Perception and utilisation of veterinary services by rodent owners in the United Kingdom.

Background: There is limited research on how rodent owners use and perceive veterinary services and what the demand for pet insurance for these species is.

Methods: An online survey of owners of pet rodents (guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, gerbils and mice) measured owner confidence in recognising signs of illness, their opinions on and use of veterinary services and their willingness to purchase pet insurance.

Results: A total of 1700 respondents completed the survey.

The Role of European Equestrian Institutions in Training Professionals: Outcomes from a Workshop on Horse Welfare in Equestrian Education.

This paper highlights and summarizes the experiences and perceptions of European equestrian educational experts from a workshop held at the French National Riding School in Saumur. The workshop, which brought together fifty leading experts, aimed to address challenges in equestrian education, identify common ground, and share best practices. Using 'The World Café' method, the participants were divided into groups to discuss four key topics: the relationship between horses and humans, diversity of perspectives versus common ground, training philosophy, and social acceptability.

Irregular sleep/wake patterns in student-athletes exposed to early morning training.

This study aimed to examine the sleep parameters and sleep/wake regularity of a cohort of student-athletes who start training between 06:30 and 07:00. Twenty-one male Rugby Union players, aged 21 ± 2 years and competing at a national level, were assessed using actigraphy over two weeks, and the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ). Sleep/wake regularity was calculated using the Sleep Regularity Index (SRI).

Facial pressure beneath a cavesson noseband adjusted to different tightness levels during standing and chewing.

Background: Noseband adjustment should avoid discomfort and allow some jaw movement.

Objectives: To determine pressure beneath a cavesson noseband at five tightness levels during standing and chewing. It was hypothesised that increased noseband tightness is associated with increases in nasal and mandibular pressures while standing and chewing, accompanied by increases in eye temperature and blink rate.

Needle-free intradermal vaccination, an opportunity to improve commercial pig welfare.

In-farm livestock production vaccinations are commonly delivered intramuscularly using needles. While there are alternative strategies these have been subject to little attention and limited commercialisation. One such alternative is needle-free vaccines and studies have focused on the immune response few have addressed the welfare implications.

The Role of the Equestrian Professional in Bridle and Bit Fit in the United Kingdom.

To ensure the comfort of ridden horses, equipment including bridles and bits should be suitable and fit correctly. Horse owners employ a variety of equestrian professionals with varying degrees of responsibility regarding bridle and bit fit. This study aimed to compare the frequency and manner in which equestrian professionals within a multidisciplinary team (MDT) engage with clients on matters of bridle and bit fit, and to capture their perceptions of the key issues in bridle and bit fit.

UK animal therapists' confidence in executing professional skills in clinical practice.

Background: Veterinary physiotherapy and hydrotherapy are popular modalities in the UK, yet little is known about the confidence of therapists responsible for performing these treatments. A lack of confidence may have a detrimental impact on patients; therefore, this study investigated the effect of age, species specialisation, educational level, occupation, qualifications, experience and years practising on animal therapists' confidence in executing professional skills.

Methods: An online survey was conducted to collect quantitative data regarding UK-based therapists' confidence in the completion of entrustable professional activities (EPAs).

3D limb dynamics of flyball dogs turning on different box angles.

There are no regulations for the flyball box angulation, which ranges from 45° to 89°. As such at present, the box turn is deemed to represent the greatest injury risk to competitors. The aim of this study was to understand the influence of box angle on kinematic variables during a flyball turn, by comparing dogs turning on three different angulations of flyball box (45°, 60° and 83°) to allow for recommendations to be made regarding the most appropriate box design in terms of limiting risk of injury across the sport, to increase both wellbeing and safety for competitors.

A Qualitative Study of Why Students Choose to Study Veterinary Nursing.

Veterinary nursing (VN) is a popular subject among undergraduate students, but due to the high attrition rates from the profession there is a shortage of registered VNs. By identifying the factors that motivated student VNs to enroll in their degree program and persist to the final, it may be possible to enhance the support available for students when they are deciding whether to study VN. Online semi-structured interviews were used with 10 student participants from the final year of a BSc (hons) VN program.

Towards realist-informed ripple effects mapping (RREM): positioning the approach.

Background: Evaluation approaches such as ripple effects mapping (REM) and realist evaluation have emerged as popular methodologies to evidence impact, and the processes of change within public health as part of whole systems approaches. Despite the various examples of their implementation across different evaluation settings, there has been little or no evidence of how they might be effective when combined.

Methods: With REM's potential to pragmatically illustrate impact, and realist evaluation's strength to identify how and why impacts emerge, this paper develops a rationale and process for their amalgamation.

Neither an Individualised Nor a Standardised Sodium Bicarbonate Strategy Improved Performance in High-Intensity Repeated Swimming, or a Subsequent 200 m Swimming Time Trial in Highly Trained Female Swimmers.

Inconsistent swimming performances are often observed following sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO) ingestion, possibly because the time taken to reach peak blood buffering capacity is highly variable between individuals. Personalising NaHCO ingestion based on time-to-peak blood bicarbonate (HCO) could be a solution; however, this strategy is yet to be explored in swimming, or adequately compared to standardised NaHCO approaches. Therefore, six highly trained female swimmers ingested 0.

Musculoskeletal Injury and Illness Patterns in British Eventing Horses: A Descriptive Study.

