Journal Articles
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Item Psychological impacts and self-management by responders to emergency and disaster events involving animals: findings from a cross-sectional international survey(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, 2025-10-01) De Grey SJ; Riley CB; Thompson KR; Squance HE; Cogger NAims: To examine the self-reported psychological impacts for professional and volunteer responders associated with attending animal-related emergencies and disasters, focusing on their experience and self-reported management. Methods: An online survey of professional and volunteer responders to animal-related emergencies was shared via social media and international response organisations. Questions addressed demographic, training and event-related factors, perceptions of effects on well-being and post-event management recovery techniques. A particular event was recalled in free-text, and respondents indicated how they had been affected using free-text reflection and Likert scale assessment. The revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) was used to identify evidence of possible post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Factors associated with the self-assessed binary outcome of compromised mental well-being (yes or no) were evaluated using single-predictor and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Of 227 responses deemed sufficiently complete for analysis, participants’ rescue experience ranged from 1–60 years; 67% identified as female. Most respondents (57%; 129/227) reported that the incident described affected their mental well-being. A multivariable model found female responders more likely than males to report compromised well-being (OR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.25–4.57; p = 0.009). The presence of an animal injury (OR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.44–5.75; p = 0.003), injuries to a member of the public (OR = 3.73, 95% CI = 1.68–8.99; p = 0.002), or a team member (OR = 8.65 95% CI 2.25–57.67; p = 0.006), increased the odds of self-reported adverse mental health outcomes. Six per cent (13/227) of respondents had an IES-R score for which partial PTSD may be a clinical concern, and 3% (7/227) had a score indicative of possible PTSD, including four with a score that has been associated with PTSD and long-term health consequences. Of those who tried well-being support techniques, 95% (187/197) ranked talking with friends, family or teammates as effective. Debriefing with the team or mentor was also effective (95%; 187/197). Socialising was effective for 88% (119/135), and mindfulness or meditation for 87% (91/105). Conclusion and clinical relevance: Responders to emergencies involving animals are at risk of psychological trauma associated with these events, potentially leading to the compromise of mental well-being. Psychosocial supports self-identified as helpful for recovery include talking with others, socialising, physical or recreational activity, debriefing, and mindfulness or meditation, but their effectiveness requires objective evaluation so that education on mitigation and recovery strategies is well-informed.Item Medication compliance by cat owners prescribed treatment for home administration.(Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine., 2025-01-11) Odom TF; Riley CB; Benschop J; Hill KEBACKGROUND: Most veterinary literature examining medication compliance has described the phenomenon in dogs. The evidence available regarding factors affecting cat owner medication compliance is limited. OBJECTIVES: Identify and describe factors associated with cat owners' noncompliance with veterinary recommendations for pet medications, as well as client-reported barriers and aids to administering medications prescribed by primary care veterinarians. SUBJECTS: Cat owners presenting their animals for veterinary examination and treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of cat owners' compliance with veterinary medication recommendations was performed from January 9, 2019, to July 18, 2020. A convenience sample of owners prescribed medication for their pets by veterinarians during or after elective veterinary examination was recruited to respond to questions regarding medication administration experience and compliance. Follow-up was obtained from owners to determine if the course of medication had been completed. Compliance data were analyzed descriptively, and logistic regression was performed. RESULTS: Medication noncompliance was recorded for 39% (26/66) of cat owners. A quarter (16/66) reported challenges in administering medication to their pets; the most commonly cited reason was a resistant pet. Oral administration of antibiotics was significantly associated with noncompliance (P = .01). Clients with limited pet ownership experience were less likely to be noncompliant (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Clients' inability to medicate their cats PO may have implications for clinical outcomes and antimicrobial stewardship. Alternatives to direct PO administration of solid-form medications in cats should be considered. Demonstrating administration techniques to all clients may improve compliance and influence clinical outcome.Item Factors Associated with Medication Noncompliance in Dogs in New Zealand.