TVC – 421:

VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

- Dr.N.K.Sudeepkumar
 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-1: MAN, ANIMAL AND SOCIETY

Learning objectives

• In this lesson the learner will be exposed to the history of domestication of various species of
animals, animal keeping in ancient India , the surgery and treatment performed in primitive
stage of animal health care including ethno - veterinary medicine and the human – animal
relationship.
• At the end of the lesson the learner should be able to describe about the domestication of
animals , health care in olden days and the human – animal relationship.

MAN- ANIMAL INTERACTION

• Domestication of plants and animals altered the occupation of the early humans from hunting
and gathering to alert hunting, herding and advanced agriculture.
• The domestication of livestock, mainly pigs, cows, sheep, horses, and goats is considered to
have occurred between 9,000 and 5,000 BC as agriculture became more of an issue in human
societies.
• The dog is thought to have been the first animal to be domesticated by humans, sometime
around 13,000–10,000 BC, from its wolf like ancestor Canis lupus.
• History shows that the most suitable animals for domestication (and use by humans) are those
that naturally live in groups with a hierarchical social structure.
• Of the animals that have been domesticated, only cats and ferrets are considered to exhibit
solitary lifestyles rather than herd/group behavior.
• The ability to keep and control groups of meat-supplying animals allowed humans to give up
their previously nomadic lives and produce excess food.

ANIMAL KEEPING IN ANCIENT INDIA

Animal husbandry in Harappan culture

• Excavations of Harappa in Montgomeri district, Punjab and Mohenjo-daro in Larkana district,

Sindh (now in Pakistan) provided valuable archaeological evidence of a well developed
civilization. The famous Indus Valley civilization was better known for highly developed culture
and organized society. People of Indus Valley civilization were familiar with dogs, bulls, sheep,
goats, buffaloes, horses, and elephants. They were also aware of a number of wild-game and
animal products, such as milk, curd, ghee, and meat. Fish was their main animal food. These
people were fond of mutton, beef, chicken, and meat of tortoise. Seals recovered from Indus
valley provided knowledge of bulls, buffaloes, goats, elephants, ibex, and many other animals.

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Vedic age

• A lot of information is available on keeping of animals in the Vedic Age in the Rigveda, which is
the oldest holy book of Aryans. In Rigveda, animals were considered as wealth. Aryans
maintained their cattle on pastures, which were near to their dwellings. They cut the jungles
and grazed cattle. The cows were milked thrice a day. Castration of males was practiced and
oxen were used for farm transport. Aryans preferred only cows and buffalo was not a
commonly used animal by them. People of this age kept dogs for guarding houses and for
hunting of boars.
• Sheep were kept mostly for wool and goats for milk. Oxen were used for plowing and irrigation
also. In Rigveda, barley, sugarcane, and leftovers of sesame after extraction of oil were used for
feeding of animals. Cow milk provided special energy, strength, and intelligence. Cow dung and
urine nourished agriculture farming. Bullock power helped in development of techniques in
agriculture like carrying draft, transportation, and cottage industry. Skin from dead animals
supported the leather industry and handicrafts. Therefore, cow husbandry was always core-
point in the Indian lifestyle and economy during the Vedic period.

Epic period

• In the epic period, evidence showed that many domestic animals including cattle, sheep, goats,
dogs, elephants, and horses and their uses. Cow dung was used as manure. The treatment of
various ailments using medicinal herbs and surgical procedures are described at length. Various
uses of oil as preservative and treatment are mentioned. Surgical procedures like caesarean
section, hysterectomy, etc. were known to be performed by trained vaidhyas or physicians.
Fruit juices, flower extracts, and wines made from fruits were said to have great medicinal
properties. Diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis, mental disorders, etc. were described along with
treatment.

Mauryan age

• Animal husbandry made great progress in the Mauryan age. The Mauryan age preceded the
period of Buddha and Mahavir, who preached non-violence towards animals. The earliest
Buddhist text “Suttanipata” describes cattle as a giver of food, beauty, and happiness (annada,
vannada, and sukhada) and therefore deserves to be protected. Buffalo also became a
recognized dairy animal by this period.
• In the Arthashastra, goat has been described as an important milch animal like cows and
buffaloes. Sheep were raised for wool. According to Arthashastra, in a breeding herd, 4 bulls
should be provided for every 10 cows/buffaloes. Feeding of animals on pasture was the main
practice. Also, there is separate mention of dry straw (trina) and green grasses (yavasa),
indicating a clear concept about green and dry fodder in the feeding of animals. Feeding of oil
cakes has also been recommended. Rations for cow, buffalo, mule, camel, etc. have been
described separately at several places. Milking was done either once in the morning during
summer and spring or twice, i.e., in the morning and evening during rainy season, autumn, and
first part of winter. Difference in the fat content in buffalo and cow milk was well known. Milk
fat was usually used as ghee or butter oil. There was capital punishment for stealing or hurting
a cow.
• When a person caused a bull to fight with another bull, he was fined. If any person injured a
bull, he was heavily fined. In this Mauryan age , asses were used to carry loads. Horses were
used to yoke different kinds of chariots like festival chariots, battle chariots, and traveling
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 chariots. In the stables, different kinds of horses were kept separately. Horses of different
breeds were regularly trained for warfare. Mules have also been mentioned in Arthashastra,
indicating their presence in the Mauryan period.
• Elephants were very important animals in the Mauryan period. They were used in warfare, as
they were very useful for storming fortresses; breaking upon massive doors and to move even
in dense forests and marshy lands. Elephants for war and riding were housed inside the fort.
Whoever killed an elephant was sentenced to death. Tusks of an elephant were considered
precious.

Ashoka period

• During this period veterinary science gained a new turn in India. It is described that the first
veterinary hospital existed in Ashoka’s regime. The ‘Baniyan Hospital’ of Suratis is believed to
be one of them, which consisted of a large piece of land enclosed by high walls. Provision for
keeping indoor patients was made inside to accommodate animals.

ANIMAL SURGERY

• From primitive therapeutics, the early man turned to primitive surgery. “Susruta Samhita” is the
earliest known work dealing with surgery. According to evidence with Indian scholars, who
made great improvement in the general techniques of surgery and performed many new and
major operations.
• The students were taught surgical techniques first on dummies and later on dead animals.
Almost all aspects of surgery were dealt in ancient medical veterinary treatises. Some of these
aspects were preliminary surgical methods, dressing and bandaging of wounds, symptoms to
predict prognosis of the surgical cases, etc.
• Special methods include application of cauterize, removal of foreign bodies and obstructions,
surgical grafting, and treatment of fractures, dislocations, and fistula.
• Methods of suturing and plastering and duties of physicians, surgeons, and nurses have been
dealt in detail. General principles of surgery described include preparatory measures and
principal measures (including surgery and post-operative measures).
• However, there appears to be no mention of anaesthetic techniques. Surgical treatment of
animal disease was very much developed during Vedic period. Skilful surgeons treated animals
with precision and great perfection.
• Treatment of sinus fistula, burns and scalds, snakebite, fractures, ailments of
ligaments/tendons, dystocia, removal of dead foetus, extraction of teeth and fractures were
routinely done during Vedic period.

ETHNO-VETERINARY MEDICINE

• Before the advent of modern allopathic system of medicine, it seems possible that the healing
art was almost the same throughout the world including India. This system of medicine has
given the term ethno-medicine (when implied to human treatment) and ethno-veterinary
medicine (in the context of animal treatment).
• In India, ethno-veterinary practices were in vogue since time immemorial.

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 • In ancient India, the Vedic literature, particularly Atharvaveda is a repository of traditional
medicine including prescriptions for treatment of animal diseases.
• Shalihotra undoubtedly appears to be the first veterinarian of pre-historic times.
• The ancient Indians were so apt with the knowledge of herbals, even Alexander acquired some
of the skills used by Indians, particularly for treatment of snakebite.

COW AND BUFFALO

Cow

• Cows were regarded as wealth and were the backbone of the economy of ancient Indians, i.e.,
Aryans. Cattle were one of the most frequently used animals described in Vedas.
o Early man used cattle for work, meat, and milk. Cattle were also a sign of wealth.
o Selection and crossbreeding of cattle for different purposes began early in the history of
agriculture

Buffalo

• Taming and domestication of buffalo has been mentioned during the epic era of Ramayana and
Mahabharata and true domestication during the Indus Valley civilization. Several types of
buffaloes have been described in different parts.
• The Indian subcontinent is the richest habitat of riverine buffaloes (dairy) whereas East and
Southeast Asian countries are dominated by draft type swamp buffaloes.
• In South India buffaloes were used for ploughing lands after which they wallow in the pond to
reduce tiredness. Buffalo keeping was a symbol of prosperity in Southern India.

SWINE AND HORSE

Swine

• American breeds of swine come form two wild stocks: the European wild boar and the East
Indian pig.
• The first use of pigs for food probably occurred in the Neolithic Age. Chinese were the first
people to tame swine. Swine were brought to the US by Christopher Columbus in 1493 on his
second voyage. More swine were brought later by the Spanish explorers.
• English settlers brought swine with them also. Herds grew quickly in size and soon production
was soon more than the local need.
• The main expansion in the swine industry occurred in the Corn Belt states because of the
available feed for finishing hogs for market.

Horse

• The horse evolved from a tiny four-toed ancestor called Eohippus.

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 • Eohippus was about a foot high and lived in swamps about 58 million years ago. The Eohippus
grew gradually, and eventually adapted to the prairie.
• The horse was more than likely tamed later than other farm animals. The horse was brought to
the US by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493.
• Early colonist brought saddle horses and draft horses to US.
• Horses served mainly as pack animals and for riding.
• The early development of the horse was in the US was mostly associated with riding on
plantations.
• Horse racing developed into a sport in the 1700s and early 1800s.
• With development of other power sources, the use of the draft horse on farms became less
common.

SHEEP AND GOAT

Sheep

• Sheep was one of the early animals, which was domesticated about 8700 BC. In India, sheep
keeping was practiced evidently from Pre-Harappan period through to Mauryan Age. The
dominant form of sheep rearing still remained of nomadic nature. Domestication of sheep,
besides ensuring a permanent meat supply, also improved the supply of skin, hair (wool), fat,
and bones. Sheep rearing is an exclusive occupation of a class of herders traditionally marked
out as a pastoral caste.
o Sheep were one of the first animals tamed by the human race. The ancestry of sheep is
not as known as the other domestic animals.
o Most of the sheep today probably came from the wild sheep called Moufflons and the
Asiatic Urial.
o Sheep were used by the early colonist mainly for their wool production

Goat

• People found in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, and Rajasthan and they
reared goats and other animals. Goats were domesticated earlier, and served mankind for
longer period for their milk and other products. Gaddi goats resembling the ancestral wild goats
are still used for carrying goods in the higher Himalayan region of India. The greatest artistic
creations of Harappan culture are seals resembling goats, which greatly supported the animal
husbandry in Indus Valley civilization. Goats serve mankind providing meat, milk, fiber and
therefore, appropriately called poor man’s cow.
o Goats may have been the first tamed animals in Western Asia.
o Goats are closely related to sheep.
o Early goat importations into the US came from Switzerland.
o Most of the increase in milk goat numbers has occurred since 1900.
o Many are kept on small farms, and there are few large herds of milk goats.

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 POULTRY

• The family Gallus comprises of four species of birds. Of these, domesticated hen’s (Gallus gallus
murghi) ancestor was red jungle fowl (Gallus sonarati). These birds are found from Kashmir to
Godavari, the southern corner of the country.
• It is believed that today’s poultry evolved from the red jungle fowl. People of the Indus Valley
civilization were quite familiar with domesticated fowl. Domestic fowl was also found in
Harrappa.
• From this place, two earthen birds (one male and the other female) were recovered.
• It is accepted that Indus Valley people kept birds for games and breeding for meat, possibly
started afterwards.
• When Aryans invaded India around 2500 BC, they appreciated cocks. Earlier, India had trade
with Western Asia, Arabia, and Egypt through sea and land route, which was instrumental in
the dissemination of red jungle fowl throughout the world.
o Chickens were being raised by the Chinese about 1400 B.C.
o Although poultry and eggs were used for food early in history, poultry raising has only
recently become a major commercial enterprise.
o In the past, most poultry were raised for the family’s own use.
o The turkey was probably tamed by the people originally living in America. Most of the
American breeds were probable developed from the species found in the United States.
o Ducks were tamed at an early date. The wild mallard duck is thought to be the ancestor
of all domestic reeds of ducks.
o The goose was probably tamed shortly after the chicken. It was regarded as a sacred
bird in Egypt 4,000 years ago.
o Poultry were brought to the New World by the early pioneers and colonists.
o The American poultry industry grew out o f the small home flocks raised by early
settlers. Poultry raising used to be mainly a small enterprise on the farm, however, as
the population grew, the demand for poultry products increased.
o Today most poultry is raised in large confinement flocks and few small farm flocks
remain. Much of the poultry industry is concentrated in the southern part of the United
States.

MAN AND ANIMAL SOCIETY

• Man is referred to as human. Bruke’s definition of man states: “Man is the symbol using animal,
inventor, separated from his natural condition by instruments of his own making, goaded by the
spirit of hierarchy and rotten with perfection”.
• Man is distinct from other creatures by virtue of his use of symbols to communicate, his
understanding of negation, his separation from nature his existence in differing social
structures and his goal to become better than he presently is.
• The word “animal” comes from the Latin word animalis meaning with soul. In everyday usage
the word refer to non-human animals. In colloquial use mammals and other vertebrates are

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 known as animals. The biological definition of the word refers to all members of the kingdom
animalia encompassing creatures ranging from insects to humans.

Society

• A society is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations as social status
roles and social networks.
• A large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same
political authority, dominant cultural expectations, sharing distinctive culture and institution.
• Human societies are most often organized according to their primary means of subsistence.
• Social scientists have identified hunter-gatherer societies, nomadic pastoral societies,
horticulturist or farming societies and intensive agriculture societies which is called civilization.
Also there exist industrial and post-industrial societies which are different form agricultural
societies.

Human animal relationship

• Our relationship with animals is complex and contradictory, we hunt kill and eat them, yet we
also love, respect and protect them.
• The ambivalent relationship is further complicated by the fact that we attribute human
emotions and intelligence to animals. We even go as far as making them as part of our family,
as our children.
• Intimate interaction with animals can also have important, socialization or educational effects
on the humans involved, especially charged with care of animals.
• Children are given new trend responsibilities over animals; pet keeping has often been priced as
a mean of aiding the personality development of children. By assuming pet keeping duties,
children inculcate a general sense of responsibilities.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-2: ROLE OF CITIZENS IN SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS

Learning objectives

• This lesson highlights the critical resources that citizens need to maintain for long standing
socio-ecological interaction and its need.
• Understanding the resource and effective utilisation of the same will save the mother Earth.

ROLE OF CITIZENS

The role of citizens in maintaining socio-ecological interactions

• There is no question that people are an important sustainable natural resource! When looking
at population dynamics biologists and ecologists work with two theories
o self-sustaining populations and
o carrying capacity in which numbers of individuals in any biological community are
controlled by health and disease, food and water supply, and / or the availability of
adequate shelter from these elements.
• Population sizes are governed by four factors - births, deaths and movement of individuals into
and out of geographic area. When food, water and shelter are plentiful, population numbers
increase, and when food, water and shelter are inadequate or unhealthy, individuals starve or
die from disease or exposure to the elements.
• These theories for decades have been applied to plants and animals, are fully applicable to us,
homo-sapiens, the human species. To us, sustaining populations are a world in which everyone
has fresh water to drink, nutritious food to eat a home to live in, a job that helps support a
family, happy kids in good schools with well-trained teachers, adequate health care for
everyone in the family, and a great outdoor environment in which we can play and ponder the
spiritual side of our lives.

