Practice Management

WSAVA releases first global guidelines for companion animal practitioners

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is highlighting the key role of veterinarians as animal welfare advocates with the launch of its Animal Welfare Global Guidelines for Companion Animal Practitioners and the Veterinary Team. The guidelines, introduced during WSAVA World Congress 2018 in Singapore, aim to bridge differing perceptions of welfare around the world and help veterinarians to tackle the ethical questions and moral issues that impact welfare. They offer guidance to ensure that veterinarians can advocate for animals' psychological, social, and environmental well-being. WSAVA currently offers Global Guidelines in key areas of veterinary practice, including pain management, vaccination, nutrition, and dentistry. "As veterinarians, our responsibility extends far beyond the physical health of our patients," said Shane Ryan, BVSc, MVC, CVA, MRCVS, incoming president of WSAVA and former chair of the WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee. "Animal welfare as a science is a new and rapidly developing discipline and veterinarians need current, evidence-based information to enable them to maintain the highest welfare standards and to provide knowledgeable, accurate advice for pet owners and communities. "Our new guidelines provide recommendations, checklists, and other tools to promote optimal levels of welfare throughout the veterinary visit. They also offer guidance …

WSAVA provides continuing education in Latin America

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) held a series of meetings and continuing education sessions in Mexico as part of a first step in WSAVA's three-year project aimed at enhancing levels of understanding of infectious diseases among veterinarians across Latin America. WSAVA committee members, including Michael Day, VGG chairman, emeritus professor, met with veterinary association leaders, academics, first-opinion practitioners, and government regulators in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. They delivered three evening CE sessions and live-streamed the Mexico City session to share with registrants for 30 days after the presentation. Prior to the visit, the VGG conducted an online questionnaire to collect data on veterinary demographics, infectious disease occurrence, and vaccination protocols, and presented the results during the CE events. "Mexican veterinarians are accustomed to the principle of annual revaccination of dogs and cats with multicomponent products, but those we spoke to were excited by the new concepts of less frequent and individualized vaccination, incorporated into a preventive healthcare package for pets," said Day. "Vaccine-preventable infectious diseases such as canine distemper and parvovirus infections, remain highly prevalent in Mexico.  Increasing herd immunity by improving vaccination coverage is clearly an important goal for …