CEVA Animal Health is rolling out what it describes as a hard-hitting TV campaign on four national TV channels to highlight awareness of stress related feline behaviour problems and encourage cat owners to talk to their vet about Feliway.

This second bout of TV advertising will run in March and April on ITV2, ITV3, E4 and More 4 and on Channel 4 in the London region and will be seen by over five million people.

Featuring the animated character 'That Purple Cat' who first appeared in CEVA's TV advertising and marketing push at the end of 2009, the new campaign will see 'That Purple Cat' displaying signs of stress in the home environment to raise awareness of the issue amongst cat owners.

Lucy Brett, product manager at CEVA Animal Health said: "Our first TV advertising campaign back in the autumn went a long way to raise awareness. We found that more cat owners were able to recall the advertising for Feliway than for any other animal health brand.

"However, it is clear that in practice merchandising is crucial if practices are to make the most of this opportunity and I would encourage them to get in touch to request a display pack, which includes a waiting room poster and leaflets, as soon as possible."

A limited number of desktop and floor standing merchandising units are also available. For more information or to order your FREE waiting room merchandising materials call 01494 781510.

Understanding profit and loss within a veterinary practice is vital for all employees. That was the message delivered to delegates attending Pippa Reffold's lecture, sponsored by Dechra Veterinary Products, at the VPMA Congress late last month.

Pippa said: "Very few practice managers set targets or share financial data with their employees. Employees have a lot to contribute by improving service and increasing sales."

Roger Brown, product manager at Dechra Veterinary Products said: "Sponsoring Pippa's lecture is part of Dechra Veterinary Products response to market conditions. We have also reduced the price of two key products in our Veterinary Essentials range.

"We realise how significant margin control is right now and constantly review our Veterinary Essentials range. That's why we have reduced prices on Atipam 5ml, the Thyroxyl range and have introduced the Essentials Purchase Plan so practices can make further savings.

Pippa added: "Be open-minded about margin setting and don't apply a blanket mark-up to all products. Consider the contribution to your gross profit and passing on some of the improvement to your customers."

Dechra Veterinary Products offers a margin and profit calculator to compare market prices with the Veterinary Essentials range - to show just how much mark-up can be applied to products without impacting on a client's budget. "It's a simple, but very effective calculation that our Territory Managers can run for you," explained Mr Brown.

To find out more about the Veterinary Essentials range, including further cost savings with an Essentials Purchase Plan and free margin development advice, please call Liz Rawlings on 01743 441632.

Dechra is hosting webinars for vets about strangles and equine disease prevention on Tuesday 18th February and Tuesday 25th February respectively.

The webinars will be available as live podcasts and will also be able to be viewed on demand on the Dechra Academy.

In the strangles webinar, Dave Rendle, Gayle Hallowell and Richard Newton will explore the current landscape of strangles control, focusing on the role of vaccination, testing and quarantine measures.

In the disease prevention webinar, Gayle Hallowell, Dave Rendle, Tamzin Furtado and others will give an insight into chronic disease management and preventative vaccination to improve uptake and optimise treatment outcomes.

Both webinars broadcast from 8pm GMT, with a live Q&A session from 8:45pm, finishing at 9:15pm GMT.

https://membership.elearning.vet/Dechra-equine-medicine-series.

Norbrook has launched a new iPhone app designed to give veterinary professionals essential pharmaceutical product information at the touch of a button.

The Norbrook Veterinary Excellence Tool includes information on the company's full range of animal health medicines including pharmaceutical presentation, uses, dosage and administration, withdrawal periods, contraindications & warnings and pharmaceutical precautions.

Mr Jorge Rodrigues, General Manager at Norbrook said: "Norbrook is committed to providing the best possible service to our customers. Time is a precious commodity for veterinary professionals and with the range of products on the market it can be very time-consuming to access essential product information. We have designed the Norbrook VET app to give our customers a quick and easy reference tool for all our products with the facility to filter searches for product information by species, category or brand. And of course the beauty of the iPhone app is that the information is accessible anytime, anywhere so if a customer is out at a client's premises, in their practice or at home, the information is readily available."

The Norbrook VET app also has a facility which will keep users up-to-date with relevant industry and company news and a dedicated Contact Us section which will allow customers better communication channels with the company.