CRITICAL RESOURCES

• The more people there are, the more we have to be careful about our natural resources. Critical
resources for us to take care include:
o Our animals – all of them, on our ranches and farms, in our homes, in our forests and in our
deserts, because they are not only precious to us, but also a source of economic worth, they
need the same things we do to survive and stay healthy.
o Our lands – where healthy grasslands, woodlands, deserts and scrublands are the homes,
food sources and breeding habitats for our animals.
o Our waters – where we must understand that only 0.3 % of all the water on the planet is
fresh water available for drinking, swimming, fishing and sustaining life, and realize that

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 what freshwater is here today must quench out thirst and the thirst of every living thing on
Earth forever, and
o Our air – recognizing that every time we run a car or a boat, or flip a switch for electricity, or
burn a field or heat our homes with wood or gas or electricity, we are using energy, and
either directly or indirectly putting chemicals into the air. Mother Earth / Nature must work
hard at cleansing the air we create, so that we and all plants and animals will have clean air
to survive, it too is finite.
• Our natural resources are finite and each of us in our own fashion must work with our families,
friends, neighbours and communities to recognize that every one of these resources is precious
to us, our animals the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the environments we play and
work in. But only we as living, breathing, thinking and reasoning entities have the ability to
conserve and protect these precious natural resources in the best ways we can imagine.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-3: CLIENT DEALING

Learning objectives

• This lesson is concerned with catering to the needs of the clients and ways and means to deal
with them. It also helps to understand the practical implications of how to cater to animal
owners visiting your hospitals.
• By the end of this lesson you should be able to define client and ways and means to deal with
client.

CLIENT DEALING

• In all professions the clients are the most important, veterinary professionis not an exception to
this. In the field of veterinary and animal husbandry, clients are mostly livestock, poultry and
pet owners.
• They are very important to the veterinarian since management of the animals is the
responsibility of its owner.
• Livestock and pet owners need to understand the animal rearing pattern, its management and
how to take care of it during ill health. It is also important that they need to enhance the
production and productivity of the animals. In order to have a better understanding on these
issues viz., animal care and production it is essential for the client to contact a veterinarian.
• The veterinarians possess a wealth of scientific knowledge, regarding the potential care of their
animal patient. They probably need better skill to deal with their client requirements both
socially and psychologically.
• In most cases veterinarians pose as an authority. They need to participate in the emotional
feelings of the client and satisfy the client’s expectation. During set backs the clients look for
strength, guidance and leadership from veterinarians.
• It is commonly believed that most policies continue to exploit the masses for the benefit of the
rich and powerful/ Client dealing must aim at development for more egalitarian distribution of
benefit as well as risks across all social and economic classes.
• Capital intensive technology and centralized planning has served to increase the power wealth
of elites. It has led to corruption as well. Hence it is better to have decentralized development
planning with effective local participation.
• The focus is to reduce human suffering and not to increase it. The client dealing depends on
effective management of work. This eventually depends on social value of its members which is
culture bound. Presently fewer and fewer individuals and groups are consuming more and
better goods and services.
• The consumption basket of the richest 20 per cent globally is different from the basket of the
poor majority. Dasgupta (1979) noted that in United States which constitute about six per cent
of the world’s population the upper middle class controlled about 40 per cent of the worlds
resources. Global inequities have increased since then.

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• It has been increasingly evident that the process of development is associated with greater
poverty level. The promise has been that when nations develop, there would be a reduction in
poverty. This has not been the case, suggesting that it is the nature and method of
development that is associated with increasing poverty levels.
• Veterinarians must get ready to start running full out in a race that will never end. Larry Wilson,
Author of the one-minute sales person, may have said it best: “Decide what game you want in
life. There are really two games. One is the comfort zone game.
• Playing not to lose, thereby avoiding valuable experiences that might cause discomfort or
disappointment. The second is playing to win, not in a competitive sense but playing full out”.
• There is no secret for being successful in business. The conduct of successful business merely
consists of doing things in a very simple way, doing them regularly and never neglecting to do
them.

CLIENT SERVICE

• What is client service?

o Client’s service is the ability to meet client requirements.
o Satisfaction = Perception - Expectation
• If the client perceived better than expected service their satisfaction is high, but if the service
provided did not meet expectations their satisifaction is low. In veterinary practice clients seek
o Freedom from worry about their pet’s / livestock health
o Reassurance that they are doing the right thing for their pet / livestock
o To have access to experts in animal health care.
• Client dealing is related to marketing of needs and wants of services / goods, then developing
programmes and services to meet those needs and wants. In this case we need to first
determine client’s needs and wants. Find out what your clients want and give it to them.
Probably the most accurate way to determine client needs and wants is to survey some or all of
them. It should be conducted annually or semi-annually. After surveying clients, you can
incorporate the results in your marketing plans.
• The following is a list of clients wants
o The doctor’s office to be clean, warm, friendly and caring.
o To communicate with the doctor. It is estimated that majority of the consumers are
dissatisfied with the quantity or quality of their communication.
o Superior service to be treated with courtesy and respect.
o To believe that an employee is doing a little extra for them.
o Convenience and the recognition that their time is valuable.
o Full co-operation and attention
o To asses their rights to good care, dignity, respect, courtesy and promptness to their
satisfaction.
• It is also important to remember the 4 Ps of marketing while dealing with a client.

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 o Product - Service we offer to our clients
o Place - Our office environment
o Promotion - Every time you provide a service or sell goods, you promote your practice
or sales
o Price - Quality of the goods and services justifies the price.
• Client dealing can well be practiced using a number of approaches. This paper details two
strategies for effective client dealing i.e., marketing pyramid and team model.

MARKETING PYRAMID

• There are four components in the marketing pyramid vi., internal marketing, external
marketing, advertising and media promotions. It is essential to concentrate and do things at
lower levels of marketing pyramid.
• Internal marketing involves letting your clients know what services and products you offer.
Before bringing in new clients you must have your office in order.
• The staff must be well trained, well dressed and well groomed. The office should be neat. Check
if you can provide additional service.
• Make sure that the staff are comfortable with providing additional service or else provide
training for them. Eg: tattooing, inserting microchips, pick up service, offering house calls, etc.
prepare a business card, remember that the card reflects you. Make it professional, unique and
see that it conveys proper message.

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• Prepare a brochure describing the facilities, services, policies etc. Try to develop newsletters
and circulate. Newsletters must stimulate clients to read and act upon it. Maintain patient
records, report cards, check lists for monthly check ups, handouts, etc.
• Everyone likes to be thanked for doing something. Sending “thank you” cards can make big
impressions. New clients really appreciate this warm gesture.
• Provide offers like reduced fee, birthday health checkup, sympathy cards, etc. Sending clients
sympathy card when their animal dies shows that you genuinely care about the client.
• External Marketing is essential to have new clients, you must start to do external marketing at
lower levels of marketing pyramid. It should also look for mass media advertising, getting free
publicity, etc.

TEAM MODEL

• Effective communication creates an ambiance of trust, friendship, intimacy and mutual respect.
• Communication plays a significant role in veterinary medicine. To have an effective
communication between veterinarian and client, the TEAM model can be used.

• This acronym has two meanings. Ideally TEAM implies that several members of an
interdisciplinary team interact with clients when issues of loss and grief arises. It also implies
that veterinarian and clients work as a co-operative team to implement the elements of case
management plan.
• The TEAM model of a helping relationship consists of four parts. Usually the model is
implemented clockwise. Although all parts on this model are represented equally, the individual
parts of the TEAM model may vary from one situation to another. For example with some
clients it will be very easy to establish trust and rapport and more time will be spent on the
other three parts of the model.
• Hence it is of utmost importance that the veterinarian deals with his client in a cordial way so as
to provide the best service for animal health and welfare. The following points would help to
have an ideal dealing with your client.
o Maintain a pleasant association with your client
o Be friendly, sympathetic ad complimentary

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 o Allow the client to let out all his feelings
o Listen to your client patiently
o Do not interrupt his conversation
o Avoid arguments
o Understand his problems clearly
o Put yourself in clients shoe
o Gain and deserve client’s confidence
o Use natural and easy language
o Talk in terms of client’s interest
o Show a cordial and sincere interest towards client’s problem
o Be sure of your facts.
o Give a meaningful reply
o Render the client a real service
o Never lose your control (be angry)
o Try to avoid outside distractions while talking with your client
o Be sincere in your attempts

DELIVERING BAD NEWS

• Sometimes veterinarians are compelled to deliver bad news to the clients. News that can be
considered bad is usually loss and grief related; diagnosing a chronic or terminal illness,
informing clients about their animals’ sudden or unexpected death or relating information to
disease recurrence or treatment failure. Breaking bad news may confirm pre-existing suspicions
for frightened or worried clients; therefore both delivering and receiving bad new s can trigger
feeling of guilt and anxiety and can be unsettling both for clients and veterinarians
• Veterinary medicine has four general categories of bad news. They are
o Unexpected death
o Diagnosis
o Treatment ups and down
o Telling clients that it is time to decide about euthanasia
• No strategies or methods exist to allow vets to break bad news painlessly. They should prepare
themselves to deal with shock, disbelief, anger, sadness and even hysteria because the way in
which clients react to bad news is largely unpredictable.
• The delivery of a diagnosis works better, when you explain test results, radio-graphs and
prognosis in a soft voice with your words spoken a bit more slowly, than usual. Well planned
diagnostic presentations greatly increase clients understanding of diseases and its treatment.
• If veterinarians fail to win client trust during the delivery of bad news, effective case
management is jeopardized. Therefore time should be invested in educating clients during the
crucial time.

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• Three methods of approach can be used when delivering bad news
o Blunt and unfeeling way
o Kind and sad way
o Understanding and positive way
• The last is probably the preferred way. To convey the bad news with an understanding and
positive attitude, you should deliver the message in stages because it takes time for clients to
fully realize the magnitude of what they have been told.
• Like that the veterinarian should educate the clients that euthanasia has to be done only to
terminate the suffering of animals who have been severely injured or who are dying from
disease or illness. He should explain the procedure and field questions.
• The clients will appreciate if you offer small kindness towards them before, during and after the
animal loss. These small gestures are often what clients remember the most.
• Veterinarian should
o Explain the euthanasia procedure.
o Structure and guide the euthanasia procedure.
o Escort the clients away from the site.
o Make follow up phone calls.
• At the same time many small in-sensitivities you can avoid before, during and after euthanasia.
Unfortunately these small mistakes are often enough to negate the overall positive effects.
Because they are images and experience that clients remember the most.
• Client dealings need to be taken up with utmost care. It should be based on the objectives of
the organisation and deliver the goods that would enhance the prestige of the institution.
• Each and every member of the organisation should own the institution and have a strong ‘we’
feeling. Specific policy should be made in dealing with the client, which would provide comfort
and satisfaction to the client. Care should be taken care to cater the resource poor and to
satisfy their needs.
• The policy of the institution, its objective, service provided etc., should be displayed and made
known to the client. This would help the organisations achieve its best with quality and
efficiency. Regular monitoring and evaluation of the service provided will be of use to make
suitable changes to match the clients need. These little effort will go a long way in developing
an organisation.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-4: CLIENT ORIENTED APPROACH TO PHYSICAL

EXAMINATION OF ANIMALS

Learning objectives

• Veterinarian has to deal with the animal owner for various reasons. One such being for
treatment and health care of animals. This lesson deals with communication with animal owner
and history taking of ailing animals.
• At the end of this lesson you will enhance the skills of dealing with animal owner and to take up
history of the animal by interacting with the owner

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF ANIMALS

• One of the important points which an extension worker or a veterinarian has to keep in mind is
the communication with both rural and urban clients. He has to be courteous, polite in
communicating with his client.
• The field veterinarian has to first understand the psychology of the owner as he has to depend
on the owner’s version in studying the problem or case of the animal. The veterinarian has to
corroborate (confirm) the diagnosis of the case based on both the version of the owner and
symptoms of the animal. Hence communication with the client is very important.
• In case of rural farmers who are mostly illiterate, the extension worker has to use all skills
effectively in communicating the message or technology in such a manner, that it is properly
understood by the farmer and also adopted.

History taking

• The main job of a veterinarian in a hospital is to provide the service of diagnosing, treatment
and suggestions for prevention and control of diseases affecting the animals.
• History taking is the first step in conducting any clinical examination of the animal. The
veterinarian will seek the case history of the animal from the owner and record it in a case
sheet which is as follows

MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE , CHENNAI

City Hospital

Admission No Date Ward M S G

Name of the owner and Address

_____________________________________________

Description of the animal

1. Species_________________________
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2. Breed __________________________

3. Age and Sex _____________________

4. Diagnosis _______________________

5. Date of discharge _________________

Date History and clinical observations Treatment

CONCEPT IN INTERACTION WITH ANIMAL OWNER

• Clients become deeply attached to and care about the health and well-being of their
companions that their expectations for veterinary care are becoming more similar to that
ideally provided in human medicine. Emotional needs of the family are addressed along with
the medical needs of the animal.
• Communication skills, interpersonal relationship-building skills help the veterinarians and their
staff facilitate clients’ understanding of medical situations and preventive medicine. They can
prepare clients for providing palliative care or dealing with end-of-life issues.
• Despite optimal communication skills, veterinarians inevitably encounter clients who are
inattentive, neglectful, over-involved, or cost-focused, and patients who are uncontrolled,
dangerous, or dirty, adding to medical and emotional problems. Making plans in advance with
specific protocols for interventions can prepare the veterinary staff with strategies for these
occasions. Client adherence is generally lower than believed by veterinarians, but follow-up
communication improves the level of adherence.
• When a medical crisis arises, the veterinarian will often be the closest professional at hand and
may need to provide support to the handler as well as the animal. If the client has a disability,
special accommodation may be required for communicating with and providing instructions to
the client. Attentive listening and respect, while essential for all clients, assumes particular
importance in these relationships.
• Reducing or preventing the incidence of animal pain or distress and promoting animal well-
being are overall goals of veterinarian. These goals pertain to animals on farms or in
laboratories as well as companion animals. Aversive handling and abuse has stressful effects on
animals. Veterinarians are often the first contacts when someone seeks help for animals being
badly treated or receiving inadequate care.
• Intentional, deliberate abuse of animals is an extreme marker and veterinarians are the most
likely person who can avert such activity.
• Although sometimes seen by veterinarians, abuse appears less common than the neglect, poor
husbandry, or lack of essential medical care of animals. A more serious problem occurs with
animal hoarders. Without awareness, some acquires more animals than they can care for
properly.
• A major, widespread societal problem is the abandoning and killing of companion animals.
While the incidence of animal relinquishment has decreased somewhat, the problem is still
widespread. Behavioral problems of animals and owners’ lack of knowledge increase the
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 likelihood of relinquishment. Veterinary teams can provide leadership and education about
more realistic expectations of companion animals, and can encourage earlier intervention if
problems arise.
• As in any intimate relationship, when an animal companion dies or is ill, people are likely to feel
stress, sorrow, and grief. The significance of pets dying and the consequent emotional impact
on clients is now clearly profiled within the veterinary profession with educational materials,
support groups and counseling available.
• An extra burden comes in assuming responsibility for the moment of death by euthanasia.
• As an alternative to euthanasia, it is important to offer instruction in providing palliative care
for clients who are prepared to offer it.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-5: BIO-MEDICAL ETHICS AND CLINICAL EVALUATION

Learning objectives

• In this lesson we will discuss the bio-medical ethics involved. The factors of moral rules and how
not to cause evil to animals / birds are also discussed.
• At the end of the lesson you will be able to
o Learn the various ethical theories that give a fundamental approach to learning ethics.
o Concept associcaled with values
o Bio – ethical principles
o Ethical oaths and codes and How tozapply bio-ethics

INTRODUCTION

• Ethics is the application of values and moral rules to human / animal activities. Bioethics is a
subsection of ethics, actually a part of applied ethics that uses ethical principles and decision
making to solve actual or anticipated dilemmas in medicine and biology. Ethics seeks to find
reasoned, consistent, and defensible solutions to moral problems.
• Clinical bio-ethical reasoning is primarily case based while bio-ethical reasoning relies on
learned and accepted moral rules, prior bio-ethical decisions derived from thoughtful reflection
and recognition of unique factors in individual situations that differentiate one case from
another. Clinicians are obligated to make patient-centered, value-driven ethical decisions.
• Ethical dicta have existed since ancient time, have evolved over time, incorporate basic societal
values, and form the basis for policy development within health care as well as in other parts of
society. Ethics incorporates the broad values and beliefs of correct conduct. Although bio-
ethical principles do not change because of geography, interpretation of the principles may
evolve as societies change. Societal values are incorporated into ethical principles and they are
basic to society. Ethical analysis use case-based reasoning in an attempt to achieve consistency.
Bioethics consultations are flexible enough to conform to the needs of each institution and
circumstance, and, rather than being adversarial, are designed to assist all parties involved in
the process. Bioethics, although based on principles, is designed to weigh every specific
situation on its own merits. Bioethics relies heavily on the individual person’s values – the
patients’ or their owners’. Also, even without the intervention of trained bioethicsts, medical
personnel can and often should be able to make ethically sound decisions.
• In homogenous societies, religions have long been the arbiters of ethical norms. In multicultural
societies, with no single religion holding sway over the entire populace, a patient (animal / bird)
value-based approach to ethical issues is necessary. Modern bioethics uses many decision-
making methods, arguments, and ideals that originated from religion. In addition, clinicians’
personal spirituality may allow them to relate better to patients and families in crisis. Although
various religions may appear dissimilar, most have a form of the Golden Rule, or a basic tenet
that holds, " do unto others as you would have them do unto you. " Moral rules govern actions
that are immoral to do without an adequate moral reason and can justifiably be enforced and

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 their violation punished. Although none of these rules is absolute, they all require one to not
cause evil to the animals / birds and its owner.
o Do not kill
o Do not cause pain
o Do not disable
o Do not deprive of freedom
o Do not deprive of pleasure
o Do not deceive
o Keep your promise
o Do not cheat
o Obey the law
o Do your duty
• Problems surface when trying to apply religion-based rules to specific bio-ethical situations. For
example, although "do not kill" is generally accepted, the interpretation of the activities that
constitute killing, active or passive euthanasia, or merely reasonable medical care vary with the
world’s religions, as they do among various philosophers. Therefore several generally accepted
secular principles have emerged, such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and
fairness, which have guided ethical thinking over the past three decades.

