Vetnews | Junie 2024 12 « BACK TO CONTENTS ability to provide for their welfare needs, and sometimes the welfare needs of cats and dogs may be in conflict with our own personal and professional priorities as veterinarians. Such challenges may create moral stress and disagreement in the veterinary team further exacerbating professional wellbeing challenges. Society and veterinary associations expect veterinarians to take a leadership role in animal welfare. For example, WSAVA calls upon all veterinarians to promote and support: 1. activities which improve the welfare of animals not just within the veterinary clinic, but in the broader community. 2. collaboration with other institutions and organisations to promote the understanding of animal welfare across communities. 3. the development of policy and legislation which protects and promotes good animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. However public trust in the veterinary profession and wider industry may be challenged if vets aren’t seen to live up to these expectations. This presentation will discuss the benefits and risks of an “Animal first” approach to promoting animal welfare as a veterinarian, using a range of real-life case studies. How can the vet profession help to regenerate the planet Anthony Chadwick The Webinar Vet There can be a feeling of hopelessness when we see the effects of climate change around the planet. We suspect that governments are moving too slowly and does big business care? As individuals and a profession who can care about animals and the profession, we are in a very good position to facilitate the regeneration of the planet into a more healthy, biodiverse place. During the presentation, we will review the present situation; give some easy tips that we can utilise in our private lives and practices and look at some of the initiatives going on around the world that are making a difference for the planet. v Are South African dairy producers ready to change to selective dry cow therapy? Inge-Marie Petzer Pretoria Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa Intramammary treatment during the dry period is almost twice as effective for bacterial cure, versus treatment during lactation. Dry cow treatment aims to both cure and prevent new intramammary infections. There is a global strategy to reduce antimicrobial use, targeting dairy cattle dry cow therapy. Selective dry cow treatment may be a viable option to reduce antimicrobial use and maintain udder health. However, it cannot just be incorporated as a management tool in any herd without changes in farm management. Criteria used abroad for selective dry cow therapy include a bulk somatic cell count (SCC) ≤ 250 000 cells/ml and individual cows SCC ≤ 200 000 cells/ml just prior to drying, with or without microbiology information. South African herds have a unique combination of challenges, including decreased number (44%) of commercial dairy producers and increased milk production per producer (85%) over the past 6 years. The average number of cows in milk per herd is high at 563. There are two prominent farming systems that require different management approaches: high yielding total mixed rations (TMR) and lower yield pasture-based herds. Furthermore, cows are exposed to high temperature humidity index on pasture for most of the year and can walk up to 5 km daily. The main mastitis-causing pathogens isolated from milk of S.A. dairy cows are Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis, both intracellular bacteria and difficult to treat effectively. Streptococcus uberis is mainly an environmental bacterium for which effective dry cow treatment is relied upon. This work was made possible through the “Reducing the Threat of Rift Valley Fever through Ecology, Epidemiology and SocioEconomics” project, which is coordinated by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, the University of Pretoria, and EcoHealth Alliance. These collaborating organizations partnered with the Agricultural Research Council, ExecuVet and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop this early warning system. The project depicted is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defence, Defence Threat Reduction Agency. A systematic approach to health & production in large commercial cattle feedlots in South Africa - Part 1 Dirk J Verwoerd Karan Beef, Heidelberg, South Africa Production Strategies applicable to feedlot cattle vary according to Geographical- & Market realities;[South Africa-Brazil-USA-CanadaAustralia], this provides the context within which we design and implement Preventative Health Programs, Therapeutic Protocols and monitor Animal Health & Production parameters to detect corrective interventions and/or opportunities for improvements. Profiling: Risk vs Potential: Beef cattle are farmed in Southern Africa in a variety of ecological zones. The region is characterised by periodic droughts in some parts concomitant with other areas experiencing exceptional rain. Constraints include a huge assembly of infectious diseases, tickborne - & parasitic conditions as well as a plethora of toxic plants, while a large variety of cattle breeds produced under a wide range of management systems from communal-, emerging /small scale to large commercial herds, are offered to feedlots. All these variables combine into distinct seasonal and geographical origin patterns dictating a dynamic, pragmatic High vs Low, Risk vs Potential 2x2 permutation that directs appropriate Processing protocols, Risk mitigation strategies and Production programs. These are adjusted within optimal cost of gain economic guidelines. Mortality Diagnoses & Forensic Epidemiology: All mortalities undergo a standard macroscopic necropsy to determine a “basket” diagnosis. This Ultimate cause of death is the start of a retrospective, forensic epidemiological process to determine the Proximate cause of death. The latter stimulates the introduction of interventions ranging from infrastructure changes, and adjustments in management techniques to modifications to nutritional/medical programs. Clusters of Acute Digestive Deads relate to recent [</= 48h] changes to rations or interruptions in eating patterns. Clusters of Delayed Digestive Deads relate to typical intervals for each manifestation following a predictable Ripple Effect pattern. Events I WVAC 2024
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