Welcome back!  In this episode we catch up with Dr Toby Trimble, the founder of Trimble Group, a film production company, reinventing education for animal health. Listeners to the podcast will know that education features a lot in conversations about animal welfare, so, in this episode we get the chance to look at this in more detail and discover just why education is so important.  You can find out more about Toby's work at Trimble Group or find Toby on LinkedIn  Biography Toby is an RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and the founder of Trimble Group, a film production company reinventing education for animal health, making it less like PowerPoint and more like Netflix. He focuses on making education engaging, visual, and memorable. With his team, Toby has created over one thousand CPD videos and live broadcasts in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia.  

After a slightly longer break than we had anticipated, I'm really happy to let everyone know that we're back! With so much happening in the world of animal welfare it's difficult to know where to start, but we're going to try.  Join Mary this week for a short introduction to the new series.   Our first full episode of this new series goes live on 16th May, when we catch up with Dr Toby Trimble to find out more about the importance of education in relation to animal welfare. More information about that episode to follow in a few days. 

It’s the end of the year, so we took the chance to review the podcast. I still can’t believe that we’ve being doing this for a year now and had the chance to talk to so many people, about the great work they’re doing in relation to animal welfare. It would be great, if you get a chance to go through the back catalogue and listen to some of the older episodes, but we wanted to highlight a few different things. Education – this has been discussed in every single episode – in relation to the veterinary profession, owners, the public, government and just about everyone! Charities are essential for animal welfare – we caught up with Dogs Trust, SSPCA, USPCA and Humanimal Trust and found out more about the scope of work that they undertake People – animal welfare is inextricably linked to the welfare of people. Where there are problems with society, then there are problems with animal welfare. You can find out more about some of our guests at: Dogs Rehoming & Dog Rescue Charity | Dogs Trust Home | Humanimal Trust | One Medicine for Humans and Animals Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | SSPCA USPCA | Protecting All Animals The Leading UK Dog Magazine - Dogs Today Magazine Saving Wildcats | Scottish wildcat conservation and recovery | Saving Wildcats Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance – Providing information and education to veterinary professionals in the field of osteoarthritis All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group University of Glasgow - Postgraduate study - Taught degree programmes A‑Z - Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing Vet Sustain BVA policy - Animal welfare strategy   Books by our guests: One Welfare in Practice: The Role of the Veterinarian - 1st Edition – Dr Matt Morgan Through A Vet’s Eyes by Dr Sean Wensley | The home of non-fiction publishing Thank you to everyone for taking part in the podcast, and for listening - and we're looking forward to more conversations in 2025. 

Welcome to the next episode of The Animal Welfare Conversation. This week we are joined by Prof Simon Girling. Simon has worked with zoological collections for the past 15 years, and has been involved with many different reintroduction programmes in Scotland and across the UK. In this episode we find out what it takes to successfully reintroduce a species. The Scottish Beavers Reinforcement Project | BIAZA Scottish Beavers | Beaver reintroduction | Scottish Wildlife Trust Saving Wildcats | Scottish wildcat conservation and recovery | Saving Wildcats Cairngorms Connect | News Item   Prof Simon Girling Simon worked in general practice and government before focussing on zoological medicine. He was awarded the RCVS Certificate in Zoological Medicine in 1999 and the Diploma in Zoological Medicine (Avian) in 2002 and RCVS Specialist status in 2003 being the first vet in the country to obtain the avian specialism. In 2012 he became the first vet in the UK to be awarded European Veterinary Specialist in Zoo Health Management and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2016 for Meritorious Contributions to Practice Simon is a past president of the British Veterinary Zoological Society and the European College of Zoological Medicine and set up the first UK veterinary residency training position in 2013 that leads to EU recognition as a veterinary specialist in Zoo Health Management. He currently advises the UK and Devolved Governments on animal welfare, both captive and wild through his work on a number of committees including DEFRA's Zoo Experts Committee (which he has chaired since 2018), DEFRA's Animal Welfare Committee and the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission. ​​Simon recently completed a PhD focussing on the reintroduction of the Eurasian Beaver to the UK and has worked on many different reintroduction programmes including water voles, wildcats and pine hover flies. He lectures widely in the UK and Europe on many different aspects of zoological medicine, both to vets and veterinary nurses and has written widely on this subject, including the core text for veterinary nurses on exotics - 'Veterinary Nursing of Exotic Pets' now in its 2nd edition (3rd edition out in April 2025). 