ETHICAL THEORIES

• Ethical theories represent the grand ideas on which guiding principles are based. Generally
ethical principles stem from ethical theories, and when defending a particular action, ethicist
normally appeal to these principles, not the underlying theory. Ethical traditions stretch back to
earliest recorded history. Separate bodies of ethics were developed in India and China, and
within the Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and Buddhist and Hindu religions. Some of the most
commonly cited ethical theories include the following:
o Natural Law: The system of natural law, often attributed to Aristotle, posits that man /
animal should live life according to an inherent human nature. It can be contrasted with
man-made, or judicial law, which may change over time, despite the frequent claim that
natural law is immutable, often tying it to particular religious beliefs.
o Deontology: Deontology holds that the most important aspects of our lives are governed
by certain unbreakable moral rules. Deontologists hold that these rules may not be
broken, even if it may improve. The famous philosopher, Immanuel Kant is often
identified with this theory. One example of a list of "unbreakable" rules is the Ten
Commandments.
o Utilitarianism: One of the more functional and commonly used theories, utilitarianism,
sometimes called consequential ism or teleology, basically promotes good or valued
ends, rather than using the right means. This theory instructs adherents to work for
those outcomes that will give the most advantage to the majority of those affected in
the most impartial way possible. It is often advocated as the basis for broad social
policies.

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 o Virtue theory: The virtue theory asks what a "good person" would do in specific real-life
situations. This recently revived theory stems from the character traits discussed by
Aristotle, Plato, and Thomas Aquinas. They discuss such timeless and cross-cultural
virtues as courage, temperance, wisdom, justice, faith, and charity.

VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

• Values are the standards by which we judge human behaviour. They are, in other words, moral
rules, promoting those things thought of as good and minimizing or avoiding those things
thought of as bad. We usually learn these values at an early age, from observing behaviour and
through religious education.
• Ethical values stem from ethical principles. Ethical principles are action guides derived from
ethical theories. Each of these principles consists of various moral rules, which are our learned
values. For example, the values of dealing honestly with patients; fully informing patients
owner before procedures, therapy, or being involved in research; and respecting the patient’s
personal values are all assumed under the principle of autonomy or respect for persons.
• Although each person is entitled to have a personal system of values, there are certain values
that have become generally accepted by the medical community, courts, legislatures, and
society at large.
• A respect for patients / its owner has been considered so fundamental that it is often given
overriding importance.

BIOETHICAL PRINCIPLES

• Autonomy
o Individual freedom is the basis for the modern concept of bioethics. This freedom is the
principle that a person should be free to make his or her own decisions.
o First, accepting patient autonomy means that physicians ’ roles must change. They must
be partners in their patients’ care rather than the absolute arbiters of the timing,
intensity, and types of treatment.
o Second, they must become educators, teaching their laymen patients enough about
their diseases and treatments to make rational decisions.
o Finally, and most distressing to clinicians, is that accepting patients’ owners autonomy
means that some of them will make foolish choices. For physicians dedicated to
preserving their patients’ well-being, having to allow people to select what the physician
considers terrible treatment options may be both frustrating and disheartening.
o Allowing these "foolish choices" is part of accepting the principle of patient autonomy,
however. If patient autonomy is fully understood, much of the rest of clinical bioethics
naturally follows.
• Beneficence
o Beneficence is doing good. Most veterinary healthcare professionals entered their
career to apply this principle. It has been a long-held and universal tenet of the medical
profession.
• Non-maleficence

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 o Non-maleficence is the philosophical principle that encompasses the medical student’s
principal rule, "first, do no harm." This credo, often stated in Latin , prim-um non
nocere, derives from knowing that animal patient encounters with veterinarian can
prove harmful as well as helpful. This principle includes not doing harm, preventing
harm and removing harmful conditions.
• Confidentiality
o Stemming at least from the time of Hippocrates, confidentiality is the presumption that
what the patient tells the physician will not be revealed to any other person or
institution without the patient’s / its owners permission. Occasionally, the law,
especially public health statutes, may conflict with this principle.
• Personal Integrity
o Personal integrity is adhering to one’s own reasoned and defensible set of values and
moral standards and is basic to thinking and acting ethically.
o Integrity includes a controversial value within the medical community truth telling.
Absolute honesty has been championed by many who feel that the patient, no matter
what the circumstances, has the right to know the truth.
o Honesty must be tempered with compassion, however; honesty does not equal
brutality.
• Distributive Justice (Fairness)
o This form of justice relates to fairness in the allocation of resources and in the
veterinarians obligations to sick animals. This value is the basis of and is incorporated
into society-wide animal health care policies.

ETHICAL OATHS AND CODES

• Since ancient times, medical practitioners have formulated and established professional rules of
behaviour. Through the years, the medical profession has codified its ethics more rigorously
than any other professional group.
• Many of the standard bioethics principles have been incorporated into the profession’s ethical
codes and oaths.
• The standard for the medical profession for countless generations was the existing part of the
Hippocratic Oath.

APPLYING BIOETHICS

• To apply bioethical principles to a clinical situation, one first must recognize that a bioethical
problem exists. To do this, one must read and discuss the issues and specific situations both to
be able to recognize bioethical issues within clinical cases and to formulate plans to handle with
them.
• Although veterinarian like to reduce all clinical situations to "medical problems," the ever-more
complex medical environment often produces problems that are inexorably intertwined with
fundamental bioethical dilemmas. Some are obvious, but many are more subtle and difficult to
recognize.
• Many professional organizations have addressed ethical issues by formulating a code of ethics.

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• The key to recognizing bioethical issues and applying its principles and virtuous behaviour is to
prepare for both their obvious and their subtler presentations. As is done with critical events
faced in medicine, one must read, discuss, and think about how to face these issues when they
present. This can lead not only to personal preparation but also to more general policies that
help guide everyone faced with difficult bioethical issues.

MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS ETHICAL CODES

• List of issues that have been addressed by various organizations.

o Protect patient confidentiality
o Professional excellence through
o Be a good citizen
o Change laws to be in patients’ best interests
o Obtains consultation when necessary
o Choose whom to serve except in emergencies
o Avoid discriminatory practices
o Promote highest quality of health care
o Prevent patient exploitation
o Encourage public health through education
o Protect animal owners dignity
o Expose incompetent/dishonest veterinarian
o Full disclosure to sick animals
o Patient’s free choice of physician
o Do not abandon patients
o Disclose moral/religious conflicts
o Preserve human life
o Perform duties objectively/accurately
o Render aid in emergencies
o Protect animal welfare
o Honesty
o Respect the law
o Respect animal owners autonomy
o Participate in animal clinical research
o Assure death with dignity
o Transplant/donation to be conducted
o Promote harmony with other health professionals
o Responsibility to third parties/next-of-kin
o Non-participation in torture/inhumane practices
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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-6: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Learning objectives

• The lesson provides information to the learner on basic concepts of communication, the
communication process, functions of communication, ethical conversation and communication
styles, how to improve communication, also interpersonal communication, its needs and tips
for effective public speeding are highlighted.

WHY AND HOW TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE?

• Communication appears to be a natural, inborn, unchangeable behaviour. We seldom try to

improve our skills however inadequate they may be. But communication is learned.
• It is important that we communicate effectively in all walks of life. Communication is effective
when it achieves its goal; it is appropriate when it conforms to what is expected in a situation.
We create the perception that we are competent communicators through verbal messages and
non-verbal behaviour that accompany them.
• Communication in its simplest form consists of the transmission of information, ideas and
attitudes from one person to another. A communicator sends message through a channel to an
audience, seeking some effect.
• Communication thus involves two aspects - a broad comprehension of the mechanical means
and the underlying theories of communication and more importantly an understanding of how
we use these tools in our daily round of informing, influencing, inspiring, convincing, frightening
and entertaining one another.
• Each of us communicate with another person by directing a message to one or more of the
person's senses - sight, sound, touch, taste or smell. This is known as interpersonal
communication in contrast with intra-personal communication in which one talks to oneself.
• When we smile, we communicate a desire for friendliness, the tone in which we say "good
morning" can indicate feelings from surliness to warm pleasure and the words we choose in
speaking or writing convey a message we want to "put across" to the other person. The more
effectively we select and deliver these words the better our communication.
• The goal of this lecture will be to make the veterinarians understand and learn skills that will
increase the likelihood that others will view them as competent. These factors depend on once
motivation level, knowledge and skill. As motivation increases competence increase. People are
likely to be more motivated if they are confident and if they see potential rewards.
• The knowledge level of an individual enhances his / her competence. We gain knowledge about
how to interact by observing what others do, by asking others how we should behave, by
engaging in formal study and by learning through trial and error.
• As communicators' skill increases, communicator competence also increases. Skills are goal -
oriented actions or action sequences that we can master and repeat in appropriate situation.
The more skills one possess, the more likely they are able to structure their messages to be
effective and appropriate.

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 • Based on our competence to communicate, not only do we judge our own competence but our
competence is also judged by others.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Communication process includes context, participants, messages, channels, presence or absence of

noise and feedback.

• Context: It is the setting in which communication occurs - they are physical, social, historical,
psychological and cultural.
• Physical context: The physical context of communication includes where it takes place, the
environmental conditions, distance between communication, seating arrangements and time of
day.
• Social context: It includes nature of relationships that exist between and among the
participants. Eg. : Interaction with livestock owners, boss etc.,
• Historical context: It includes background provided by previous communication episodes
between the participants that influences understanding in the current encounter.
• Psychological context: It includes the moods and feelings each person brings to the
communication.
• Cultural context: It includes beliefs, values and norms that are shared by a large group of
people.

FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

It serves several important functions in our lives

1. We communicate to meet needs.

2. We communicate to enhance and maintain our sense of self
3. Through our communication, we learn who we are, what we are good at and how people react
to how we behave.
4. We communicate to fulfill social obligations: we ask people around us - How are you? What is
happening, Hi, etc., We acknowledge a person we recognize. By not speaking we risk being
perceived as arrogant or insensitive.
5. We communicate to develop relationships - we come to know about others and develop
relationship.
6. We communicate to exchange information - we get information through observations, through
reading, through television and a great deal through direct communication with others.
7. We communicate to influence others - It is doubtful whether a day goes without this function.

ETHICAL CONVERSATION

• Try to engage in ethical conversation. According to Johannesen (1996) ethical conversations

are.
1. Authenticity: It is the direct, honest, straightforward communication of all information
and feelings.
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 2. Empathy: Imagining an event or feeling from the other person's point of view without
giving up your position or sense of self.
3. Confirmation: Expressing non - possessive warmth for others that affirms them as
unique person.
4. Presentness: It is demonstrating a willingness to become fully involved with the other
person by taking time, avoiding di s t rac t ion, being responsive etc.
5. Equality: Conversational partners are equals in effective conversations regardless of
their status.
6. Supportive climate: It encourages the other participants to communicate by praising
their worthwhile efforts.
• When we engage in ethical dialogue, we improve the odds that the conversation will have,
which will eventually meet our needs and the needs of those with whom we interact.
• The JOHARI Window is given in the Power Point slide.
• The window indicates four major human personality, they are:
o Known to others and known to self - this is indicating an open mind
o Known to others but not known to self - indicating that the individual is blind
o Not known to others but known to self - indicating secret nature of the individual and
the last character
o Not known to others and not known to self - this is a dangerous character as the
individual is unknown and waste a lot of hidden energies.
• This window was developed by two researchers Joe Huft and Harry Ingha (1970) and hence the
name JOHARIS window
• Open self: The area of the personality that is known to self as well as known to superiors,
subordinates and peers.
• Blind arena: The arena that is unknown to self but known to others is called blind arena. The
people around are not willing to give feedback.
• Secret: This arena is known to self but unknown to others. It remains private because the
person is unwilling to share or disclose the information.
• Unknown: The arena is not known to self or others. This may be called the subconscious or
unconscious self. Most people are not aware of this part of their personality and this may never
come to their knowledge unless it is probed or forced to mobilize ones hidden energies.
• The shape of Johari window of a person is affected by two processes
o Feed back

o Disclosure
• The larger is the open self of the people, especially the boss, the better will be the
understanding amongst the people and better rapport will create stronger personal
relationships. As all the members of the team are individual persons, a strong interpersonal
relationship will lead to better teamwork.
• Eventually this leads to better inter-team functioning thus making the organization effective.

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 • Real communication can only happen when people listen actively to one another. This
statement is supported by the old saying that "you get back what you give". Communication is
influenced by a feeling of trust only then it gives a feeling of safety to relax and talk.

Conscious confidence

• There is no limit to what you can do, as long as you believe in yourself. Self-esteem is a
combination of
o Self-knowledge - "This is who I am"
o Self-confidence - "This is what I can do"
o Self-worth - "What I can do and say are important"
• Conscious means being aware of your biases, attitudes and language choices; do not speak over
the understanding level of the audience nor underestimate your audience.

COMMUNICATION STYLES

• "Go for it' - When you feel confident but un co-operative. Some people maintain this style all
the time. They crackle with aggression, believe in ready - fire - aim and get into lots of
arguments. This style even make enemies.

Confidence

• High confidence High confidence

• Middling confidence
• Low confidence Low confidence

Cooperation

• "Run away!": When you don't feel confident or cooperative. People enter into this style when
someone is aggressive or angry. Also this happens when we feel we are not powerful to stand
up to the other. This leaves only avoiding the person or may be avoiding the issues. This collects
lots of bad
• feelings.
• "Yes, Boss" - When you feel cooperative but un-confident. Many people were brought up to
be obedient, helpful and co-operative to avoid upsetting others, conceal negative feelings and
try always to look calm.
• "Lets Trade" - When you feel partly cooperative and confident. This style actively seeks a
practical compromise that both parties can live with, so has some advantages. They may not be
fully open or direct and they try to manipulate. This has short - term gains and long - term
severe losses.
• "Lets Both Win" - Mutual co-operation and confidence. Here you concentrate on resolving the
issues instead of beating the other person. The two work together to get the best possible
answer for both.

