Two days left in which to enter Vetoquinol's competition to win up to £300 worth of CPD or a goody bag.
To enter, answer the 7 multi-choice questions here.
SAMSoc Autumn meet taking place at Warwick University 25th October 2019.
Visit www.samsoc.org to register!
Genitrix has announced the launch of Prilben (benazapril hydrochloride). The product joins its 'Standards' range, created to offer veterinary practices cost-effective versions of frequently used products.
Prilben is indicated for the treatment of congestive heart failure in dogs and for chronic renal insufficiency in cats. It is provided in packs of 14 x 5mg tablets at a veterinary list price of £4.50, which equates to 32p per tablet.
Rob Watkins, Marketing Director at Genitrix, said: "Benazapril hydrochloride is a tried and trusted medicine used in countless practices and homes across the country every day. Prilben offers a win for both practices and pet owners because its pricing structure enables practices to maintain profitability on the product whilst still providing their clients with an economical alternative."
The first product in Genitrix' Standards range, Dormilan, was launched in late 2009 and offers fast-acting sedation and analgesia for dogs and cats.
Ceva Animal Health UK has announced that following the success of it's TV advertising campaign for Feliway earlier this year, which boosted sales by 30%, it'll be running the Feliway campaign again, throughout July.
Featuring 'That Purple Cat', who is liked by over 2,300 people on Facebook, Ceva says the campaign will help raise awareness of the signs of behavioural issues in cats, such as vertical scratching, and highlight the benefits of using the pheromone. The advertisement will target Feliway's key audience and will be seen by over 5 million people when it appears on channels such as Dave, E4, Gold, More4 and Yesterday.
For further information or to view the TV advertising campaign, visit www.secrettohappypets.com.
Free veterinary careers materials are available from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for vets going back to school to give careers talks.
Freda Andrews, Head of Education said: "We know that, although veterinary surgeons are busy people, they often say yes when schools ask them to give careers talks. "Since September last year we've responded to around 500 requests for our 'Veterinary Science...for all Walks of Life' careers information. If you are giving a talk, these are well worth a look."
Comprising a printed booklet and a series of short videos available online, the careers materials were produced by the RCVS in collaboration with the vet schools and with government funding. They aim to show the variety both in veterinary work, and in vets themselves, to encourage teenagers from all backgrounds to consider aiming for a career in veterinary medicine. The videos can also be watched on the VetCareers channel on YouTube.
Each video features a vet working in a different field within veterinary medicine, and the brochure contains information about different types of veterinary careers, routes into the vet schools, and the entry requirements. Anyone who is in a position to advise aspiring vet students on the university entry requirements needs to be aware that there are now a variety of different routes into vet school, including options for students with vocational qualifications such as BTEC Diplomas, and pre-entry or foundation years aimed at increasing the diversity of the student population.
A new careers leaflet will also shortly be available from the RCVS to encourage would-be veterinary nurses, and will include the new RCVS Level 3 VN Diploma and the mixed-practice route to qualification newly introduced by the RCVS.
Freda said: "Veterinary surgeons can come from all walks of life - as our careers materials show. It's important that the profession reflects the population it serves and for teenagers to have good advice about veterinary careers and how to get into the profession. So, if you're going back to school to encourage the next generation, then get in touch!"
Free hard-copies of the brochure are available by contacting the RCVS Education Department (education@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0791). An interactive version of the booklet can be found at http://www.walksoflife.org.uk/, and individual videos viewed at http://www.youtube.com/vetcareers.
From today, porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) is a notifiable disease in England; veterinary surgeons and pig-keepers are now legally required to inform the Animal and Plant Health Agency of any suspicion of the disease.
If a test for PED proves positive, the Government will inform AHDB Pork, so that tracing can be carried out and improved biosecurity measures put in place.
The new measure has been introduced following co-operation between Defra APHA, AHDB Pork, the NPA and other industry bodies. Although PED is now classified as notifiable, there will be no statutory movement controls, no compulsory slaughter and no blocks on exports.
Under the new legislation in England, APHA will be legally permitted to inform AHDB Pork - which is the agreed 'appropriate organisation' - in confidence of suspect and confirmed cases. AHDB Pork will then provide biosecurity guidance to the pig unit concerned. It will also carry out tracing and alert at-risk contacts as necessary.