In this episode we were lucky enough to catch up, earlier this year, with Mike Flynn MBE, Chief Superintendent of the Scottish SPCA, and we caught up just before he retired, to find out more about his 37-year career protecting animals both across Scotland and further afield. We consider the achievements of this career and challenges of working in animal welfare, including organising the largest dog-fighting capture in Europe, in 1991, that resulted in 31 arrests and convictions. We highlight the work of the Scottish SPCA, and how they work within current legislation.  We look at the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act of 2006, which granted Scottish SPCA inspectors statutory powers, and we also look at more recent achievements in relation to animal welfare, including a ban on snaring, which has been effective in Scotland from November 2024. Mike advocates for better enforcement of animal welfare laws, including a national register for animal abusers and stronger penalties. And on a lighter note, we also share memorable cases, such as transporting a crocodile to Spain and rescuing an ostrich in Leith Walk, Edinburgh. On thing that we hope everyone takes away from this conversation is the urgent need for Government to update the Veterinary Surgeons Act of 1966 - a lot has changed over the last 58 years and this really is something that needs to be considered.  We hope you will join the animal welfare conversation.   Links for further information: Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | SSPCA SSPCA 2024 Winter Appeal TV advert Home - Safeguarding People And Animals - The Links Group Animal Welfare Act 2006 Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966   Biography: Mike Flynn MBE Mike recently retired as Chief Superintendent of the Scottish SPCA, having started working for them in 1987. Mike set up the Scottish SPCA undercover unit, tackling areas of cruelty including organised dog fighting, badger baiting and puppy farming, and also wrote the first Inspectors’ Instruction manual approved by the Crown Office. Within the Scottish SPCA Mike was responsible for all uniformed staff of the society; all Parliamentary issues relating to animal welfare for both devolved and reserved issues; and dealing with all animal welfare related Government consultations, including the provision of oral evidence to both Scottish and Westminster Committees. He has assisted in the implementation of animal welfare legislation around the world including Jersey, North and Southern Ireland, Canada and Catalonia. Mike is a founder member of the original Links Group (exploring the link between animal and human abuse), is an independent external animal welfare advisor and was awarded an MBE in the Queens 80th birthday honours list for services to animal welfare in Scotland. He is an Honorary associate of the BVA (British Veterinary Association) and RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) and advises Scottish Government through membership of the Scottish Government’s Animal Welfare Commission.    

Trigger warning This is part 2 of an episode that we recorded with Dr Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust. This extra episode focusses on domestic abuse, and how the work of the Dogs Trust and The Links Group supports people, and provides foster homes for the dogs of people who find themselves affected by domestic abuse.  16 days of activism against gender based violence takes place from 25th November until 10th December - you can find out more about this here.  If you are interested in supporting Dogs Trust as a foster carer then you can find out more here.  Find out more about: Freedom Project The Links Group    