Katie Norton, Web SEO Marketing Co-ordinator said: "It is our intention that the Norbrook VET app will become a key communication channel with our customers. The app will be updated regularly and we will continue to add new features to enhance the service we offer to our valued customers."

The Norbrook VET iPhone App is available to download direct from the iTunes store.

Virbac has published a compendium of recent independently-published studies relating to its range of dermatology products. 

Studies are listed according to the disorders investigated with an impact rating given to each piece of research. The compendium also provides details of the active components, clinical benefits and other information about the company's dermatology products.

European Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology Filippo de Bellis said: "Dermatological problems can cause frustration to both clinician and pet owners because of their chronic nature and the wide variety of aetiologies. Best practice is achieved by integrating clinical expertise with the best external evidence.

"Virbac has made a major contribution to the provision of evidence by publishing this Compendium containing scientific information to support its range of pharmaceutical products. It shows commitment to the veterinary profession and to the rule of evidence-based medicine."

Christelle Navarro, DVM, from the Medical Department at Virbac SA, added: "We have spent 30 years working to improve veterinary dermatology with innovative solutions for the profession. Given the complexity of dermatology and the multiplicity of therapeutic offerings, we hope the Compendium will be a helpful tool for clinicians seeking scientific support for the products they use."

Electronic copies of the Compendium are available on request from your Territory Manager or by calling Virbac direct on 01359 243243.

Petplan has announced a new category - ‘Rising Star’ - has been added to its 2016 Veterinary Awards.

The company says its awards, which recognise members of the veterinary profession who have gone above and beyond in their daily roles, have been focussed on established individuals. The idea behind the new award is to recognise someone that is rising within their current practice, showing great aptitude and who has substantially grown in their role within a relatively short period of time.

The award is geared towards employees with less than two years’ experience, who have initiated, coordinated and accomplished a new or improved activity or process during 2015. Petplan says nominees should also show one or more of the following ‘Four C’s’ in their initiative: compassion, competence, communication and commitment.

James Barnes, Head of Sales and Partnerships at Petplan, said: “Petplan understands the importance of committed veterinary staff in ensuring pet safety and care. Working with almost 5,000 vet practices, we see the fantastic work being carried out across the country and these awards are an opportunity for pet owners to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for the support veterinary staff provide to the animals in their care.”

To nominate a colleague for an award, visit www.petplanvet.co.uk/vetawards before 31st January 2016.

David Godfrey has moved into his post as BSAVA President for 2025-26.

Taking over the Presidency from Julian Hoad, David will continue to focus on the Programme of Change and the BSAVA’s new strategy, which includes some new products and services.

David qualified from the RVC in 1988 and has had a career largely in small animal practice, including a year in Canada.

He and his wife Rosie started the first feline-only practice in England and David is now an Advanced Practitioner in small animal dermatology.

He has postgraduate qualifications in small animal dermatology and medicine, becoming board certified in feline practice, and has an RCVS Fellowship on Feline Osteoarthritis.

David helped to set up the BSAVA West Midlands committee, before then becoming a BSAVA Council member and Chair of the Regions for three years before joining the Board and the presidential ladder.

David said: “It is an honour being BSAVA President for 2025-2026, but this next year will not be about me.

"It will be about the renewal of BSAVA, it will hear us shouting out with an ever-increasing voice about the most exciting innovations and I promise to do my very best.”

Julian Hoad will now move into the role of Senior Vice President, whilst Niall Connell begins his new role as Junior Vice President alongside Jo Megarity, who joins the Board as Honorary Treasurer.

A survey of 246 veterinary surgeons and nurses attending a lunch and learn webinar sponsored by Supreme Petfoods has revealed that they rate high fibre as the most important factor in making a recommendation for rabbit or guinea pig food.

High fibre was the top factor for 53% of respondents and rated as being much more important than monocomponent kibbles (27%), or a recommendation by an exotics expert (18%).

Supreme says it has addressed this concern by increasing the fibre content of its Science Selective Rabbit food to 23% fibre - the highest of any concentrate for small furries in the UK. The new VetCarePlus range, based on the monoforage technology developed by the company, contains up to 34% fibre. Fibre is vital for small furries, playing an active role in gastro intestinal health, dental health, weight management and behavioural factors.

