellowship, and the problems of recruitment and retention within the veterinary industry and the impact of this on animal welfare.
We hope you enjoy the animal welfare conversation.
 
Links and Further Information:
Churchill Trust
Vet Matters
 

Episode 14 - Dr Marc Abraham OBE, Campaigning for lasting change

In this episode we catch up with Dr Marc Abraham OBE, BVM&S MRCVS, or ‘Marc the Vet’ as he’s usually known, a multi-award-winning veterinary surgeon, author, broadcaster, and animal welfare campaigner. 
Marc qualified from Edinburgh University in 1995, and during one nightshift at his Brighton out-of-hours emergency clinic in 2009 treated some poorly pups, then decided to campaign against irresponsible dog and cat breeding practices such as puppy farming. He founded awareness campaigns #WheresMum and Pup Aid, led the successful ‘Lucy’s Law’ campaign in Parliament to ban commercial third-party puppy and kitten sellers, e.g. pet shops. With Lucy’s Law now legislation in England, Wales, and Scotland, this means all UK dog and cat breeders are accountable. 
Marc is also the co-founder and secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) in Westminster, was responsible for sourcing rescue pup Dylan for 10 Downing Street, appears regularly in the media, plus visits local schools chatting with pupils about caring for animals and looking out for one another. 
Marc was recently awarded the OBE for Services to Animal Welfare by Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, presented to him by His Royal Highness King Charles III at Windsor Castle. 
Marc has just finished filming a documentary called ‘Dogspiracy’, available to stream this autumn, which looks at the puppy trade in the UK, US, and takes a behind-the-scenes look at campaigning. 
Marc’s latest book ‘#BeMoreMosquito’ lists the tools required for grassroots campaigners to make practical and lasting change, from online petitions to social media, meeting politicians to engaging with select committees; all effective methods of raising awareness, changing behaviour, improving legislation, and sometimes all three. 
Marc currently practices at an independently-owned veterinary practice, near Brighton, East Sussex, and in his downtime enjoys sea swimming, walking on the South Downs, and supporting Brighton & Hove Albion.
Join us as we find out more about Marc’s work, including influencing legislation to bring about real and lasting change for animals.
We hope you will join the animal welfare conversation.
 
Useful links
Marc the Vet: www.marcthevet.net 
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/marcthevet 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcTheVet/  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcabraham/ 
All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG): www.apdawg.co.uk
Be More Mosquito - How you can campaign and create change
 
As mentioned in the podcast, this episode was recorded before the general election was called. So, unfortunately legislation relating to the banning of imported pups under 6 months and puppy smuggling and the import of dogs with mutilations bills were dropped; but the pet theft reform bill and the live export of sheep and cattle bills were passed. 
The Assistance dog and accessibility meeting that is referred to has already happened.

Episode 12 - Beverley Cuddy, Editor, Dogs Today Magazine

In this episode we catch up with Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today Magazine. 
 
Beverley Cuddy has been the editor of Dogs Today magazine since in launch in 1990 when it was part of the Daily Mail group. From childhood she was dog mad and worked at the weekly show dog papers before six long years at the Kennel Club trying to reform them from within! She has campaigned for a better dog world for decades - some of the successes include an end to quarantine and the start of Pet Passports, the end to cosmetic tail docking, the first ever take your dogs to work day, Lucy’s Law to take the dog out of the pet shop and most recently the Pet Theft Abduction Bill. Her most recent project is The Bark Angel - a fledgling tech start up to change the way the public adds a dog to their family. To make finding ethical breeders and rescues just much simpler and more attractive than what currently happens online.
Beverley shares her life with Honey a young Cocker Spaniel and Betty a 10-year-old rescue dog that is a cross between an Old English and a Golden Retriever. And a long-suffering husband and three grown up boys that also love dogs. Beverley’s life story has been told in the magazine on the Confessions of a dog lover column on the back page and is collated in the free book called The Devil Wears Dog Hair - which is also the name of her occasional podcast. Beverley often appears on TV and radio talking about dogs - what else?
Link here to Confessions Book with links to free copies to Dogs Today and more: https://midd.me/OABH
Join us as we talk about personal experiences and insights of advocating for animal welfare, speaking up for the underdog and protecting the interests of animals.
We hope you will join the animal welfare conversation.
 
