About this episode
This week, we had the privilege of speaking with Professor Eddie Clutton and Dr Polly Taylor, both distinguished anaesthetists and two of the co-editors of Veterinary Controversies and Ethical Dilemmas. Their book, now highly regarded within the veterinary profession, raises important questions about the current veterinary landscape, approaches to treatment, and standards of animal care. Our discussion covered a range of complex topics, including moral dilemmas, euthanasia, and over-treatment, offering diverse perspectives and highlighting unresolved issues within the profession.
The conversation explored the financial, emotional, and societal costs associated with animal treatment, prompting reflection on what outcomes we truly seek for our animals.
We hope you find this discussion on animal welfare both thought-provoking and informative.
Biographies
Dr PM Taylor MA VetMB PhD DipECVAA FRCVS
European & RCVS Veterinary Specialist in Anaesthesia
Polly graduated from Cambridge many years ago and worked in general practice then clinical academia in Cambridge University and the Animal Health Trust. Since 2002 she has been an independent consultant in veterinary anaesthesia, covering clinical anaesthesia, teaching, drug registration and research; numerous papers on anaesthesia and analgesia have resulted. Polly is a director of Topcat Metrology Ltd, developing bespoke nociceptive threshold testing systems for several animal species. She was a member of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (2002-2010) and has continued to be an advocate for the veterinary profession regarding drug legislation. Her most recent activity putting her head above the parapet is to encourage the profession to understand that overtreatment of animals “just because we can” is often not in their best interests.
Prof Eddie Clutton BVSc (Hons) DVA DipECVAA FRCVS
European & RCVS Veterinary Specialist in Anaesthesia
Eddie Clutton graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1981 and completed postgraduate training in anaesthesia at the Department of Anaesthesia, The Royal Liverpool Hospital. After serving as Assistant Professor in Veterinary Anaesthesiology at the University of Virginia–Maryland, USA, he obtained the RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Anaesthesia in 1985. From 1990 to 2015, he led Veterinary Anaesthesia at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, and was appointed Chair of Veterinary Anaesthesiology in 2007.
He is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and has held leadership roles including Editor-in-Chief of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and President of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists. His professional memberships include the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Association, the Laboratory Animal Veterinary Association, the Laboratory Animal Sc