The survey also revealed that vets and nurses are feeling optimistic about the impact of small furries on veterinary practice. 70% of respondents felt that, even in the face of the recent recession, small furries/exotics had made a growing contribution to their business profits over the last five years and 90% felt that there was potential for them to make an even bigger contribution to practice profits in the future. The biggest barrier to more small pets being brought forward for treatment was felt to be the cost of treatment relative to the cost of the pet - 55% felt that this was the most significant stumbling block - but another 45% felt that lack of education and an inability to recognise illness were the main factors.

Supreme's Marketing Manager Claire Hamblion has recently launched a trial programme in a limited number of practices to provide the tools needed to help grow the small pets sector. She said: "Our experience to date indicates that having the right tools and providing a warm welcome to owners of small furries that projects a willingness to treat them, can make a difference. We would love to hear more from those who have successfully grown this part of their business and those who are looking to expand their capabilities in this exciting area." Interested parties, or those who would like to pre-register for the further roll out of Supreme's business programme can send an email with their contact details to b2b@supremepetfoods.com.

The company says it has been delighted by the positive response to its lunch and learn webinar format, and more events are being scheduled for the winter months. Those interested in attending future events, or receiving educational material, can register their interest by email at cpd@supremepetfoods.com to receive priority notification of dates and availability.

The RCVS is to embark on a communications campaign over the next few months to raise awareness amongst the general public of the difficulties that vets face in providing out-of-hours emergency cover, and the responsibilities incumbent on animal owners to know what to do in a veterinary emergency.

Emergency cover has been high on the College's agenda for some time.

Over the last 18 months, the RCVS 24/7 Working Party has considered the ongoing desire of vets to continue to offer emergency care 24 hours a day, and the feasibility of delivering this, against a backdrop of the Working Time Regulations, geographical variations in animal and vet density, and increasing practice diversity.

Working Party meetings have been supported by a survey of how vets are currently meeting their 24/7 requirements, a seminar of stakeholders and regular informal polls at RCVS Question Time meetings.

It was agreed at the September 2009 meeting of Advisory Committee, to which the Working Party reports, that the majority of vets remain willing to deliver emergency cover 24/7. Advisory Committee recommended that a communications project be undertaken to help raise awareness amongst the general public and animal owners that although the veterinary profession continues to make this voluntary commitment, EU rules, geography and financial constraints impose some limitations.

This campaign will kick off soon and focus on spreading messages via animal-owner publications and websites. The responsibility of pet owners to know how they can access emergency care for their animal in advance of need will be stressed, as will the fact that in the absence of an NHS for pets, emergency care is a service for which practices must charge a realistic fee (which is likely to be higher than for day-time work).

The campaign will also outline vets' responsibilities as part of the Guide, so the public knows what it can reasonably expect. It would be helpful if practices could ensure they have clear information available on their 24/7 arrangements - as outlined in the Guide - should this campaign stimulate requests from clients.

Jerry Davies, who chaired the Working Party, said: "There is overwhelming opinion within the profession that we must continue to provide round-the-clock veterinary care. The main tenet of the Working Time Regulations is that workers should not have their health or, importantly, skills compromised by unreasonable working patterns. Vets, VNs and the animals they care for deserve the same level of protection.

"However, this legislation has made continuing to provide such care at a reasonable cost to the animal owner a significant challenge. Meeting this challenge will require the understanding and cooperation of the animal owning public.

"If clients can be flexible and accept slightly longer response times, an effective service can still be sustained. The key is for all animal owners to establish, in advance, exactly what will be involved should they need to access veterinary care in an emergency. This simple step will help optimise response times and eliminate the frustration, confusion and inevitable dissatisfaction that may arise if ill-prepared."

The RCVS and VN Councils have each agreed to raise registration and retention fees for the financial year 2011-12 by 2%. This means the annual retention fee for a home-practising veterinary surgeon will increase by £5, and the fee for a veterinary nurse, by £1.

To encourage members who cease to practise to request removal from the Register, rather than simply allow their membership to lapse, the fee for restoration following voluntary removal will be reduced by almost 50%, from £147 to £75.   

All fees for the current financial year were, exceptionally, frozen to help mitigate the impact of the difficult economic climate on the veterinary profession. The increases agreed for 2011-12 are below current inflation figures, and in line with the RCVS financial policy of introducing small fee increases on an incremental basis in order to avoid sharp fee hikes resulting from inflationary pressures.

A list of the new fees can be found in the June edition of RCVS News, also available online at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvsnews.