Animal Day

Welfare and awareness of domestic and wild animals

7th June 2007

BVA AWF provided sponsorship to the Waterloo Green Trust for their Animal Day which took place in June 2007.   The event was opened to children from local schools and comprised of various stalls each providing educational talks and activities on specialist subjects such as ecology, farm animals and bees.  The children involved live in inner London and many of them have little or no contact with animals and wildlife.  They were extremely interested in all of the activities and were given the opportunity to ask questions and touch the animals.  This event clearly meets the Foundation’s objectives and provides welfare education at a grass roots level.

For further information about this event click here.

University Lectureships

At the universities of Bristol, Glasgow and Liverpool

2003 - present

For further information about the lecturerships click here

BVA AWF Sponsored Awards

Hartpury College Graduation Ceremony

29th November 2007

The Foundation is delighted to sponsor three prizes for graduates at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire each year.  The BVA AWF trophies were presented to the top FdSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare Student; the top BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare Student and the top Veterinary Science/ Health Studies Student at their graduation ceremony in November 2007.

A study on the prevalence and risk factors for feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS)

2005-2008

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is characterised by inflamation and ulceration of the gums and in the mouth.  The inflamation leads to pain, difficult in eating and sometimes bleeding.  Unfortunately, the disease tends to be chronic and generally does not respond well to treatment.  The level of discomfort becomes a welfare issue and euthanasia of such cases in not uncommon.

The BVA AWF has provided funding for a PhD study which has been carried out at Liverpool Univeristy.  The study is near completion and more information can be found in the following report.

17th and 18th March 2007

The BVA AWF is working in partnership with the BCT, the RSPCA and the RCVS Trust on a new initiative focusing on the rehabilitation of wild bats in the UK. The BCT has developed the Bat Welfare (Care and Rehabilitation) Project aiming to set out best practice and deliver training to anyone treating and caring for bats.

A best practice workshop attended by seven of the UK’s most experienced rehabilitators, a veterinary expert, RSPCA Wildlife Coordinator and BCT representatives was held in 2007. Supported by BVA AWF funding, the BCT have now produced best practice guidelines for volunteers and professionals based on the outcomes of the workshop.

If you are a veterinary surgeon and wish to obtain a copy of the guidelines please email Helen Miller at the BCT at: HMiller@bats.org.uk

For further information about this project click here

ISAE Questionnaire:

Perceptions of the veterinary profession’s role in animal welfare

August 2006

Prior to joining the Foundation, our newest trustee, Sean Wensley, received BVA AWF funding for a survey to assess the perception of the working relationship between vets and the animal welfare science community.  In September 2006, Sean invited individuals from both communities to complete a questionnaire about the veterinary profession’s role in the field of animal welfare.

The ultimate aim of the exercise is to increase harmony and co-operation between the two communities so that greater advances can be made in the improvement of animal welfare. 

For further information about this project click here

Garden Bird Health initiative

2005-present

Disease outbreaks occur quite commonly in garden birds and the research, started in March 2005, is aimed at investigating their causes and prevention.   As part of the project, the GBHi team launched a hotline in late April 2005 and logged a total of 670 phone calls in the first year alone. In excess of 1000 volunteers were also successfully recruited and began surveillance in October 2005 to record and investigate causes of garden bird mortality associated with feeding stations in gardens across the UK. The results of this study were used as a basis for the development of best practice guidelines for the general public on feeding garden birds which are now available at: www.bva-awf.org.uk/resources/leaflets/ .

For further information about this project click here

Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB)

Pain Management in Cats study

2005-2007

Domestic cats are one of the most common domestic pets, but, as a result of their unique behavioural and physiological makeup, they have been somewhat neglected in development of appropriate techniques for managing pain.  This BVA AWF funded study aimed to assess the efficacy of a group of analgesics known as NSAIDS and investigate non invasive ways of assessing analgesic efficacy.  The investigation successfully developed a humane method for laboratory study of NSAID analgesia in cats.

For further information about this project click here

BEVA practice-based study on the factors affecting return to soundness in acute, pasture-associated laminitis

2004-present

Laminitis is an extremely common and painful condition that affects all types of horses, but is particularly prevalent in ponies during the spring and summer months.  Laminitis can progress from an acute lameness of all four limbs to chronic and irreversible damage to the structure of the hooves.

We are currently supporting the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) practice based research project into the disease. 

Quantitative Assessment of Pain in Laminitic Horses

University of Edinburgh

2004 - 2007

All horses are at risk of suffering from laminitis; it is an extremely common condition which causes severe and enduring pain.  It has catastrophic effects on the performance and welfare of affected horses, and the costs of treatment can be both high and prolonged. 

The BVA AWF was therefore delighted support a study at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh which was completed in 2007.  The team successfully developed, tested and validated a hoof tester for routinely assessing the pain sensitivity of the feet of horses with laminitis.  This tool allows the effectiveness of old and new treatments for pain from laminitis to be tested. 

Please click here for the final report.

Society for Experimental Biology meeting:

Integrating animal physiology and behaviour: towards ecological relevance and animal welfare

3rd - 4th March 2007

This symposium was held at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting in Glasgow on the 3rd and 4th of March, 2007. One of the invited speakers, Dr Lynne Sneddon from the University of Liverpool, was sponsored by The BVA AWF. Lynne gave a talk titled ‘Assessing Pain Perception in Fish from Physiology to Behaviour’ which highlighted the need to understand whether fish are capable of experiencing negative welfare states during procedures associated with industry and experimentation.

For further information click here

Glasgow University Veterinary Medical Association (GUVMA) Symposium 2007

23rd February 2007

This years BVA AWF sponsored GUVMA animal welfare symposium took place on Friday 23rd February at the University of Glasgow’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Garscube. The aim of the afternoon was to promote learning, discussion and awareness of issues concerning the welfare of animals.

For further information about this event click here

Quality of life: the heart of the matter. 

UFAW/BVA Ethics Committee International Symposium

13th-14th September 2006

The Foundation funded the proceedings for the Quality of life symposium which brought together leading scientists, practicing veterinarians, animal scientists and keepers, medics, ethicists and policy makers to discuss:

* recent advances in the science underpinning our understanding of animals' feelings
* recent advances in methods for assessment of quality of life in man and other animals
* species variation in factors affecting quality of life
* ethical and practical implications for veterinarians and others of advances in understanding in this field and, in so doing,
* to emphasise and to promote concern for quality of life at the centre of care for companion animals.

For a copy of the proceedings click here