The aim will be to prevent spread of PED and to eliminate the disease from the pig unit. There will be no requirement to slaughter affected animals.
PED has been made lightweight notifiable following an informal consultation process with the pig industry. NPA and others called for the measure so that any outbreak can be identified as quickly as possible, spread can be prevented, and the disease can then be eliminated from the unit concerned.
AHDB Pork Chairman Meryl Ward said: "This initiative is a significant step change in partnership working between industry, Defra and the APHA to build England’s resilience to disease.
"PED is a potentially serious disease and emerging threat to our English pig industry. A unique industry led collaboration with Government led to the development of the PEDv Contingency plan to ‘identify, contain and eliminate’.
"The regulatory change to notifiable status is a critical part of the plan and will assist in early identification of affected premises, allowing more time to take effective actions to minimise the impact on the industry and therefore increasing the opportunity to eliminate the disease.
"Working together to share resource, knowledge and build vital expertise, the partnership has also developed a series of standard operating procedures, bio- security guidance as well as raising awareness across industry of the potential threat.
PED remains a significant threat to British pig-keepers. According to AHDB, outbreaks of high-impact strains caused up to 100% mortality in young pigs in the United States, knocking out around 10% of pig production in 2013-2014. The disease has since spread to Ukraine. Even with milder European Union strains, piglet mortality as high as 70% has been reported.
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on making PED similarly lightweight notifiable in Scotland.
The BVA and the Pig Veterinary Society (PVS) have welcomed the announcement. John Blackwell, Senior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "From today pig-keepers will be required to contact APHA if they have any suspicion of PED in their livestock - this is a step in the right direction and a result of joined up working between the industry, the veterinary profession and policy makers. PED is a devastating disease and we hope these measures will be sufficient to protect animals and pig-keepers in England from future outbreaks. We are encouraged by current proposals to make PED notifiable in Scotland and are keen to see similar measures in place across the rest of the UK."
Dr Mandy Nevel, President of the Pig Veterinary Society, said: "The Pig Veterinary Society was actively involved in the decision to make PED notifiable in England and we fully support the decision. Whilst we hope PED does not come into England, the legislation will facilitate rapid diagnosis, control and eradication in the event of a case occurring. We urge the rest of the UK to take similar action."
Photo: Ben Salter: Pig in a bucket
Virbac has taken over the distribution of the prescription-only topical ectoparasiticide range, Activyl.
Activyl is available in three spot-on preparations: Activyl for Dogs and Activyl for Cats (flea control) and Activyl Tick Plus for tick and flea control in dogs. Based on the active ingredient indoxacarb, they are effective against developing flea life stages in the immediate environment of the pet.
Virbac Product Manager Kate Woolley MRCVS said: "Virbac is a global leader in parasitology and is using its knowledge and expertise to develop a portfolio of award-winning products. We are delighted to add Activyl to our range of parasiticides."
For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
The University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences has announced the launch of an online map-based tool which forecasts the risk of a Nematodirus outbreak in lambs.
The Nematodirus risk map, which will be updated daily, is designed to help UK sheep farmers assess the risk of outbreaks of the parasite in their lambs and take action before it is too late. It includes treatment and management advice.
The online risk forecast was developed by SCOPS (Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep) and researchers at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences to predict when Nematodirus eggs will hatch and when outbreaks are likely to happen.
Researchers say that predicting when outbreaks might happen is becoming increasingly difficult due to variation in spring temperatures from year to year. Farmers can no longer rely on a standard timetable of treatments to avoid disease. As the damage is done by the larvae, faecal egg counts are of little use in detecting and controlling Nematodirus in young lambs.
The forecast takes advantage of the temperature-driven synchronised hatching of the Nematodirus larvae and uses weather data from 140 weather stations provided by the Met Office and Forecast.io. The interactive Google map allows farmers and advisers to select the nearest or most representative weather station and provides advice on how to relate the predicted risk to their particular farm and treatment options.
Cases of nematodirosis and eggs detected in routine faecal worm egg counts will also be mapped anonymously as they arise to improve the forecasts and SCOPS are asking farmers, advisors and diagnostic labs to contribute to these records by emailing researcher Dr Hannah Rose at the University of Bristol’s Vet School.