In this episode we catch up with Dr Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust, to find out more about their work. Dogs Trust is the largest dog welfare organisation in the UK, rehoming 14,000 dogs a year and many of you will be familiar with their work.  Alongside their rehoming work, they work across public affairs, outreach, and dog behaviour. A current focus for them is  the push for stronger legislation to address puppy smuggling, a topic which we find out more about, as well as discussing the current challenges of dangerous dogs legislation. But their work doesn’t just focus on dogs – a large part of their work is about people. And so we decided to split this interview into 2 parts, with part 1 focussing on Dogs Trust, and part of 2 focussing on their work around domestic abuse, through key projects like Freedom for domestic abuse survivors, and Paula’s work with The Links Group. 25th November to 10th December marks 16 days of activism against gender based violence; and it will be no surprise there is a spike in domestic abuse incidents around Christmas. The work of the Freedom project and The Links Group is important all year, but particularly around Christmas, and so we wanted to highlight this. So, there will be another special episode of the podcast released on Monday.   Further information Dogs Rehoming & Dog Rescue Charity | Dogs Trust The Links Group Freedom (fostering for dogs belonging to people fleeing domestic abuse) Puppy Smuggling – Westminster - recent news   Biography Paula Boyden graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 1992. She spent 11 years in general practice, before moving into a technical role in industry in 2003. Paula joined Dogs Trust in 2010, where she is now Veterinary Director. Her responsibilities include oversight of Dogs Trust’s veterinary matters, outreach and public affairs work.   Paula has a particular interest in the link between abuse of animals and abuse of people and is current Chair of the Links Group. She also chairs the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), is vice chair of the Canine and Feline Sector Group, sits on the RSPCA’s Prosecutions Oversight Panel and is a member of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission. Paula is a founder member of the Association of Charity Vets.   In 2017, Paula received BSAVA’s J A Wight Memorial Award for her contribution to the welfare of companion animals, and in 2023 the WSAVA’s Global One Health Award.

In this episode we sit down with Professor Cathy Dwyer of SRUC and Edinburgh University.  Prof Dwyer will be known already, to many of our listeners, as an advocate for animal welfare. There were so many take-aways from this episode that it's difficult to highlight a few main points, but here goes - sentience, current challenges in animal welfare, generating and applying evidence to animal welfare, education, and influencing government policy to name a few!  We also reflect on people, rather than animals, as I came away from our conversation thinking about how human behaviour impacts on animal welfare.  Whether you’re a student of animal welfare, someone working with animals or an animal keeper, this episode has something for everyone. We would love you to join the animal welfare conversation.   Further Information: Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education International work supporting animal welfare   Biography: Professor Cathy Dwyer, BSc, PhD Cathy is Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare at SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) and has a joint appointment with the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (RDSVS), University of Edinburgh where she is the Director of the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) since 2016. In 2019 she was also appointed by Scottish Government to Chair the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission which provides independent scientific advice on animal welfare to Ministers and parliamentary committees. Cathy has research interests in parturition, mother-offspring interactions and behavioural development in ruminants; human-animal interactions and welfare in horses; welfare assessment in a number of species, and assessment of pain. She teaches animal behaviour and welfare to undergraduate vet students, vet nurses and animal science students, and contributes to the University of Edinburgh MSc Programmes in animal behaviour and welfare on campus and online. Cathy sits on the scientific advisory committees for Dog’s Trust, the Horse Trust, British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation, the Scientific Advisory Board of the Global Animal Partnership and University of Vienna Veterinary School. She was the 2013 recipient of the BSAS/RSPCA Award for outstanding achievement in animal welfare and led the application that resulted in the RDSVS being awarded the first CEVA Animal Welfare Vet School Award in 2020.

In this episode we focus on the work of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, otherwise known as the USPCA.  Established in 1836, the USPCA is the second oldest animal welfare charity in the world, and we were delighted to have the chance to talk to Nora Smith, Chief Executive.  The USPCA work across many different areas of animal welfare including rehoming, working with wildlife, providing veterinary care, animal cruelty investigations, community support and campaigning, particularly around the illegal puppy trade and badger baiting, amongst other things.  There are lots of challenges in animal welfare, but you'll hear many examples of how the USPCA is influencing, supporting, campaigning and improving the lives of animals and people across Northern Ireland.  Find out more about the work of the USPCA here  Speaker Biography Nora Smith, is the Chief Executive of the USPCA, she has been in post since January 2023.  As CEO her role is to lead the staff team to grow and extend the charity’s services across Northern Ireland.  Prior to working with the USPCA, Nora was the Chief Executive of a membership-based charity providing leadership support for Charity Chief Executives, a post she held for eight years.  She has experience of working across the public, private and third sectors, leading change and growth strategies.  Advocacy and campaigning have been a central function of her experience.  Nora lives with her partner Michael, alongside their eight-year old cat called Eamonn and Cooper a three-year energetic Labrador.

