Vets Should Promote Pet Health, Not Pet Trade

BRIGHTON, England, July 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

- New article calls for scrutiny of veterinary conflict of interest and the exotic pet trade

A new scientific article is raising questions about conflicts of interest relating to the veterinary profession and exotic pet trading because of the known harmful links to animal suffering, human health, and species and environmental conservation. The article, entitled 'Veterinary accountability and the exotic pet trade', appears in the current issue of the Journal of AWSELVA (the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association), and has been greatly welcomed by the Animal Protection Agency, which campaigns against the trade in wild animals as pets.

A rise in exotic pet trading has resulted in strong concerns from major veterinary bodies in the UK and Europe, particularly regarding the lack of understanding for the complex biological needs of wild animals kept as pets and animal-to-human disease. Many exotic pets, such as reptiles, are often misleadingly promoted by traders as 'easy to keep', but a recent study found that most reptiles die within just one year in the home.

The article (http://www.awselva.org.uk/journals/2013/07/awselva-journal-summer-2013) spotlights the fact that some vets have directly aligned themselves with exotic pet trading - serving vested financial interests. Such vets effectively cause or commission the wild-capture and intensive breeding, cramped storage, transport and sale of hundreds of thousands of fish, amphibians, reptiles and other animals. Similarly, certain vets also promote exotic pet-keeping in the media and on company websites.

The article points to a greatly expanding raft of scientific evidence showing that stress, disease and premature mortality commonly accompanies 'wild pets' at all stages of the trade and private keeping process. The article also highlights threats posed by the trade to public health, species conservation and ecological stability.

Vets are bound by a code of professional conduct to provide 'impartial' guidance intended for the benefit of animal and human health and welfare. The article argues trading wild animals as pets is not for their 'benefit' and that the issue of vets selling or promoting exotics in the home requires greater scrutiny for possible conflicts of interest and for contributing to harmful practices.

Says Consultant Biologist & Medical Scientist, and article lead author,

Clifford Warwick DipMedSci CBiol CSci EurProBiol FOCAE FSB

"By their nature, vets want to be and are obliged to be part of a solution to animal and human health and welfare matters. That a vet might have a hand in selling or promoting exotic pets is, in my view, tantamount to being part of a problem. And whether or not that represents a formal conflict of interest or questionable practice, I think the spotlight will continue focusing until there are no shaded areas."

Warwick continues…

"In my view, the avoidance of unnecessary harm is a general responsibility we should all share, but I think veterinarians, like some other professionals, have a special responsibility in this regard. However, unnecessary harm is largely unavoidable with the exotic pet business. Whether wild-caught or captive-bred, animal suffering, species and environmental degradation, and public health concerns frequently go hand-in-hand with all stages of exotic pet trading and keeping practices."

Says Biologist and article co-author Catrina Steedman BSc(Hons) MSB

"Many vets are understandably critical of the exotic pet trade and its minefield of animal welfare, public health and environmental problems. It is unfortunate that a few vets, possibly with vested interests, feel it is appropriate to condone and even promote a trade that has such obvious negative consequences for animals and people."
 

Says Veterinary Surgeon and article co-author, Emma Nicholas MA VetMB MRCVS

"Vets have a responsibility to be approachable and impartial; animal welfare and also public health must be their priorities at all times. I believe it is pertinent that as a profession, we open the discussion as to how we best improve the welfare (health and quality of life) of existing exotic pets, and also educate and inform potential owners of "wild" or exotic animals of the associated welfare and public health considerations."

The article concludes that vets should '…occupy a detached position with no interest in the success or failure of the 'business' of exotic pet-keeping' and that 'any vet who recommends or endorses buying or keeping an exotic pet arguably imparts guidance that is not fully consistent with ensuring good animal welfare or human health'.

• For further information, please contact Elaine Toland on 01273 674253 or 07986 535024.

• Photos available on request

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