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-09-03) Odom TF; Riley CB; Benschop J; Hill KE; Paterson MClient compliance with prescribed medication instructions to treat their pets is a concern. This study describes factors associated with the noncompliance of dog owners with veterinary recommendations for medication, as well as client-reported barriers and aids to administering medications. A cross-sectional survey of dog owners' compliance with veterinary medication recommendations was performed from 9 January 2019 to 18 July 2020. A convenience sample of owners who prescribed medication for their dogs during or following elective veterinary examination was surveyed regarding medication administration experience and compliance. Owners were followed up to determine if the course of medication had been completed. Compliance data were analyzed descriptively. Logistic regression was performed with compliance as the outcome. Medication noncompliance was recorded for 47% (71/151) of owners. Increasing dog age was associated with better owner compliance (p < 0.05). Pet owners who used "nothing" as an aid to medicating were less likely to be noncompliant (p < 0.05). Forty-seven percent (71/151) of owners reported that "nobody" showed them how to administer the medication. One-third of dog owners (47/151) reported challenges in medicating their pets. The most common reason cited by clients reporting challenges was a resistant pet. Demonstration of medication administration techniques and discussion about available aids to medicating a pet may improve client compliance.Item Analysis of current methods and Welfare concerns in the transport of 118 horses by commercial air cargo companies(BioMed Central Ltd, 2024-04-26) Felici M; Cogger N; Nanni Costa L; Riley CB; Padalino BBACKGROUND: Studies on equine air transport practices and consequences are scarce. This prospective study aimed to describe horse and air journey details and practices, document how horse behavior and health changed during the air transport phases, quantify the occurrence of welfare issues, and identify possible associations between horse and journey details, air transport practices, and welfare issues. RESULTS: Data were collected from before departure to five days after arrival on 118/597 horses traveling on 32 commercial air journeys on different routes, varying in duration and conditions. Most horses were middle-aged warmblood females, 26% of which were pregnant, and being moved by air for sales. Before flying, most were quarantined (median: 18; IQR: 9-53 days), and their fitness for travel was certified by veterinarians. At the departure airports, external temperatures varied from - 6 °C to 33 °C, and horses were loaded by experienced flight grooms (median: 35; IQR: 15-40 years) into jet stalls (three-horse: 87%, two-horse: 13%). During the flights, horses were regularly watered (water intake median: 14 L) and fed ad libitum (feed consumption median: 8 kg). At the arrival airport, horses were unloaded from the jet stalls, and external temperatures ranged from - 5 °C to 32 °C. Then, all horses were transported to arrival quarantine by road. Air transport phases affected horses' health status and behavior; increased heart and respiratory rates and behaviors, such as pawing, head tossing, and vocalization, were mainly identified at departure and arrival. Horse interaction, nasal discharge, increased capillary refill time (CRT), and abnormal demeanor were observed more often one hour before landing while resting and normal capillary refill time were more often displayed five days after arrival (all P < 0.01). One hour before landing, horses with bad temperament and horses of unknown temperament were more likely to develop nasal discharge when transported in winter and autumn (P < 0.001). The likelihood of an increased CRT was associated with shorter flights in horses of unknown travel experience (P < 0.001). Ten horses were injured, and 11 developed pleuropneumonias (i.e., shipping fever). CONCLUSIONS: Air transport is a complex procedure with several different phases affecting horse health and behavior. Therefore, experienced staff should carefully manage each horse before, during, and after air journeys to minimize welfare hazards.Item Tetanus prophylaxis in horses: guidelines for New Zealand and Australia based on a critical appraisal of the evidence.