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Interpersonal communication

• Interpersonal communication involves interacting with one other person or in a small, informal
aggregate of people. Talking to a friend on campus, chatting on the phone with a classmate,
arguing the merits of a movie with friends, discussing strategies for accompanying task at work,
interviewing for a job and planning the future with a loved one are all forms of interpersonal
communication.
• Interpersonal communication focuses on listening and responding emphatically, sharing
personal information, holding effective conversations and developing, maintaining or improving
relationships.
• Problem solving groups involve two or more people communicating with one another, in public
or in private to solve a problem or to arrive at a decision. This kind of communication takes
place in meetings.
• Problem - solving group communication focuses on group interaction, problem solving,
decision-making and leadership.
• Group communication is not a separate, unrelated activity, but one that builds on the
foundation of interpersonal communication skills.

FUNCTIONS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

• Interpersonal communication is important because of the function it achieves. Whenever we

engage in communication with another person, we seek to gain information about them we
also give off information through a wide variety of verbal and nonverbal cues.
• Gaining Information
o One reason we engage in interpersonal communication is that we can gain knowledge
about another individual. Information about others helps us to interact with them more
effectively. We can better predict how they will think, feel and act if we know who they
are. Information can be gained passively by observing them, actively by having others
engage them or interactively, by engaging them ourselves.
• Building a context of understanding
o We also engage in interpersonal communication to help us better understand what
someone says in a given context. The words we say can mean very different things
depending on how they are said or in what context.
• Establishing identity
o Another reason we engage in interpersonal communication is to establish an identity.
The roles we play in our relationships help us establish identity, so too the public self-
image we present to others. Both roles and face are constructed based on how we
interact with others. We need to establish identity among livestock farmers.

Interpersonal needs

• Finally we engage in interpersonal communication because we need to express and receive

interpersonal needs. William Schuty has identified three such needs:
• Inclusion - is the need to establish identity with others.

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 • Control - is the need to exercise leadership and prove ones abilities. Groups provide outlet for
this need. Some individuals do not want to be a leader. For them, groups provide the necessary
control over aspects of their lives.
• Affection - is the need to develop relationships with people. Groups are an excellent way to
make friends and establish relationships. Interpersonal communication can be further improved
if the following factors are considered
1. Relationship development
2. Self - disclosure
3. Relational patterns and
4. Interpersonal conflict

PUBLIC SPEAKING

• An effective speech plan is a product of six action steps.

1. Selecting a topic from a subject area
2. Audience analysis
3. Writing the speech goal
4. Where to look for source of information
5. What information to look for
6. Recording data and citing sources
• Effective speaking requires high-quality information. Use statistics from only the most reliable
sources and double-check any statistics with another source. Use the settings and occasion to
guide in selecting content and tone. Make clear ideas that create awareness to the audience in
the central focus of the speech.

Conclusions

• The need to communicate with our fellow human beings is as fundamental as the physical
requirements of food and shelter. Communication is a primary necessity for survival in our
contemporary civilization.
• I assume that you already know a great deal and have a set of skills and experience, which is
uniquely yours. This lecture would help you work out how to use the technique of effective
communication. It is hard to develop the practical skills unless the learning is made into an
active and lively process.
• Try to invest your mind into it and get good results. Make communication in a co-operate way
so that everyone is moved forward and minimize conflict. Have empathy in your
communication. Provide strong public speech relevant to the situation.
• Select effective words for better communication and possess appropriate skill to communicate.
Always understand the needs and level of the audience to make communication better and
stronger.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-7: VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH AS COMPONENT OF SOCIETY

Learning objectives

• In this lesson we will discus the duties of veterinarians to the public. By the end of the lesson
the learner will be able to
o Identify the role of veterinarian in the community
o Role of vet towards public health and livestock production technology.

DUTIES OF VETERINARIANS TO THE PUBLIC

Veterinarian as citizen

• Veterinarians as good citizens possessed of special training, shall advise concerning the health
and husbandry of the animals, in the localities wherein they dwell.
• They shall play their part in enforcing the laws of the community (not involving any communal
overtones or prejudices) and in substantiating the institutions that advance the interests of
humanity.
• They shall cooperate with the authorities in the observance and enforcement of sanitary laws
and the laws relating to drugs, poisons and pharmacy made for the protection of health.

Public health

• A veterinarian engaged in public health work shall enlighten the public concerning quarantine
regulations and measures for the prevention of epizootic, zoonotic and food borne diseases and
intoxications and communicable diseases.
• At all times, the veterinarians shall notify the respective authorities of every case of
communicable diseases under their care in accordance with the laws, rules and regulations of
the authorities.
• When an epidemic prevails, the veterinarian shall continue his/her labour without regard to the
risk to his/her own health. He/She shall endeavour to ensure hygienic handling of animal
products and wastes thereof and educate the public of food-borne diseases and intoxications.

Livestock production and technology

• A veterinarian shall strive for the betterment of animal production through timely
advice/propaganda on scientific management involving economically viable and hygienic
housing, adoption of scientific breeding schedule, disease prevention of routines, reproductive
health monitoring, hygienic and systematic care before, at and following parturition, care of
new born, hygienic collection of farm products and proper disposal of animal products and
wastes thereof.

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• He/She should strive to educate the public and para-veterinary staff personnel regarding timely
insemination and aseptic handling during A.I. and discourage the unscientific unhygienic
insemination.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-8: HUMAN ANIMAL BOND

Learning objectives

• In this lesson, we will deal with human – animal bond, and benefits of pets / companion
animals for people

By the end of this lesson you should be able to

• Understand the meanings of human-animal bond and

• Understand the benefits of pets for people

INTRODUCTION

• The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and
animals that is influenced by behaviours that are essential to the health and well-being of both.
This includes, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the
environment.
• The veterinarian's role in the human-animal bond is to maximize the potentials of this
relationship between people and animals.
• The human-animal bond goes beyond companionship. It refers to the strong positive
interaction that exists between humans and animals - the special bond that actually enhances
human quality of life. Promoting human-animal interaction leads to positive benefits for all
members of the community.
• The positive impact of the human-animal bond is real and is backed by scientific data, case
studies and hard research that validate the therapeutic effects of human-animal relationships.
• These benefits can be emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual - and are created when
an animal's antics cause us to laugh, a beloved pet welcomes us home, or an animal aids us in
therapy.

BENEFITS OF PETS FOR PEOPLE

• The companionship of pets relaxes and entertains people. In coming to know their clients,
veterinarians can assess the importance of the pet to a family and the extent to which the
family members benefit from the potential psycho-social effects of living with an animal.
• The animals are acknowledged to play a central role in children’s lives. They play an important
role in behaviour during the formative years.
• During stressful periods in people’s lives, many studies have reported that pets offer
meaningful comfort that is protective against depression and loneliness. Elderly people
experiencing typical life stresses are less affected when they have a companion dog, suggesting
that a dog can be a stress buffer that softens the effects of adverse events on the person. The
interactive care giving exchanged with the animal allows the person to nurture and feel needed,

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 while also feeling nurtured. The animal’s constancy bolsters courage during setbacks, as the
animal’s affection is unaffected by factors such as the person’s physical capabilities or mood.
• Companion animals also facilitate social interactions with other people and positive social
involvement. A companion animal provides a person who has few friends with an ally in making
new human acquaintances, while also creating a richer family environment with enhanced
companionship.
• Walking the dog and being outdoors where other social contact arises are two healthful effects
of living with a canine companion.
• The daily comfort, socialization, and motivation offered by an animal also are associated with
cardiovascular benefits. Blood pressure decreases transiently when a person relaxes with, talks
to, or just watches an animal. Cardiovascular measures were better among pet owners than
non-owners in a research study.
• Some individuals within human health professions, such as clinical psychology, social work,
occupational therapy, physical therapy, or nursing, have incorporated animal-assisted activities
and therapy into their professional practice. Animal-assisted activities and therapy can be
observed in some mental health settings where they are part of treatment.
• An emerging role of service dogs is as psychiatric service dogs, assisting persons with mental
illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, agoraphobia, or anxiety. Like all service dogs,
these dogs are trained to perform specific tasks, such as employing tactile stimulation to
facilitate recovery from episodes and creating a safe personal space for the owner. It has also
been suggested that the relationship between the dog and owner is intrinsically therapeutic.
• Dogs have been trained to perform specific tasks in partnership with people. Some assist
people with disabilities. Others assist in law enforcement, agricultural or bomb sniffing, search
and rescue, or war tasks. Significant investments of money and time are required for the
specialized training and development of working partnerships with these dogs. As they forge
working partnerships with their dogs, the handlers inevitably become emotionally bonded.
• As in any intimate relationship, when an animal companion dies or is ill, people are likely to feel
stress, sorrow, and grief.
• An extra burden comes in assuming responsibility for the moment of death by euthanasia.
• As an alternative to euthanasia, it is important to offer instruction in providing palliative care
for clients who are prepared to offer it.
• Compassionate veterinarians include themselves in the circle of remembrance of their clients’
animals and respect the families’ regard for the animal throughout the relationship.
• Animals and people have been living together for thousands of years, but the past 100 years
have been extraordinary in the amount of change in those relationships. In the last 100 years,
people have markedly changed their perceptions, their relationships, and their uses of animals
and animal products. Many of these changes have occurred in our lifetimes. Animals are now
considered to be family members, no longer the outdoor dogs and cats on farms that were
typical for many families a few decades ago. The human-animal bond has become a household
term, reflecting the entry of dogs, cats, and other pets into our everyday lives.
• In addition to the growing awareness of the human-animal bond, the roles of animals have
expanded into new applications. At the same time, the public is focused on ensuring that
animals receive adequate consideration and care. Acknowledgment of the human-animal bond
is fast becoming a cornerstone of veterinary practice.

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 RESPONSIBILITY OF VETERINARIAN TO THE SOCIETY

• Today's veterinarians are members of an important health profession. In taking the

veterinarian's oath, a doctor solemnly swears to use his or her scientific knowledge and skills
"for the benefit of society, through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal
suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the
advancement of medical knowledge."
• Veterinarians are professionals who must make adhoc decisions that influence the fate of
animals and affect the lives of the people who own or look after them.
• They also have to address issues of public interest, such as public health.
• The immediate interest of an animal is to live in an environment that it can adapt to in the
absence of lasting pain or impairment of health. Man bestows values on animals, including
those of economic, recreational, intrinsic and naturalistic origin, although they are clearly not
aware of this fact.
• The context and population within which an animal belongs are determining factors for the way
in which the veterinary profession relates to it, and are beyond the influence that respect for an
individual animal might have.
• Doctors of Veterinary Medicine are medical professionals whose primary responsibility is
protecting the health and welfare of animals and people. Veterinarians diagnose and control
animal diseases, treat sick and injured animals, prevent the transmission of animal diseases
("zoonoses") to people, and advise owners on proper care of pets and livestock. They ensure a
safe food supply by maintaining the health of food animals.
• Wild, zoo, farm, and companion animals are an integral component of our culture and
socioeconomic environment.
• Animal welfare, or the humane care of animals, is a societal responsibility of the veterinarian.
Veterinarians are also involved in wildlife preservation and conservation and public health of
the human population.
• The veterinary profession is essential for the proper care of animals kept in captivity and, to a
lesser extent, for the health and welfare of wild fauna. If there were no veterinary medicine, it
would surely be invented for the benefit of animals and mankind. This does not mean,
however, that veterinarians always do 'the right thing'.
• Only an acute awareness of ethical dilemmas, and an ability to critically reflect, can assist in the
making of appropriate decisions and the finding of acceptable compromises.

HUMAN-COMPANION ANIMAL BOND

• In a country like India most rural families own animals which include large animals (cattle,
buffaloes, horses etc) and small animals (sheep and goat, pigs and poultry) for production to
sustain their livelihood and to cater to their household animal protein needs. Possession of
these animals was considered to be a status symbol until early 90’s.
• Also pets are very common both in rural and urban areas. Studies has shown that 99 percent of
cat and dog owners consider their pets to be full-fledged family members. Most pet owners cite
companionship as the major reason for owning their pets hence pets are also known as
companion animals.

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 • Researches indicate, that maintaining animals / pets help maintain the health and well-being of
their owners. Pets act as social lubricants, making inter-personal conversations with child,
young, the old and sick. These pets are most often described by their owners as children, best
friends, partners and confidantes.
• Animals provide unconditional love to their owners. They also accept their owners regardless of
appearances, feelings or behaviours. The relationship animal owners enjoy with their animals /
pets are among the strongest and most important in their lives. In the last four decades the
relationship between humans and certain species and breeds of animals have deepened and
changed. The shift in terminology to describe relationship between people and pets reflect the
change in status.
• The term ‘pet’ implies ownership of property, and animals who live with people have
traditionally been called as ‘pets’. ‘Companion animal’ implies a mutual relationship much more
like a child or friendship. With this status of relationship they often play key roles in people’s
daily routines, for many companion animals are the primary source of emotional and social
support.
• In the modern society people are under pressure at job, mobility, relationship, increased wants
and so on. Also today’s culture has made Indian society uncared for many old age parents,
widowed, divorced, childless people, never-married etc. Most parents are employed leaving the
children uncared. In these circumstances many people have began to rely on animals for
comfort and companionship. The bond with animals have deepened. The human-animal bond
has also become an accepted area of scholarly research within the field of veterinary medicine.

What is a bond?

• The concept of bonding or of forming attachments is not exclusive to people and their pets.
Attachment theory applies to both humans and animals.
• Attachment was first investigated by studying the relationship between mothers and infants in
humans, non-human primates and other species of animals. Attachments also form between
members of the same species (con-specifics) as well as between individuals of different species
(hetero-specifics)

How are attachments formed?

• One theory suggested that attachments are influenced by people’s time and activities with
pets, affection towards pets, knowledge about pets and their care and behavioural
responsiveness toward pets.
• Miller and Lago hypothesized that attachment is based on affectionate companionship, equal
family-member status, mutual physical activities and dominance and submissiveness factor.
• Ainsworth defined attachment as an affectionate tie that endures over time and
• Templer - pet attitude inventory focused on love and interaction, pets in home and joy of pet
ownership factors indicative of attachment.
• Estep and Hetts postulated that an attachment forms when an individual acts to maintain
proximity to the attachment object and shows signs of separation distress at involuntary
separation.

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 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE FORMATION OF THE HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND

• People can become attached to any animal, whether domestic or wild. The strong attachments
that people form with these animals are due to several factors including
o Domestication histories
o Anthropomorphism
o Neoteny
o Allelomimetic behaviours and
o Social support

Domestication histories

• Many species of animals have lived in association with humans for literally thousands of years.
Dog is the oldest domesticated animal, having been domesticated at least 12,000 years ago.
• In thousands of years since their domestication, dogs have come to be bred and valued for both
companionship and for various utilitarian functions.
• Cats have recently overtaken dogs as the most common and most popular companion animals.
Cats were domesticated about 4000 years ago. Before and after domestication, cats served the
utilitarian function of rodent control. During the Middle ages, cats became associated with
witch craft and were considered to be the symbol of satan.

Anthropomorphism

• Attachments between species are more likely to form when each species is familiar with the
communication systems of the other. Familiarity occurs when either the communication signals
between two species are similar or when humans are very knowledgeable and well informed
about the species – typical behaviours and communication signals of other species.
• When people anthropomorphize they give non-humans or objects human like characteristics
and traits. Example : The dog eats when the family sat down for dinner. This showed that the
dog was caring and gentle. Dog dancing like human.

Neoteny

• Babies of many species (even humans) possess physical features called “neotenic” or infantile
characteristics. These characteristics make all young animals appear “cute” and elicit care-
giving responses. Neotenic characteristics are common in puppies, kittens and other infant-
animals.

