Sustainability in equine veterinary practice: A survey of opinions and practices amongst veterinary teams in the United Kingdom

Summary Background Veterinarians occupy a unique position at the animal–human–environment interface and could play a crucial role in mitigating climate change and other environmental impacts of human activities. Objectives The objective of this study was to survey the opinions of equine veterinary teams in the UK regarding the importance of sustainability issues, and current practices employed to promote sustainability. Study design Online survey. Methods The survey was distributed through various email veterinary listservs and social media sites, and was open to equine veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, veterinary students and practice administrators/managers. Results A total of 374 responses were received. Seventy‐seven per cent of respondents considered sustainability issues to be extremely important or very important, but only 13% felt knowledgeable/well‐informed about practical ways of promoting sustainability in equine veterinary practice. Fifty‐six per cent of respondents stated that their organisations/practices had not introduced sustainability protocols. Over 50% of respondents considered that their organisations were dealing well with the issues of antimicrobial stewardship, anthelmintic stewardship and drug disposal, but less than 25% considered that their organisations were dealing well with fossil fuels, travel, disposable materials, responsible paper sourcing, water saving and communicating sustainability issues. Main limitations Potential selection bias and response bias. Conclusions Sustainability issues are considered important by the majority of equine veterinary practice teams in the UK, but there is a widespread lack of knowledge about practical ways of promoting sustainability.