Alison Hanlon | University College Dublin (original) (raw)
Papers by Alison Hanlon
Irish Veterinary Journal
Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curric... more Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curriculum because of its wide scope of applications to veterinary practice. Private practitioners are likely to be the primary source of information on animal behaviour for most pet owners, however studies indicate that behavioural issues are not frequently discussed during companion animal consultations and many practitioners lack confidence in dealing with behavioural problems, likely due to poor coverage of this subject in veterinary education. There is a need to identify learning outcomes to support day one competences in veterinary behaviour medicine and these should be informed by practice-based evidence. This study aimed to investigate the nature and frequency of behavioural queries experienced by veterinary professionals in Ireland, the provision of behavioural services at companion animal practices, behaviour referral practices and challenges associated with providing a behaviour service. Methods: Two online surveys were developed, one for private veterinary practitioners (PVP) and one for veterinary nurses (VN). Invitations to participate were distributed using contact details from the Premises Accreditation Scheme database on the Veterinary Council of Ireland website. Thirty-eight PVPs and 69 VNs completed the survey. Results: Results indicated that less than half of companion animal practices offer behavioural consults and under a third of practices provide training and socialization events. Over half of the practices surveyed have referred cases to a behavioural specialist. The majority of respondents encountered behavioural queries weekly. Ninety-eight percent reported receiving queries regarding dog behaviour. Toilet training and unruly behaviour were two issues encountered frequently. Behavioural issues in cats were also common. House soiling and destructive behaviour were the problems most frequently encountered by respondents. The two most commonly cited barriers to providing behavioural consultations were lack of in-house or personal expertise, and that clients were not willing to pay for these services. Furthermore over half of all veterinary professionals surveyed indicated that they had received inadequate undergraduate training in veterinary behaviour medicine.
Veterinary Record, 2008
Information was obtained by telephone interview from 100 dog owners whose dog had bitten a person... more Information was obtained by telephone interview from 100 dog owners whose dog had bitten a person, and from 134 victims of bites by a dog not owned by the victim. Three-quarters of the victims were female and aged from 21 to 60 years. The majority of the dogs were owned, male, two to six years old, over 10 kg in bodyweight and belonged to the popular breeds: collies, cocker/springer spaniels, terrier breeds, Jack Russell terriers, German shepherd dogs, golden retrievers and crossbreeds. The numbers of bites by the different breeds indicated that those that inflicted the most bites were the popular breeds rather than the breeds with any greater propensity to bite. Most attacks were rapid single bites and in 50 per cent of the cases, neither the owner nor the victim was able to identify any signal of the dog's intention to bite. Overall, 21 per cent of the incidents were rated as 'serious' and 2 per cent as 'life threatening'. One fifth of the dogs were euthanased as a result of the incident. Half the incidents required professional medical assistance for the victim. Almost half the incidents took place while the victim was walking or passing close to the dog's territory, or while the victim was interacting with the dog at home.
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 1995
The validity of antibody and lymphocyte response as measures of social stress in farmed red deer ... more The validity of antibody and lymphocyte response as measures of social stress in farmed red deer hinds was assessed by comparison with other indices of stress. Ten 'wild' red deer (mixed, M), born to wild hinds post-capture, were each housed in separate groups of five farmed deer. After 2 weeks the groups were completely re-mixed. Mixing was repeated at weekly intervals for4 successive weeks. As a control, ten 'wild' deer (C) were maintained in the same two groups of five throughout the study. All wild deer were immunised with keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) 1 week prior to remixing (week 2). Mixed deer were subjected to more aggression than C deer (P < 0.001). At week 6, plasma cortisol concentrations after ACTH injection increased more in M than C deer (P < 0.05). Lymphocyte responses to KLH were significantly lower in M than C deer (P < 0.05), but there were no differences in antibody response to KLH. It is concluded that the repeated mixing of groups was a significant social stressor and that lymphocyte response to an antigen may be a more sensitive immunological measure of social stress in red deer than antibody response.
Animal Science, 1997
At weaning at 3 months of age (week 1), 30 red deer hind calves were housed in six groups of five... more At weaning at 3 months of age (week 1), 30 red deer hind calves were housed in six groups of five animals at a stocking density of 1·5 m2per head and maintained in these groups for 4 weeks. At the start of week 5, all calves were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA). Fifteen calves, from three groups, selected at random, were transferred to individual pens which restricted visual and tactile contact with others (ISO) while the remaining animals were kept in their groups (GP). The behaviour, food intake, live-weight gain, antibody and lymphocyte responses in vitro to OVA and lymphocyte responses in vitro to the non-specific mitogen, concanavalin A (ConA), of all calves were assessed in each of weeks 5 to 9. Isolated calves had a lower mean live-weight gain than GP calves (P < 0·001), although there were no differences in food intake. Significantly more time was spent lying (P < 0·001) but less time feeding (P < 0·05) and self-grooming (P < 0·001) by ISO than by GP calves. There...
