Jill Rowan Deans MacKay

The welfare of companion animals is predicated by caregiver management and decision making, and so the veterinary consult is a key intervention point to improve animal welfare. As with many health-related behaviours, instigating long-term changes is a challenge in the veterinary profession, with knowledge-deficit models of human behaviour change proving ineffective at promoting positive welfare for companion animals. Dental care is one of the most prevalent health disorders in the UK, with many pets receiving suboptimal Home Oral Hygiene (HOH) care. This study implemented a Dental Care clinic in the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Small Animal General Practice and recruited 61 caregivers to a retention-based study looking at changes to HOH. The Dental Clinic followed the 5As framework, adapted for veterinary use, to promote clinically relevant HOH behavioural changes. Caregivers were surveyed prior to the clinic consult, after the final follow-up consult, and at a six month retention date to explore their HOH. Retention was a challenge in the project, with only 39 caregivers attending the clinic, 21 (54%) responding to the End of Clinic survey and 13 (33%) responding to the six month post survey. HOH methods were rated on a 9 point scale, and in the End of Clinic Survey, HOH score had improved by 2.62 points (t _student = 2.77, p = .01, g _Hedges = 0.58, 95% CI[0.13,1.02]), however, the study was underpowered to detect significance at the Retention stage (F _Fisher (1.64, 19.63) = 3.28, p = .07, ω^2 _p = 0.08, 95%CI[0.00, 1.00]). We discuss the applicability of the 5As framework in veterinary behaviour change, and implications for practice.

Background: Surgical training has historically been organised around expectations of endurance, continuous availability, and uninterrupted progression. Although parental leave is increasingly recognised within human surgical training, little is known about how it is experienced within veterinary surgical training. This study explored parental leave across the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) career pathway, using Acker’s theory of gendered organisations to examine how training structures, culture, and gender shape experiences and consequences. Methods: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted using anonymous online surveys and semi-structured interviews. Surveys were distributed to ECVS residents and diplomates, and separately to veterinary surgeons who had considered but not pursued ECVS residency training. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, with exploratory comparisons by gender and career stage. Qualitative free-text responses and interview transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and interpreted through Acker’s framework of gendered organisations. Results: Responses were received from 181 ECVS residents and diplomates, and from 32 veterinary surgeons who had considered but not pursued residency training. Thirteen follow-up interviews were conducted. Five interconnected themes were constructed: structural rigidity of surgical training pathways; cultural norms, stigma, and the construction of surgical identity; gendered patterns of participation and consequence; individual adaptation in the absence of systemic support; and flexibility as a systemic alternative to the ideal worker model. Female residents were more likely not to have children than male residents, female respondents took longer periods of parental leave than male respondents, and longer leave was associated with perceived adverse effects on training or career progression. Participants described parental leave as possible but often framed as exceptional, requiring individual negotiation rather than being embedded within training design. Concerns about pregnancy, caregiving, finances, training timelines, credentialing, and examination progression shaped decisions about if and when to have children, whether to take leave, and whether to pursue residency at all. Participants advocated for flexible or extended training pathways, clearer policies, phased return-to-work, mentorship, and greater cultural acceptance of non-linear careers. Conclusions: Parental leave within the ECVS surgical career pathway exposes broader gendered assumptions within veterinary surgical training. Formally gender-neutral structures may reproduce unequal consequences when they privilege uninterrupted availability and linear progression. Reframing parental leave as a normal and predictable component of training design, rather than an exceptional disruption, may support equity, retention, and sustainability while maintaining professional standards.

Background: Previous research has indicated that the welfare of postoperative cats in Malaysian veterinary practices is often compromised. We adopted the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) theory to understand the promotion of behavioural change in the provision of bedding to postoperative cats. Methods: We deployed a video‐based educational intervention for 150 Malaysian veterinarians and developed three surveys. Each survey focused on a different HAPA stage: motivational phase, pre‐action phase and action phase. Results: Only 27 (18%) participants completed all three surveys. At the motivational phase, 40.7% ( n = 11) were actors (provided bedding), 44.4% ( n = 12) were intenders (intended to providing) and 14.8% ( n = 4) were non‐intenders (did not provide bedding). In the motivational phase, non‐intenders thought bedding provision was less beneficial than intenders and actors ( F _Welch (2, 10) = 9.81, p = 0.004). While in the pre‐action phase, intenders showed less ability compared to actors to recover when the intended behaviour was derailed ( t _Welch (16.34) = 2.26, p = 0.04). At the action stage, there were no significant differences between actors and intenders. Limitations: HAPA theory was helpful in understanding human behaviour at different stages, but the connection between pre‐action and action phases is less clear, with an application gap in other underlying factors, such as non‐conscious factors (i.e., habit and emotion). Conclusion: Action planning, self‐efficacy, empathy and self‐monitoring were the factors involved in maintaining the target behaviour in the pre‐action phase and action phase. Future interventions to improve cat welfare in Malaysian practices should therefore emphasise these factors.

