Kathleen Yvorchuk-St. Jean

Shechita is the method of slaughter prescribed by Jewish law. It involves a single swift continuous uninterrupted cut through both carotid arteries and jugular veins, the trachea, esophagus and other structures. Shechita in cattle causes a rapid, massive drop in blood volume and pressure that quickly eliminates cortical function causing near-instantaneous loss of consciousness (LOC) and loss of pain perception. Shechita has long been subjected to criticism, with recent concerns focusing on cattle claiming that animals remain conscious for a prolonged period after the cut. Critics argue that the vertebral arteries, which are not severed during Shechita, may continue supplying blood to the brain, thereby delaying LOC. However, a critical review of the scientific literature reveals that this theory is based on misinformation and fundamental misconceptions about the cerebral blood supply in cattle, misconceptions that have been repeatedly propagated within the current literature.

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on the teaching of small-animal dentistry to veterinary students in order to address the recognized gap between dental skill training and the expectations of employers regarding the competencies of new graduates in this field. In this study, third-year veterinary students were trained in three canine dental core skills using either a high-fidelity model (Group A) or video instruction (Group B). An objective structured clinical examination was used to assess skill acquisition and questionnaires were distributed in order to assess student confidence and perceptions related to small-animal dentistry practice and related skills before and after the training. All results were compared between the two groups. Group A outperformed Group B in skill acquisition (p < 0.001) and there was greater improvement in skill confidence for Group A than Group B (p < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in perceptions related to small-animal dentistry between the two groups after the training (p ≥ 0.1). Group A rated their training experience more highly than Group B (p < 0.001). Although dental skill acquisition shows greater improvement when training is provided by models rather than video instruction, a blended approach to teaching dental skills is likely to be the best approach to optimizing dental skill acquisition.