Animals
Veterinary behavioural medicine (VBM) is an integral aspect of veterinary practice. However, Gold... more Veterinary behavioural medicine (VBM) is an integral aspect of veterinary practice. However, Golden and Hanlon (Ir. Vet. J. 71:12, 2018) found that the majority of professionals surveyed felt they had received inadequate VBM education and were commonly asked to give advice on feline behavioural problems. The purpose of this study was to explore understanding of feline VBM and the availability of “cat friendly” provisions in clinical practice in Ireland. An online survey comprised 21 questions on professional role and experience, vignettes of common feline behavioural problems, and “cat friendly” practice management. Using a Likert Scale, participants were requested to score whether the advice depicted in vignettes supported best outcome based on the definition by Shalvey et al. (Ir. Vet. J. 72:1, 2019). The survey was distributed via professional organisations, social media, and at the University College Dublin Hospital Conference. Forty-two veterinary practitioners (VPs) and 53 vet...
Irish Veterinary Journal
Background: Companion animal behaviour problems significantly impact companion animal (and owner)... more Background: Companion animal behaviour problems significantly impact companion animal (and owner) welfare. Veterinary behavioural medicine (VBM) is an emerging discipline and aims to provide evidence-based advice to owners and veterinary professionals to support normal behaviour in companion animals through appropriate socialisation and training and to address behaviour problems in a constructive and welfare-friendly manner. The approach to problem behaviours in dogs has changed in recent years; previously a misunderstanding of the biological theory of dominance has been used to explain certain behavioural problems in dogs which has led to the use of punishment-based treatment methods. Current research advocates the benefits of reward-based methods and highlights the risks of implementing positive punishment-based training techniques to both dogs and owners. Golden and Hanlon (Ir Vet J 71: 12, 2018) have reported that veterinary professionals in Ireland are frequently asked to advise on dog behaviour problems. This study aimed to explore veterinary professionals' understanding of training and treatment options for frequently encountered dog behaviour problems, and to help support the development of competences in VBM in Ireland. Methods: An online survey was developed, including a pre-test evaluation by a pilot group of veterinary professionals, on SurveyMonkey®. The link to the online survey was distributed via third-party professional associations and social media. The survey contained twelve vignettes illustrating advice from veterinary professionals on common behaviour scenarios. Using a Likert Scale, respondents were asked to assess the likelihood of the advice to support best outcome for the dog. Best outcome was defined as one which provides a resolution to the behavioural problem while not compromising the animal's welfare.
Animals
EU legislation states that all pigs must have access to material that allows them to perform inve... more EU legislation states that all pigs must have access to material that allows them to perform investigation and manipulation activities, thereby reducing the risk of pigs performing damaging behaviours (e.g., tail, ear and flank biting). We aimed to determine associations between damaging behaviours performed by finisher pigs, the related lesions and the use of different types of enrichment. Six randomly selected pens of finisher pigs were observed for 10 min each on 31 commercial pig farms in Ireland. All pigs were counted and the number of pigs affected by tail, ear and flank lesions was recorded. During the last 5 min, all occurrences of damaging behaviour (tail-, ear- and flank-directed behaviour) were recorded. The type (chain, plastic or wood) and number of accessible enrichment objects/pen was recorded. Chains were the most common (41.4% of farms), followed by plastic (37.9%) and wood (20.7%). Damaging behaviour was more frequent on farms that provided chains compared to plast...
