Special Subjects - MSD Veterinary Manual

Animal Welfare
Many definitions are used to describe animal welfare. The definition by the American College of Animal Welfare is that animal welfare “refers to the state of the animal.” Definitions often include the different aspects of animal welfare, as for the definition by David Fraser, which includes an animal's physiology, ability to perform species-typical behavior, and the animal's emotional state, where good welfare is a combination of satisfactory levels in all of these realms. Welfare is on a continuum and may be considered poor, adequate, or good.
- Animal Welfare
How to Study in Veterinary School
The amount of information that must be learned in veterinary school is so much larger than in college that new study techniques may be required.
- How to Study in Veterinary School
The Human-Animal Bond
Companion animals are commonly considered to be family members, and the human-animal bond has become a household term. More than half of all households in the USA have at least one dog or cat, and most pet owners have more than one pet. Cats outnumber dogs as companion animals, and many veterinary practices serve only cats. Yet, a 2008 study of the care pets receive reported that dogs were seen by a veterinarian more than twice as often as cats, even in households with both species.
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