The Course
The deer industry wishes to demonstrate its concern for the welfare of its animals as well as a responsible attitute to the administration of drugs for analgesia and anaesthesia.
This Accreditation Course is important to the industry in view of international animal welfare trends and their possible implication to world trade. It is also important as velveting involves the use of Schedule 4 drugs (ie: potentially dangerous drugs), which by law must be prescribed by a veterinarian.
Accreditation will mean that a farmer has an in-depth knowledge of the procedure of velveting and its implications. Accreditation will encompass both the operator and the facilities.
The procedures for Accreditation are:
Firstly:
A self-assessment, which will be sent with each application form. This will include guidelines for proper facilities and allow the farmer to assess his/her facilities and up-grade them if necessary before being officially assessed. He/she will be asked to nominated their veterinarian within a reasonable distance to cope with supervision and dispensing of drugs, problems associated with velveting and general deer medicine. The nominated veterinarian will then be sent information regarding the course and its contents.
Secondly:
A theoretical component that will be held followed by an assessment which will be an open book style exam requiring a 75% pass mark.
Thirdly:
The third step will be a practical assessment. The farmer will need to demonstrate skills involving the complete velveting process. A pre-determined set of criteria will apply and a minimum standard of ability will be necessary. The assessment of facilities will occur at the same time. The practical examination is assessed by the supervising veterinarian.
Once the applicant has passed the theoretical and practical components, he/she will be issued with an Accreditation Number allowing that person to remove velvet from his/her animals in the approved facilities.
Velvet must be sold with its Accreditation Number and a statement to the effect that the velvet has been removed under the National Velvet Accreditation Scheme. Each stick of velvet will be tagged with the operator’s Accreditation Number.
This scheme will be regulated and controlled by the DIAA for the industry.
Course Content
At the end of this Course, the participant will have covered the following main content areas:
- Animal welfare issues and legislation relating to velvet antler harvesting
- Definitions and requirement with respect to veterinary supervision and the legal responsibilities of deer producers and veterinarians
- Stress and pain and their effect during velveting and to be able to recognize these factors and deal with them
- The basic and applied principles of anatomy and physiology involved in velvet antler harvest
- The process of velveting
- The principles of healing and hygiene required to prevent infection
- Alternatives for deer restraint
- Complications of velveting
- Hygiene handling of velvet products
- The farmer-veterinarian relationship
Annual Reports
Each year all holders of an Operator Accredited Number will be required to submit by 30 June a report stating: the number of deer velveted, the method of velveting used, the species of deer, the number of deaths within 48 hours of velveting, and details of drugs received and used. All deer that die within 48 hours of velveting must be submitted to necropsy by the nominated veterinarian.
They will be required to do an update exam every 3 years as a continuing education component. This assessment also requires a 75% pass mark. When successfully completed, this will automatically renew their Farmer Operator Accredited Number for a further 3 years.
The accrediting veterinarian must undertake an Annual Supervising visit to the farm at the start of each velveting season, to carry out a check on the facilities, drug storage arrangements and the farmer’s practical skills in handling and velveting deer. The veterinarian dispensing drugs for velveting must maintain a register of all drugs so dispenses, and should take appropriate actions if problems arise, including the deaths of deer or an undue level of velvet damage (as reported by the Velvet Pool).
A farmer’s accreditation may be suspended at any time by the DIAA Velvet Accreditation Disciplinary Committee.
From the veterinarian’s point of view, the emphasis throughout should be on establishing a good level of communication and cooperation with the client, will all charges for time or work carried out by the veterinarian to be a matter of discussion between them. This NVAS reflects both the stated needs of the deer farming industry and the requirements of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) for the maintenance of both the welfare of animals concerned and the proper control of the restricted drugs which are to be made available to accredited farmers. If goodwill is retained by both parties the scheme will continue to be successful. It will of course be subject to continuous review by both the AVA and the DIAA, working in close cooperation.
Source:
Dr A W English
Camden, 5 September 1995
NVAS Course Notes