Episode 17 - What impact does behaviour have on animal welfare? With Nikki McLeod BSc(Hons) PGDip(CAB) NCert(Behav) RVN ISFM CertFN & AdvCertFB  In this episode we focus on animal behaviour and the impact behavioural problems can have on animal welfare. We consider how important it is for all veterinary professionals to understand animal behaviour both to prevent and cure problems. We also focus on veterinary nursing, and the need for veterinary nurses to play a key role in improving animal welfare through behavioral awareness and education. Along the way Nikki tells us more about her career, taking time out, and following her own path in the world of animal behaviour. A crazy cat lady and self-confessed study geek, Nikki has been a RVN since 2000. With her fingers in many pies, she splits what little time she has, between working as the Cat Advocate, and a consulting nurse, for a small animal practice in Fife, Scotland, as well as studying for multiple certificates.Not satisfied with gaining her first undergraduate degree at the age of 50, she has now gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Animal Behaviour from the University of Edinburgh. She has a vision of becoming a practice-based Clinical Animal Behaviourist in the near future.She is also keeping a British Veterinary Nursing Association Council seat warm for three years, while also campaigning for promoting excellence in animal behaviour and training as a trustee for the Animal Behaviour and Training Council. When work and studies doesn’t consume her brain, her husband and kids fry it gently and keep her on her toes. Sleep is optional. Find out more about: https://bvna.org.uk/blog/category/protect-the-title/ https://catfriendlyclinic.org/ https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/how-we-help/professionals/vet-clinics https://abtc.org.uk/ www.Instagram.com/nurse_positiVety BehaviouRVNs | Podcast on Spotify

Welcome to the latest collection of conversations, focussing on the world of animal welfare. We’re going to start this season by considering pain, analgesia and arthritis, with Professor Stuart Carmichael. Did you know that 40% of all dogs, across all ages, have pathological osteoarthritis? And that the condition can be detected in dogs as young as 6 months of age.  Or that 80% of cats over 10 years old with have arthritis?  In this episode we consider osteoarthritis, consider how this can affect young and older animals, and the challenges associated with recognising chronic pain. We look at the long term management, rather than acute relief of chronic pain, including monoclonal antibodies, regenerative techniques using stem cells and owner education. One of the main themes from this conversation is the team approach to this condition and we look at how the traditional 10-15 minute veterinary consultation needs to change to provide animals and their owners with a more rounded approach to pain management. We discuss the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance initiatives including the Blue Paw Award and practice accreditation scheme.  We also discover some of the surprising similarities between the management of osteoarthritis and dermatology cases!   Prof Carmichael has a wide experience as a specialist clinician in orthopaedics and in veterinary business management. He is Diplomate, a past Specialist and current Fellow of the RCVS.  He has been Director of both Queen Mother Hospital and Small Animal Hospital at Glasgow and Professor of Clinical Studies and Associate Dean for Clinical Services at Glasgow University. He has also been National Referrals Director at Vets Now Ltd, a Director at Fitzpatrick Referrals Ltd. and visiting Professor at University of Surrey. Charity roles have included acting as Board member and Chair of International Cat Care and as a trustee and Board member of Blue Cross. He is currently running a veterinary consultancy business, Joint Adventures Ltd., is a Co-Founder and Board member of the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance and is also Director and Co-founder of Aim-OA Ltd., providing a web-based Disease Management System for chronic osteoarthritis in dogs.  Further information: Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance – Providing information and education to veterinary professionals in the field of osteoarthritis Blue Paw – Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance Practice Accreditation Scheme – Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance Treated Like Animals - Simmons - 9781784273415 – Pelagic Publishing Are we smart enough to know how smart animals are? 

Sneak preview! We are still finalising things, but I wanted to let you know that Animal Welfare Conversations is launching a new award for Animal Welfare.  The Alex Fraser Medal for Animal Welfare will be awarded on an annual basis to someone who has shown outstanding commitment to improving the lives of animals.  More information about how to nominate someone (or put yourself forward for consideration) will be available soon, but I wanted to let you know that this will be happening later in the year, so you can start thinking about your animal welfare heroes now.  More information will be on the website soon and you if you sign up to the podcast newsletter then you'll be the first to know about things.  In the meantime we've been recording new interviews with some amazing guests, and the podcast will be back to normal in a few weeks, after the summer break!