Allelomimetic behaviours

• Many species of social animals who live in groups find it advantageous in some situation to
mimic the behaviours of other group members. Example: Mimicking of human speech by some
species of birds and the facial expression and physical gestures exhibited by some species of
primates.

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Social support

• Many animal owners eat, sleep and breathe together. Like human family members, pets and
their owners live and relax in each others company. Example dog owners take animal along
with them for daily exercise - walking and jogging. Also they play with toys

KEYS TO HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND

• The relationship may be perceived stronger and more important when

o Owners believe that dog rescues their companion animals from death or near-death.
o Owners believe that their companion animals “got them through” a difficult period in
life
o Owners spent their childhood with their companion animals
o Owners have relied on their companion animals as their most significant source of
support
o Owners anthropomorphize their companion animals
o Owners have invested extensive time, effort, or financial resources into their companion
animals’ long-term medical care
o Owners view their companion animals as symbolic links to significant people who are no
longer part of their lives (for example, children who have died or moved away,
significant relationships or marriages that have ended) or to significant times in their
lives ( for example, future that would be lived in the mountains, past times spent hiking,
fishing, camping, etc)

Conclusions

• The bond between people and animals is the primary basis for the existence of veterinary
profession.
• Understanding the various aspects of human-animal bond and how you integrate these aspects
into your life everyday is important. If cattle owners / cowboys thought cattle and horses as
means of transportation or if home owners thought of dogs solely as protectors of property,
communication with veterinary clients regarding the human-animal bond and the effects of pet
loss would not be so important.
• The truth is that many owners are highly attached to the animals with whom they live.
Consequently, they seek out the best overall care possible for their animals and for themselves,
when the bonds they share with their companion animals are threatened.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-9: VETERINARIANS INTERACTION WITH HEALTH, DRUG AND FOOD

REGULATORY AUTHORITIES

Learning objectives

• Veterinarian has wide sectors to contribute which include public health , food and drug
authority and zoonosis
• In this lesson the learner will understand the basic concepts of public health, zoonosis and the
role of veterinarian in these sectors

VETERINARIANS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

• Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health
through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and
private, communities and individuals" Public health is typically divided into epidemiology,
biostatistics and health services. Environmental, social, behavioral, and occupational health are
other important sub-fields. The goal of public health is to improve lives through the prevention
and treatment of disease.
• An interdisciplinary team approach to problem solving, research, control programmes and
communication is essential for the improvement of human health in a significant and
sustainable manner. This is done by the veterinarians through their contribution to public
health.
• Veterinary Public Health (VPH) was defined by the WHO consultation on "future trends in
veterinary public health" held in Teramo, Italy in 1999 as "the sum of all contributions to the
physical, mental and social well-being of humans through an understanding and application of
veterinary science".

Zoonoses and public health

• About 75% of the new diseases that have affected humans over the past 10 years have been
caused by pathogens originating from an animal or from products of animal origin. Many of
these diseases have the potential to spread through various means over long distances and to
become global problems.
• In addition a number of well known and preventable animal diseases that can be transmitted to
humans (i.e. zoonoses) such as rabies, brucellosis, leishmaniasis and echinococcosis continue to
occur in many countries especially in the developing world where they mostly affect the
poorest segment of the human population. They cause a serious amount of deaths and millions
of people are affected every year.
• All major zoonotic diseases prevent the efficient production of food of animal origin,
particularly of much-needed proteins, and create obstacles to international trade in animals
and animal products. They are thus an impediment to overall socioeconomic development.
From way back veterinary medicine played a major role in the preventing of and interventions
against animal diseases including zoonoses.

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• Veterinary public health is an essential part of public health and includes various types of
cooperation between the disciplines that link the health triad, people-animals-environment,
and all of its interactions.

ROLE OF VETERINARIAN

• Veterinarians contribute to strengthen the surveillance of and response to all communicable

diseases which are or may emerge as public health threats.
• In collaboration with the public health authorities they participate in the surveillance and
containment in humans and animals of zoonoses and food borne zoonotic diseases of public
health importance, and animal diseases with known or potential public health implications; and
in the surveillance and containment of resistance to antimicrobial agents in animals, with
implications for human health.
• The role of animal feed in the production of safe food is recognized worldwide, and several
events have underlined its impacts on public health, feed and food trade, and food security.
Concerns prompted by the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and other
more common food problems associated with Salmonella, entero haemorrhagic Escherichia coli
and other contaminants, have encouraged veterinary professionals and the feed industry to
scrutinize more closely the causes of these diseases and methods for their control.
• Animal disease in the major segments of the meat industry- beef, pork, dairy and poultry- are
augmented with responsibilities of companion animals and recreation or public display animals.
All animal groups including wildlife are reservoirs for the 65% of human diseases that are
zoonotic - transmissible from animals to man. This has positioned veterinarians as first line
responders for many human health issues, and the activities of veterinarians have become
critical for ensuring a safe global food supply. In addition, veterinarians coordinate education
and provide outreach to human physicians about zoonoses at the interfaces of wild, domestic
and human populations.
• The “One Health One Medicine” concept has become an accepted vision for professionals
working in the public health field. “One health is a holistic systems approach to understanding
health across all species. It’s a recognition that human and animal health are inextricably linked
and one health is about how to improve and defend the health and well-being of all species
with the co-operation of physicians and veterinarians” But the One Health concept is NOT just
about zoonoses. It must also take into account issues such as sustainable development, global
trade, travel, climate warming and geo-political instability. A team approach is required to make
the One Health concept work.
• Veterinarians provide this information to their clients, which of course, benefits more than just
their pets. They help develop evidence of these health benefits and present them to our local
medical health officers. They make them aware that they have a greater role in public health
than just rabies control.
• Veterinarians take the responsibility to educate their clients. Dog bite prevention tool kits
available with veterinarians are a useful tool to educate school children. Contact with other
professions in a public health context is an important first step. They work on strengthening
communication and future collaboration with the medical community. Their education and
experience gives them the unique tool to play an important role in public health and to go
beyond puppies, kittens and bull evaluations.

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 VETERINARIANS AND FOOD REGULATORY AUTHORITIES

• At the beginning of the twenty-first century, increased levels of terrorist activities and a higher
incidence of food-borne illness made regulation and protection of the food supply a worldwide
concern.
• The goal of veterinarian in food regulation is to ensure that the public food supply is safe from
disease caused by food contamination from infected food animals. Such contamination can
occur during all phases of food animal production, from farm to fork including farming,
slaughtering, processing, packaging, storage, and cooking.
• Apart from coordinating efforts to control outbreaks of Zoonotic diseases, such as Anthrax,
E.Coli, Brucellosis, Salmonellosis, Trichinosis, Influenza, Tuberculosis, Swine flu, etc., the
veterinarian also interacts with the regulating authorities by sponsoring programs to prevent
and treat such diseases and support the development and distribution of safe and effective
vaccines, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and drugs against these diseaases.
• Because the responsibility for food safety is often divided among several agencies with
overlapping authority, there have been many challenges for the veterinarians in solving the
problems of worldwide food-borne disease. The challenges include monitoring food, air, and
water-supply pollution; observing food manufacturing and processing for the presence of
additives and contaminants; conducting research on the safety of genetically modified foods;
amassing larger food and supply inventories for countries to access in times of disaster; and
assisting with the management of malicious contamination of food for terrorist purposes.
• Some of the common foods regulating organizations are:
o The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
o The World Health Organization (WHO)
o The Codex Alimentarius Commission
o European Union Food Safety Policy Committee
o The World Food Safety Organization.

VETERINARIANS DRUG REGULATORY AUTHORITIES

• At present, the Indian pharmaceutical sector enjoys the status of being the largest amongst the
developing nations.
• The Indian pharmaceutical industry is one of the world’s largest ranking, fourth in terms of
volume and thirteenth in terms of value, in the global pharmaceutical market.
• The main objective of regulations and good practices is the protection of public health.
Regulators and the general public are more and more sensitive to safety issues, leading to more
stringent ways of considering the benefit risk ratio of new products.
• Indian pharmaceutical sector enjoys the status of being the largest amongst the developing
nations. The Indian pharmaceutical industry is one of the world’s largest ranking, fourth in
terms of volume and thirteenth in terms of value, in the global pharmaceutical market.
• The main objective of regulations and good practices is the protection of public health.
Regulators and the general public are more and more sensitive to safety issues, leading to more
stringent ways of considering the benefit risk ratio of new products. Presently, the following

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 Acts and Rules regulate the manufacture, export and Clinical research of Drugs and Cosmetics in
India:
o Drugs and Cosmetics Act,1940
o Drugs and Cosmetics Rules,1945
o Pharmacy Act,1948
o Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954
o Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
o Medicinal and Toilet Preparations (Excise Duties) Act,1955
o Drugs (Price Control) order, 1955 (under the Essential Commodities Act.)
• There are some other laws which have a bearing on manufacture, distribution and sale of Drugs
and Cosmetic in India .The important ones are:
o Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951
o Trade and Merchandise Marks Act,1958
o Indian Patents and Designs Act,1970
o Factories Act,1948
• Following are the regulatory and administrative authorities in India for drugs (medicines)
o WHO (World Health Organization)
o ICH (International Conference on Harmonization of technical requirements for
registration of pharmaceuticals for human use)
o CFR (Code of Federal Regulation)
o FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
o ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research)
o CDSCO(Central Drugs Standard Control Organization)
o DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India)

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-10: SOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF VETERINARIANS IN PUBLIC HOSPITAL

AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Learning objectives

• Most veterinarians in Indian situation are employed in public sector.

• This lesson highlights the duties and responsibilities of veterinarians in government sector.
• This will help the learner understand the duties and make them prepared for effective
execution of job.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF VETERINARY SURGEON

In-charge of veterinary hospital

1. He will be the Head of institution and drawing officer of his subordinates.

2. He is responsible for budgeting and control of expenditure of his Institution.
3. He is responsible to run the Institution and attend to cases, perform castrations, inoculations
and Artificial Insemination work in the Hospital.
4. He is responsible for maintenance of stock of stores and biological products.
5. He will arrange for Ranikhet disease inoculation of poultry on specified day in a week.
6. He will attend meat inspection work.
7. He will attend to police requisition for Post-mortem examination (or) issue of wound certificate
in his jurisdiction.
8. He will participate in Mass Contact Programme.
9. He will attend to Outbreak Reports of his jurisdiction and arrange for preventive vaccination
immediately with the help of Assistant Director.
10. He will submit all periodicals and Tour Diaries prescribed for the Veterinary Hospital to the
Regional Joint Director.
11. He will visit the dairy units of the Central jail if there is one in his area for technical advice and
aid whenever requested.
12. He will maintain a register of private dairy, poultry units, etc and record the work done in the
units in his jurisdiction.
13. He will co-ordinate the Assistant Directors of Animal Husbandry in propaganda and arrange for
exhibition as and when required.
14. He will be responsible to maintain the record of livestock and poultry census and also all the
animal husbandry activities of his jurisdiction.
15. He will be responsible to maintain the buildings under his control neat and tidy and ensure the
safety.

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 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CLINICIAN

1. Clinician is fully responsible for the proper function of the clinician center, and all staff will work
under his administrative control only.
2. He will attend the clinic on all the days and guide the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in treatment
of case.
3. He is responsible for the treatment of all cases and the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon will assist
him as per the instruction of the clinician from time to time.
4. Problem cases should be attended to by the Clinician and complete records of the same to be
maintained by him.
5. The Veterinary Assistant Surgeon will be under the technical and administrative control of the
clinician.
6. The Veterinary Assistant Surgeon will be responsible for the proper maintenance of stock of
medicine and equipments. The over all charge of the same is vested with the clinician. Drugs
and equipments required for day to day use from the stock should be taken from the stock on
proper indent from the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon to be duly approved by the clinician for
which an indent book should be maintained in the office of the Clinician. The clinician will also
undertake periodical surprise check on drugs and equipments issued for use and record his
findings, if any discrepancy is noticed. As usual, annual physical verification of stock and stores
should be made by the clinician and certificate to be recorded by him on 1st April in the registers
concerned.
7. The clinician will periodically undertake surprise random checks of stock and stores at-least
once a month and record his findings in the register.
8. The clinician will check daily the Patent drug registers.
9. The working hours for the clinician and his staff will be the working hours of the hospital.
10. In the clinician center the postmortem certificate on Government livestock will be
countersigned by the clinician.
11. The Clinician will be responsible for the control of outbreak of contagious diseases among
livestock with him and within a radius of 8 kms from the center.
12. The Clinician is responsible for the maintenance of good health of all the government livestock
which is located in the campus of the Clinician Center. He will also carry out all the prescribed
preventive vaccinations to the government livestock and also for conducting the Tuberculin,
Johnin test on government livestock periodically.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SPECIALIST

1. Duly identifying parasitic diseases, monitoring of periodical deworming and examining of dung
samples in the districts.
2. Inspection of Professional Registers A& B in the Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries.
3. Monitoring of periodicals RDVK vaccination in the veterinary institutions.
4. Giving proper guidelines in the event of OBR / Ranikhet disease.
5. Preparation and maintenance of District Endemic Chart.
6. Forecasting specific Vaccination in the endemic areas.

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7. Inspection of Veterinary Intuitions pertaining to AI work.
8. Attending all infertility camps, identifying infertile animal and follow up treatment for the same.
9. For disease control and preventive measures, preparation of leaflet, pamphlets, posters and to
distribute in the district whenever required.
10. Attending all meetings in the absence of Regional Joint Director (RJD)
11. Attending all works pertaining to RJD office whenever powers are delegated to him.
12. Attending all OBRs.
13. Inspection of specimen registers of all Veterinary Institutions and giving guidelines to all the
veterinary graduates accordingly whenever getting results.
14. Monitoring of medicines receipt and distribution work.
15. Assisting the Regional Joint Directors of Animal Husbandry in attending periodical annual
inspection of divisional Assistant Director’s office in the absence of Administrative Officer.
16. Attending R & C work of Regional Joint Director Office in the absence of Administrative Officer.
17. Timely forecasting of endemic disease of prevention of OBR.
18. Monitoring of all ASCAD schemes
19. Periodicals visit of all poultry farms
20. Attending all KPTs, (health camps) preparation of report and submitting to Head Office.
21. Attending all camps and training programmes in IAMWARM scheme.
22. Attending all other technical matters and works assigned by the Regional Joint Director and
Head Office time to time.

VETERINARY INSTITUTIONS

• Veterinarian's primary public responsibility is to protect the health and welfare of animals. This
involves diagnosis and control of livestock and poultry diseases, treat sick animals and birds and
to prevent the transmission of animal diseases to people, and advise owners/ farmers on
proper care and maintenance of pets and livestock.
• The above said roles of veterinarians are generally performed thorough government veterinary
institutions like Veterinary Poly Clinics, Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Dispensaries, Mobile
Veterinary Units, Upgraded Sub Centers, Sub Centers etc.,
• Veterinary Poly Clinics
o These polyclinics are functioning at corporation level and headed by Assistant Director
with the support of Veterinary surgeons and Veterinary Assistant Surgeons.
Veterinarians working in these institutions provide specialised services aided with
diagnostic facilities like x-ray, ultrasound etc., Apart from regular treatment, services like
AI, deworming and vaccination are also offered by these veterinarians. Inpatient
facilities are also provided in these clinics.
• Clinician Centres
o These institutes are located in district headquarters and manned by clinicians in the
cadre of Assistant Director. They are also involved in various specialised curative and
preventive services with respect to gynecological, medicine and surgery cases.
• Veterinary hospitals
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 o The chief of the veterinary hospital is veterinary surgeon. Duties and services are similar
to that of veterinarians working at clinician centers.
• Veterinary dispensary
o The officer in charge of the veterinary dispensary is veterinary surgeon, who provides
wide range of veterinary health services. In addition to the regular treatment and AI
services, they also organise animal health camps to provide veterinary services in
isolated areas.
• Mobile Veterinary Units
o Mobile Veterinary Units are taken care by Veterinary Assistant Surgeons who provide
veterinary health services like vaccination, deworming and artificial insemination to
livestock reared by farmers living in isolated areas who face problems to get veterinary
assistance.
• Upgraded sub-centres
o To spread out the veterinary services to the rural mass, sub-centres were upgraded as
Upgraded Veterinary Sub-centres manned by Junior Veterinary Assistant Surgeons. They
mainly involved in AI, treatment, Deoworming, Vaccination and treatment of infertility
cases etc.,
• Sub-centres
o Livestock inspector works in these sub-centres. They give first aid to sick animals and do
AI. They are also involved in deworming and vaccination under the technical guidance of
Veterinarians.
• Mobile Veterinary Units
o Mobile Veterinary Units are taken care by Veterinary Assistant Surgeons who provide
veterinary health services like vaccination, deworming and artificial insemination to
livestock reared by farmers living in isolated areas who face problems to get veterinary
assistance.

