ONE WELFARE
When the veterinary profession was established by Claude Bougelat in 1761 It was expressly for the purpose of serving humanity and this still holds true today. The links between veterinary medicine and the service of humanity are as pertinent as ever.
The role of the veterinarian was never about just looking at the animal in front of them. On a farm visit, for example, the vet will examine the animal and notice the farmer, the farmer’s family and the state of the farm and collaborate with others as necessary. This is One Welfare in practice. The veterinarian is a shoulder to cry on when a much loved pet is euthanased, a trusted advisor for a livestock producer in times of drought. Someone to trust to give advice on best health and welfare for animals and who cares about human health and welfare and the environment.
The life of a veterinarian is rewarding in so many ways and I was delighted to hear a first year DVM student tell me she is studying vet science because she envisages so many options and many of them all at once. Practitioners can also be researchers, undertake clinical audits, serve on animal ethics committees and government bodies and much more.
Being a veterinarian is certainly not without its challenges, however it’s a great profession and as a long term practitioner I really enjoy engaging with my clients, serving the local community and improving animal welfare. Veterinarians really can’t improve animal welfare unless they engage with people and influence human behavior. The essential role of ‘stockmanship’ in animal welfare has been known for a long time.
As a practitioner I know that pet owners will tell you all about their problems, their ailments, being made redundant, a sick mother and a demanding toddler. After some time, you may have to ask what’s actually wrong with ‘Bella’ the dog. Sometimes the chat is about something totally inconsequential such as what are you reading or watching on TV. I wonder, (and understand that note taking can be tedious) that if AI is used to record your notes, how it separates the chatter around your sick mother and your unwell dog, and I am concerned that clients would be reluctant to share details which may be personal but relevant to an animal’s health and welfare. And of course, there are privacy issues so consent is essential if using AI. The risk of using AI in vet medicine was recently highlighted by the University of Edinburgh.
https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/ai-scribes-may-fail-to-capture-patients-experiences
Fear of failure is naturally a concern, especially for new graduates, and unfortunately the undefined term the ‘gold standard’ which has crept into veterinary medicine may have created unnecessary angst. Veterinary professional ethics is about acknowledging the limitations of knowledge and adding to knowledge and doing what is right. There is no such thing as the ‘gold standard’ and practice isn’t like that and aiming for the mythical ‘gold standard’ can lead to unnecessary anguish especially for new grads who may blame themselves when things go wrong which they invariably do, thus shifting the blame onto the individual rather than the profession as a whole.
The concepts of contextualized care or spectrum of care or as many of us would say ‘being a vet’ appears to have arisen out of the realization that the ‘gold standard’ doesn’t exist and also concerns around costs. Contextualized care and spectrum of care definitions include the use of EBVM. The use of EBVM is essential in practice as knowledge constantly evolves and the use of EBVM has been shown to improve animal health and welfare as well as vet health and welfare. The importance of the use of EBVM to best health, welfare and good ethics is why the AVAWE newsletter includes links to EBVM sites. Joining the American EBVMA for example gives access to many excellent resources including subsidized access to Vetlexicon
Going back to dealing with animal owners, there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from helping people and their animals and being concerned with wider issues such as the environment. Whilst self care is essential, research demonstrates that feelings of happiness stem from helping others. Acts of kindness increase life satisfaction, provide a sense of meaning and trigger endorphins. No wonder life as a vet can be rewarding when helping others is part of the job description.
Next time you are helping a troubled landholder during a drought, commiserate with a client over a lost budgie, tell someone their rat is cute (when it clearly isn’t), give a talk at the local school, kindly euthanase a much loved pet, offer to call in on a disabled client, or offer a shoulder to cry on, you can take solace in the fact that this is what being a vet is all about and not only will the client feel cared for, you are likely to be happier too. Good animal welfare, excellent human welfare. One Welfare in action.
