RSPCA’s Post

Are you a social worker or other human health/mental health or social service provider who wants to better support your clients/patients with companion animal-related concerns, while staying within your scope of practice? With 66% of US households reporting having at least one companion animal, and the majority of those reporting they consider their animal to be family, responding effectively to people's concerns about their animals is *not* a niche area, but rather, an important routine aspect of competent healthcare and social service provision! Our relationships with our animals can be both strengths and stressors in our lives. People both live for and die for their animals, literally. People report refraining from acting on suicidality out of concern for their animals; conversely, they also refuse and/or delay evacuation, leaving domestic violence situations, and obtaining critically needed healthcare services out of concern for their animals. Linking people with supports and resources to keep their animal companionship in place is also a powerful strategy in helping to address social determinant risk factors such as isolation and loneliness. Please considering joining Open Door Veterinary Collective, BestyBnB, and the International Association of Veterinary Social Work for a webinar on how to reduce stress and amplify strengths related to people's relationships with their animals! Our webinar is on Thursday February 15 from 2pm-3:30pm ET, 1.5 CEU; click here to register https://lnkd.in/er9Tha4G and see below for details. #humananimalbond #socialwork #healthcare #health #mentalhealth #primarycare #nursepractitioner #nursing #publichealth #socialdeterminants #socialdeterminantsofhealth #onehealth #onewelfare #accesstocare #animalwelfare #veterinary #veterinarymedicine #community #family #aging #aginginplace #nasw #pets

The House passed a floor amendment yesterday offered by Rep. Dina Titus and co-sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen and Rep. Juan Ciscomani that urges the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to use additional resources on reversible fertility control methods during its Wild Horse and Burro management operations. AWHC would like to thank Rep. Titus, Rep. Cohen, and Rep. Ciscomani for continuing to champion the welfare and humane treatment of our wild horses and burros. AWHC would also like to thank the House for continuing to support and direct the BLM to increase its use of FC to manage our wild horses and burros. In fiscal years 2023 and 2022, the BLM had also received funding to spend up to $11 million on wild horse and burro fertility control treatments through appropriations. However, the agency has not prioritized this method of population management, spending a mere 37% and 16% of this $11 million in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Rather than humanely controlling populations via fertility control, the agency is opting to round up and warehouse animals. @congresswomandinatitus @congressmanjuanciscomani @congressmanstevecohen #HouseofRepresentatives #Floorvote #Appropriations #MakingChange #Progress

**The double-edged sword of pain: evolutionary benefit and welfare challenge** Pain serves a crucial role in survival by protecting animals from further harm. Mechanisms like nociceptive withdrawal reflexes, inflammation, and hypervigilance help prevent future injuries and promote safety. However, in companion animals whose needs are met by caregivers, pain no longer holds the same evolutionary benefit. Instead, it becomes a welfare challenge we must address. Join us at the FABC Conference 2024 to explore how the biopsychosocial model can help untangle the complexities of pain and improve treatment strategies for our beloved pets. 🐾💙 🔗 [Learn more & register](https://lnkd.in/ebYGXVmV) #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryCare #PainManagement #FABCConference

Performing a post-calving rectal palpation to assess the reproductive health of the cow. This vital procedure helps us check for uterine involution, detect any abnormalities, and ensure the animal's overall reproductive health. #VeterinaryCare #LivestockManagement #AnimalHealth #ReproductiveHealth 🐄

Cows, like all mammals, produce milk only after pregnancy and for their calves. Yet, through domestication, humans have taken this natural process for our own use. This raises important questions about animal exploitation and our treatment of sentient beings. Should animals be used for production, or do they deserve more? Let's rethink our relationship with animals and the ethics behind these practices. 🐄❓ #animalrights #animalexploitation #dairyfree #ethicalchoices #animalsentience #plantbased #veganlife #rethinkingdairy #ethicalfarming #choosekindness #crueltyfree

This week's 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗽 was brought to you by popular demand from our amazing community. Today, we're shining the spotlight on caring for preemies. Did you know that most veterinarians consider a birth premature if it occurs before 61 days of gestation? Chances for survival decrease rapidly for kittens born more than 5 days premature, and, if birth occurs 2 weeks or more before 61 days, survival is not expected. If you are caring for preemies and would like more information on best practices and helpful tips check out our resources below! (Article) Preemies: Helping Kittens Born Early - https://zurl.co/t4U1 (Webinar) Caring for Premature Kittens - https://zurl.co/s3Xk #kittenpreemies #savemorekittens #nationalkittencoalition

"Veterinarians dedicate their lives to our pets, but at what cost to their own mental health? 🐾💔 A revealing NORVET study from Norway highlights the emotional toll of animal euthanasia on vets, showing a strong correlation between the frequency of euthanasia and serious suicidal thoughts among these professionals. While most vets support euthanasia for terminally ill humans, similar to public opinion, those who perform it regularly on animals face a significant mental health burden. This study underscores the urgent need for better mental health support within the veterinary community. It's a call to action for more resources, training, and understanding to help those who help our pets. Let's open up about the mental health challenges vets face and work towards solutions together. 🙏💚 Remember, support is available. If you or someone you know is struggling, call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. #VeterinaryMentalHealth #SupportOurVets #NORVETStudy #MentalHealthAwareness #vettech #veterinarymedicine #vetmed

"Veterinarians dedicate their lives to our pets, but at what cost to their own mental health? 🐾💔 A revealing NORVET study from Norway highlights the emotional toll of animal euthanasia on vets, showing a strong correlation between the frequency of euthanasia and serious suicidal thoughts among these professionals. While most vets support euthanasia for terminally ill humans, similar to public opinion, those who perform it regularly on animals face a significant mental health burden. This study underscores the urgent need for better mental health support within the veterinary community. It's a call to action for more resources, training, and understanding to help those who help our pets. Let's open up about the mental health challenges vets face and work towards solutions together. 🙏💚 Remember, support is available. If you or someone you know is struggling, call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. #VeterinaryMentalHealth #SupportOurVets #NORVETStudy #MentalHealthAwareness #vettech #veterinarymedicine #vetmed

How should we monitor animal health on dairy farms? Well....its boring, easy, and quite useful. Each herd should be body condition scoring cows on a regular basis. Our data demonstrates that skinny cows and fat cows prior to calving were more likely to leave the herd than cows with intermediate BCS. Cows that lost more BCS after calving also leave the herd at a greater rate and suffered from greater pregnancy loss after breeding. If you're not monitoring BCS, I suggest you start. Monitor these numbers throughout the year and across stages of lactation. Its easy, cheap, and associated with things that we care about. #dairy #animalhealth

https://lnkd.in/gyJe9EHu "Understanding Mental Illnesses in Animals: Recognizing and Addressing Behavioral Disorders in Pets 🐾🧠 Learn how to identify signs of mental health issues in your pets and explore ways to support their well-being. #PetMentalHealth #AnimalBehavior #PetCare #MentalHealthAwareness #VeterinaryCare #AnimalWellbeing #psyed"