Dr Rose said: "In previous years 64 per cent of farmers and advisors surveyed changed the timing or extent of treatment – or advised treatment - after consulting the forecast, which has been running since 2013, and 93 per cent felt that their approach to control of this parasite had changed as a result of the forecast."
UK Government funding provided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council has enabled further development of the forecast and it is hoped that even more farmers will benefit in 2016.
Picture: A Romney sheep with its lambs, courtesy Dr Eric Morgan, University of Bristol
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has written to Public Health England to ask if they would be prepared to review their risk assessment for front line staff in veterinary practices (i.e. veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and receptionists) regarding pre-exposure rabies vaccination.
The letter points out that the changes to the Pet Travel Regulations, brought in on 1st January 2012, make it possible for dogs, cats and ferrets to enter the UK from an EU country only 21 days after vaccination, with no requirement for blood testing and a 6-month wait.
The risk assessment undertaken by Defra at that time acknowledged that this would lead to an increase in the risk of introducing rabies to the UK, but this risk was still considered to be very low.
However, this risk assessment made a number of assumptions, including that there would be full compliance with the regulations. Since that time it has become apparent that not only have these changes led to a significant increase in the number of animals entering the UK, but that a number of these animals do not fully comply with the regulations.
According to BSAVA, current evidence suggests that increasing numbers of puppies enter the UK from abroad, particularly Eastern Europe, and that these are often presented with illness at veterinary practices by their new, and often unsuspecting, owners. While it has been assumed that animals entering under the Pet Travel Scheme pose a low risk of carrying rabies, the recent case of two puppies imported into The Netherlands from Bulgaria which tested positive for rabies indicates that the disease may occur even in puppies that were vaccinated and travelling legitimately.
While a great deal has been achieved in the control of rabies in the EU, there is increasing expansion in member states to include countries such as Bulgaria and Romania in which rabies remains endemic. Moreover, sporadic cases continue to occur in countries within this region (i.e. Italy and Greece). Animals imported into the UK from these regions could potentially introduce rabies into the United Kingdom.
While importation of affected animals remains a remote possibility, the likelihood is that an affected animal would present for veterinary treatment and that frontline veterinary staff may be at greatest risk of exposure. Some veterinary practices that deal routinely with imported pets adopted from the street or animal shelters in other countries, have staff that may be at even greater risk.
BSAVA President Professory Michael Day, who signed the letter on behalf of the Association and its members, said: "As a result of the current conditions in which veterinary professionals find themselves, BSAVA, in our letter sent on 12 November, has urged Public Health England to consider adding veterinary staff who may come into contact with imported animals to the list of those entitled to receive pre-exposure rabies vaccination."
CEVA Animal Health has announced that all dogs entering Dogs Trust's 17 Rehoming Centres will now be fitted with a D.A.P.® collar to help reduce their stress levels while in a kennel environment. This decision was taken following a highly successful trial1 at Dogs Trust's state-of-the-art Rehoming Centre in West London.
The trial revealed that dogs wearing D.A.P.® collars while in kennels were less likely to display canine stress indicators, such as barking and pacing around kennels, and were more likely to lie down and rest; signs that dogs are more relaxed.
Chris Laurence, veterinary director at Dogs Trust, said: "Dogs Trust trialled D.A.P.® collars on dogs being admitted at our Harefield Rehoming Centre. Many dogs are very stressed by their first experience in a kennel environment and it was shown that the use of a collar significantly reduced their stress levels.
"Centre staff were impressed with the positive changes in behaviour that were shown during the trial. Dogs were far more relaxed and less reactive to the inevitable stressful elements of their environment. We will now be using D.A.P.® collars on all dogs entering our Rehoming Centres in tandem with the other practices we already employ to reduce kennel stress.
"Stressed dogs are more difficult to rehome so we hope the use of DAP® to reduce stress levels will be beneficial to both their welfare and our rehoming."
For further information on D.A.P.®, please contact your local CEVA Animal Health territory manager, or visit www.ceva.uk.com.
