Use and perception of collars for companion cats in New Zealand.

Aims: To investigate the use and utility of collars for companion cats in New Zealand, and to explore public perception of collar use.

Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed using emails and social media to members of the general public in New Zealand. The questionnaire collected details of respondents, cat ownership status, and responses to a number of questions regarding collar use in cats.

An exploration of attitudes towards pedigree dogs and their disorders as expressed by a sample of companion animal veterinarians in New Zealand.

Aims: To explore veterinary perceptions of inherited disorders in pedigree dogs within New Zealand and how these affect animal health and welfare.

Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to the 647 members of the Companion Animal Society of the New Zealand Veterinary Association using an online survey system. The questionnaire collected details of practitioners, pedigree dog breeds and disorders most often encountered in practice, and responses to questions and statements regarding inherited disorders and pedigree dogs.

Revealing the structural and mechanical characteristics of ovine teeth.

The survival and function of dentition over the lifetime of an animal depends upon the ability of the teeth to resist wear and chemical erosion, and to withstand occlusal loading conditions without suffering debilitating fracture. Understanding how geometrical factors (radius, height, enamel thickness) and mechanical properties of the dental tissues (Young's modulus E, hardness H and toughness KIC of enamel and dentin) combine to ensure the survival of an animal's teeth can provide great insight into the evolutionary history of the animal and its dietary adaptation. While the geometrical factors are beginning to be understood, the range of animals for which measurements of dental tissue properties are available is very narrow, being restricted almost entirely to humans and other primates.

Veterinary provision of analgesia for domestic cats (Felis catus) undergoing gonadectomy: a comparison of samples from New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Aim: To compare the use and provision of analgesia to cats undergoing gonadectomy by a sample of veterinarians in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom (UK).

Methods: Small animal veterinarians' views and practices on provision of analgesia to cats at three different time phases (pre/intra-operatively, post-operatively and post-discharge) were gathered using an on-line questionnaire. Respondents were also asked to state the pharmacological agent(s) used and the dosage rate(s).

Fracture behavior of human molars.

Despite the durability of human teeth, which are able to withstand repeated loading while maintaining form and function, they are still susceptible to fracture. We focus here on longitudinal fracture in molar teeth-channel-like cracks that run along the enamel sidewall of the tooth between the gum line (cemento-enamel junction-CEJ) and the occlusal surface. Such fractures can often be painful and necessitate costly restorative work.

Role of tooth elongation in promoting fracture resistance.

A study is made of the role of tooth height on the resistance to side-wall longitudinal fracture under axial occlusal loading, building on earlier analyses for molar teeth with low dome-like ('bunodont') crown structures characteristic of primates and several other omnivorous mammals. The present study extends the analysis by considering molar teeth with an elongate columnar structure below the crown, more characteristic of grazing mammals. Extended finite element modeling is used to determine the evolution of longitudinal cracking, from initial growth to final failure.

Fracture susceptibility of worn teeth.

An experimental simulation study is made to determine the effects of occlusal wear on the capacity of teeth to resist fracture. Tests are carried out on model dome structures, using glass shells to represent enamel and epoxy filler to represent dentin. The top of the domes are ground and polished to produce flat surfaces of prescribed depths relative to shell thickness.

Attitudes towards perception and management of pain in rabbits and guinea pigs by a sample of veterinarians in New Zealand.

Aims: To determine the perceptions of a sample of veterinarians in New Zealand regarding pain and pain management in rabbits and guinea pigs.

Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to all members of the Companion Animal Society, part of the New Zealand Veterinary Association. The questionnaire gathered information on the demographics of respondents, obtained an assessment by veterinarians of the level of pain associated with clinical procedures for rabbits and guinea pigs, established the willingness of respondents to perform these, obtained information on the anaesthetics and analgesics used during these procedures, and the factors associated with selecting different types of drug.

Mechanics of longitudinal cracks in tooth enamel.

A study is made of longitudinal "channel" cracking in tooth enamel from axial compressive loading. The cracks simulate those generated in the molar and premolar teeth of humans and animals by natural tooth function. Contact loading tests are made on extracted human molars with hard and soft indenting plates to determine the evolution of such cracks with increasing load.