BEYOND TREATMENT: CLINICAL STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING ANIMAL WELFARE IN SMALL ANIMAL MEDICINE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/levv13n31-060Keywords:
Animal Welfare, Small Animal Clinic, Humane Handling, Analgesia, Ethical CommunicationAbstract
This study aimed to analyze and integrate the main concepts, models, and clinical strategies related to animal welfare promotion in small animal veterinary medicine. A narrative literature review was conducted, based on scientific articles and international guidelines published between 2001 and 2023, obtained from databases such as PubMed and Scopus, as well as documents from WSAVA, OIE, FAWC, AVMA, and Fear Free. The study addressed the Five Freedoms and Five Domains Models and their clinical applications, including humane handling, multimodal analgesia, environmental adjustments, ethical communication, and shared decision-making. The findings indicate that animal welfare transcends ethical dimensions, constituting a technical and professional competence essential to veterinary practice, with direct effects on recovery, therapeutic adherence, and the veterinarian–tutor relationship. It is concluded that integrating these principles enhances care standards and reinforces the ethical and social responsibility of the veterinary profession, in accordance with international animal welfare guidelines.
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References
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