The CertAVN was launched in May 2019 as a modular, advanced professional qualification allowing veterinary nurses at all stages of their careers to develop their professional skills and knowledge.
The CertAVN framework sets out the professional values, skills and behaviours required of the higher education institutions responsible for providing the training and support for CertAVN students.
There are currently five accredited course providers in the UK:
The proposed standards for accreditation are set under three areas: curricula and assessment, educators and assessors, and learning culture.
Julie Dugmore, RCVS Director of Veterinary Nursing, said: “In order to make sure that the CertAVN remains up to date and fit for purpose, it is important that we consult on the accreditation standards at regular intervals.
"We welcome constructive and specific feedback from veterinary nurses at all stages of their careers – whether you have already undertaken the CertAVN or are perhaps considering doing so in the future – as well as the wider veterinary team, educators, and employers of current and potential CertAVN holders.
“Your insights will help us ensure that the standards continue to enable veterinary nurse educators to deliver the best training and support possible for CertAVN students."
The consultation runs until 5pm on Monday 3 March 2025.
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/our-consultations/review-of-the-certavn-framework
The courses are designed for self-paced learning and include practical hints and tips for treating common animal health issues in companion animals and livestock.
Small animal topics include cardiology, hypertension, dermatology, behaviour and gastroenterology.
Cattle topics include Q fever, reproduction and mobility.
In swine health, content focuses on respiratory health, neonatal disease and zoonotic conditions.
The Ceva Academy also includes downloadable resources, including practice posters, social media content and owner leaflets.
Dan Cripwell, vet channel marketing and technical manager at Ceva, said: “We have consolidated our portfolio of online learning courses and resources into one multi-species portal to give animal health professionals flexible access to high quality CPD and information in one convenient location.”
https://ceva.vbms-training.co.uk/dashboard
Zoetis has announced the results of a YouGov survey it commissioned to look at pet owner compliance.
The survey, which formed part of the company's 'Respect Antibiotics' campaign, indicates that owners believe they are reasonably compliant. 55% of those surveyed had administered antibiotic tablets to their dog. 88% of those claimed not to have missed a dose, 87% claimed not to have any medication left at the end of the course and 89% administered medication at the same time each day.
Nevertheless, the majority of owners (52%) said they struggled to give their dog a pill and 19% believed they had insufficient information from their vet on the importance of accurate dosing and course completion. 47% said they would prefer to be offered a single treatment given by their vet and most (52%) were prepared to pay a premium for this option.
When it comes to osteoarthritis (OA) medication, the survey found that dog owners are slightly less diligent. Of the 41% surveyed that had given OA/pain medication at some point, 79% claimed not to miss a dose, 62% claimed to finish the course and 87% claimed to administer the medication at the same time each day. Once again, convenience was important, with 48% preferring a monthly treatment, rising to 57% for a long term condition and 52% being prepared to pay a premium for it. Only 17% opted for daily medication.
Andrew Page, product manager for Convenia and Trocoxil said: "We are aware that there may be a disconnect between what pet owners claim to do and what they actually do, especially as nearly half of those surveyed (49%) admitted to forgetting their own daily medication. However, the message that comes out loud and clear is that dog owners would like to be offered medication that can either be given less frequently or administered by their vet, especially as over half of those surveyed had struggled to give antibiotics to their dog and 45% had difficulties giving OA/pain medication."
Ceva Animal Health has announced two additional dates and locations for its ‘Building Success Around the Fertility Routine Visit’ CPD days for young vets.
Part of Ceva’s reprodAction programme, the courses are intended for recent graduates, or those new to dairy practice.
The two upcoming meetings, listed on VetSurgeon.org's new RSVP-enabled CPD & Events Diary, are to be held at The Best Western Dryfesdale Hotel in Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway on 22nd September and the West Lancashire Investment Centre in Skelmersdale, Lancashire on 23rd September.
The company says that the courses adopt a novel ‘physiology first’, practical approach to managing cattle reproduction, and have been set up to support vets in performing routine fertility visits. They cover various topics including: identifying clients’ goals, setting herd targets and increasing pregnancy rates.
Katherine Timms, Veterinary Advisor at Ceva, said: “We have had such positive feedback from the previous events, it has encouraged us to organise more, giving vets from other areas in the UK an opportunity to attend”.
