Module 12

Question 1

Role of vets in animal welfare

Answer 1

1. Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease
2. Assessing welfare in abattoirs and farms, and advising owners and officials about this
3. Identifying deliberate animal cruelty (animal abuse
4. Humane endpoints in lab animal research
5. Pain management
6. Ethical decision-making
7. Communicating with owners, officials, etc.
8. Veterinary professional bodies

Question 2

Give four other aspects of how vets can influence animal welfare

Answer 2

1. Pain management
2. Ethical decisions
3. Communication
4. Veterinary professional bodies

Question 3

Give common situations when you will encounter or anticipate pain in an animal

Answer 3

1. surgery
2. injury
3. other causes of inflammation

Question 4

Part of pain pathway where local inflammatory substances are released because the tissues are damaged

Answer 4

Signal transduction

Question 5

Human drugs of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs that are harmful to domestic animals

Answer 5

aspirin, paracetamol

Question 6

nerve impulses conducted to the spinal cord which local anaesthetics can prevent

Answer 6

Impulse conduction

Question 7

What drugs can interfere with the 3rd part of pain pathway transmission and modulation?

Answer 7

opioids (morphine-type drugs)

Question 8

Where does the signal get modified and transmitted on up to the brain during transmission and modulation?

Answer 8

spinal cord

Question 9

True or False. General anaesthesia prevents perception, but it does nothing to stop the other three levels of the pathway.

Answer 9

True

Question 10

These are combination of drugs that act at different points in the pain pathway

Answer 10

multimodal analgesia

Question 11

For farm animals, what are the important factors that made vets less likely to use analgesic drugs

Answer 11

1. the cost and availability of licensed analgesics
2. concerns about withdrawal periods from meat and milk

Question 12

Give the six steps of 6 point framework

Answer 12

1. Identify all possible courses of action
2. Establish the interests of affected parties
3. Identify the ethical issues involved
4. Establish the legal position of the dilemma
5. Choose a logical course of action
6. Minimise the impact of the decision

Question 13

This means that you must respect the client’s right to make their own decision and you should not use guilt to try and persuade a client to follow the course of action that you recommend

Answer 13

Setting boundaries

Question 14

Things to consider when making an ethical decision

Answer 14

1. Non-maleficence
2. Beneficence
3. Autonomy
4. Justice

Question 15

The principle of not doing anything harmful should be followed where possible

Answer 15

Non-maleficence

Question 16

the guiding principle that once the degree of harm is minimized, then the promotion of good should follow

Answer 16

Beneficence

Question 17

concerns giving equal consideration to animals and people

Answer 17

Justice

Question 18

What are the ways licensing body may also help animal welfare?

Answer 18

1. Advising government on related legislation
2. Developing policy
3. Making public comments

Question 19

Two types of professional body

Answer 19

1. The licensing body, which protects the public interest by ensuring that only qualified people can treat animals.
2. One or more professional associations.

Question 20

the consideration of a right to life or a humane death

Answer 20

deontological reasoning

Question 21

It is best explain by: benefits of humane killing may be greater when animals are causing a public nuisance or when the animals themselves are unhealthy

Answer 21

Utilitarian balancing of the harms and benefits

Question 22

Give practical samples/situations in veterinary practice that may create ethical problems

Answer 22

1. Treatment of animals whose owners are on a low income
2. Humane killing of stray animals
3. Management of sick farm animals
4. Management of sick draught animals