Background: Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) has the capacity to create realistic and convincing animal videos; however, it must simplify and reduce behavioural variation to do so, possibly leading to misinformation. Methods: We categorised 29 videos in the press release for a specific video genAI engine. Twelve featured animals. We mapped each video to the five domains of animal welfare (nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioural interactions and mental state) and categorised behaviour and welfare accordingly. Results: Negative welfare was rarely seen, ranging from 8% ( n = 1) for nutrition to 42% ( n = 5) for behavioural interactions. By contrast, mental state, environment and behavioural interactions appeared positive in 42% ( n = 5) of the videos featured. However, videos were often misleading or did not represent accurate animal behaviour. Limitations: This work was limited to a press release of data and did not explore user experience. Conclusions: genAI videos pose a new route for client confusion, and veterinarians need to incorporate the combatting of genAI misinformation in their practice.

Background: Generative AI (genAI) has the capacity to create realistic and convincing animal videos, however, it must simplify and reduce behavioural variation to do so, possibly leading to misinformation. Methods: We categorised 29 videos in the press release for a specific video genAI engine. Twelve featured animals. We mapped each video to the Five Domains and categorised behaviour and welfare within. Results: Negative welfare was rarely seen, ranging from 8% (n = 1) for Nutrition, to 42% (n =5) for Behavioural Interactions. By contrast, Mental State, Environment, and Behavioural Interactions appeared positive in >42% (n = 5) of the videos featured. However, videos were often misleading or did not represent accurate animal behaviour. Limitations: This work was limited to a press-release of data and does not explore user experience. Conclusions: GenAI videos pose a new route for client confusion and veterinarians need to incorporate genAI misinformation combatting in their practice.

This study aims to improve the welfare and management of recreational horses by identifying how different management styles affect horse health and behaviour. We examined the management styles of recreational horse owners in the UK and Ireland, focusing on social interaction (friends), access to suitable forage (forage), and unrestricted movement (freedom). We collected 1,501 survey responses, distributed via social media, and summarised the characteristics and management choices of the respondents. Using the Divisive ANAlysis cluster package in R, three distinct management styles were identified. The largest differences between clusters were in turn-out, individual stabling, and access to forage. The Horse Centred Management Cluster (HCMC) (n = 956) were more likely to provide their horses with 24-h turn-out and access to a forage source, and interaction with two or more horses. The Combined Management Cluster (CMC) (n = 434) showed a combination of management decisions that differed from the HCMC, including horses being kept in an individual stable for longer periods and being provided with shorter turn-out periods (nine or more hours). The Owner Centred Management Cluster (OCMC) (n = 111) provided a more restrictive management style with a much reduced turn-out time (typically 0–6 h), often with no contact with other horses, and less access to a forage source (0–10 h). We explored associations between management factors (friends, forage, and freedom) and horse welfare-related outputs via owner responses to health and behaviour questions, where behaviour was considered to reflect mental state. The HCMC horses were significantly less likely to exhibit gastrointestinal issues, lameness issues, handling problems, or antisocial behaviours compared to both other groups. This study highlights how management impacts the health and behaviour of recreational horses and can contribute to the development of guidance on improved management and welfare for recreational horses.

Improving retention and graduate outcomes for students from a widening participation (WP) background is key to achieving more equitable outcomes. However, evidence suggests WP students experienced different challenges than their peers during the COVID‐19 pandemic. In this study, we focused on the pivot to online learning and exclusively examined WP students' experiences of higher education during this time to understand which practices supported students' access to education and which may have exacerbated existing inequalities. Data were collected across six focus groups from two Scottish universities ( N = 23). While many of their experiences mirrored those reported for the broader student population in the literature, our findings also suggest coming from a position of relative disadvantage magnifies both positive and negative elements of online learning. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for pedagogical practice to enhance the experience of WP students specifically but can also be applied to the student population more generally.

Lecture capture is frequently justified as an inclusive technology, yet its alignment with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in post-pandemic practice has not been empirically considered. We conducted a scoping review of post-pandemic lecture capture research, identifying 12 studies that considered live lecture recording in higher education. Using the UDL guidelines as an analytic framework, we found that lecture capture primarily supports Engagement and, to a lesser extent, Representation through flexible access, replay and player controls. Action and Expression and higher level executive functions were rarely addressed. Demographic reporting was limited, with few analyses for disabled, neurodivergent or commuting students. We argue that lecture capture is necessary, but insufficient as a sole adjustment for inclusive design and prioritise future research.

Practical sessions using cadavers are one method of teaching clinical skills en masse to veterinary students, supporting students to learn the skills and gain the confidence to become Day One competent veterinarians. As confidence and competence are often conflated in Competency-Based Education approaches, in this study we used a pre-post survey design to evaluate 67 student self-ratings of confidence and self-assessed competence to explore whether a cadaver practical can change student confidence and self-assessed competence, and how comparable confidence and self-assessed competence are as measures. In a linear mixed effects model, we found that the practical improved the overall confidence score by 0.44 points (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.22, 0.66], t₍₁₂₀₎ = 3.97, p < .001). Self-assessed competence also increased by 0.60 (95% CI [0.41, 0.79], t₍₁₁₈₎ = 6.21, p < .001). However, although female students saw their overall self-assessed competence increase, they showed lower self-assessed competence scores by 0.87 points than males (95% CI [−1.47, −0.28], t₍₁₁₈₎ = −2.89, p = 0.005). Despite confidence and self-assessed competence being strongly associated, direct agreement between the measures in a weighted kappa test was weak (pre-practical κ_weighted = 0.49, [95% CI 0.33, 0.66], post-practical κ_weighted = 0.44, [95% CI 0.10, 0.28]). We discuss the implications of these findings.