Companion Animal Bereavement: A One Health Workbook for Veterinary Professionals

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
One Health ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Traumatic Death ◽  
Efficient Communication ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Difficult Situations

Abstract This book aims to deepen the understanding of what it is like for those struggling with the destabilizing effects of grief before, during and after death. It includes a new way of looking at grief which owners and professionals alike have found helpful and easy to understand. The content includes a number of exercises that can be downloaded and given to owners to take home, or used as discussion tools during consultations, for example during end-of-life conversations. Additionally there are handouts containing useful information on aspects such as after death services and coping with grief, which can also be downloaded and given to owners. These practical and useful guides are designed to support the owner and help them to understand what is happening, while at the same time facilitating effective and efficient communication between clients and the veterinary team making life easier for all concerned. The book also addresses the importance of self-care and peer support within the vet team or animal welfare organization, especially following difficult situations, such as an owner withholding consent to much-needed euthanasia, a traumatic death or dealing with the aftermath of multiple end-of-life procedures.

scholarly journals The Perceived Impact of The First UK Covid-19 Lockdown on Companion Animal Welfare and Behaviour: A Mixed-Method Study of Associations with Owner Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6171
Author(s):  
Emily Shoesmith ◽  
Luciana Santos de Assis ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Elena Ratschen ◽  
Paul Toner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Human Animal

Background: Companion animals may be a positive presence for their owners during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the welfare of a companion animal is strongly influenced by the behaviour of their owners, as well as their physical and social environment. We aimed to investigate the reported changes in companion animal welfare and behaviour and to examine the association between these changes and companion animal owners’ mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of UK residents over 18 years of age was conducted between April and June 2020 (n = 5926). The questionnaire included validated, bespoke items measuring outcomes related to mental health, human-animal bonds and reported changes in animal welfare and behaviour. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe experiences associated with human-animal relationships during the first UK lockdown phase. Results: Animal owners made up 89.8% of the sample (n = 5323), of whom 67.3% reported changes in their animal’s welfare and behaviour during the first lockdown phase (n = 3583). These reported changes were reduced to a positive (0–7) and negative (0–5) welfare scale, following principal component analysis (PCA) of 17 items. Participants reported more positive changes for cats, whereas more negative changes were reported for dogs. Thematic analysis identified three main themes relating to the positive and negative impact on companion animals of the Covid-19 pandemic. Generalised linear models indicated that companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores pre-lockdown reported fewer negative changes in animal welfare and behaviour. However, companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores since lockdown reported more changes, both positive and negative, in animal welfare and behaviour. Conclusion: Our findings extend previous insights into perceived welfare and behaviour changes on a very limited range of species to a wider a range of companion animals. Owner mental health status has a clear, albeit small, effect on companion animal welfare and behaviour.

scholarly journals Increasing Maximum Penalties for Animal Welfare Offences in South Australia—Has It Caused Penal Change?

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochelle Morton ◽  
Michelle Hebart ◽  
Alexandra Whittaker
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Animal Abuse ◽  
Electronic Form ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Case Files ◽  
Animal Welfare Legislation

Animal welfare legislation in South Australia underwent amendments in 2008, where all the maximum penalties for animal welfare offences were doubled. This commitment to increased penalties arguably provides evidence of the legislature’s intent with respect to penalties. Studies have speculated that the legislative intent behind the increased penalties is not being reflected in the courts. This interdisciplinary research sought to gain evidence to confirm or disprove these speculations, by quantifying the average custodial sentence and monetary fine handed down in court before and after the 2008 amendments. Furthermore, trends relating to the species of animal affected and the demographics of the offender were identified. A total of 314 RSPCA (SA) closed case files from 2006 to 2018 were converted into an electronic form. Since the amendments, the average penalties have doubled in magnitude; fines have increased from $700 to $1535, while prison sentences have increased from 37 days to 77 days. Cases of companion animal abuse were most common (75% of all cases) and the location of the offence was found to influence offending. These findings suggest that the 2008 amendments have caused the average penalties to increase. However, it is debatable whether these increases are enough to effectively punish animal abusers.

scholarly journals Is One Health a Viable Strategy in Animal Health Litigation: Evidence from Civil Lawsuits in China

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2560
Author(s):  
Kai Wu ◽  
Ying Yu ◽  
Chen Chen ◽  
Zheming Fu
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
One Health ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Civil Lawsuit ◽  
Civil Lawsuits ◽  
Advantageous Position ◽  
The One ◽  
Judicial Protection

Several litigation strategies are used to gain support from courts in order to protect animals. While the emerging litigation strategy themed in One Health stimulates judicial protection in the animal health sector, little is known about whether and how such strategies are supported by courts. In this article, we investigate how animal welfare litigation strategies influence judge’s choices within their discretion. We argue that litigators equipped with the litigation strategy themed in One Health are placed in an advantageous position in animal health cases, but that this tendency varies markedly across zoonoses. Specifically, we suggest that litigators utilizing One Health’s litigation strategy are associated with higher probabilities to win, whereas normal litigators are not. Further, we propose that litigators equipped with the One Health litigation strategy are awarded more damages from judges. We test and find support for our predictions using a cross sectional dataset of civil lawsuit cases centering on the animal health industry in Chinese mainland. Our findings indicate that courts indeed were persuaded by the One Health litigation strategy, even when bound by the discretion rules. At the same time, we suggest that for advocates who would like to litigate for animal welfare in the animal health sector, the litigation strategy themed in One Health might have potentially positive implications.