Further information:
Dogs Today Magazine
Lucy's Law
The Bark Angel
Companion Spaniel Project - Facebook
Cavalier Project
 
 
 
 

Episode 11 Sam Fontaine RVN - Giving Vet Nurses a Seat at the Table

In this episode we meet Sam Fontaine MSc PGCAP BSc DipAVN(Med) RVN FHEA SFRET
Sam qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002 and after a short time in general practice, joined the University of Glasgow’s Small Animal Hospital as their first dedicated oncology nurse in 2003. She spent 16 years in the SAH working both in the oncology service, and latterly as the deputy nursing services manager, where she co-led a team of over 50 veterinary nurses and veterinary care assistants.
During her time in clinics, Sam gained her RCVS Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing in Medicine and an MSc in Veterinary Clinical Studies, where she investigated the role of the serum biomarker C-reactive protein in dogs with lymphoma.
In 2017 Sam launched the MSc, PG Diploma, and PG Certificate in Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing, and the PG Certificate was accredited by the RCVS in 2019 for the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing. This fully online postgraduate programme has evidence-based veterinary nursing and quality improvement at its core, and Sam and her team have welcomed students from across the globe. She enjoys seeing veterinary nurses on the programme becoming empowered as they develop a skill set that supports them to become champions of change within their practice.
Sam was awarded an RCVS Knowledge Award in 2021 for promoting Quality Improvement within veterinary nurse education. She has a keen interest in research, having published on a range of topics, and she is currently undertaking a professional doctorate in education.
Sam is a strong advocate for the advancement of the profession and believes that veterinary nurses can contribute significantly to improving patient safety and to expanding the veterinary nursing evidence base.  
 
Links to further information
Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing PGCert / PGDip / MSc
 
RCVS Knowledge Natter
 
An Introduction to the Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing Online Programme

Episode 10 - Emma Ruggles RVN - Hydrotherapy and Animal Welfare

In this episode we meet Emma Ruggles RVN CertVNECC APVN (Wildlife and Zoo Animals) L3CertSAHydro. 
Emma has worked in the veterinary industry for 10 years and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2016, and has always had a passion for small animal emergency and critical care and wildlife conservation. After 1 year of working as an RVN in practice she started the CertVNECC qualification, and became a Locum RVN as of June 2018. Since then as well as working as a locum across the UK in both referral and general practice, they have travelled/worked and volunteered abroad in South Africa, the Cook Islands, Australia and most recently Thailand with the Wildlife Friends Foundation.
Emma was interested in diversifying their nursing career and so undertook 6 months training and then qualified as a Canine Hydrotherapist in March 2022. Emma loves the consistency of investing in your patients and seeing them back for regular therapy sessions, forming a connection with the animal and the client as well. It is so rewarding to see your patient make positive progress with a rehab plan that you put in place. Emma continues to learn a lot about hydrotherapy and truly believes it is a key step in improving the welfare/wellbeing of the patients we see in practice.
Clients are seeking surgical alternatives and/or they invest in surgery and want to achieve the best possible recovery for their pet and so will seek a programme of aftercare and rehabilitation. Conditions such as osteoarthritis and management of the geriatric patient are being more widely discussed amongst clients and with that  the rehab sector can work with the vet and owner to provide the best possible care plan for management of these patients.
Further information*
Canine Arthritis Management – information and resources on caring for your arthritic dog, courses, and products for both pet owners and veterinary professionals.
Canine Arthritis Management – Arthritis in Dogs
Blue Bear Animal Rehabilitation – Copford in Colchester Essex
Home | Colchester | Blue Bear Animal Rehabilitation
Hydrotherapy training
Courses | K9HS Courses | Canine Hydrotherapy Courses
BVNA Article on Running Senior Pet clinics in practice.
Running Senior Clinics: A marathon or a sprint? - British Veterinary Nursing AssociationBritish Veterinary Nursing Association (bvna.org.uk)
Canine Hydrotherapy Association – providing more information on Canine Hydrotherapy and its benefits.
Canine Hydrotherapy Association - Canine Hydrotherapy Association (canine-hydrotherapy.org)
National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists - providing more information on Canine Hydrotherapy and its benefits
NARCH | National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists - About Us
Ruggles, E. (2023) Alongside a career as a veterinary nurse – the road to patient rehabilitation. VNJ 38(5) pp 25-31.
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*Links are provided for information purposes only. Animal Welfare Conversation does not endorse any links provided here for information.