Evaluation of the longer-term impacts on working practices of veterinarians in India after attending a canine surgical neutering training programme

Effective, continuing professional development opportunities provide veterinarians with the necessary skills to uphold animal welfare standards. In India, surgical neutering is integral in successfully managing the large, free-roaming dog population; the delivery of skills-based, training opportunities which result in long-term behavioural changes remains challenging. Indian veterinarians attending a 12-day, practically focused, training programme on canine surgical neutering, completed a questionnaire prior to the commencement of training and 10-12 months afterwards. Questions explored the programme's impact on their attitudes, working practices, and retained knowledge. A total of 207 participants completed both questionnaires. Ten to 12 months after attendance, most participants reported increased confidence undertaking common surgical and clinical tasks; they felt both motivated and able to use their newly acquired knowledge and skills in their workplace, with some peer-to-peer skills transfer opportunities. Many reported high levels of employer engagement resulting in improvements in the workplace, including equipment investment. Evidence for sustained improvements in working practices were noted in four key areas: surgical practices, use of perioperative analgesia, use of perioperative antibiotics, and post-operative wound management. Average knowledge scores in four areas (surgical skills, peri-operative analgesia, post-operative antibiotics and post-operative care) increased significantly 10-12 months after the training programme as compared to before, after accounting for other participants' characteristics. These findings provide evidence for sustained improvements in workplace practices and patient care after attending a skills-based training opportunity, with a concomitant positive impact on standards of animal welfare. Furthermore, it may inform the development and implementation of future, educational, outcomes-focused training initiatives.