Irish Veterinary Journal
Background: Knowledge on the most prevalent welfare problems for pigs in different production sta... more Background: Knowledge on the most prevalent welfare problems for pigs in different production stages is required to improve herd management plans. Thirty-one farrow-to-finish pig farms were visited between July and November 2015 to assess the welfare of pigs using the multicriteria approach of the Welfare Quality® protocol. On each farm, 6 pens were selected using proportionate stratified sampling in the first weaner (S1, 4 to 8 wks), second weaner (S2, 8 to 13 wks) and finisher stage (S3, 13 to 23 wks), excluding hospital pens. Each pen was observed for 10 min and the number of pigs affected by different welfare outcomes was recorded. The percentage of pigs affected was calculated and ranked to identify the most prevalent outcomes within each production stage. Differences between production stages were analysed using generalised linear mixed models for binomial data with pen within stage and farm as a random effect. Results: Tail and ear lesions showed the highest prevalence; however, large variation was observed between farms. In S1 the most prevalent welfare outcomes (presented as median prevalence) were poor body condition (4.4%), lethargic pigs (1.5%), scouring (20.3% of pens) and huddling (3.7%). In S2 and S3 outcomes related to injurious behaviour (tail lesions: 5.9% [S2] and 10.5% [S3], ear lesions: 9.1% [S2] and 3.3% [S3], and flank lesions: 0.4% [S2] and 1.3% [S3]), lameness (0.8% [S2] and 1.1% [S3]), bursitis (3.9% [S2] and 7.5% [S3]) and hernias (1.6% [S2] and 1.8% [S3]) were more prevalent. Conclusions: A large variation was observed for the recorded welfare outcomes corresponding to the different challenges pigs experience during the different stages of production on commercial pig farms. The prevalence of pigs affected by lesions caused by injurious behavior is a cause for concern and requires a collaborative approach to identify appropriate intervention strategies. This information could be used to further investigate appropriate benchmark values for different welfare outcomes that would assist the pig industry to develop appropriate health and welfare management plans to minimise welfare problems. At herd level such plans should include information on aspects of intervention, treatment, and the management of hospital pens as well as euthanasia.
Irish Veterinary Journal
Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curric... more Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curriculum because of its wide scope of applications to veterinary practice. Private practitioners are likely to be the primary source of information on animal behaviour for most pet owners, however studies indicate that behavioural issues are not frequently discussed during companion animal consultations and many practitioners lack confidence in dealing with behavioural problems, likely due to poor coverage of this subject in veterinary education. There is a need to identify learning outcomes to support day one competences in veterinary behaviour medicine and these should be informed by practice-based evidence. This study aimed to investigate the nature and frequency of behavioural queries experienced by veterinary professionals in Ireland, the provision of behavioural services at companion animal practices, behaviour referral practices and challenges associated with providing a behaviour service. Methods: Two online surveys were developed, one for private veterinary practitioners (PVP) and one for veterinary nurses (VN). Invitations to participate were distributed using contact details from the Premises Accreditation Scheme database on the Veterinary Council of Ireland website. Thirty-eight PVPs and 69 VNs completed the survey. Results: Results indicated that less than half of companion animal practices offer behavioural consults and under a third of practices provide training and socialization events. Over half of the practices surveyed have referred cases to a behavioural specialist. The majority of respondents encountered behavioural queries weekly. Ninety-eight percent reported receiving queries regarding dog behaviour. Toilet training and unruly behaviour were two issues encountered frequently. Behavioural issues in cats were also common. House soiling and destructive behaviour were the problems most frequently encountered by respondents. The two most commonly cited barriers to providing behavioural consultations were lack of in-house or personal expertise, and that clients were not willing to pay for these services. Furthermore over half of all veterinary professionals surveyed indicated that they had received inadequate undergraduate training in veterinary behaviour medicine.
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 2016
In the last few decades, the importance of imparting ethical competences to veterinary students h... more In the last few decades, the importance of imparting ethical competences to veterinary students has been increasingly acknowledged. Despite its relevance, there are few published descriptions of teaching approaches to veterinary ethics and their effect on student learning. At University College Dublin, veterinary ethics is part of a core module on animal behavior and welfare in the pre-clinical teaching program. The present study describes the implementation of a student-centered, skills-based approach to veterinary ethics teaching using vignettes (i.e., case scenarios). Vignettes were inspired by several resources, including a focus group, and designed to represent significant ethical challenges faced by veterinary professionals in Ireland, in addition to cases of potential professional misconduct. In small groups, students had to identify the stakeholders and their conflicting interests, and to suggest possible solutions and alternative outcomes to the case scenario. Results from qualitative material from the teaching sessions and from a quantitative post-teaching survey show that student understanding of stakeholders increased as a result of the tutorial, which helped them to clarify possible solutions to the scenario and to propose alternative outcomes to either mitigate or avoid future occurrence of the ethical challenges. These findings suggest that incorporating meaningful vignettes into the teaching of veterinary ethics can support student ethical awareness and skills while promoting a pluralistic approach to considering ethical issues, making the best of available time and human resources.