Welcome to the next episode of the Animal Welfare conversation. This week we’re joined by Dr Bronwyn Orr, who is a veterinary surgeon in Australia. Dr Bronwyn Orr has a particular interest in animal welfare, completing a Master of Science majoring in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law from the University of Edinburgh and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from University of Sydney. She is a Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists by examination in Animal Welfare, and has spent much of the past decade of her career working in animal welfare policy, research and in frontline settings including shelters and abattoirs. She was President of the Australian Veterinary Association between 2022-2023 and last year was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to explore veterinary workforce policies overseas. She is based in Canberra and in late 2023 took over CAWSEL, Courses in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law held in Cambridge annually for the past thirty years. Find out more about Bronwyn’s career journey and her diverse experiences in animal welfare, policy and education. Join us as we consider the current challenges for animal welfare in Australia, including industrial farming,  political polarization, lack of progressive policies, and resistance to change; find out more about undertaking a Churchill Fellowship, and the problems of recruitment and retention within the veterinary industry and the impact of this on animal welfare. We hope you enjoy the animal welfare conversation.   Links and Further Information: Churchill Trust Vet Matters  

In this episode we catch up with Dr Marc Abraham OBE, BVM&S MRCVS, or ‘Marc the Vet’ as he’s usually known, a multi-award-winning veterinary surgeon, author, broadcaster, and animal welfare campaigner.  Marc qualified from Edinburgh University in 1995, and during one nightshift at his Brighton out-of-hours emergency clinic in 2009 treated some poorly pups, then decided to campaign against irresponsible dog and cat breeding practices such as puppy farming. He founded awareness campaigns #WheresMum and Pup Aid, led the successful ‘Lucy’s Law’ campaign in Parliament to ban commercial third-party puppy and kitten sellers, e.g. pet shops. With Lucy’s Law now legislation in England, Wales, and Scotland, this means all UK dog and cat breeders are accountable.  Marc is also the co-founder and secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) in Westminster, was responsible for sourcing rescue pup Dylan for 10 Downing Street, appears regularly in the media, plus visits local schools chatting with pupils about caring for animals and looking out for one another.  Marc was recently awarded the OBE for Services to Animal Welfare by Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, presented to him by His Royal Highness King Charles III at Windsor Castle.  Marc has just finished filming a documentary called ‘Dogspiracy’, available to stream this autumn, which looks at the puppy trade in the UK, US, and takes a behind-the-scenes look at campaigning.  Marc’s latest book ‘#BeMoreMosquito’ lists the tools required for grassroots campaigners to make practical and lasting change, from online petitions to social media, meeting politicians to engaging with select committees; all effective methods of raising awareness, changing behaviour, improving legislation, and sometimes all three.  Marc currently practices at an independently-owned veterinary practice, near Brighton, East Sussex, and in his downtime enjoys sea swimming, walking on the South Downs, and supporting Brighton & Hove Albion. Join us as we find out more about Marc’s work, including influencing legislation to bring about real and lasting change for animals. We hope you will join the animal welfare conversation.   Useful links Marc the Vet: www.marcthevet.net  Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/marcthevet  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcTheVet/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcabraham/  All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG): www.apdawg.co.uk Be More Mosquito - How you can campaign and create change   As mentioned in the podcast, this episode was recorded before the general election was called. So, unfortunately legislation relating to the banning of imported pups under 6 months and puppy smuggling and the import of dogs with mutilations bills were dropped; but the pet theft reform bill and the live export of sheep and cattle bills were passed.  The Assistance dog and accessibility meeting that is referred to has already happened.

