Abstracts: Pathways to specialising in animal welfare

Safeguarding animal welfare is an important aspect of the day-to-day work of almost all veterinarians; however, only some choose to pursue specific postgraduate qualifications in this area. Andrew Knight describes some of the routes to specialisation that are available around the world, highlighting in particular how suitably experienced individuals can currently seek accreditation in Europe […]

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Pigeon Post: Ian Neville writes from the UK

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon’s RCVS Survey of the Veterinary Professions 2014 was published online in September. According to the RCVS it provides a ‘snapshot of the current state of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions.’ The four-yearly survey was carried out by the independent Institute for Employment Studies and collated responses from 6,988 […]

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China live export claims garner criticism

Veterinary groups have criticised the federal government’s plans to commence live cattle exports to China. Vets Against Live Export (VALE) said the journey by sea to China is about 18 days, equivalent to the journey to the Middle East, a distance they deem unacceptable. The organisation is also concerned about animal protection laws in China, […]

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Responsible antibiotic use is important, says AVA

The AVA used its platform to promote responsible use of antibiotics in animals for Australian Antibiotic Awareness Week in November. Spokesperson Stephen Page said vets take their obligation to minimise the risk of resistant superbugs seriously. “While resistance mainly originates from antibiotic use in humans, there’s evidence that the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals […]

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