(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-06-23) Lovett AL; Riley CB; Chapman V; Bell B; Bishop B; Grierson A; Johnstone LJ; Sykes BWHorses are exquisitely sensitive to tetanus neurotoxin and are exposed to the risk of infection with Clostridium tetani throughout life. The vaccine against tetanus is highly effective at preventing disease, whereas tetanus in unvaccinated populations is associated with high mortality rates. Current guidelines in New Zealand and Australia for the available vaccine contain contradictions and limitations surrounding the optimal tetanus immunisation protocols for both adult horses and foals. This review critically evaluates the scientific literature on tetanus prophylaxis in horses within the context of equine practice and available products in New Zealand and Australia. The review was conducted by a panel of industry and specialist veterinarians to obtain agreement on nine equine tetanus prophylaxis guidelines for practising veterinarians. The primary protocol for tetanus toxoid (TT) immunisation consists of a three-dose series IM for all horses ≥ 6 months of age, and a four-dose series IM is proposed if commencing vaccination in foals between 3 and 6 months of age. Tetanus prophylaxis in foals < 3 months of age relies on passive immunity strategies. Following the completion of the primary protocol, a TT booster dose IM should be administered within 5 years, and every 5 years thereafter. When followed, these protocols should provide adequate protection against tetanus in horses. Additional tetanus prophylaxis guidelines are provided for veterinarians attending a horse experiencing a known "risk event" (e.g. wound, hoof abscess, surgery, umbilical infection). When a correctly vaccinated horse experiences a risk event, pre-existing immunity provides protection against tetanus. When an unvaccinated horse or one with unknown vaccination status, or a foal born to an unvaccinated dam, experiences a risk event, TT IM and tetanus antitoxin (TAT) 1,500 IU SC should be administered simultaneously at separate sites, and the TT primary immunisation protocol should subsequently be completed for the horse's respective age. In previously immunised pregnant broodmares, a TT booster dose administered 4-8 weeks prior to parturition optimises the transfer of passive immunity against tetanus to the newborn foal via colostrum; provided that post-natal IgG concentration in serum is > 800 mg/dL (8 g/L), such foals should be passively protected against tetanus up to 6 months of age. Survivors of clinical tetanus must still receive the primary protocol for vaccination against tetanus. In summary, all horses in New Zealand and Australia should be vaccinated against tetanus with protection maintained throughout life via TT booster doses, facilitated by accurate medical record keeping and client education.Item Human Injuries Associated with the Transport of Horses by Road(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-05-10) Riley CB; Padalino B; Rogers CW; Thompson KR; Arfuso FThere is an increased understanding of shared human-animal risk in terms of "one welfare", whereby when animals are at risk, so are people, so preventing injury to one species may also prevent injury to the other. Because transport-related injuries to horses are common, the authors considered this paradigm to study road equine transport-related injuries to humans in New Zealand. The aim was to determine their frequency and associated factors by distributing a survey to horse industry participants through industry organisations asking about their horse activities, road transport experiences, and any related self-injury. There were 112/1067 (10.5%) handlers injured while preparing (13/112), loading (39/112), traveling (6/112), or unloading (33/112). Of these, 40% had multiple injury types, and 33% had several body regions affected. Hand injuries were most common (46%), followed by the foot (25%), arm (17%), and head or face (15%). Median recovery time was 7 days. Injuries were associated with the responder's industry educational background, years of driving experience, and reporting a horse injured during road transport in the past two years. Wearing helmets and gloves, and adopting strategies designed to eliminate equine injuries associated with the road transport of horses to reduce the risk of injury to their handlers are recommended.Item Infrared Spectroscopy of Synovial Fluid Shows Accuracy as an Early Biomarker in an Equine Model of Traumatic Osteoarthritis(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-03-22) Panizzi L; Vignes M; Dittmer KE; Waterland MR; Rogers CW; Sano H; McIlwraith CW; Riley CB; Kaneps AJOsteoarthritis is a leading cause of lameness and joint disease in horses. A simple, economical, and accurate diagnostic test is required for routine screening for OA. This study aimed to evaluate infrared (IR)-based synovial fluid biomarker profiling to detect early changes associated with a traumatically induced model of equine carpal osteoarthritis (OA). Unilateral carpal OA was induced arthroscopically in 9 of 17 healthy thoroughbred fillies; the remainder served as