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2016
Tail lesions are associated with poor health either because they serve as a point of entry for pa... more Tail lesions are associated with poor health either because they serve as a point of entry for pathogens or because of shared risk factors. This study investigated the relationship between carcass tail lesion and lung lesion severity scores in slaughter pigs. Carcasses were scored after scalding/dehairing for tail lesion severity (0-4). Lungs were scored according to an adapted version of the BPEX pig health scheme. Severity of enzootic pneumonia (EP-like lesions) was recorded on a scale of 0-50. Severity of pleurisy was scored on a 0-2 scale with score 2 equating to severe pleurisy or those lungs that remained attached to the chest wall (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;lungs in chest&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;). The database for assessing pleurisy lesions contained all pleurisy scores (n=5628). Lungs with a score of 2 for pleurisy were excluded from the analysis of all other lung lesions as such lungs could not be assessed for other lesions (n=4491). Associations between tail lesions and different lung lesion outcomes were analysed using generalized linear mixed models (PROC GLIMMIX) with random effect for batch. Males were more affected by moderate (OR=1.9, 95% CI 1.51-2.34) and severe (OR=5.8, 95% CI 3.45-9.70) tail lesions than females. EP-like lesions and pleurisy were most commonly observed. Pigs with severe tail lesions tended to have more &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;lungs in chest&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; than pigs with moderate tail lesions (P=0.1). No other associations between tail lesions and lung lesions were found. Males had higher odds of having EP-like lesions (OR=1.2, 95% CI 1.05-1.36) than females. Tail lesions on the carcass may not be an accurate predictor of lung health. However, tail lesions are important welfare indicators and respiratory disease is a significant infectious condition affecting pigs. Thus, recording of tail and lung lesions at meat inspection provides valuable information regarding on-farm health and welfare of pigs.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2016
Redvet Revista Electronica De Veterinaria, 2008
Irish veterinary journal, Jan 8, 2012
There are no peer reviewed data on dog control records from an official agency in Ireland. In ord... more There are no peer reviewed data on dog control records from an official agency in Ireland. In order to address this, a total of 2,669 official dog control service records generated during 2007 by Cork County Council dog control service were reviewed. Over 70 percent of records related to unwanted dogs and dogs not under their owners control. Stray dogs were collected by the service regularly throughout the year but with notable increase in voluntary surrenders by owners from January through to April. The majority of dogs collected or surrendered were male (2:1 ratio), of medium size, described as having a friendly temperament and were not wearing a neck collar. The Crossbreed and Greyhound breeds were more frequently collected as strays, while Greyhounds and German Shepherds were more frequently voluntarily surrendered by their owner. Restricted breeds such as Pit Bull terriers, German Shepherds and Rottweilers were more frequently reported by members of the public for aggressive be...
This paper analyses behavioural and management history data provided by 100 owners of dogs that h... more This paper analyses behavioural and management history data provided by 100 owners of dogs that had bitten a person. The data was obtained by telephone interview of volunteer dog owners. Two subsets of data were created using 21 dogs having no history of perceived aggressive behaviour prior to the reported bite incident and 79 that had a record of aggression. Statistically significant predictors of aggressive behaviour included owners reprimanding the dog by physical and verbal means, owners allowing the dog to initiate play and to win tug-of-war games. Management predictors during the 2 months leading up to a bite incident included allowing the dogs onto household furniture and feeding the dog directly from the family table. Behavioural predictors included not being trusted with children, not responding to basic commands, variable obedience to different people and variable degrees of obedience depending on the location. Additional behavioural predictors included displays of problem behaviours such as destructiveness and barking only when family members were present, displays of fearful reactions in specific circumstances and excessive displays of specific behaviours. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between a number of these predictors and aggressive behaviour. Other findings included owner tolerance of significant degrees of aggressive behaviour, inadequate or ineffective obedience training, biting of adult household members and the possible influence of ad libitum feeding on the behaviour of the dog.
Irish veterinary journal, Jan 23, 2013
To date, there have been a limited number of studies on the impact of government-incentivised far... more To date, there have been a limited number of studies on the impact of government-incentivised farm animal welfare programmes or 'schemes', and on farmers' attitudes regarding such schemes. In this study, focus groups were used to gain insight into Irish farmers' perceptions of such a scheme for suckler cattle and its behavioural impacts on farmers. The findings were categorised into 46 codes and ultimately yielded two Global themes: 1) Beliefs and Evidence and 2) Logic and Logistics. The former theme covered farmers' attitudes and observations regarding the Scheme. The latter dealt with factors such as workload and costs. The Global themes allowed for comprehensive reporting of the strongest messages from focus groups. There was consensus that Scheme measures for the minimum calving age and for weaning had a positive impact on welfare. Two aspects criticized by participants were firstly disbudding, due to the logistics for anaesthetic application, and secondly th...
