Farmers, vets, and the management of lame sheep, evidence of contextualised care in practice?

Lameness is endemic in the UK sheep population. It is a significant welfare issue and has labour, time, and financial costs associated with its management and treatment. Lameness is a complex, multifactorial condition. This makes it challenging for farmers and vets to control. Here we report on findings from six focus groups with UK sheep keepers and veterinarians exploring the management of the condition. We use these findings to - 1) Explore contextualised care in farm animal veterinary practice. 2) Present evidence that it is being used to manage sheep lameness. 3) Identify challenges which may limit its effectiveness in practice. The concept of contextualised care originated in human health research. Recently, it has been discussed in relation to veterinary medicine, especially companion animal care, in part as a critical response to the idea of a 'gold standard' of veterinary practice. Nevertheless, the concept has been critiqued, and it is important to consider whose context is being taken into account in a system where animals have the legal status of commodities and decisions around farm animal care are influenced by their productive and economic value. As of yet there has been little research into contextual care in farm animal veterinary practice. Here we present evidence of contextualised care 'in practice,' used by vets and farmers to manage and control sheep lameness. Our findings indicate that vets are considering both the farm and the farmers' contexts before giving advice. Vets tailor advice to what can be achieved within the physical constraints of the farm and the abilities and motivations of individual farmers. To achieve this vet and farmers are working to build long-term, trusting relationships based on two-way communication. Vets employ strategies to take advantage of ad hoc opportunities as well as using more formalised moments, such as flock health planning, to encourage lameness management. However, challenges exist, particularly around the ways sheep are valued by farmers, for example, the high cost of veterinary care versus the potentially low value of an individual sheep. In conclusion, much of what is discussed as contextualised care is already practiced by vets, as part of day-to-day 'good practice' and in response to the on-going changes and challenges to the veterinary industry. However, the greater acknowledgement of the need to be responsive to the emotional and embodied experiences of both farmers and the animals they keep adds a potentially novel register to the work vets do.