Glen Cousquer

• BSc(Hons) BVM&S CertZooMed PGDOE MSc MSc PhD MRCVS
• University of Edinburgh

The climate crisis, inequality, poverty, disease, hunger, food waste, and loss of biodiversity are all part of an extensive list of global challenges impacting us at a local level that could be addressed better by using the One Health approach. In a world where people, animals and the environment are recognized as being interconnected and interdepe...

The appearance of the mule in the remote villages of the Toubkal National Park in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco can be traced back to the early years of the twentieth century. The mule population’s subsequent growth in numbers accompanied the shift away from a subsistence economy that was made possible by the appearance and growth of the mini...

The welfare of working equines is born of the relationship co-created with humans and the relational practices humans bring to this work. Our understanding of this relationship remains elusive, however, for it involves attending to that which arises both within and between the equine and the human. Attempts to study such relationships have, arguabl...

One Health recognises the interdependence between the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment. With the increasing inclusion of One Health in multiple global health strategies, the One Health workforce must be prepared to protect and sustain the health and well-being of life on the planet. In this paper, a review of past and currently...

The welfare of equines working as pack animals on treks and expeditions within the international mountain tourism industry is often severely compromised. Awareness of these issues and of what prevents owners, trekking teams and the wider industry knowing and attending to the equine and to equine welfare has been advanced through a sustained researc...

This feature will consider the main reasons for this alarming collapse in skylark numbers, and ask what we as vets and as members of the public can do to help. With a little imagination, we can see that our own choices and actions as consumers, as dog owners and walkers, and as vets can make a difference.

This article will explore the kestrel’s remarkable biology and ecology before considering and trying to make sense of some of the factors that have contributed to this bird’s changing fortunes.

A field report of sap feeding in nuthatches

The hills of San Francisco, on which this famous city sprang up and has grown, have witnessed both the coming and going of working equines. Whilst the kind of horsepower that might first spring to mind is under the bonnet of Steve McQueen’s Ford Mustang in the 1968 film Bullitt, the city has also known other forms of horsepower. This article will e...

The emergence of the mule’s role as a beast of burden working in mountain tourism is founded on our appreciation of this species’ great attributes as a means of transport in the mountain environment. Our appreciation of mules does not always extend to their care and welfare. This is particularly true of the mountain tourism industry in Morocco, whe...

This book addresses the issue of animal welfare within the tourism experience. Part I of the book provides a conceptual and historical foundation upon which to analyse animal welfare and the position of animals in tourism, and how these two issues intersect. Part II consists of 14 opinion pieces that discuss various issues associated with animal we...

THIS series gives readers the opportunity to consider and contribute to discussion of some of the ethical dilemmas that can arise in veterinary practice. Each month, a case scenario is presented, followed by discussion of some of the issues involved. In addition, a possible way forward is suggested; however, there is rarely a cut‐and‐dried answer i...

Glen Cousquer discusses how wolves have been viewed historically and culturally and how this influences plans today for their reintroduction.

Mountain Guides and International Mountain Leaders (IMLs) have achieved cross-border recognition of their professional awards. This allows them to work internationally and provides a rare example of an established, state-sanctioned and respected professional group operating within the tourism industry. As it grows, this industry is increasingly loo...

THIS series gives readers the opportunity to consider and contribute to discussion of some of the ethical dilemmas that can arise in veterinary practice. Each month, a case scenario is presented, followed by discussion of some of the issues involved. In addition, a possible way forward is suggested; however, there is rarely a cut-and-dried answer i...

THE ibex (Capra ibex ibex) is considered by many to be the emblematic animal of the Alps. Its agility, grace and poise over steep, rocky ter-rain, together with its relative approachability and result-ing familiarity, have earned it a place in the hearts and minds of mountaineers, nat-uralists and all those who have had the good fortune to encounte...

The dilemma in the October issue involved an injured female grey squirrel and her offspring, which were brought to your practice. While the mother had to be humanely euthanased, the question remained of what to do with the kits. A nurse was eager to hand-rear them but you were also aware that grey squirrels are considered a destructive, non-native...

An adult female grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is brought into your veterinary practice together with her unweaned young after their drey was, apparently, blown from a tree. The member of the public who found the squirrels only did so because her dog caught and injured the mother. A brief clinical examination found the mother to be distressed...

Veterinary Times PACK mules play an essential role in mountain tourism and agriculture in the High Atlas of Morocco and contrib-ute significantly to the local rural economy. Harness sores and injuries are a common health problem with significant welfare implica-tions in these remote areas (Sells et al, 2010; Cousquer, 2011). Tethering injuries are...

Your manager reprimands you for including details of a newly identified condition in the clinical notes of a client's dog. The client has very recently taken out pet insurance and thus risks being refused cover for the investigations and treatment you are proposing. This is a long-standing client with limited means. Your manager suggests that you o...

