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5. Recognise existing active risk factors operating on board that are predisposing to disease occurrence
6. Provide a tentative diagnosis and short list of differential diagnosis based on history, clinical signs and presence of risk factors.
7. Know where to find a list of samples required to be collected from cattle showing different symptoms
8. Collect good quality, representative samples according to a protocol and securely store the samples
9. Use the various health indices available on board including food and water consumption, drug usage and hospital pen records to measure amount and impact of different
diseases and conditions. 10. Understand the system for daily collection and pooling of observational data from
stockpersons to form the basis for a description of animal health on a daily basis during voyages.
11. Accurately complete a Sick Cattle Sample Submission Form so that the information is usable by a laboratory diagnostician and contributes useful epidemiological data.
12. Accurately complete a Sick Cattle Epi Report that contributes useful epidemiological data 13. Disinfect and package samples for the return voyage
2.3 Skills, knowledge, experience and attitudes of accredited veterinarians and stockpersons
2.3.1 Accredited veterinarians
The following profile of accredited veterinarians was formed after interviews with three experienced and active
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accredited veterinarians, an exporter and managers from each of MLA, LiveCorp and Animal Health Australia with responsibilities for live cattle exports.
There are less than 20 active accredited veterinarians that accompany cattle ships and another 50 or more that are accredited but appear to rarely accompany ships. To
become accredited, veterinarians must complete an on-line training course focused mainly on legislative responsibilities of accredited veterinarians details of the on-line
training are provided below. Of the active veterinarians, six to eight are understood to work full time accompanying cattle ships while the remainder may accompany only one
or two consignments per year.
Considerable variability in skills, knowledge and experience exists - accredited veterinarians include recent graduates, small animal practitioners, experienced cattle
practitioners or retired public servants or academics. Accordingly there is considerable variability in age, physical fitness, awareness of cross cultural issues, interpersonal skills
and project management skills. Only one female veterinarian regularly accompanies cattle ships to the Middle East.
Veterinarians are probably the best qualified generalists in animal welfare matters. However, there may be a need for some specialist knowledge when supervising
livestock during sea voyages. The steady turnover of active accredited veterinarians with attrition estimated at 20 to
30 per year is associated with a similar stream of new inexperienced and untrained veterinarians replacing them.
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Active accredited veterinarians are those who regularly accompany cattle ships.
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Development of training materials that are easily able to be accessed by accredited veterinarians and that provide guidance, tips and tools on how to perform disease
investigation-related tasks more safely, easily and with better results, is supported as a worthwhile investment in industry activities.
Voluntary, well-run, interactive, hands-on training courses in which accredited veterinarians could actively participate and share their knowledge would be welcomed.
In order for disease investigation protocols to be adequately serviced, the veterinarian, stockpersons and crew must work together as a team. This does not always happen
easily as some new veterinarians, although clinically very competent, are not always able to engage the stockpersons and crew because the veterinarians are unfamiliar with
their roles and responsibilities and how they should fit in. The first one or two voyages can be particularly difficult. For this reason a mentoring system is highly desirable.
2.3.2 Accredited stockpersons
