Assessing the effect of a canine surgical-neutering educational programme on the knowledge and confidence of Indian veterinary participants

Emma L Rayner; Ilona Airikkala-Otter; Richard J Mellanby; Andrew D Gibson; Aswin Susheelan; Luke Gamble; Stella Mazeri

doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.942890

Assessing the effect of a canine surgical-neutering educational programme on the knowledge and confidence of Indian veterinary participants

Front Vet Sci. 2023 May 25:10:942890. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.942890. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Emma L Rayner¹, Ilona Airikkala-Otter², Richard J Mellanby³, Andrew D Gibson¹, Aswin Susheelan², Luke Gamble¹, Stella Mazeri⁴

Affiliations

¹ Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), Dorset, United Kingdom.
² Worldwide Veterinary Service India, International Training Centre, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India.
³ Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
⁴ The Epidemiology, Economics and Risk Assessment (EERA) Group, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom.

Abstract

India has a large, free-roaming dog population, encompassing both owned and stray dogs. Canine surgical neutering is often a central component of dog population management and rabies control initiatives. The provision of practical, surgical training opportunities remains a major challenge for veterinary educational establishments worldwide to ensure competency in this routine procedure. A 12-day educational programme, focusing on surgical neutering skills, was developed to address this need. A questionnaire comprising 26 questions covering surgical and clinical topics, and a self-assessment of confidence in undertaking five common surgical procedures, was completed immediately before and after finishing the programme. A total of 296 participants attended, with 228 achieving the inclusion criteria for the study. Total knowledge scores increased significantly after the training programme (mean score pre-18.94, 95% CI 18.13-19.74; post-28.11, 95% CI 27.44-28.77, p < 0.05) with improvements seen in all categories (surgical principles, anaesthesia, antibiotic use and wound management). After accounting for other participants' characteristics, scores increased, on average, by 9 points after training. Being female was associated with significantly higher overall scores, while compared to younger and older age groups, those aged 25-34 were associated with lower overall scores. Amongst those with post-graduate qualifications, overall scores increased with age. Furthermore, there was an increase in self-rated confidence by participants in undertaking all five procedures. This study demonstrates that a targeted training programme can improve veterinary participants' knowledge and confidence in canine surgical neutering and may provide an effective way to develop surgical expertise amongst veterinarians engaged in dog population management initiatives.

Keywords: India; attitudes; canine surgical neutering; dog population management; knowledge; veterinary education.