Upgraded sub-centres

• To spread out the veterinary services to the rural mass, sub-centres were upgraded as
Upgraded Veterinary Sub-centres manned by Junior Veterinary Assistant Surgeons. They mainly
involved in AI, treatment, Deoworming, Vaccination and treatment of infertility cases etc.,

Sub-centres

• Livestock inspector works in these sub-centres. They give first aid to sick animals and do AI.
They are also involved in deworming and vaccination under the technical guidance of
Veterinarians.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF VETERINARY ASSISTANT SURGEON

• He is responsible for budgeting and control of expenditure of his Institution.

• He is responsible to run the Institution and attend to cases, perform castrations, inoculations
and Artificial Insemination work in the Hospital.
• He is responsible for maintenance of stock of stores and biological products.
• He will arrange for Ranikhet Disease inoculation of poultry on specified day in a week.

46
 • He will attend meat inspection work.
• He will attend to police requisition for Post-mortem examination (or) issue of wound certificate
in his jurisdiction.
• He will participate in Mass Contact Programme.
• He will attend to Outbreak Reports of his jurisdiction and arrange for preventive vaccination
immediately with the help of Assistant Director.
• He will submit all periodicals and Tour Diaries prescribed for the Veterinary Hospital to the
Regional Joint Director.
• He will visit the dairy units of the Central jail if there is one in his area for technical advice and
aid whenever requested.
• He will maintain a register of private dairy, poultry units, etc and record the work done in the
units in his jurisdiction.
• He will co-ordinate the Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry in propaganda and arrange for
exhibition as and when required.
• He will be responsible to maintain the record of livestock and poultry census and also all the
animal husbandry activities of his jurisdiction.
• He will be responsible to maintain the buildings under his control neat and tidy and ensure the
safety.

VETERINARY PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

• The concept of business management has come to the veterinary world. But veterinarian has
managed practice consciously or unconsciously. The practice management in veterinary is not
integrated as that of human medicine. Most veterinary doctors work in isolation with that of
pharmaceuticals, feed industry, sophisticated equipment manufacturers, laboratory facilities,
breeders / their association, animal welfare organisations etc. In the recent years there seem to
be informal networks with these input units with the veterinarian. This continue to be
successful because
o Clients were less demanding of the practice
o Most emphasis was placed on clinical skills and services
o Practice were smaller covering less clients
o Less serious marketing plans or sales strategies required
o Complex IT world is yet to take over

Veterinary Practice as a business

• Many aspects of business management are common to most organisations. Many areas of
veterinary practice management have similarities with various trade and professional groups.
These similarities encompass aspects of general business management such as business
structure, client care, stock control, employment, marketing and financial management. More
specific issues such as pharmacy management, copying with client grief and out-of-hours work
also need to be taken up effectively in veterinary practice management.

47
 • An important issue that challenge in veterinary practices was whether it is appropriate for a
‘caring’ profession to be concerned with profits. The core purpose of veterinary practice is the
treatment and alleviation of sufferings of animals under the veterinarians care. It is a fact of life
in business world that most things come down to money in the end. Failure to manage the
business properly will have detrimental effect and compromise patient care.
• Profits only become unethical when they become out of proportion to the amount of time and
investment spent generating them, with no regard or concern for others.

Practice Management in 21st Century

• The veterinary business world is more complex and competitive and the need for effective and
efficient management is of greater importance than in the past. The concept of “everyone
manages” and delegation with empowerment are becoming more common.
• Today’s veterinary management can be divided into
o Information technology
o Human resources
o Finance
o Marketing and sales
o General office management
o Health and safety

Human resource management

• The HR management in the past had the following five inputs: recruitment, training on the job,
rotas, discipline and salaries. While the Present management input includes; recruitment,
induction training, lifelong learning / training, appraisals, employment legislation, CDP,
discipline, job descriptors, contracts of employment, staff health and safety, rotas coaching and
mentoring.
• Most modern practices have a significant increase in staff numbers, with more vets working as
specialist and administrators performing specalised jobs. Although the traditional small
practices with owner managers are still relatively common, there is a trend towards the
empowerment of managers and administrators to oversee daily, general and often specific
areas of veterinary practice management.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD VETERINARY PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

• A good veterinarian requires both technical and personal skills to succeed. The veterinarian
may have the technical skills and academic qualifications to manage, but without good people
skills they will struggle to be successful or effective. Veterinarians’ behaviour determines how
‘good’ they are. Some veterinarian have naturally good people skills, others have to work hard
to develop these skills. It is important to have good relationship with staff and clients for which
we need to approach the job with an open mind. Also the veterinarian should possess the
following qualities to maintain high standards and to be called as ‘good’
1. Confidence
2. Assertiveness

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 3. Responsibility
4. Standards
5. Visibility
6. Motivation
7. Praise and thanks
8. Constructive criticism
9. Pride in the job
10. Tact, diplomacy, patience and understanding
11. Communication and listening
12. Fairness
13. Self-awareness
14. A sense of humour and
15. Support network
• Confidence
o The staff and clients expect their veterinarians to take the lead, to have the answers to
the problems and to sort out difficult situations. Confidence is all about being sure of
one’s self and one’s own abilities. The golden rule is to look confident at all times
regardless of how they may be feeling inside. The following stops us from being
confident

Lack of job knowledge

Lack of self-belief

Lack of self –esteem

Insecurity

Lack of assertiveness
o Good veterinarian has to have a thorough knowledge of their job and the job of his
fellow staff and believe in their own abilities
• Assertiveness
o A veterinarian needs to be assertive. Assertiveness may not come naturally but some
techniques can be learnt. Being assertive will enable the veterinarian to

Handle confrontation more easily

Avoid stress

Be able to say the right thing at the right time

Have greater self-confidence and self-esteem

Leave people with a positive impression of them

Prevent others manipulating them

Stay in control
o It is important to decide what you want from a given situation. Be open and honest and
always listen to others and their opinions, appreciate their feelings and aim to find

49
 mutually acceptable solutions. Aim for win-win outcome. Assertiveness is needed for
dealing with conflict, when negotiating and when leading teams and motivating staff
• Responsibility
o Responsibility does not end with the title of a manager. Managing a veterinarian
practice is a big responsibility. They have to carry out their role in the very best of their
ability. Avoiding responsibility may be due to fear or lack of knowledge or even laziness
or sometimes veterinarian feel imposing rules or discipline may not be liked by their
colleagues. But when veterinarian takes responsibility they gain far more respect.
• Standards
o All veterinarians must have high personal standards, their actions establish the
standards that their staff will be expected to reach. A veterinarian with poor standards
means that they practice with poor standards. High standards will be needed in

Attitude to the job - always positive and enthusiastic

Willingness - always doing the extra mile at all times

Time keeping - always there at least 10 minutes before they are
due to start work

Dress - always smart and tidy

Politeness/manner/mood - always friendly and polite

Organization - always tidy and organized
• Visibility
o The fellow staff must be able to see veterinarians in top level as managers or
administrators in their respective organisations. Administrators who hide away in their
office will never achieve any kind of empathy. It’s important to visit to all areas on a
regular basis, be seen by all staff, talk to them, ask questions, find out what is happening
that day and show an interest in everything that is going on. Having an ‘open-door
policy’ will encourage staff to visit their administration and discuss their problems. This
will help to learn what is really happening and understand the staff feeling.
• Motivation
o A good veterinarian as manager or administrator must be able to motivate their staff.
They must create an environment in which people do thing because they want to and
not by force. The starting point for a good motivator is being motivated themselves.
Motivation is infectious. Motivated staff are more productive, work better together,
have more commitment and motivate each other. Veterinarian need to ask themselves
the following questions:

Do I look forward to going to work each day?

Do I enjoy my job?

Do I believe in what I am doing?

Do I show this to my staff?
• Praise and thanks
o It is important for veterinary managers to help their staff develop and grow. It is
important to praise staff if they do a good job and thank them if they do the extra work.
But never over do this as too many thanks or praise will become meaningless
• Constructive criticism

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 o Veterinarian has to discipline their co-workers and staff for which constructive criticism
is essential. The co-workers or staff needs to take up such criticism in a positive frame of
mind. They need to help and understand the change situation to improve standards
• Pride in the job
o Veterinarian need to show pride in their job, practice and pride in their staff. They need
to instil this pride in all staff members. It is necessary to show each other, client and the
society.
• Tact, diplomacy, patience and understanding
o All these qualities are needed in abundance, for dealing with partners, staff, clients,
suppliers, media etc.
• Communication and listening
o A successful manager must have good communication skills and techniques. They need
to communicate at personal level and listen to what their staff has to say. Listening
exhibits care and improves relationship building
• Fairness
o Veterinarians as managers or administrators must have no ‘favorites’. They must be
seen to be fair at all times, setting same rules for all and not making exceptions for some
staff or clients. Once credibility is lost in this area it will be very difficult to re-establish.
• Self-awareness
o Veterinarians should know their own strengths, weakens and limitations and not be
afraid to seek help if necessary. Veterinarian with little experience may also ask other
staff to explain an unknown procedure than to pretend that they understand. This will
help to earn respect.
• A sense of humour
o A veterinary manager must have a good sense of humour. Becoming stressed or
depressed will not help either the manager or the staff.
• Support network
o Meeting other colleagues working in similar organization is important. It helps to know
the working pattern and build confidence and motivation. It also helps to understand
the functioning of various organizations, their management problems and solutions.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-11: SOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF VETERINARIANS WITH RESPECT TO

PRIVATE

Learning objectives

• There is a shift in concept of veterinary practice from public to private practice. In this lesson
the learner will understand the societal responsibilities of veterinarian with respect to private
practice, types of practice, staff pattern, clients involved and factor that contributes to the
change in veterinary practice.

INTRODUCTION

• Present-day veterinary practice is sophisticated with best facilities, making the client feel
comfortable. Increasingly, private practice are purpose-built on sites which provide parking for
clients, hospital incorporating with a number of consulting rooms, operation theaters,
preparation rooms, X-ray rooms, modern kenneling facilities and dedicated dispensaries.
Waiting rooms are large and more client - friendly and there are office, staff rooms and training
or meeting rooms, reflecting the increased number of veterinary support staff and their training
needs.
• The veterinary practice of the twenty-first century is a very different business from that of early
twentieth century as detailed in Figures.

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 TYPES OF VETERINARY PRACTICE

• Towards the end of the twentieth century, the size of practices had increased considerably and
single-handed veterinary practitioner continued with competition in rural and urban India. The
expansion of urban area and loss of agricultural field has contributed to a drop in livestock
farms and in turn has increased livestock farming crisis. This has reflected in making large
animal practice less lucrative. Thus veterinarians started to look for mixed practice with small
animal and pet practice to supplement their income. The number of large animal practice is on
a decline, however, the overall veterinary practice is on the higher side.
• Also a new type of veterinary practice has emerged i.e., out-of-hours of emergency practice.
These practices help them to earn higher income and provide support and satisfaction to the
clients.

OWNERSHIPS OF PRACTICE

There are three types of ownership in private veterinary practice

53
 1. Veterinary Assistant surgeon serving the public sector – concentrating on clinical work after the
regular job hours.
2. Private practitioner owner / partner – Private practitioner working exclusively either single or
on partner basis in a traditional mode of operation both attending clinical calls and house calls.
3. Private practice through joint venture ownership – that provide corporate environment in
veterinary practices. This is yet to pick up to a larger extent in Indian situation

Veterinary private practice is under pressure to increase client services so as to retain the existing
clients and maintain the bonds with the clients. The client services provided include

Treatment of sick animal

• Vaccination
• Heath care packages
• Transport of pets to and from the surgery
• Pet food and pet products
• Information – leaflet / brochures
• Client newsletter etc.,

STAFF AND CLIENTS

Staff

• The number of private veterinary practitioners are steadily increasing. With intake in public
sector being irregular, more graduates have entered into private sector or have started a clinic
of their own. Traditionally majority of private practitioners were male, but now female
veterinarians have also started to take up private practice and provide the best service to the
client needs. The support staff to the private veterinary clinic is usually limited, with one or two
animal attender depending on the number of cases. However these animal attenders are not
formally trained or certified.

Clients

• The structure of veterinary practice is dependent upon the clientele. In Indian scenario most
clients own one or two large animals and are landless and marginal farmers who are poor and
find it difficult to pay veterinarians for their service. The client base has altered to companion
animal-owning clientele. These clients are willing to spend large sums of money for the service
provided to treat their animals. Their expectations will be higher, both in clinical and customer
service. The reason for change in the pattern of veterinary practice is complex. The factor that
could contribute to change in veterinary practice is depicted in the given figure

54
The two major factors are external and internal factors

External factor (s) Internal factor (s)

Pet / animal owner Veterinary knowledge
The farming recession Attitude of veterinarians
The media Women in profession
The pet industry Stress
Legislation Out-of-hours services
Technology Management skills
Litigation Practice standards
Competition

55
• The practicing veterinarian should consider these factors and provide timely quality and value
oriented approach to the best of satisfaction of the clientele and welfare of the animal.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-12: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Learning objectives

• This lesson would help the learner to understand the duties of veterinarians.

VETERINARIAN'S OATH

• Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific
knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and
welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the
promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.
• I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of
veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my
professional knowledge and competence.

REVISED VETERINARIAN'S OATH RECOGNISING ANIMAL WELFARE

• "Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific
knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and
welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the
promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge. I will practice my
profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary
medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional
knowledge and competence."

DUTIES OF VETERINARIANS TO THE PROFESSION

• Upholding the honour of the profession

o A veterinarian is expected to uphold the dignity and honour of his profession.

• Membership of societies
o For the advancement of his/her profession a veterinarian may affiliate himself/herself
with professional societies and contribute his/ her time, means and energy to their
progress, so that they may represent and promote the ideals of the profession better.
• Safeguarding the profession
o Every veterinarian shall laid in safeguarding the profession against admission to it of
those who are deficient in moral character or education. He/she should not employ in
connection with his/her professional practice any unqualified personnel to treat or
perform operation upon patients.
• Exposure of unethical conduct
o Exposure of unethical conduct on the part of any member of the profession shall be
done without fear or favour. The incompetent, corrupt, dishonest or unethical conduct
on the part of any member of the profession shall be discouraged at any cost.