“Routine fertility visits often intimidate recent graduates, as they are normally performed solo, with little or no support. This can make it hard for vets to build confidence, which this course addresses by not only providing knowledge but also by vets who are at the same stage in their careers to interact and share experiences.”
An attendee of the course held in April, Amy Cox from Nantwich Farm Vets, spoke about her highlights of the event, saying: “It really gave me the confidence in my own knowledge of cow reproduction and helped me build on what I’d already got.
“The lecturers were really engaging and the content was highly interactive which I feel helps you learn more. This is the second reprodAction CPD course that I’ve been on so I would recommend them”.
Paddy Gordon, Director of Shepton Veterinary Group, is one of the leaders of the event. He said: “Cattle reproduction CPD can be complex and is usually theory based; these events aim to cover the basics and most importantly, how to implement it all practically. This includes how to communicate concepts to farmers, through group discussion and role play and how to implement treatment protocols practically.”
Vets who are interested in attending either of the upcoming reprodAction Young Vet Initiative CPD courses can apply via Ceva Territory Managers, Bryan Hamilton on 07753 447226 or bryan.hamilton@ceva.com for the Lockerbie meeting and Kimberly Campbell on 07831 359128 or kimberly.campbell@ceva.com for the Skelmersdale meeting.
And if you're going, don't forget to use the RSVP facility on VetSurgeon.org to let other members know you'll be there.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are reminding veterinary surgeons of their legal responsibilities under the Horse Passport Regulations 2009.
The move follows a small number of horses testing positively for the presence of phenylbutazone, which, if consumed, can be harmful to human health.
Defra and the FSA have asked for the assistance of the profession in ensuring that treatment with phenylbutazone is properly recorded in Horse Passports and have said that they are working together to understand the cause of the positive tests, and what longer term measures can be put in place to stop this happening.
In the interim, all horses slaughtered for human consumption will be sampled for the presence of phenylbutazone, with immediate effect.
The letter from Defra and the FSA can be downloaded from the RCVS website.
The full advice can be read in a Veterinary Medicines Directorate/Defra leaflet, which can be found online at http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/pdf/leaflet_horses.pdf.
Mark Bowen, Chair of the British Equine Veterinary Association's Health and Medicines Committee, said: "The number of horses entering the human food chain from the UK has doubled since 2009 and is no longer an insignificant minority of horses. All vets should be checking horse passports and only dispensing sensible quantities of this drug, and its prodrug suxibuzone."
Meanwhile, a form is available from the British Equine Veterinary Association website for veterinary surgeons to use if the horse passport is not available, but emergency treatment is required: http://www.beva.org.uk/_uploads/documents/emergency-treatment-form-no-passport-2011.pdf
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica and the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) have launched Spot The Signs, a campaign designed to help owners spot the signs of painful, age-related conditions in cats, such as arthritis.
According to the company, which makes Metacam, 46% of cats are now classed as 'mature and older', and 87% of vets have treated cats aged 22 or more. Yet a survey of 3000 cat owners found that 75% would not recognise the signs of chronic pain in their cat. And despite 50% of owners believing that cats suffer pain the same way as humans, 78% of cats had never been taken to the vet for an old age check up.
99% of 77 veterinary surgeons surveyed agreed that chronic pain often goes unnoticed and that signs of pain can be confused with cats simply getting old. When shown a list of common signs of long term pain in cats, 65% of owners recognised at least one of these signs in their own cat.
Claire Bessant, leading feline author and CEO of FAB, said: "In a recent study, 65% of cats aged 12 and above showed evidence of arthritis when X-rayed. The survey also showed that a large proportion of cats do show signs that may be caused by chronic pain, including becoming withdrawn, reduced grooming and reduced activity, but these were not attributed to pain by the owners. Arthritis has only just been recognised by the veterinary profession as a major problem in cats and so it is not surprising that 80% of cat owners do not realise that their cats can develop this painful condition."
Most owners understand that arthritis can cause significant pain and discomfort, and 93% said they would feel guilty if their cat was in pain and they hadn't realised. 65% of Brits see their cat as member of the family, with 20% saying their cat is like a child to them.
