Inherited diseases fall into two categories — primary, for example glaucoma, and secondary, such as exaggerated body types. At a press briefing held at BSAVA Congress, The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) called on vets to take a proactive role in tackling hereditary diseases. Solutions include breeding for more moderate shapes and breeding for eradication of specific genetic defects over time — includes breeding from pairs where one may be a carrier to ensure the largest possible gene pool. In addition, Dr Cathryn Mellersh, Head of Canine Genetics at the Animal Health Trust and a member of the WSAVA Hereditary Disease Committee, urged veterinary professionals not to shy away from telling owners if they have made a bad choice of pet (regarding inherited diseases and associated welfare problems), to try to deter them from making the same mistake again.
Brachycephalic breeds continue to be a source of discussion, as dogs such as Pugs and French Bulldogs increase in popularity. In her recent editorial ‘Leading the way’ my colleague, Debra Bourne, Editor of Companion Animal urged vets to make owners aware that the snuffling and wheezing is not just ‘the way these dogs are’ let alone ‘cute’ — all veterinary practices can and should support this message that ‘brachycephalics have serious health problems and are poor choices when buying a pet’. In addition, when we see these breeds being used in advertising, let's let the advertisers know what we think!
It has been suggested that the reason people like these squashed-faced breeds is that they look more like babies, making them more endearing. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely human [mental] characteristics to non-human animals, and in his talk ‘Anthropomorphism: a step too far?’ Franck Meijboom took us on a journey of self discovery. The lecture encouraged veterinary professionals to question their own values: is anthropomorphism acceptable at all or any level? Is the dog arriving at the practice wearing a jumper okay while the pig being tattooed unacceptable? Should veterinary practitioners advise their clients?
It seems clear that dogs should be treated as dogs, and that trying to understand their inherent behaviours is essential for their welfare. For decades dogs have been considered to have the characteristics of wolves and the idea of hierarchy has been popular. However, research does not support the idea of a linear hierarchy in a group of dogs, as explained by Stephanie Hedges in ‘Unravelling dominance in dogs’ (p132). Control of dogs should not involve owners asserting dominance and there should certainly be no intimidation or physical correction when trying to manage behaviour — instead dogs should be trained through positive rewards. Dogs trained using this method learn better and show less anxiety — and veterinary nurses are well placed to educate their clients on this.
What better time to start educating people on how to treat animals — with respect and kindness — than as children? Animal abuse complaints increased by over 6000 in 2014. Education could be a key factor to preventing the pattern from continuing into the future. A petition to ‘Introduce Animal Health and Welfare to the school curriculum’ closes at the end of April. It currently has 15 802 of the 100 000 it needs to be debated in parliament. Let's teach children to respect all life. You can sign the petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/170481
I hope you enjoy this issue!