Student then and now

Insights into animal handling have changed a great deal in recent years, and this is reflected in the curriculum of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Master's student Femke Castellino is taking the clinical ethology course, in which she spends five weeks studying animal behaviour. She talks to Yvonne van Zeeland, vet and lecturer in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. What are the differences between then and now? And how do they see the future?

What does the clinical ethology course involve?

Castellino: "It's about recognising behaviour and behavioural problems. You get tips on how to approach this as a future vet and learn how to advise owners."

What are the main things you took away with you from the course?

Castellino: "That you can quickly misinterpret behaviour because signs of stress are often subtle. Sometimes you think you’re seeing a happy dog, but if you look closely, the animal is under a lot of stress. You need knowledge and experience to recognise these signs."

Yvonne, did you take a similar course during your studies?

Van Zeeland: "We went to the kennel to observe dog behaviour, but there was only one elective week for this subject rather than the five weeks now. There was also no focus on special animals during training; luckily there is now."

And what do you think is the biggest change in terms of professional practice?

"There’s a greater focus on anxiety and stress in the clinic. In many places, for example, there are several waiting areas so you can separate different species of animal from each other. The way the animals are examined is also different. In the old days, an animal simply had to cooperate; for an orthopaedic examination, you basically grabbed the dog by its legs and put it on the table. These days, vets take a more animal-friendly approach in this regard. People can also bring toys in from home, so the animal feels more at ease while they’re at the clinic."

How do you both feel about these changes?

“I’m really positive about them! If they’re stressed, animals take longer to recover and their wounds heal more slowly. Focusing more on behaviour and welfare is important for us too, in terms of safe animal handling and client relations."

Castellino: "I agree. And there’s also more focus on recognising pain and administering the appropriate medication."

Van Zeeland: "That’s definitely a big difference from my time at uni. Back then people said things like: 'There’s no evidence that pain relief works' and 'It's better not to give pain relief to keep the animal calm'. These days, you rarely hear people saying that. Research has shown that pain relief does help. Plus, there’s more medication available and we’re busy developing pain scores for different species of animal."

What developments in animal welfare do you expect to see in the future?

Castellino: "More focus in education on recognising body language and behaviour. At the moment, clinical ethology is offered as an elective in the Master's, but I’d like it to be offered in the bachelor's too."

Van Zeeland: "I hope that a focus on behaviour and behavioural problems will become increasingly common in professional practice. Stress-free handling of animals ultimately leads to faster recovery. It also saves on costs and materials, which is important in terms of sustainability. Preventive care also deserves more attention. Our main focus at the moment is on making the sick animal better, but animals benefit most from prevention. It's great to see how professional practice is changing, I'm looking forward to seeing what the future will bring."

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