In this episode we catch up with Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today Magazine.    Beverley Cuddy has been the editor of Dogs Today magazine since in launch in 1990 when it was part of the Daily Mail group. From childhood she was dog mad and worked at the weekly show dog papers before six long years at the Kennel Club trying to reform them from within! She has campaigned for a better dog world for decades - some of the successes include an end to quarantine and the start of Pet Passports, the end to cosmetic tail docking, the first ever take your dogs to work day, Lucy’s Law to take the dog out of the pet shop and most recently the Pet Theft Abduction Bill. Her most recent project is The Bark Angel - a fledgling tech start up to change the way the public adds a dog to their family. To make finding ethical breeders and rescues just much simpler and more attractive than what currently happens online. Beverley shares her life with Honey a young Cocker Spaniel and Betty a 10-year-old rescue dog that is a cross between an Old English and a Golden Retriever. And a long-suffering husband and three grown up boys that also love dogs. Beverley’s life story has been told in the magazine on the Confessions of a dog lover column on the back page and is collated in the free book called The Devil Wears Dog Hair - which is also the name of her occasional podcast. Beverley often appears on TV and radio talking about dogs - what else? Link here to Confessions Book with links to free copies to Dogs Today and more: https://midd.me/OABH Join us as we talk about personal experiences and insights of advocating for animal welfare, speaking up for the underdog and protecting the interests of animals. We hope you will join the animal welfare conversation.   Further information: Dogs Today Magazine Lucy's Law The Bark Angel Companion Spaniel Project - Facebook Cavalier Project        

In this episode we meet Sam Fontaine MSc PGCAP BSc DipAVN(Med) RVN FHEA SFRET Sam qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002 and after a short time in general practice, joined the University of Glasgow’s Small Animal Hospital as their first dedicated oncology nurse in 2003. She spent 16 years in the SAH working both in the oncology service, and latterly as the deputy nursing services manager, where she co-led a team of over 50 veterinary nurses and veterinary care assistants. During her time in clinics, Sam gained her RCVS Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing in Medicine and an MSc in Veterinary Clinical Studies, where she investigated the role of the serum biomarker C-reactive protein in dogs with lymphoma. In 2017 Sam launched the MSc, PG Diploma, and PG Certificate in Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing, and the PG Certificate was accredited by the RCVS in 2019 for the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing. This fully online postgraduate programme has evidence-based veterinary nursing and quality improvement at its core, and Sam and her team have welcomed students from across the globe. She enjoys seeing veterinary nurses on the programme becoming empowered as they develop a skill set that supports them to become champions of change within their practice. Sam was awarded an RCVS Knowledge Award in 2021 for promoting Quality Improvement within veterinary nurse education. She has a keen interest in research, having published on a range of topics, and she is currently undertaking a professional doctorate in education. Sam is a strong advocate for the advancement of the profession and believes that veterinary nurses can contribute significantly to improving patient safety and to expanding the veterinary nursing evidence base.     Links to further information Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing PGCert / PGDip / MSc   RCVS Knowledge Natter   An Introduction to the Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing Online Programme

In this episode we meet Emma Ruggles RVN CertVNECC APVN (Wildlife and Zoo Animals) L3CertSAHydro.  Emma has worked in the veterinary industry for 10 years and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2016, and has always had a passion for small animal emergency and critical care and wildlife conservation. After 1 year of working as an RVN in practice she started the CertVNECC qualification, and became a Locum RVN as of June 2018. Since then as well as working as a locum across the UK in both referral and general practice, they have travelled/worked and volunteered abroad in South Africa, the Cook Islands, Australia and most recently Thailand with the Wildlife Friends Foundation. Emma was interested in diversifying their nursing career and so undertook 6 months training and then qualified as a Canine Hydrotherapist in March 2022. Emma loves the consistency of investing in your patients and seeing them back for regular therapy sessions, forming a connection with the animal and the client as well. It is so rewarding to see your patient make positive progress with a rehab plan that you put in place. Emma continues to learn a lot about hydrotherapy and truly believes it is a key step in improving the welfare/wellbeing of the patients we see in practice. Clients are seeking surgical alternatives and/or they invest in surgery and want to achieve the best possible recovery for their pet and so will seek a programme of aftercare and rehabilitation. Conditions such as osteoarthritis and management of the geriatric patient are being more widely discussed amongst clients and with that  the rehab sector can work with the vet and owner to provide the best possible care plan for management of these patients. Further information* Canine Arthritis Management – information and resources on caring for your arthritic dog, courses, and products for both pet owners and veterinary professionals. Canine Arthritis Management – Arthritis in Dogs Blue Bear Animal Rehabilitation – Copford in Colchester Essex Home | Colchester | Blue Bear Animal Rehabilitation Hydrotherapy training Courses | K9HS Courses | Canine Hydrotherapy Courses BVNA Article on Running Senior Pet clinics in practice. Running Senior Clinics: A marathon or a sprint? - British Veterinary Nursing AssociationBritish Veterinary Nursing Association (bvna.org.uk) Canine Hydrotherapy Association – providing more information on Canine Hydrotherapy and its benefits. Canine Hydrotherapy Association - Canine Hydrotherapy Association (canine-hydrotherapy.org) National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists - providing more information on Canine Hydrotherapy and its benefits NARCH | National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists - About Us Ruggles, E. (2023) Alongside a career as a veterinary nurse – the road to patient rehabilitation. VNJ 38(5) pp 25-31. Thanks to Girling & Fraser Ltd for enabling this podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow us and subscribe to our mailing list.  *Links are provided for information purposes only. Animal Welfare Conversation does not endorse any links provided here for information.   

In this episode we chat to Lacey Pitcher RVN about the world of veterinary nursing, and that impact of that on animal welfare.  We consider the importance of understanding socio-economic factors in animal welfare, sharing personal experiences and emphasizing the need for empathy and understanding towards pet owners. It’s likely that we’re going to see a shift in the veterinary profession's approach to care, and we consider the importance of collaboration, empathy, and contextualized care. Trust and relationships were also discussed as crucial in veterinary medicine, with a focus on building trust with clients through open communication and nurturing relationships with clients and their pets. Lacey Pitcher RVN Biography Lacey Pitcher RVN is a veterinary nurse with a very squiggly career. Having grown up in South Wales and worked all over the UK, Lacey has used her career passport in many ways. Lacey is passionate about connecting people and about providing accessible education and support, to improve not only animal welfare, but also to maintain the human-animal bond. Lacey currently works as the editor of VN Times, a locum RVN and volunteers at a few different outreach projects. Thanks to Girling & Fraser Ltd for enabling this podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, please follow us and subscribe to our mailing list. 

In this short intro episode, we highlight new episodes for May, otherwise known as Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month. So, we're focussing on the impact of veterinary nursing on animal welfare.  In our first 3 episodes we chat to Lacey Pitcher of the VN Times, Emma Ruggles, hydrotherapy vet nurse, and Sam Fontaine, programme lead for the MSc in Advanced Veterinary Nursing Practice at Glasgow Vet School.  The first new episode goes out on 17th May so we hope you will join #TheAnimalWelfareConversation. 

In this episode we take a break from interviews, and Mary considers the impact of the CMA report on animal welfare.  Recent years have seen many changes in veterinary practice, and in particular the corporatisation of the industry. Whilst there are still independent practices out there, many of the UK's veterinary practices are owned by small number of large corporates. In this situation vets and veterinary nurses are employees of a larger company, and are not responsible for pricing decisions.  The Competitions and Markets Authority recently examined the provision of veterinary services, and has decided to carry out further work in this area.  Healthcare for humans and animals has seen ground-breaking advances in recent years, and, as with the NHS, state of the art healthcare has a financial cost. But how much are owners willing to pay, and how much should practices charge?  As a profession vets and veterinary nurses are not well paid in comparison to other professionals, and much of the cost paid by owners will disappear into practice overheads, including the purchase and maintenance of diagnostic equipment which wouldn't be out of place in a local human hospital. In vet practice, diagnostic tests and surgery are often carried out on the same day - a service which is not always replicated in human healthcare (NHS or private).  Advances in healthcare have saved the lives of many animals but the cost of veterinary treatment is going up. We consider how this could impact on animal welfare, and ask the question, what do owners want?  Competition: As mentioned, during April, we are running a competition to win a copy of One Medicine by Dr Matt Morgan, and Through a Vet's Eyes, by Dr Sean Wensley. To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is subscribe to our email list which can be found at Animal Welfare Conversations