There has been little investigation into the health patterns of the eventing horse population outside veterinary clinics. To target health problems in the eventing horse population, it is important to determine the relative impact of different health problems. The objectives were to describe the prevalence and patterns of lameness/illness in registered British eventing horses.

Noseband type and tightness level affect pressure on the horse's face at trot.

Background: Poor noseband adjustment could create high pressures that may risk pain or tissue damage.

Objectives: To quantify sub-noseband pressures dorsally over the nasal bone and ventrally over the mandibular rami for a Cavesson, Swedish (crank), Drop and Flash noseband at five tightness levels (2.0 to 0.

The Role of Equestrian Professionals in Saddle Fit for Horses and Riders in the United Kingdom.

The horse owner and the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) are responsible for safeguarding horse welfare by ensuring the equipment being used is correctly fitted. The aim of this study was to investigate how saddle fit is assessed, managed, and acted upon by equestrian professionals. Participants ( = 483) completed an online questionnaire, which was split into three major sections: (1) participant demographics; (2) saddle fit for the horse; and (3) saddle fit for the rider.

Straight from the horse's mouth: The effect of different feedstuffs on oral pH in horses and ponies.

Feedstuffs, especially ensiled forage, may be detrimental to equid oral health by exposing the oral cavity to low pH. This study aimed to identify if salivary pH was altered by 1) a range of different feedstuffs and (2) specifically by feeding haylages with differing nutrient profiles. Two studies were conducted.

Kinematic Responses to Water Treadmill Exercise When Used Regularly within a Sport Horse Training Programme: A Longitudinal, Observational Study.

Repeated exposure to water treadmill (WT) exercise could elicit kinematic responses reflecting adaptation to WT exercise. The study's aim was to compare the responses of a group of sport horses to a standardised WT exercise test (WT) carried out at three time points, week 0 ( = 48), week 20 ( = 38), and week 40 ( = 29), throughout a normal training programme incorporating WT exercise. Horses were recruited from the existing client populations of two commercial water treadmill venues for the purpose of this longitudinal, observational study.

Contemporary educational and behavior change strategies improve dietary practices around a match in professional soccer players.

Background: The importance of nutrition in optimizing the health and performance of professional soccer players has been well established. Despite published practical recommendations for the dietary requirements for professional soccer players, many players fail to meet these guidelines. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to assess the impact of targeted nutritional education and behavior change interventions on dietary intake in professional football players.

Contextualised care: faddish or foundational?

Members of Veterinary Humanities UK argue that contextualised care should be considered as foundational to morally and economically sustainable veterinary practice in today's changing world.

Use of a poll-mounted accelerometer for quantification and characterisation of equine trigeminal-mediated headshaking.

Background: Equine trigeminal-mediated (TGM) headshaking (HS) is a neuropathic facial pain syndrome characterised by varying intensity and frequencies of head movements and signs of nasal irritation. An accurate method for quantification and/or characterisation of HS severity is lacking.

Objectives: To develop and validate an objective measure of TGMHS.

Behavioral interventions and behavior change techniques used to improve sleep outcomes in athlete populations: A scoping review.

Background: Athletes display a high prevalence of undesired sleep characteristics that may affect both performance and wellbeing.

Objectives: This scoping review aimed to identify and map the existing evidence of behavioral sleep interventions and their effects on sleep outcomes in athletes, and retrospectively code the behavior change techniques (BCTs) implemented using the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (BCTTv1).

Methods: Conducted following the JBI methodology for scoping reviews, four online databases were used to identify prospective interventions with at least one behavioral component in competitive athletes, and reporting a sleep outcome pre- and post-intervention.

Exploring the relationship between horse-owner attributes and their approach to horse training.

The way horses are trained has implications for equine welfare and training success, yet little is known about the factors that influence horse-owners' choice of training approach (TA). Limited understanding in this area will hinder the development and dissemination of evidence-based training advice to owners. Consequently, this study aims to identify demographic and attitudinal factors that influence horse-owner TA selection.

Using the Traditional Ex Vivo Whole Blood Model to Discriminate Bacteria by Their Inducible Host Responses.

Whole blood models are rapid and versatile for determining immune responses to inflammatory and infectious stimuli, but they have not been used for bacterial discrimination. , and are the most common causes of invasive disease, and rapid testing strategies utilising host responses remain elusive. Currently, immune responses can only discriminate between bacterial 'domains' (fungi, bacteria and viruses), and very few studies can use immune responses to discriminate bacteria at the species and strain level.

Translating and applying a simulation model to enhance understanding of grassland management.

Each new generation of grassland managers could benefit from an improved understanding of how modification of nitrogen application and harvest dates in response to different weather and soil conditions will affect grass yields and quality. The purpose of this study was to develop a freely available grass yield simulation model, validated for England and Wales, and to examine its strengths and weaknesses as a teaching tool for improving grass management. The model, called LINGRA-N-Plus, was implemented in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and iteratively evaluated by students and practitioners (farmers, consultants, and researchers) in a series of workshops across the UK over 2 years.

Early morning sport scheduling is associated with poorer subjective sleep characteristics in British student-athletes.

This study presents the sleep characteristics of British student-athletes and examines the relationships between sport scheduling and time demands on sleep outcomes. Student-athletes (n = 157, 51% male) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI). Self-reported sleep characteristics on weekdays and weekends, weekly frequencies of early morning and late evening sport sessions, and academic-related and sport-related time demands were also collected.