For some, the word orthodontist stirs awkward teenage memories of braces and the agonising wait to be rid of mouth metal. But humans aren’t the only species requiring some orthodontic alignment. University of Queensland Small Animal Hospital Head of Avian and Exotic Pet Service, avian specialist and exotics luminary Bob […]
ATO announces $2k cap on self-education expenses
An Australian Government announcement that tax-deductions for work related self-education expenses will be limited to $2000 per person per year penalises well intentioned vets, according to the Australian Veterinary Association. The cap, which comes into effect on 1 July 2014, is designed to yield savings to help fund the Government’s […]
Inter-observer agreement, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of animal-based indicators of young lamb welfare
A scientific literature review and consensus of expert opinion used the welfare definitions provided by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) Five Freedoms as the framework for selecting a set of animal-based indicators that were sensitive to the current on-farm welfare issues of young lambs (aged ⩽6 weeks). Ten animal-based […]
‘Sickening’ scandal dogs live export industry
The actions of a concerned Egyptian veterinarian have thrown the live export industry in to yet another scandal. In April Mahmoud Abdelwahab corresponded with animal welfare group Animals Australia, and they subsequently obtained footage of slaughterhouses in Egypt. The footage shows cruelty in facilities that the live export industry has […]
Physiological and behavioural responses of poultry exposed to gas-filled high expansion foam
Disease control measures require poultry to be killed on farms to minimise the risk of disease being transmitted to other poultry and, in some cases, to protect public health. We assessed the welfare implications for poultry of the use of high-expansion gas-filled foam as a potentially humane, emergency killing method. […]