Effectiveness of Educational Programs on Palliative and End-of-life Care in Promoting Perceived Competence Among Health and Social Care Professionals

2021 ◽  
pp. 104990912110385
Author(s):  
Kelly Tsz Ching Wong ◽  
Amy Yin Man Chow ◽  
Iris Kwan Ning Chan
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Perceived Competence ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Health And Social Care

Background: There is a growing need for palliative care for patients near the end of life and their caregivers. Palliative and end-of-life care (EoLC) education are recommended for all health care (e.g., physicians, nurses, and allied health practitioners) and social care professionals (e.g., social workers) to ensure the quality of services. However, less attention has been afforded to generic, in contrast to specialized, EoLC education. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a series of short-term generic EoLC educational programs for health and social care professionals. Method: A pre-post survey design was adopted, focusing on different EoLC core competences. Results: Significant improvement was observed in all perceived competences after the educational programs, regardless of participants’ occupation or EoLC experience. Perceived competence in self-care was rated significantly higher than all other competences prior to the programs. Healthcare professionals rated significantly higher on competence in symptom management than social workers. Scores on communication skill and self-care competences were significantly higher following longer (i.e., 16-24 hours) than shorter (i.e., 4-8 hours) programs. Conclusion: Generalist palliative/EoLC educational programs may enable health and social care professionals to refresh and extend their knowledge and skills and enhance their perceived competence in providing EoLC. Further research on generalist palliative/EoLC education is needed to examine the impact of continuing training on professionals’ actual practice in EoLC and palliative care.

Sudden violent death: social workers’ strategies for coping with a traumatic event in a Bedouin community

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail ◽  
Merav Moshe Grodofsky
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Violent Death ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Traumatic Death ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Study Participants

Abstract This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore challenges and coping strategies of social workers following the traumatic death of eight women from a Bedouin village in southern Israel. The data highlight how religion and indigenous Bedouin knowledge and customs both assisted and impeded the study participants’ strategies. The findings suggest that familiarity with religion and indigenous knowledge and customs may be useful to social workers in helping to manage traumatic events. However, the findings also suggest that religious and cultural values that encourage suppression of emotion may have long-term negative effects on social workers.

Fatigue

2019 ◽  
pp. 132-139
Author(s):  
Edith O’Neil-Page ◽  
Grace E. Dean ◽  
Paula R. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Side Effect ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Course Of Disease ◽  
Cancer Related Fatigue ◽  
Care Requirements ◽  
The Impact

Individuals suffering from chronic or malignant disease may experience overwhelming and debilitating symptoms of extensive tiredness or sleepiness or an inability to meet daily self-care requirements and maintain personal interaction with significant others. However, they may be unable to verbalize the impact of fatigue on their daily activities. Fatigue is both personal and communal, affecting all aspects of life. Fatigue is often unrecognized by family and healthcare providers or is accepted as a “side effect” of disease and treatment. Cancer-related fatigue affects all aspects of life, at all ages, and may remain unacknowledged by healthcare providers. Yet with recognition and intervention, fatigue can be successfully managed throughout the course of disease, recovery, or through end of life.

Michael Joseph Day

2020 ◽  
Vol 186 (18) ◽  
pp. 620-620
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
One Health ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
The World ◽  
Teacher Mentor ◽  
Animal Vaccination

A teacher, mentor, coworker, volunteer and friend who worked tirelessly to transform companion animal vaccination practice around the world and to champion companion animals within One Health.

Are older adults’ demographic characteristics social determinants of their perceived importance, desire, and ability to perform end‐of‐life self‐care actions?

Nursing Forum ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huey‐Ming Tzeng ◽  
Anne Barker ◽  
Yu (Sunny) Kang ◽  
Udoka Okpalauwaekwe ◽  
Chang‐Yi Yin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Perceived Importance

From teacher to trailblazer

2018 ◽  
Vol 183 (22) ◽  
pp. i-ii
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
The World

Nalinika Obeyesekere was recently awarded the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s inaugural award for companion animal welfare in recognition of her contribution to raising standards of veterinary care in Sri Lanka.

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