Irish Veterinary Journal
Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curric... more Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curriculum because of its wide scope of applications to veterinary practice. Private practitioners are likely to be the primary source of information on animal behaviour for most pet owners, however studies indicate that behavioural issues are not frequently discussed during companion animal consultations and many practitioners lack confidence in dealing with behavioural problems, likely due to poor coverage of this subject in veterinary education. There is a need to identify learning outcomes to support day one competences in veterinary behaviour medicine and these should be informed by practice-based evidence. This study aimed to investigate the nature and frequency of behavioural queries experienced by veterinary professionals in Ireland, the provision of behavioural services at companion animal practices, behaviour referral practices and challenges associated with providing a behaviour service. Methods: Two online surveys were developed, one for private veterinary practitioners (PVP) and one for veterinary nurses (VN). Invitations to participate were distributed using contact details from the Premises Accreditation Scheme database on the Veterinary Council of Ireland website. Thirty-eight PVPs and 69 VNs completed the survey. Results: Results indicated that less than half of companion animal practices offer behavioural consults and under a third of practices provide training and socialization events. Over half of the practices surveyed have referred cases to a behavioural specialist. The majority of respondents encountered behavioural queries weekly. Ninety-eight percent reported receiving queries regarding dog behaviour. Toilet training and unruly behaviour were two issues encountered frequently. Behavioural issues in cats were also common. House soiling and destructive behaviour were the problems most frequently encountered by respondents. The two most commonly cited barriers to providing behavioural consultations were lack of in-house or personal expertise, and that clients were not willing to pay for these services. Furthermore over half of all veterinary professionals surveyed indicated that they had received inadequate undergraduate training in veterinary behaviour medicine.
Veterinary Record, 2008
Information was obtained by telephone interview from 100 dog owners whose dog had bitten a person... more Information was obtained by telephone interview from 100 dog owners whose dog had bitten a person, and from 134 victims of bites by a dog not owned by the victim. Three-quarters of the victims were female and aged from 21 to 60 years. The majority of the dogs were owned, male, two to six years old, over 10 kg in bodyweight and belonged to the popular breeds: collies, cocker/springer spaniels, terrier breeds, Jack Russell terriers, German shepherd dogs, golden retrievers and crossbreeds. The numbers of bites by the different breeds indicated that those that inflicted the most bites were the popular breeds rather than the breeds with any greater propensity to bite. Most attacks were rapid single bites and in 50 per cent of the cases, neither the owner nor the victim was able to identify any signal of the dog's intention to bite. Overall, 21 per cent of the incidents were rated as 'serious' and 2 per cent as 'life threatening'. One fifth of the dogs were euthanased as a result of the incident. Half the incidents required professional medical assistance for the victim. Almost half the incidents took place while the victim was walking or passing close to the dog's territory, or while the victim was interacting with the dog at home.
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 1995
The validity of antibody and lymphocyte response as measures of social stress in farmed red deer ... more The validity of antibody and lymphocyte response as measures of social stress in farmed red deer hinds was assessed by comparison with other indices of stress. Ten 'wild' red deer (mixed, M), born to wild hinds post-capture, were each housed in separate groups of five farmed deer. After 2 weeks the groups were completely re-mixed. Mixing was repeated at weekly intervals for4 successive weeks. As a control, ten 'wild' deer (C) were maintained in the same two groups of five throughout the study. All wild deer were immunised with keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) 1 week prior to remixing (week 2). Mixed deer were subjected to more aggression than C deer (P < 0.001). At week 6, plasma cortisol concentrations after ACTH injection increased more in M than C deer (P < 0.05). Lymphocyte responses to KLH were significantly lower in M than C deer (P < 0.05), but there were no differences in antibody response to KLH. It is concluded that the repeated mixing of groups was a significant social stressor and that lymphocyte response to an antigen may be a more sensitive immunological measure of social stress in red deer than antibody response.
Animal Science, 1997
At weaning at 3 months of age (week 1), 30 red deer hind calves were housed in six groups of five... more At weaning at 3 months of age (week 1), 30 red deer hind calves were housed in six groups of five animals at a stocking density of 1·5 m2per head and maintained in these groups for 4 weeks. At the start of week 5, all calves were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA). Fifteen calves, from three groups, selected at random, were transferred to individual pens which restricted visual and tactile contact with others (ISO) while the remaining animals were kept in their groups (GP). The behaviour, food intake, live-weight gain, antibody and lymphocyte responses in vitro to OVA and lymphocyte responses in vitro to the non-specific mitogen, concanavalin A (ConA), of all calves were assessed in each of weeks 5 to 9. Isolated calves had a lower mean live-weight gain than GP calves (P < 0·001), although there were no differences in food intake. Significantly more time was spent lying (P < 0·001) but less time feeding (P < 0·05) and self-grooming (P < 0·001) by ISO than by GP calves. There...