57
• Appointment of substitute
o Whenever a veterinarian (hereinafter mentioned as absent veterinarian) requests
another veterinarian to attend to his/her patient/ clients during his/her temporary
absence from practice professional courtesy requires the acceptance of such an
appointment by the latter, if consistent with his/her other duties. The veterinarian
under such appointment shall give utmost consideration to the interest and reputation
of the 'absent' veterinarian. He/she shall not charge either the patient or the absent
veterinarian or his/her services, except in case of special arrangement between them.
All such patients shall be restored to the care of the absent veterinarian upon his/her
return.
• Professional services of veterinarians to one another
o There is no rule that a veterinarian shall not charge another veterinarian or a member of
a sister profession for service rendered. But a veterinarian shall consider it a pleasure
and privilege to render gratuitous service to his/her professional brethren, if they are in
his/ her vicinity, or to a veterinary student.
o When a veterinarian is called from a distance to attend to a case of a fellow veterinarian
or a member of a sister profession, reimbursement shall be made for traveling and other
incidental expenses.
o A veterinarian called in any emergency to visit a patient under the care of another
veterinarian, shall when the emergency is over, retire in favour of the latter; but shall be
entitled to charge the client for his/her services.
o When a veterinarian is consulted at his/her own residence, it is not birding on him/her
to enquire if the patient has been under the care of another veterinarian. But in the
interests of the patient he/she shall, while ascertaining history, go through the
treatment followed if any. However, it is unethical that his information be used to
malign or instigate against, directly or indirectly, the veterinarian who happened to
attend on the patient previously. When a veterinarian sees a patient at the request of
another veterinarian, it shall be the duty of the first veterinarian to write a letter to the
veterinarian making the request stating his/her opinion of the case with the modes of
treatment he/she thinks proper to be adopted.
• If a veterinarian is engaged to attend on a patient of dystokia or a similar distress he/she shall
do so. Refusal to do so under excuse of another engagement is unethical except when he/ she
is already engaged in similar or another serious case(s). When a veterinarian engaged to attend
a serious case is absent and another veterinarian is sent for, the latter shall be entitled to
legitimate fees; provided that he/she shall secure the client's consent to withdraw on arrival of
the former at a mutually consented or logical phase.
• When it becomes the duty of a veterinarian occupying an official position to see and report on
an illness or injury or any other professional problems concerning a patient, he/she shall do so,
but communicate to the veterinarian in attendance, so as to give him/her an option to be
present. The former shall avoid remarks on the diagnosis or treatment that has been adopted.
This does not prevent him/her from discussing the matter with the later in isolation.
• Bioethics is the philosophical study of the ethical controversies brought about by advances in
biology and medicine . Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the
relationships among life sciences , biotechnology , medicine , politics , law , philosophy , and
theology

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Terminology

• The term Bioethics ( Greek bios, life; ethos, behavior) was coined in 1927 by Fritz Jahr, who
"anticipated many of the arguments and discussions now current in biological research
involving animals" in an article about the "bio-ethical imperative," as he called it, regarding the
scientific use of animals and plants. [1] [2] In 1970, the American biochemist Van Rensselaer
Potter also used the term with a broader meaning including solidarity towards the biosphere,
thus generating a "global ethics," a discipline representing a link between biology, ecology,
medicine and human values in order to attain the survival of both human beings and other
animal species.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-13: INTERACTIONS OF VETERINARY PROFESSIONAL IN ZOO ANIMAL

WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

Learning objectives

• Veterinarians have very many roles to play. In this lesson we will discuss on the role
veterinarians have to play in interacting with health authorities, drug and food regulatory
authories, zoo / animal welfare organisations and civil administration.
• At the end of this lesson the learner will understand the responsibilities of veterinarian in each
of these collaborating sectors. Also the various norms and institutions associated with these
organisations will be understood.

INTERACTION OF VETERINARY PROFESSIONALS IN ZOO ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

Zoo animal welfare organizations are of different types. They are concentrating in conserving a single
species rather than conserving the wildlife as a whole. Although there are numerous NGO’s having zoo
animal welfare as their priority mandate, only handful of them are really satisfying the required needs
of the wildlife conservation.

Common Zoo Animal Welfare Organizations

• The top ten zoo animal welfare organizations of India are listed below
o Zoo outreach Organisation – (http://www.zooreach.org/)

o People for Ethical Treatment of Animals - PETA- (http://www.petaindia.com/)

o Wildlife Trust of India (Conservation of wild animals)–
(http://www.wildlifetrustofindia.org/)
o Wildlife SOS (Sloth bear conservation)- (http://www.wildlifesos.org/)
o Snake park trust of India (Reptile conservation)
o Madras Crocodile Bank (Reptile Conservation)-(http://www
.madrascrocodilebank.org/cms/)
o Peoples for Animals – PFA (http://www.peopleforanimalsindia.org/)
o Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals – SPCA- (http://www.madrasspca.org)
o TRUST FOR ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION (TREE)–Conserving Sea Turtles
(http://www.treefoundationindia.org/)-
o International Fund for Animal Welfare – (IFAW)- (http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_india/)
o Veterinary Professionals Interaction in Zoo Animal Welfare Organizations
• Veterinary medicine plays an important role in the survival of many wildlife populations.
Veterinarians are being involved in conservation efforts, and giving special attention to
reintroduction programmes by the zoo welfare organizations.

60
 • As clinical zoo veterinarians, they protect the health and to restore health of the rescued wild
animals to compromise endangered species. This work involves paying close attention to an
animal’s fundamental needs viz., nutritional and behavioural needs and being ready to identify
and treat serious health problems.
• Apart from this, vets are being involved in various research programs that are necessary to
develop diagnosis and treatment protocols for the entire spectrum of species to investigate and
record the types of diseases to which the species are susceptible. More collaboration is being
noticed between clinical veterinarians and animal behaviourists to conserve the endangered
species of wild fauna.
• Stress is an induced risk factor which needs to be emphasized in captive animals and can cause
lowering of the immune system. Thus the vets are being frequently called to tranquilization of
rescued animals to transport them without stress. Thus the veterinarian must continue to
develop effective means for safely capturing and transporting animals.
• One implication of the emerging conservation missions of zoo welfare organization is that their
primary perspective towards animals’ needs is focused on populations rather than on
individuals. However, there are circumstances where these two perspectives may be in conflict.
The future of wildlife conservation may depend as much on our resolution of various ethical
issues and ecology. Although clinical and administrative responsibilities often preclude their
direct involvement in zoo research.
• Veterinarians have much to contribute in collaboration with nutritionist, behaviouralist and
other specialists. A Veterinarian is being used by the zoo welfare organization in collecting
valuable biological specimens whenever he has the chances for doing genetic analysis.
• The species survival commission of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) has a Veterinary
Specialist Group, which focuses on issues of wildlife diseases. The IUCN’s Captive Breeding
Specialist Group (CBSG) also has a Veterinary Working Group, which focuses on problems
affecting captive animals.
• Apart from interacting with the zoo animal welfare organizations especially for wild animal
rescue and rehabilitation, the zoo vets are helping various organizations involved in marine
animal conservation in education programs including camps, field trips, interaction programs
and tours. The vets are being called for assessing the health of Olive Ridley’s sea turtle, by
various animal welfare organizations.). Some of the International zoo welfare organizations
seek the help of the vet to assess the impact of oil spill on the marine life including fishes, birds,
turtles, etc.

Source

• http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/09/22/neisloss.gg.india.turtles.cnn
• http://earthsavvy.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/oil-slick-kills-penguins-in-brazil

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-14: PREVENTION ACTIVITIES

• Awareness generation regarding various animal diseases and their prevention

• Early reporting of animal disease
• Listing of animal population with category
• Stock piling of emergency medicines and medical equipments
• Storage of feed
• Listing and identification of vehicles to be requisitioned for transport of injured animals
• Vaccination of the animals and identification of camp sites in the disaster prone areas.
• Promotion of animal insurance
• Tagging of animals
• Arrangement of standby generators for veterinary hospitals
• Provision in each hospital for receiving large number of livestock at a time
• Training of community members in carcass disposal

PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES BEFORE DISASTER SEASONS

• Stock piling of water, fodder and animal feed

• Pre-arrangements for tieup with fodder supply units
• Stockpiling of surgical packets
• Construction of mounds for safe shelter of animals.
• Identification of various water sources to be used by animals in case of prolonged hot and dry
spells
• Training of volunteers & creation of local units for carcass disposal
• Municipalities/Gram Panchayats/ Taluk Panchayat to be given responsibility for removing
animals that are likely to spread health hazards
RESPONSE ACTIVITIES

• Eradication and control of animal diseases, treatment of injured animals

• Protection of abandoned and lost cattle
• Supply of medicines and fodder to affected areas
• Ensure adequate availability of personnel and mobile team
• Disposal of carcasses ensuring proper sanitation to avoid outbreak of epidemics
• Establishment of public information centre with a means of communication, to assist in
providing an organised source of information.
• Mobilising community participation for carcass disposal

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 RECOVERY ACTIVITIES

• Assess losses of animal assets and needs of persons and communities

• Play a facilitating role for early approval of soft loans for buying animals and ensuring insurance
coverage and disaster proof housing or alternative shelters/mounds for animals for future
emergencies
• Establishment of animal disease surveillance system

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-15: DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Learning objectives

• Calamities and disaster management is to be learnt by every individual in the society.

Veterinarians are no exception. This would help to keep veterinarian mentally and physically
prepared during disaster and save humanbeings and animals.
• In this lesson the definition, classification of disaster and various activities for preparedness are
discussed. Also the learnercome to know the role of veterinarian during natural calamities and
problems for livestock during disaster.

DISASTER

• The Webster’s dictionary defines a disaster as a grave occurrence having ruinous results. The
WHO defines disaster as ‘ any occurrence that causes damage, economic destruction, loss of
human life and deterioration in health and health status on a scale sufficient to warrant an
extraordinary response from outside the affected community or area.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-16: THE ROLE OF THE VETERINARY SERVICES IN FOOD SAFETY

Learning objectives

• Yet another role of veterinarian is to cater to the food safety measures

• In this lesson the learner will be able to understand the concepts of food production chain, risk
based management system and basics of certification of animal products for international trade

DEFINITIONS

• The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance to OIE Members in regard to the role and
responsibilities of veterinary services in food safety, to assist them in meeting the food safety
objectives laid down in national legislation and the requirements of importing countries.

Definitions

• The following definitions, from the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code (the Terrestrial Code) (1),
are relevant to this paper. Throughout the paper, terms that are defined in the OIE Terrestrial
Code appear in italics.
• Veterinarian means a person registered or licensed by the relevant veterinary statutory body to
practice
• veterinary medicine/science in that country.
• Veterinary Services mean the governmental and non-governmental organisations that
implement animal health and welfare measures and other standards and guidelines in the OIE
Terrestrial Code and Aquatic
• Animal Health Code (Aquatic Code) in the country. The Veterinary Services are under the overall
control and direction of the Veterinary Authority. Private veterinary organisations are normally
accredited or approved to deliver functions by the veterinary authority.
• Veterinary Authority means the governmental authority of a Member Country, comprising
veterinarians, other professionals and para-professionals, having the responsibility and
competence for ensuring or supervising the implementation of animal health and welfare
measures, international veterinary certification and other standards and guidelines in the OIE
Terrestrial Code in the whole country.
• The Veterinary Statutory Body is an autonomous authority regulating veterinarians and
veterinary para-professionals.
• Zoonosis means any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from animals to man.

BACKGROUND

• Historically, the Veterinary Services were set up to control livestock diseases at the farm level.

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 • There was an emphasis on prevention and control of the major epizootic diseases of livestock
and of diseases that could affect man (zoonotic diseases). As countries begin to bring the
serious diseases under control, the scope of official animal health services normally increases to
address diseases of livestock that reduces animal productivity, where control leads to more
efficient production and/or better quality animal products.
• The role of the veterinary services has traditionally extended from the farm to the slaughter
house, where veterinarians have a dual responsibility – epidemiological surveillance of animal
diseases and ensuring the safety and suitability of meat.
• The education and training of veterinarians, which includes both animal health (including
zoonoses) and food hygiene components, makes them uniquely equipped to play a central role
in ensuring food safety, especially the safety of foods of animal origin. As described below, in
addition to veterinarians, several other professional groups are involved in supporting
integrated food safety approaches throughout the food chain. In many countries the role of the
Veterinary Services has been extended to include subsequent stages of the food chain in the
“farm to fork” continuum.

APPROACHES TO FOOD SAFETY

The concept of the food production continuum

• Food safety and quality are best assured by an integrated, multidisciplinary approach,
considering the whole of the food chain.
• Eliminating or controlling food hazards at source, i.e. a preventive approach, is more effective
in reducing or eliminating the risk of unwanted health effects than relying on control of the final
product, traditionally applied via a final ‘quality check’ approach.
• Approaches to food safety have evolved in recent decades, from traditional controls based on
good practices (Good Agricultural Practice, Good Hygienic Practice, etc), via more targeted food
safety systems based on hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) to risk-based
approaches using food safety risk analysis (4).

Risk-based management systems

• The development of risk-based systems has been heavily influenced by the World Trade
Organization Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (“SPS
Agreement”).
• This Agreement stipulates that signatories shall ensure that their sanitary and phytosanitary
measures are based on an assessment of the risks to human, animal or plant life or health,
taking into account risk assessment techniques developed by relevant international
organizations. Risk assessment, the scientific component of risk analysis, should be functionally
separated from risk management to avoid interference from economic, political or other
interests.
• The SPS Agreement specifically recognises as the international benchmarks the standards
developed by the OIE for animal health and zoonoses and by the Codex Alimentarius
Commission for food safety. In recent decades there has also been a trend towards a
redefinition of responsibilities.
• The traditional approach, whereby food operators were primarily held responsible for food
quality while regulatory agencies were charged with assuring food safety, has been replaced by
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 more sophisticated systems that give food operators primary responsibility for both the quality
and the safety of the foods they place on the market.
• The role of the supervisory authorities is to analyse scientific information as a basis to develop
appropriate food safety standards (both processing and end product standards) and monitoring
to ensure that the control systems used by food operators are appropriate, validated and
operated in such a way that the standards are met.
• In the event of noncompliance, regulatory agencies are responsible to ensure that appropriate
sanctions are applied.

FUNCTIONS OF VETERINARY SERVICES

• The Veterinary Services play an essential role in the application of the risk analysis process and
the implementation of risk based recommendations for regulatory systems, including the
extent and nature of veterinary involvement in food safety activities throughout the food chain,
as outlined below. Each country should establish its health protection objectives, for animal
health and public health, through consultation with stakeholders (especially livestock
producers, processors and consumers) in accordance with the social, economic, cultural,
religious and political contexts of the country. These objectives should be put into effect
through national legislation and steps taken to raise awareness of them both within the country
and to trading partners.
• The Veterinary Services contribute to the achievement of these objectives through the direct
performance of some veterinary tasks and through the auditing of animal and public health
activities conducted by other government agencies, private sector veterinarians and other
stakeholders.
• In addition to veterinarians, several other professional groups are involved in ensuring food
safety throughout the food chain, including analysts, epidemiologists, food technologists,
human and environmental health professionals, microbiologists and toxicologists. Irrespective
of the roles assigned to the different professional groups and stakeholders by the
administrative system in the country, close cooperation and effective communication between
all involved is imperative to achieve the best results from the combined resources.
• Where veterinary or other professional tasks are delegated to individuals or enterprises outside
the Veterinary Authority, clear information on regulatory requirements and a system of checks
should be established to monitor and verify performance of the delegated activities. The
Veterinary Authority retains the final responsibility for satisfactory performance of delegated
activities.

AT THE FARM LEVEL

• Through their presence on farms and appropriate collaboration with farmers, the Veterinary
Services play a key role in ensuring that animals are kept under hygienic conditions and in the
early detection, surveillance and treatment of animal diseases, including conditions of public
health significance.
• The Veterinary Services may also provide livestock producers with information, advice and
training on how to avoid, eliminate or control food safety hazards (e.g. drug and pesticide
residues, mycotoxins and environmental contaminants) in primary production, including
through animal feed.

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• Producers’ organisations, particularly those with veterinary advisers, are in a good position to
provide awareness and training as they are regularly in contact with farmers and are well
placed to understand their priorities.
• Technical support from the Veterinary Services is important and both private veterinarians and
employees of the Veterinary Authority can assist.
• The Veterinary Services play a central role in ensuring the responsible and prudent use of
biological products and veterinary drugs, including antimicrobial 's, in animal husbandry.
• This helps to minimise the risk of developing antimicrobial resistance and unsafe levels of
veterinary drug residues in foods of animal origin. Section 3.9. of the OIE Terrestrial Code
contains guidelines on the use of antimicrobial 's.