Sham-operated controls. The median age of both groups was 2 years. Synovial fluid (SF) was obtained before surgical induction of OA (Day 0) and weekly until Day 63. IR absorbance spectra were acquired from dried SF films. Following spectral pre-processing, predictive models using random forests were used to differentiate OA, Sham, and Control samples. The accuracy for distinguishing between OA and any other joint group was 80%. The classification accuracy by sampling day was 87%. For paired classification tasks, the accuracies by joint were 75% for OA vs. OA Control and 70% for OA vs. Sham. The accuracy for separating horses by group (OA vs. Sham) was 68%. In conclusion, SF IR spectroscopy accurately discriminates traumatically induced OA joints from controls.Item Plasma and Synovial Fluid Cell-Free DNA Concentrations Following Induction of Osteoarthritis in Horses(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-03-14) Panizzi L; Dittmer KE; Vignes M; Doucet JS; Gedye K; Waterland MR; Rogers CW; Sano H; McIlwraith CW; Riley CB; Zucca EBiomarkers for osteoarthritis (OA) in horses have been extensively investigated, but translation into clinical use has been limited due to cost, limited sensitivity, and practicality. Identifying novel biomarkers that overcome these limitations could facilitate early diagnosis and therapy. This study aimed to compare the concentrations of synovial fluid (SF) and plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) over time in control horses with those with induced carpal OA. Following an established model, unilateral carpal OA was induced in 9 of 17 healthy Thoroughbred fillies, while the remainder were sham-operated controls. Synovial fluid and plasma samples were obtained before induction of OA (Day 0) and weekly thereafter until Day 63, and cfDNA concentrations were determined using fluorometry. The SF cfDNA concentrations were significantly higher for OA joints than for sham-operated joints on Days 28 (median 1430 μg/L and 631 μg/L, respectively, p = 0.017) and 63 (median 1537 μg/L and 606 μg/L, respectively, p = 0.021). There were no significant differences in plasma cfDNA between the OA and the sham groups after induction of carpal OA. Plasma cfDNA measurement is not sufficiently sensitive for diagnostic purposes in this induced model of OA. Synovial fluid cfDNA measurement may be used as a biomarker to monitor early disease progression in horses with OA.Item A Survey-Based Analysis of Injuries to Horses Associated with Transport by Road in New Zealand(MDPI (Basel Switzerland), 2022-02) Riley CB; Rogers CW; Thompson KR; Guiver D; Padalino B; Arfuso FNegative outcomes associated with the road transport of horses are a significant welfare issue. This study aimed to describe the injuries sustained by horses during road transport in New Zealand and factors associated with trauma while in transit. New Zealand horse industry participants were surveyed on their horse transport experiences and equine industry involvement. Participants were solicited through horse organisations. The data were tabulated, and a logistic regression was performed to identify significant (p < 0.05) factors associated with transport-related injury. In total, 201/1133 (17.7%/2 years) eligible surveys reported at least one horse injured during road transport. Most incidents occurred in transit (137/169; 81%), or when transported with one (76/193; 39.4%) or more (41/193; 21.2%) other horses. Most commonly, the hindlimbs, the head, or the forelimbs were injured (59.1%; 110/186 horses), ranging in severity from bruises to catastrophic orthopaedic trauma necessitating euthanasia. Eventing, not always checking horses' fitness for transport, using a tail guard or bandage, a stallion guard in the vehicle, bedding type on the floor, and behavioural problems were associated with injuries. This survey identified a significant incidence of injury and related death when horses are transported by road in New Zealand, and the key risk factors associated with the odds of injury.Item Interactions Between Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and the Recipient Immune System: A Comparative Review With Relevance to Equine Outcomes(Frontiers Media S.A., 2021-01-13) Kamm JL; Riley CB; Parlane N; Gee EK; McIlwraith CW; Schnabel LVDespite significant immunosuppressive activity, allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) carry an inherent risk of immune rejection when transferred into a recipient. In naïve recipients, this immune response is initially driven by the innate immune system, an immediate reaction to the foreign cells, and later, the adaptive immune system, a delayed response that causes cell death due to recognition of specific alloantigens by host cells and antibodies. This review describes the actions of MSCs to both suppress and activate the different arms of the immune system. We then review the survival and effectiveness of the currently used allogeneic MSC treatments.