Animals
Veterinary behavioural medicine (VBM) is an integral aspect of veterinary practice. However, Gold... more Veterinary behavioural medicine (VBM) is an integral aspect of veterinary practice. However, Golden and Hanlon (Ir. Vet. J. 71:12, 2018) found that the majority of professionals surveyed felt they had received inadequate VBM education and were commonly asked to give advice on feline behavioural problems. The purpose of this study was to explore understanding of feline VBM and the availability of “cat friendly” provisions in clinical practice in Ireland. An online survey comprised 21 questions on professional role and experience, vignettes of common feline behavioural problems, and “cat friendly” practice management. Using a Likert Scale, participants were requested to score whether the advice depicted in vignettes supported best outcome based on the definition by Shalvey et al. (Ir. Vet. J. 72:1, 2019). The survey was distributed via professional organisations, social media, and at the University College Dublin Hospital Conference. Forty-two veterinary practitioners (VPs) and 53 vet...
Irish Veterinary Journal
Background: Companion animal behaviour problems significantly impact companion animal (and owner)... more Background: Companion animal behaviour problems significantly impact companion animal (and owner) welfare. Veterinary behavioural medicine (VBM) is an emerging discipline and aims to provide evidence-based advice to owners and veterinary professionals to support normal behaviour in companion animals through appropriate socialisation and training and to address behaviour problems in a constructive and welfare-friendly manner. The approach to problem behaviours in dogs has changed in recent years; previously a misunderstanding of the biological theory of dominance has been used to explain certain behavioural problems in dogs which has led to the use of punishment-based treatment methods. Current research advocates the benefits of reward-based methods and highlights the risks of implementing positive punishment-based training techniques to both dogs and owners. Golden and Hanlon (Ir Vet J 71: 12, 2018) have reported that veterinary professionals in Ireland are frequently asked to advise on dog behaviour problems. This study aimed to explore veterinary professionals' understanding of training and treatment options for frequently encountered dog behaviour problems, and to help support the development of competences in VBM in Ireland. Methods: An online survey was developed, including a pre-test evaluation by a pilot group of veterinary professionals, on SurveyMonkey®. The link to the online survey was distributed via third-party professional associations and social media. The survey contained twelve vignettes illustrating advice from veterinary professionals on common behaviour scenarios. Using a Likert Scale, respondents were asked to assess the likelihood of the advice to support best outcome for the dog. Best outcome was defined as one which provides a resolution to the behavioural problem while not compromising the animal's welfare.
Animals
EU legislation states that all pigs must have access to material that allows them to perform inve... more EU legislation states that all pigs must have access to material that allows them to perform investigation and manipulation activities, thereby reducing the risk of pigs performing damaging behaviours (e.g., tail, ear and flank biting). We aimed to determine associations between damaging behaviours performed by finisher pigs, the related lesions and the use of different types of enrichment. Six randomly selected pens of finisher pigs were observed for 10 min each on 31 commercial pig farms in Ireland. All pigs were counted and the number of pigs affected by tail, ear and flank lesions was recorded. During the last 5 min, all occurrences of damaging behaviour (tail-, ear- and flank-directed behaviour) were recorded. The type (chain, plastic or wood) and number of accessible enrichment objects/pen was recorded. Chains were the most common (41.4% of farms), followed by plastic (37.9%) and wood (20.7%). Damaging behaviour was more frequent on farms that provided chains compared to plast...
Irish Veterinary Journal
Background: Knowledge on the most prevalent welfare problems for pigs in different production sta... more Background: Knowledge on the most prevalent welfare problems for pigs in different production stages is required to improve herd management plans. Thirty-one farrow-to-finish pig farms were visited between July and November 2015 to assess the welfare of pigs using the multicriteria approach of the Welfare Quality® protocol. On each farm, 6 pens were selected using proportionate stratified sampling in the first weaner (S1, 4 to 8 wks), second weaner (S2, 8 to 13 wks) and finisher stage (S3, 13 to 23 wks), excluding hospital pens. Each pen was observed for 10 min and the number of pigs affected by different welfare outcomes was recorded. The percentage of pigs affected was calculated and ranked to identify the most prevalent outcomes within each production stage. Differences between production stages were analysed using generalised linear mixed models for binomial data with pen within stage and farm as a random effect. Results: Tail and ear lesions showed the highest prevalence; however, large variation was observed between farms. In S1 the most prevalent welfare outcomes (presented as median prevalence) were poor body condition (4.4%), lethargic pigs (1.5%), scouring (20.3% of pens) and huddling (3.7%). In S2 and S3 outcomes related to injurious behaviour (tail lesions: 5.9% [S2] and 10.5% [S3], ear lesions: 9.1% [S2] and 3.3% [S3], and flank lesions: 0.4% [S2] and 1.3% [S3]), lameness (0.8% [S2] and 1.1% [S3]), bursitis (3.9% [S2] and 7.5% [S3]) and hernias (1.6% [S2] and 1.8% [S3]) were more prevalent. Conclusions: A large variation was observed for the recorded welfare outcomes corresponding to the different challenges pigs experience during the different stages of production on commercial pig farms. The prevalence of pigs affected by lesions caused by injurious behavior is a cause for concern and requires a collaborative approach to identify appropriate intervention strategies. This information could be used to further investigate appropriate benchmark values for different welfare outcomes that would assist the pig industry to develop appropriate health and welfare management plans to minimise welfare problems. At herd level such plans should include information on aspects of intervention, treatment, and the management of hospital pens as well as euthanasia.
Irish Veterinary Journal
Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curric... more Background: Veterinary behaviour medicine should be a foundation subject of the veterinary curriculum because of its wide scope of applications to veterinary practice. Private practitioners are likely to be the primary source of information on animal behaviour for most pet owners, however studies indicate that behavioural issues are not frequently discussed during companion animal consultations and many practitioners lack confidence in dealing with behavioural problems, likely due to poor coverage of this subject in veterinary education. There is a need to identify learning outcomes to support day one competences in veterinary behaviour medicine and these should be informed by practice-based evidence. This study aimed to investigate the nature and frequency of behavioural queries experienced by veterinary professionals in Ireland, the provision of behavioural services at companion animal practices, behaviour referral practices and challenges associated with providing a behaviour service. Methods: Two online surveys were developed, one for private veterinary practitioners (PVP) and one for veterinary nurses (VN). Invitations to participate were distributed using contact details from the Premises Accreditation Scheme database on the Veterinary Council of Ireland website. Thirty-eight PVPs and 69 VNs completed the survey. Results: Results indicated that less than half of companion animal practices offer behavioural consults and under a third of practices provide training and socialization events. Over half of the practices surveyed have referred cases to a behavioural specialist. The majority of respondents encountered behavioural queries weekly. Ninety-eight percent reported receiving queries regarding dog behaviour. Toilet training and unruly behaviour were two issues encountered frequently. Behavioural issues in cats were also common. House soiling and destructive behaviour were the problems most frequently encountered by respondents. The two most commonly cited barriers to providing behavioural consultations were lack of in-house or personal expertise, and that clients were not willing to pay for these services. Furthermore over half of all veterinary professionals surveyed indicated that they had received inadequate undergraduate training in veterinary behaviour medicine.
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 2016
In the last few decades, the importance of imparting ethical competences to veterinary students h... more In the last few decades, the importance of imparting ethical competences to veterinary students has been increasingly acknowledged. Despite its relevance, there are few published descriptions of teaching approaches to veterinary ethics and their effect on student learning. At University College Dublin, veterinary ethics is part of a core module on animal behavior and welfare in the pre-clinical teaching program. The present study describes the implementation of a student-centered, skills-based approach to veterinary ethics teaching using vignettes (i.e., case scenarios). Vignettes were inspired by several resources, including a focus group, and designed to represent significant ethical challenges faced by veterinary professionals in Ireland, in addition to cases of potential professional misconduct. In small groups, students had to identify the stakeholders and their conflicting interests, and to suggest possible solutions and alternative outcomes to the case scenario. Results from qualitative material from the teaching sessions and from a quantitative post-teaching survey show that student understanding of stakeholders increased as a result of the tutorial, which helped them to clarify possible solutions to the scenario and to propose alternative outcomes to either mitigate or avoid future occurrence of the ethical challenges. These findings suggest that incorporating meaningful vignettes into the teaching of veterinary ethics can support student ethical awareness and skills while promoting a pluralistic approach to considering ethical issues, making the best of available time and human resources.