MEAT INSPECTION

• Slaughter house inspection of live animals (ante-mortem) and the carcase (post-mortem) plays
a key role in both the surveillance network for animal diseases and zoonoses and ensuring the
safety and suitability of meat and by-products for their intended uses. Control and/or reduction
of biological hazards of animal and public health importance by ante- and post-mortem meat
inspection is a core responsibility of the Veterinary Services and they should have primary
responsibility for the development of relevant inspection programmes.
• Wherever practicable, inspection procedures should be risk-based. Management systems
should reflect international norms and address the significant hazards to both human and
animal health in the livestock being slaughtered. The Codex Alimentarius Code of Hygienic
Practice for Meat (CHPM) (5) constitutes the primary international standard for meat hygiene
and incorporates a risk-based approach to application of sanitary measures throughout the
meat production chain. Section 3.10 of the OIE Terrestrial Code contains guidelines for the
control of biological hazards of animal health and public health importance through ante- and
post-mortem meat inspection, which complement the CHPM.
• Traditionally, the primary focus of the OIE Codes was on global animal health protection and
transparency. Under its current mandate, the OIE also addresses animal production food safety
risks. The Code includes several standards and guidelines aimed at protecting public health
(such as Appendix 3.10.1 on the Control of Biological Hazards of Animal Health and Public
Health Importance through Ante- and Post- Mortem Meat Inspection) and work is underway
developing new standards to prevent the contamination of animal products by Salmonella
species. and Campylobacter spp. The OIE and Codex collaborate closely in the development of
standards to ensure seamless coverage of the entire food production continuum. The
recommendations of the OIE and the Codex Alimentarius Commission on the production and
safety of animal commodities should be read in conjunction.
• The Veterinary Authority should provide for flexibility in the delivery of meat inspection service.
Countries may adopt different administrative models, involving degrees of delegation to
officially recognized competent bodies operating under the supervision and control of the
Veterinary Authority. If personnel from the private sector are used to carry out ante- and post-
mortem inspection activities under the overall supervision and responsibility of the Veterinary
Authority, the Veterinary Authority should specify the competency requirements for all such
persons and verify their performance. To ensure the effective implementation of ante- and
post-mortem inspection procedures, the Veterinary Authority should have in place systems for
the monitoring of these procedures and the exchange of information gained. Animal
identification and animal traceability systems should be integrated in order to be able to trace

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 slaughtered animals back to their place of origin, and products derived from them forward in
the meat production chain.

CERTIFICATION OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Another important role of the Veterinary Services is to provide health certification to

international trading partners attesting that exported products meet both animal health and
food safety standards. Certification in relation to animal diseases, including zoonoses, and meat
hygiene should be the responsibility of the Veterinary Authority. Certification may be provided
by other professions (a sanitary certificate) in connection with food processing and hygiene
(e.g. pasteurization of dairy products) and conformance with product quality standards.

OTHER ROLES OF THE VETERINARY SERVICES

• Most reported outbreaks of food borne diseases are due to contamination of foods with
zoonotic agents, often during primary production. The Veterinary Services play a key role in the
investigation of such outbreaks all the way back to the farm and in formulating and
implementing remedial measures once the source of the outbreak has been identified. This
work should be carried out in close collaboration with human and environmental health
professionals, analysts, epidemiologists, food producers, processors and traders and others
involved.
• In addition to the roles mentioned above, veterinarians are well equipped to assume important
roles in ensuring food safety in other parts of the food chain, for example through the
application of HACCP based controls and other quality assurance systems during food
processing and distribution. The Veterinary Services also play an important role in raising the
awareness of food producers, processors and other stakeholders of the measures required to
assure food safety.

OPTIMISING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE VETERINARY SERVICES TO FOOD SAFETY

• In order for Veterinary Services to make the best possible contribution to food safety, it is
important that the education and training of veterinarians in the roles outlined in this paper
meets high standards and that there are national programmes for ongoing professional
development. The Veterinary Services should comply with the OIE fundamental principles of
quality given in Chapter 1.3.3 of the OIE Terrestrial Code.
• Guidelines for the evaluation of Veterinary Services are provided in Chapter 1.3.4 of the OIE
Terrestrial Code and in the OIE Tool for the Evaluation of Performance of Veterinary Services
(the OIE PVS Tool). There should be a clear and well documented assignment of responsibilities
and chain of command within the Veterinary Services. The national Competent Authority should
provide an appropriate institutional environment to allow the Veterinary Services to develop
and implement the necessary policies and standards and adequate resources for them to carry
out their tasks in a sustainable manner. In developing and implementing policies and
programmes for food safety the Veterinary Authority should collaborate with other responsible
agencies to ensure that food safety risks are addressed in a coordinated manner.

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 TVC 421: VETERINARIAN IN SOCIETY (1+0)

MODULE-17: ROLE OF VETERINARIAN IN NATURAL CALAMITIES

Introduction

• In the tropical world, the climatic changes vary greatly not only over the seasons, but also over
short periods. Such changes can be sudden, extreme and extensive too. There is evidence to
show that such climatic aberrations are, to some extent, due to man-made ecological damage.
The result is the frequent occurrence of the natural calamities like droughts, floods etc. There
are other natural calamities like earthquakes, landslides etc that are due to peculiarities of the
geographical location and topography of a given place.
• In the vast country like India with very diverse agro-climatic regions, there could be drought in
one area, while floods occur at other areas at the same time. Generally July to October is the
flood season with floods occurring in 2, 3 or more waves in Assam. Apart from great human
suffering, loss of property, crops and livestock are common features during such natural
calamities. Loss of livestock affects the poor a lot, whose livelihood security is more dependent
on livestock. Loss of incapacitation of work animals affects crop farming and rural
transportation in the following months or years. Hence, there is a need to be prepared to
prevent monthly mortality and morbidity in livestock during natural calamities and
rehabilitation of the same after the events.

COMMON NATURAL CALAMITIES

• Famines: A calamity with long lasting effects and generally covers a wider area in a given geo
climatic zone. Extreme shortage of feeds resulting from drought ( prolonged dry spell, lack of
rains) leads to occurrence of famine.
• Floods: These are the seasonal and occur routinely in certain areas like the northeast plains of
India; sometimes twice or thrice within the season, each flooding lasting for a week to ten days.
Flash floods can occur at any place due to sudden discharge of water from tanks, reservoirs etc.
• Typhoons / Hurricanes / Gales / Tempests / Cyclones are strong winds and or whirlwinds of
various intensities generally accompanied by heavy lashing rain and strong tidal waves. In India
the east coast is more prone to these, especially during the monsoon months – from June to
December
• Earthquakes are sudden quaking, shaking, heaving and cracking of ground due to shifts of
seismic forces within geographical features of earth in a given area. Their severity is measured
on Richter scale; the one measuring 7 and above is considered as severe. They may last from a
fraction of a second to several seconds, the longer the more catastrophic. In India, some areas
are more prone to earthquakes like parts of Western Gujarat, lower Himalayan region and the
north east followed by some areas in Central India.

PROBLEMS FOR LIVESTOCK DURING NATURAL DISASTERS

• In the tropical world, the climatic changes vary greatly not only over the seasons, but also over
short periods. Such changes can be sudden, extreme and extensive too.

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 • There is evidence to show that such climatic aberrations are, to some extent, due to man-made
ecological damage. The result is the frequent occurrence of the natural calamities like droughts,
floods etc. There are other natural calamities like earthquakes, landslides etc that are due to
peculiarities of the geographical location and topography of a given place.
• In the vast country like India with very diverse agro-climatic regions, there could be drought in
one area, while floods occur at other areas at the same time. Generally July to October is the
flood season with floods occurring in 2, 3 or more waves in Assam. Apart from great human
suffering, loss of property, crops and livestock are common features during such natural
calamities.
• Loss of livestock affects the poor a lot, whose livelihood security is more dependent on
livestock. Loss of incapacitation of work animals affects crop farming and rural transportation in
the following months or years. Hence, there is a need to be prepared to prevent monthly
mortality and morbidity in livestock during natural calamities and rehabilitation of the same
after the events.

Problems for Livestock During Natural Disasters

• Most common immediate problems that livestock face during sudden calamities and the
reasons for the same are as follows:

Injuries & Burns

• Cuts, bruises, lacerations, broken limbs, broken backs and worse injuries occur mainly because
the frightened animals that run helter-shelter the moment disaster strikes.
• Also, roof and roof-supporting structures from damaged civil structures that are falling and
flying physically and mortally hurt animals causing severe injuries and death. Disaster often
leads to flash fires and sometimes the disaster itself may be a fire accident. In such cases the
standard animals can receive burns of various degrees of seriousness.

Snake & Insect bites

• The disaster also disturbs snakes, scorpions, poisonous centi - millipedes, wasps, bees and other
poisonous creatures out of their normal place of residence. These creatures so disturbed attack
and bite those who come in their way of “ running “ for their lives. Livestock that generally
remain in the open or the common victims of these creatures.
• The pain and severe irritation caused by the poisonous bites, apart from causing death directly
can also make the animals more prone to struggle and injuries.

Common natural calamities

• Famines: A calamity with long lasting effects and generally covers a wider area in a given geo
climatic zone. Extreme shortage of feeds resulting from drought ( prolonged dry spell, lack of
rains) leads to occurrence of famine.
• Floods: These are the seasonal and occur routinely in certain areas like the northeast plains of
India; sometimes twice or thrice within the season, each flooding lasting for a week to ten days.
Flash floods can occur at any place due to sudden discharge of water from tanks, reservoirs etc.
• Typhoons / Hurricanes / Gales / Tempests / Cyclones are strong winds and or whirlwinds of
various intensities generally accompanied by heavy lashing rain and strong tidal waves. In India
71
 the east coast is more prone to these, especially during the monsoon months – from June to
December

Earthquakes

• Earthquakes are sudden quaking, shaking, heaving and cracking of ground due to shifts of
seismic forces within geographical features of earth in a given area. Their severity is measured
on Richter scale; the one measuring 7 and above is considered as severe.
• They may last from a fraction of a second to several seconds, the longer the more catastrophic.
In India, some areas are more prone to earthquakes like parts of Western Gujarat, lower
Himalayan region and the north east followed by some areas in Central India.

Lack of feed and drinking water

• The post – catastrophe general chaos may either deny animals access to their normal source of
feed and water are the latter themselves may be destroyed.
• Owners of animals, themselves victims of the catastrophe along with their family members may
not be in a position to care for their animals. Even short-term lack of feed and water can cause
exhaustion and even death in young and sick animals.

PREVENTION

• In areas prone to floods and cyclones, it is advisable that the farmers are given some training on
care of their animals when catastrophe strikes, so that they are prepared for that situation.
Prepare precise guidelines in simple local language for care of livestock in disasters and
distribute them to the farmers in the form of leaflets or booklets. They should especially
enlighten to be alert to the announcement over local radio and TV regarding such catastrophes.
Also, raised and strong roofed flood and cyclone shelters can be constructed in disaster prone
areas advising the farmers to take their animals to such shelters on the eve of disaster.
• In disaster prone areas, it is necessary to keep the animals loose in paddock (sheltered or un-
sheltered) rather than keeping them tethered. Tethered animals are most vulnerable to injuries
etc., animals loose in paddock can move away from any impending danger to some extent.
• Find and establish good contacts with – (1) Philanthropists, (2) good Samaritans, (3) service
minded firms, (4) Non-government organizations and (5) local leaders, before hand. Clearly
make out “ what every individual and organization can do” to disaster affected animals. It
would be necessary to have periodic mock - drills or workshop to make it clear to everyone the
action plans for disaster relief. Always remember and keep on reminding others that animals
stricken by disasters are not just the problem of their owners, but a common problem of the
society.
• In all relief measures, livestock of poor people should be given priority because – (1). Loss of
animal is loss of livelihood to these small farmers, (2) majority of the livestock are kept by small
farmers in India. Identify appropriate areas where temporary relief camps or spots can be put
up at short notice and inform all others about the same. Roads, railway line embankments (be
careful about trains!), other earthen embankments, low hillocks, uplands etc will be most suited
to shelter animals from flood waters.
• Spots closer to Temples, Churches, Gurudwaras, Jain Temples and Masjids are generally ideal
for temporary drought camps as – (i) their management as well as pilgrims and devotes visiting

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 these places are more likely to be more kind and cooperating in helping the ‘dumb’ animals in
cash, kind or service, (ii) the temples etc normally have some tank or other water source, (iii)
there would generally be sufficient space to paddock the animals, (iv) normally there are good
number of trees and or sun-shades to protect animals from sun.
• Sympathy towards stricken animals and empathy with their owners’ plight, plus a strong urge
to help, are what needed from all concerned with disaster relief. It seems that for every Rupee
spent by government on relief to livestock and their owners during the ‘Gujarat Drought of the
80s’, two and half Rupees poured in as donations towards relief! The donors included not just
big businessmen, but ordinary people from every walk of life.

VETERINARY SERVICE

• The sooner the veterinary help reaches the disaster the lesser will be the suffering to the
animals. Ideally, there should be one veterinarian with three or four supporting staff deputed to
each Panchayat village to work with the help of local volunteers.
• The team should go to the emergency duty well-stocked with things like – (a) bandages,
tourniquet ropes, (b) controlling ropes, splints, slings, poles and ropes to lift animals, as well as
(c) pain-killers, antiseptics, antibiotics, anti-venom and anti-shock drugs etc. (d) vaccines against
Haemorrhagic Septicemia, Black Quarter etc., especially for flood and cyclone affected areas.
• The team must first visit the whole village attending to most urgent cases first, like releasing
animals from a unnatural and harmful position or situation, stopping bleeding, binding broken
limbs, administering pain killers, anti-poison and anti-shock drugs, sedating difficult animals,
and even performing euthanasia on hopelessly injured and suffering animals with the consent
of their owners.
• Once the most urgent emergencies are attended to the animal, the health care team should
treat individual cases of injuries etc., as per the established routine.
• Veterinarians in disaster prone areas should keep their emergency service kit ready always and
be ready to move at a short notice.
• A trained veterinarian knows how to take care of each case / situation.

FEED AND WATER SUPPLY

• Prioritize animal categories to be provided with feed and water as the same may also be in
short supply. The needed order of priority of relief is – i) suckling animals, ii) suckling animals
along with their nursing mothers, iii)producing and working animals, iv) sick and old animals, v)
adult non-producing animals. While protecting work animals is crucial from future agriculture
point of view too, producing animals are somewhat ‘self-financing’ as their products can be sold
to meet some expenses.
• Camps – Temporary camps may be started to herd or flock the animals at one place, so that
operations become easier. It is better to have more of smaller camps (about 25-50 animals)
rather than a few big Camps (400 – 500 animals) so that management is easier. Also, each small
camp can hold animals from one neighbourhood or area; neighbours can cooperate with each
other. Inside the Camps, the animals can be just left free within paddocks /barricades created
with wooden poles. In this it would be better if the animals are put in separate paddocks
priority wise.

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• Shelter – if no trees or sheds are available, shelter the animals under a tent/shamiana or
tarpaulins held aloft by supporting poles or temporary sheds with Palmyra or coconut leaf
roofs. Care should be taken to see that water does not stagnate where the animals are to live.
Great emphasis should be paid to hygiene and sanitation, especially prompt manure disposal, in
the camps, a fact often neglected by organizers
• Control – each animal entering the camp should be recorded along with owner’s details and its
release from the camp should also be recorded. This will prevent disputes and also help
procurement of desired quantities of feed and water.
• Drinking water – Use temporary water troughs made of tin or plastic. Partially damaged
manufactured rooftop tanks (if not leaking) can be used as water troughs. Water should be
available to animals at least twice during a day; the more the better.
• Procured feeds and fodders should be fed to all animals without any bias. Follow the order of
priority of animals in feeding them.
• Straws that got soaked during floods need not be thrown away outright. They can be fed to
animals as long as rotting or fungal growth has not set in, partially drying them, if possible,
chaffing them, sprinkling concentrate mixture on them can improve intake and utility.

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