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Experts discuss ethics in equine practice
There are many ethical issues that equine vets have to deal with on a daily basis.
Lecture explores common issues facing modern equine practice

BEVA president Jonathan Pycock, World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers, and Safia Barakzai of Equine Surgical Referrals joined a panel discussion at the SPVS/VMG conference to discuss ethics in equine welfare.

The first topic under discussion was the backdating of vaccine dates. Jonathan said that there are sometimes extenuating circumstances and each case should be looked at separately in case there were exceptional circumstances.

Roly added that 'a vet can do far more damage with a pen than with a scalpel' and went on to say that we should not be backdating. Safia pointed out that there is more pressure on vets in some practices to do this and that it is particularly difficult for assistants in these circumstances.

Next, the panel considered whether it was ethical to euthanise a young horse if there was no good health reason or the owner was unable to pay for treatment. The panel agreed that the question of affordability was a difficult one.

Rory pointed out that our primary responsibility is to give any animal a good life and a good death, and that sometimes euthanasia is a kindness if an owner cannot care for it or may pass it on to another owner where it may suffer further. It was also pointed out that if a client cannot afford treatment, then even if you carried the procedure out for free or a reduced fee, the owner would probably still not be able to pay for the aftercare.

Another common issue that arises is being asked not to record certain health issues because this may impact on future insurance claims. The panel was in agreement that if a client tells a vet about a health issue with their animal it should be recorded on their record by the vet. If a client asks the vet not to include a health issue in their animal's records the vet should not agree.

Telephone conversations were also discussed, and again the panel agreed that a telephone discussion would be considered as a clinical discussion and therefore should be part of the clinical notes.

It is clear that there are many ethical issues that equine vets have to deal with in the course of their daily work. Having debates such as this at Conference can only serve to help the vet in equine practice make the correct decisions for the circumstances they find themselves in.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.