The Spot the Signs campaign is being 'fronted' by Jess the Cat, Postman Pat's sidekick, with expert support from a panel of cat medicine and behaviour specialists including leading feline author Claire Bessant and VetSurgeon.org / VetNurse.co.uk blogger, Pete Wedderburn MRCVS. The campaign includes support materials for veterinary practices and a facebook page.
Claire Fowler, Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "Despite a steady increase in the number of cases of arthritis and chronic pain in cats being diagnosed, our research shows awareness amongst cat owners of how to look for pain in their cats remains surprisingly low, despite 86% saying they would want their vet to let them know if their cat might be in pain. For many owners, spotting the signs of pain in their cat can be difficult, so we have set out to educate cat owners about what to look for and to encourage them to consult their vet or vet nurse if they are concerned."
SMITHS Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announces it is to launch a portable detection system that will enable veterinarians to carry out on-site diagnosis of animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth and avian flu.
This new technology means vets will be able to diagnose diseases in livestock and birds in the field in less than 90 minutes rather than having to send samples for laboratory analysis.
The new system will be launched to vets at the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians conference in Australia in November 2007 and is expected to be in production in mid 2008.
The webinar will be presented by Dr Abigail McGlennon from the Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) team at the University of Cambridge who will present data from the Surveillance of Equine Strangles (SES) network to provide a detailed overview of strangles diagnoses across the UK.
Abigail will explore recent trends in outbreak reports, the genetic makeup of recent circulating strains and transmission links between UK outbreaks.
By linking research from her own PhD work on S. equi genomics and transmission with preventative strategies, Abigail show how to suggest and implement evidence-based prevention measures to clients.
The webinar will also offer advice on ‘the ates’ preventative measures – vaccinate, isolate, investigate and communicate – and will include information on when horse owners should be vaccinating with Strangvac and an outbreak management vaccination plan using the traffic light ‘green, amber and red’ system.
https://go.dechra.co.uk/preventative_strategies_for_strangles
"Reasons to be fearful? Rising proportions of positive faecal worm egg counts among UK horses (2007–2023)1" which was conducted in collaboration with Animal Health Vision International, the University of Liverpool and jDATA Pty (Ltd), analysed quarterly surveillance data summaries of FWEC test results that were submitted to the Equine Quarterly Disease Surveillance report (EQDSR) by 36 UK laboratories.
Of these, 18 laboratories provided additional details through a survey on the testing methods adopted.
The researchers say there was considerable variation between laboratories in both the FWEC test methods used and the FWEC positivity thresholds applied to designate a test result as positive for either surveillance reporting or for treatment purposes.
However, the analysis revealed an increase in the proportion of positive FWECs over time, even after accounting for the time of year that testing was conducted, the FWEC positivity threshold used for reporting a sample as positive and the laboratory undertaking the testing.
Researchers say these findings raise questions about targeted treatment strategies, where anthelmintics are administered if FWECs exceed a certain threshold.
If this threshold remains low, the increasing proportion of positive FWECs that were identified would lead to increased use of wormers, potentially accelerating the development of anthelmintic resistance.
This highlights the need to better understand the factors driving rising FWEC positivity rates and if they are a cause for concern.
For example, is this trend leading to increased numbers of horses exceeding the treatment threshold and therefore being recommended for treatment?
The study authors say that the continuation of coordinated efforts to enhance parasite control strategies across the UK equine industry is essential.
The recently available guidelines from the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and CANTER provide essential resources for vets, pharmacists and RAMAs/SQPs who prescribe equine anthelmintics to optimise parasite control2,3.
References
Burgess Pet Care is investing a six figure sum in its first ever television advertising campaign to promote Supadog and Excel.
Running in tranches across targeted satellite and terrestrial channels up until August 2010, the adverts aim to drive trial and purchase of the products by offering samples through SMS or www.supatasty.co.uk and www.fibrevores.co.uk websites.
Justin Heaton, Head of Marketing, Burgess Pet Care, said: "Burgess Supadog and Excel have seen huge growth this year despite the economic climate for consumers. Pet owners still want to feed their animals quality food but without the expensive price tag. Aligned with our 'Forever Promise', Burgess is committed to making great food that's good for pet's health, is deliciously tasty but at an affordable price. The TV adverts have been a fantastic way to deliver this message and we are extremely pleased with the results they are generating."