Profit incentive schemes are becoming increasingly common in veterinary practice and as the principal of a small animal practice you are considering this approach for your employees. You have had some preliminary discussions with your employees, some of whom are unsure about how such a scheme would affect the way they perform their duties. Can prof...

THE Three Tenors held their audience captive. Their chests puffed out, they strutted and paced backwards and for-wards, each striving, or so it appeared, to outdo the other. Pavarotti, his face a crimson scarlet, was fl anked by Carreras to his left and Domingo to his right. No sooner had he thrown down a few defiant bars than the challenge would b...

INJURIES to the anterior segment of the eyes are commonly seen in free-living tawny owls ( Strix aluco ) admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres. Pathology affecting only the surface of the eye was reported in almost 25 per cent of adult free-living tawny owls that received an ophthalmological

ESSENTIALS OF AVIAN MEDICINE AND SURGERY, 3rd edn Brian H. Coles. 392 pages, paperback, £39.50. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. 2007. ISBN 978 1 40515 755 1 ![Figure][1] THE first edition of ‘Avian medicine and surgery’ was published over 20 years ago and

KEEPERS of racing pigeons rear and train their own birds and may require veterinary advice when breeding and/or competition results prove unsatisfactory. The veterinary surgeon attending a racing pigeon loft must have a good understanding of the pigeon as an athlete and the factors that affect performance, as well as the epidemiology of diseases af...

The records of 666 casualty collared doves examined at a wildlife hospital in south-west England over a period of five years were reviewed. Signs of metabolic bone disease were recorded in 51.2 per cent of the juvenile birds but in only 9.6 per cent of the adults. The incidence of the condition was highest between December and February and decrease...

Lead poisoning remains a common finding in free-living British swans presented to wildlife hospitals, despite the ban on fishing shot containing lead between 0.06 and 28.36 g [9]. Blood lead levels as high as 145.4 μmol/L were reported in a nationwide survey, with a maximum level of 84.57 μmol/L reported for the southwest of England [9]. Intensive...

SIR, – Colleagues in small animal practice will be all too aware of the pathogenicity of blowfly strike in pet rabbits and how upsetting the condition can be for rabbit owners. Recent work at the University of Bristol has quantified the prevalence of strike in rabbits and shown that the disease is

DOMESTIC rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are often victims of fly strike or myiasis. Flies are attracted to lay their eggs on rabbits under various conditions and maggots hatching from these eggs then digest living tissue, in some cases causing considerable damage to the animal. The condition is extremely distressing for rabbit and owner alike. Thi...

SIR, – In response to Tom Pennycott and colleagues ( VR , September 17, 2005, vol 157, p 360), it will be very interesting to uncover the extent of disease challenge at bird tables. Contamination of the environment around bird tables is likely to result in disease, particularly where

Detailed ophthalmological examinations were made on 128 of the 216 free-living tawny owls (Strix aluco) examined at a wildlife hospital in the south west of England during the years 2000 to 2002. There were significant lesions in the eyes of 96 (75 per cent) of the birds examined. There were 147 adult birds admitted, of which 89 (60.5 per cent) wer...

THE European badger (Meles meles) is the largest carnivorous British mammal and is common throughout much of the UK. It is found in most rural areas below an altitude of 500 m, but is especially common in south-west England and southern Wales. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are one of the main reasons veterinary attention is sought for badgers. Inde...

MANY birds, whether wild or domestic, presenting to veterinary practices will require appropriate first aid and emergency care in order to stabilise their condition; this is, indeed, necessary for the successful medical management of the avian patient. First aid is the skilled application of accepted principles of treatment following any injury or...

The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a common bird on British waterways with a breeding population, in 1988-1991, of some 25,800 to 27,000 birds. The mute swan frequently presents to wildlife hospitals and rehabilitation centres. Many of these swans have traumatic injuries following collisions and other accidents. Injuries involving the bird's beak (or b...

The second part of this two-part article discusses the management of a number of soft tissue injuries commonly seen in the avian wildlife casualty. This is not an exhaustive review of avian wound management techniques and problems but serves to illustrate the techniques that can be used successfully to deal with and manage some of the more common p...

Avian casualties can present with a wide range of injuries. Careful assessment of each case is necessary in order to identify those birds requiring urgent euthanasia on humane grounds and those who would benefit from care and rehabilitation. This two-part article will discuss the assessment of wounds in the avian wildlife casualty, patient triage a...

Following bans on the use of most lead angling weights, the incidence of lead poisoning cases in Mute Swans started to fall and the population started to increase. However, surveys of lead levels in blood of rescued swans continue to show that a high proportion of the birds are carrying levels in excess of 1.21 mol/l. Since rescued swans, although...

The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) is common throughout much of the British Isles with the greatest population density occurring in the South West [1]. Consequently, injured badgers are frequently presented to wildlife hospitals for care and rehabilitation. The two most common 'reasons for admission' for adult badgers presenting to the RSPCA's West...