Veterinary education shapes how future generations of practitioners understand and address animal welfare. Improving welfare content in veterinary curricula strengthens the welfare capabilities of the veterinary profession.
Veterinary education welfare content directly shapes how millions of animals are treated over the careers of graduating practitioners. Improvements in pain recognition and management in both companion and farm animal practice over recent decades partly reflect educational advances. Gaps remain: farm animal welfare receives less curriculum emphasis despite farm animals comprising the majority of animals under veterinary care by number. Welfare ethics training providing frameworks for navigating welfare conflicts in practice is underdeveloped in many programmes. The recognition of behavioural indicators of positive and negative welfare states requires specific training that differs from traditional clinical education. Continuing professional development in welfare science ensures practitioners update their knowledge as welfare science advances beyond their initial training.