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2016
Tail lesions are associated with poor health either because they serve as a point of entry for pa... more Tail lesions are associated with poor health either because they serve as a point of entry for pathogens or because of shared risk factors. This study investigated the relationship between carcass tail lesion and lung lesion severity scores in slaughter pigs. Carcasses were scored after scalding/dehairing for tail lesion severity (0-4). Lungs were scored according to an adapted version of the BPEX pig health scheme. Severity of enzootic pneumonia (EP-like lesions) was recorded on a scale of 0-50. Severity of pleurisy was scored on a 0-2 scale with score 2 equating to severe pleurisy or those lungs that remained attached to the chest wall (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;lungs in chest&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;). The database for assessing pleurisy lesions contained all pleurisy scores (n=5628). Lungs with a score of 2 for pleurisy were excluded from the analysis of all other lung lesions as such lungs could not be assessed for other lesions (n=4491). Associations between tail lesions and different lung lesion outcomes were analysed using generalized linear mixed models (PROC GLIMMIX) with random effect for batch. Males were more affected by moderate (OR=1.9, 95% CI 1.51-2.34) and severe (OR=5.8, 95% CI 3.45-9.70) tail lesions than females. EP-like lesions and pleurisy were most commonly observed. Pigs with severe tail lesions tended to have more &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;lungs in chest&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; than pigs with moderate tail lesions (P=0.1). No other associations between tail lesions and lung lesions were found. Males had higher odds of having EP-like lesions (OR=1.2, 95% CI 1.05-1.36) than females. Tail lesions on the carcass may not be an accurate predictor of lung health. However, tail lesions are important welfare indicators and respiratory disease is a significant infectious condition affecting pigs. Thus, recording of tail and lung lesions at meat inspection provides valuable information regarding on-farm health and welfare of pigs.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2016
Redvet Revista Electronica De Veterinaria, 2008
Irish veterinary journal, Jan 8, 2012
There are no peer reviewed data on dog control records from an official agency in Ireland. In ord... more There are no peer reviewed data on dog control records from an official agency in Ireland. In order to address this, a total of 2,669 official dog control service records generated during 2007 by Cork County Council dog control service were reviewed. Over 70 percent of records related to unwanted dogs and dogs not under their owners control. Stray dogs were collected by the service regularly throughout the year but with notable increase in voluntary surrenders by owners from January through to April. The majority of dogs collected or surrendered were male (2:1 ratio), of medium size, described as having a friendly temperament and were not wearing a neck collar. The Crossbreed and Greyhound breeds were more frequently collected as strays, while Greyhounds and German Shepherds were more frequently voluntarily surrendered by their owner. Restricted breeds such as Pit Bull terriers, German Shepherds and Rottweilers were more frequently reported by members of the public for aggressive be...
This paper analyses behavioural and management history data provided by 100 owners of dogs that h... more This paper analyses behavioural and management history data provided by 100 owners of dogs that had bitten a person. The data was obtained by telephone interview of volunteer dog owners. Two subsets of data were created using 21 dogs having no history of perceived aggressive behaviour prior to the reported bite incident and 79 that had a record of aggression. Statistically significant predictors of aggressive behaviour included owners reprimanding the dog by physical and verbal means, owners allowing the dog to initiate play and to win tug-of-war games. Management predictors during the 2 months leading up to a bite incident included allowing the dogs onto household furniture and feeding the dog directly from the family table. Behavioural predictors included not being trusted with children, not responding to basic commands, variable obedience to different people and variable degrees of obedience depending on the location. Additional behavioural predictors included displays of problem behaviours such as destructiveness and barking only when family members were present, displays of fearful reactions in specific circumstances and excessive displays of specific behaviours. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between a number of these predictors and aggressive behaviour. Other findings included owner tolerance of significant degrees of aggressive behaviour, inadequate or ineffective obedience training, biting of adult household members and the possible influence of ad libitum feeding on the behaviour of the dog.
Irish veterinary journal, Jan 23, 2013
To date, there have been a limited number of studies on the impact of government-incentivised far... more To date, there have been a limited number of studies on the impact of government-incentivised farm animal welfare programmes or 'schemes', and on farmers' attitudes regarding such schemes. In this study, focus groups were used to gain insight into Irish farmers' perceptions of such a scheme for suckler cattle and its behavioural impacts on farmers. The findings were categorised into 46 codes and ultimately yielded two Global themes: 1) Beliefs and Evidence and 2) Logic and Logistics. The former theme covered farmers' attitudes and observations regarding the Scheme. The latter dealt with factors such as workload and costs. The Global themes allowed for comprehensive reporting of the strongest messages from focus groups. There was consensus that Scheme measures for the minimum calving age and for weaning had a positive impact on welfare. Two aspects criticized by participants were firstly disbudding, due to the logistics for anaesthetic application, and secondly th...