The advertising activity is supported by PR, in store POS and a £5,000 golden ticket prize promotion during July and August.
For further information on Supadog and The Excel Feeding Plan visit www.burgesspetcare.co.uk
The response from Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing MSP, which was also sent on behalf of Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham MSP, said that:
"The First Minister is seeking guarantees from the UK Government that the residency status and other existing rights of the 173,000 EU citizens living in their respective countries will remain unchanged now and in the future."
This point was echoed in a response from Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths AM, who said:
"The First Minister has also made it clear there are many sectors of business, which depend on EU citizens to fill vital posts and damage to public services and the wider economy would be immense if EU citizens were required to leave the country. I appreciate this could cause difficulties in relation to the veterinary profession and delivery of our Animal Health and Welfare programmes and policies in Wales."
Similarly, the Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Michelle McIlveen MLA, acknowledged the vital contributions EU citizens make to animal health and welfare, saying:
"I will also endeavour, given the importance of animal and veterinary public health to the local economy, to ensure that this concern [you raise] is represented in the composite Northern Ireland input into the final United Kingdom negotiating position and strategy."
The new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Andrea Leadsom MP, has offered to meet with BVA President Sean Wensley to discuss these and other priority issues for the veterinary profession.
BVA is establishing a Brexit working group to prioritise and develop policies on the key issues that should be raised in forthcoming discussions and negotiations.
The RCVS assessor’s report said: "The premises are genuinely state of the art, with all the space and equipment needed to provide a full multi-discipline referral service.
"The outstanding feature of this visit was the level of inpatient care, which is impressive with dedicated team leaders and thorough handovers for continuity of care, and the depth of knowledge of the clinical and nursing teams.
"Special mention must be made of infection control and inpatient modules in which all the award points available were obtained."
The assessor's report added: "You have all produced a centre to be proud of, and the feeling of pride and commitment of the team, came across very clearly. I wish you every success as your reputation grows."
Rebecca Lunn, operations co-ordinator at Paragon, said: "Pets always come first at Paragon so to receive four “outstanding” awards from the RCVS is a great compliment and achievement.
"Naturally we are delighted. It’s a real tribute to our entire team and our determination to deliver quality care, excellent service and a compassionate approach to ensure the best possible treatment for our animals.
"To achieve this, we have invested heavily, not only in the best, highly-experienced diplomates but also the most advanced specialist equipment within veterinary science.
"That level of commitment will continue on all fronts as we strive to be the very best we can be."
The candidates for this year's RCVS Council election have been announced, many of whom will be coming to the VetSurgeon.org forums to lay out their stalls and explain why you should vote for them.
A record number of veterinary surgeons - 14 - are contesting six seats in the RCVS Council election. Veterinary surgeons may each vote for up to six candidates to fill these seats, which fall vacant as elected Council member's terms of office expire at the RCVS Annual General Meeting (6 July). In 2012, five existing Council members are seeking re-election, and nine new candidates are standing.
Of the 42 RCVS Council members, four are appointed by the Privy Council, 14 by the veterinary schools and 24 by direct election; each member serves a four year term. This year's candidates are:
Voting opens from Friday 9 March and all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote should receive their ballot papers shortly. Votes must be received by 5pm on 27 April 2012 and, as in previous years, can be cast online, by post, or by text message
Nutraotic contains grapeseed oil, cinnamon, oregano, clove and lemongrass, a formulation which Nutravet says is designed to provide anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory support.
The company claims it helps cleanse and moisturise the ear canal, reduce ear odours and break down earwax, while maintaining a balanced ear flora to help prevent infections.
Chris Jones, Managing Director of Nutravet said: “Our goal with the Nutraotic range is to provide pet owners and veterinary professionals with products that offer safe, natural solutions to common pet ear issues.
“We recognise that ear health in dogs and cats is a frequent concern, and with the launch of the Nutraotic Ear Essential Oil, we’re expanding our ability to support pets in a way that’s effective and gentle.
"This product has been developed to make ear care simple and stress-free while using only the highest quality ingredients.”
www.nutravet.com