The role of animal medicines for animal health and welfare

1
The role of animal medicines for animal health
and welfare

• Dr. Johan Van Tilburg , DVM
• Vice President FECAVA

2
The economic importance of companion animals

• conference by Ellen Berkas DVM PhD Dipl ECVO at a
  UEVP meeting in 2007
• Professor, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
• Past President of FECAVA( the Federation of
  European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations)

3
FECAVA

• Companion animalsdogs ad cats unless something
  else is specified
• FECAVA is an association of associations. Its
  membership is made up of European veterinary
  organisations, which are concerned with companion
  animals. Currently there are 35 member
  associations and 12 affiliated member
  associations, representing app. 26,000
  individual veterinarians from around Europe.
• The objective of FECAVA are
• Unite,represent and promote the interests of the
  Companion Animal Veterinary Profession of Europe.
• To define and promote the highest standards of
  practice and welfare for companion animals
• www.fecava.org

4
background

• 50 of veterinarians graduating in Europe will be
  working with companion animals.
• The companion animal world is becoming
  increasingly important economicaly, and there is
  a substantial health benefit in owning a
  companion animal.
• For the veterinary profession it is important to
  be involved in the whole industry to ensure te
  health and well being on the animals in our care.

5
Companion animalindustry

• European Petfood Food Association
• 5million tonnes /year 8.5 Billion

6
Companion animal industry

• Sales of animals
• Petfood
• Sale of equipent
• Animal health services
• Insurance
• Activities generate money flow ( dog shows,
  competitions etc.
• Sale of veterinary services
• Advanced veerinary services demands better
  education and better equipment
• Companion animals have an emotional value to
  people
• health benefits are of economic value in society
• better quality of life causes better health ad
  better work perfomance

7
numbers

• According to the European Pet Food Association
  there are 60 million cats, 56 million dogs and 35
  million cage birds in Europe. In addition people
  keep ferrets, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs,
  hamsters, etc. The total number of households
  with pets in Europe is 62 million

8
Companion animal health market

• The global dog and cat animal health market was
  valued at approximately 5,000 million in 2005
  and accounted for nearly 40 of the global
  animal health market. Dog and cat sales in Europe
  were approximately 35 1,750.
• As for the future the companion animal health
  market is expected to account for almost 60 of
  the growth in the animal health market. The dog
  and cat market is expected to grow most strongly
  in the geriatric and juvenile areas because pets
  live longer and their owners are more willing to
  spend on them (Source Wood Mackenzie)

9
Data from different countries

• Data from Austria
• The direct expenses for approximately 700,000
  dogs amount to 850,000 annually. Including
  social services and health benefits, 1,5
  billion are moved. This is 1 of GNP. Dog keeping
  in Austria supports 5,000 jobs and contributes at
  least 300,000 of taxes. (Source KM Kotrschal
  2005 Manimalis Symposium)

10

• Data from The Netherlands
• The economic value of the companion animal sector
  has been calculated to be much higher than for
  example the poultry industry. In 2006 4,200
  people were working in the pet products shops,
  and increase of 11 from 2000. In addition, there
  are at present 460 kennels and 700 pet grooming
  saloons in the Netherlands. The total estimated
  cash flow in 2003 was 1,1 million. (Source
  Forum Companion Animal Welfare, the Netherlands).

11

• Data from Norway
• There are about 26,000 dogs registered (and sold)
  in Norway every year. Each dog costs in average
  1,050. This generates a cash flow of 26 million
  per year in Norway alone.

12

• Cattle 937,400 animals in 2004. The value one
  heifer age 20 months is 1,050
• Dog 400,000 animals in 2004. The value one puppy
  age 8 weeks is 1,050
• (Source SSB, Norway)

13
The impact of companion animals on quality of
life

• Numerous studies have showed that companion
  animals have a positive effect on people
• Dog owners have better health (more physically
  active, lower blood pressure and cholesterol)
• They have more contact with other people.
• There is a positive effect on children to grow up
  with pet animals.

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• the benefits include among others quicker
  recovery after heart surgery and positive effects
  on quality of life in nursing homes, hospitals,
  prisons and day care centres. (Source Dr. Erhard
  Olbrich, Professor of Psychology)
• When hospitalised, Canadian pet owners spend on
  average 38 less time in hospital (8 vs 13 days)
  (Source Raina 1998, 1999)
• In Norway, with a population of 4 million
  inhabitants, this means a net saving of 88
  million annually for the ten largest hospitals
  (average cost/day estimated low 625)

15

• For Belgium with 10,5 million inhabitants, this
  equals 231 million annually
• Money spent by the Canadian insurance companies
  in order to cover health related expenses per
  person (Raina 1998, 1999)
• Pet owners 36,000
• Non-owners 47,500
• The difference is 11,500 per person.

16
Final questions

• The above data lead to the following questions
• Is the economic impact of the companion animal
  industry fully acknowledged?
• among decision-makers
• in veterinary organisations
• in research programmes
• Which body is responsible for informing society
  about the change in veterinary fields of work?
• Which body should work for influencing the
  priorities in the next (8th) Framework programme
  for research?

17
The role of medicines in (small)animal health and
welfare

• Prophylactic
• Curative

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Prophylactic

• Eradication of contagious diseases by vaccination
• Dogs rabies, distemper, hepatitis,
  leptospirosis, parvovirose etc.
• Cats panleucopenia, chlamydiae,fip,felv
• Rabbitsmyxomatosis,haemorragic enteritis

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Prophylactic

• Direct effect on the animal by protection against
  the specific diseases ( mostly 100
  effectiveness)
• Indirect by creating a positive idea on public
  opinion ( remember the very bad reactions of
  people by detecting FIV ,and the massive destroy
  of cats in that period due to poor information )

20
Prophylactic

• These vaccines still need to be used
• lots of people are travelling with their pets
  worldwide and the opening of borders creates new
  challenges ( re-appearence of distemper)
• - Regular vermifugation programmes are depend
  very much on the way of life of animal and owner
  ( city live, farmlife, children)

21
Prophylactic

• Fleas and ticks
• Allergic reactions to flea bites is a very common
  disease in dog and cats ( 1 out of 3 animals)
• Ticks are transmittors for different diseases as
  well in human and animals
• Lyme disease, babesiosis or piroplasmosis,erlichia
  
• .

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• Curativeantibiotics
• All bacterial infectious diseases need to be
  treated by antibiotics.
• We must be aware of resistance and teach people
  how important it is to end an ab therapy properly
• A very good help can be the long acting ab( 14
  days) in this case we are sure that the treatment
  is completed

23
Curative metabolic disorders

• Cushing disease
• Diabetes mellitus
• Oncology
• Renal insufficienty
• Cardiac poblems
• Allergy patients

24
Curative metabolic disease

• These diseases were not or rarely treated 20
  years ago
• It is very common to treat these animals these
  days if people are well informed about diagnosis,
  prognosis and complications

25
Curative pain management

• Pain is one of the most difficult issues to
  handle
• When does an animal suffer pain?
• When does a client realise that his/her animal is
  suffering ?
• Since 10 years it is in our SOP for surgery and
  post-surgery care (at least in our practice ) to
  have a strict pain management. This is a relief
  of course for animal and owner