During the 60 days before to 30 days after calving, dairy cows experience a dip in their natural immunity, leaving them especially vulnerable to important diseases such as mastitis2, metritis3 and retained placenta.4 With serious cost consequences and implications for cow welfare and productivity, this makes the transition period one of the most challenging yet vital periods for vets to manage with dairy clients.
Imrestor (pegbovigrastim injection) is a pegylated form of the naturally occurring protein cytokine, bovine Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (bG-CSF). Elanco says it helps restore the cow’s natural defences by increasing the number and restoring the function of neutrophils, the primary type of white blood cell that recognizes and kills harmful bacteria.
Fiona Anderson, Technical Vet at Elanco, said: "It’s no secret that a successful transition period is vital for maximising productivity in the next lactation, yet we are still ‘firefighting’ common transition diseases like mastitis rather than focusing on their true cause."
"Vets are under increasing pressure to adopt a more proactive approach, not least to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock but with few credible alternatives. This can be challenging in dairy herds, particularly around calving when cows are susceptible to multiple disease challenges while their defences are low. Imrestor helps to restore a cow’s own natural immunity and strengthen her ability to defend against infection by a range of mastitis pathogens – thus helping to protect the cow against mastitis when she needs it most."
Available in pre-filled, single-dose syringes, Imrestor is administered with two injections – one seven days prior to the anticipated date of calving and the other within 24 hours after calving – with neither injection requiring a withdrawal period.
Kingsley Baxendale, Ruminant Marketing Manager at Elanco Animal Health said: "It can be extremely frustrating for vets to see their dairy farmers struggling with the stress and hassle of dealing with increased numbers of sick cows during calving; they have enough to deal with at the moment. We’re delighted that Imrestor can provide vets with a tool to help decrease the negative consequences associated with immune-related diseases like mastitis and maximise their herds’ lactation potential."
As part of the launch of Imrestor, Elanco also announced its new 'Pledge To Protect' initiative to encourage vets and farmers to make a pledge symbolising their commitment to address immune suppression in their dairy cows.
The number of pledges will be tracked using a life-sized 2D cow model, pictured above. For each pledge, which can be made online or at events, Elanco will make a £5 donation to The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I), which supports farmers in difficulty. As a thank you for showing support, all pledgers will automatically be entered into a weekly prize draw.
To find out more about using Imrestor and how you can make your pledge, visit www.vital90days.co.uk.
References
As part of the scheme, Linnaeus offers one-to-one mentoring, professional and clinical skills development in primary care practices across the UK as part of the scheme.
The group, which now has more than 3,000 employees, delivers all clinical training in-house through its network of specialists, referral clinicians, certificate holders and primary care clinicians.
The 2021 programme applications will remain open until the end of May, unless all positions are filled sooner.
Chloe Roberts, clinical and educational development manager at Linnaeus, said: “This will be the fourth cohort to join our GDP and we’re looking forward to building on the successes we have enjoyed over the last three years.
“This has been a challenging year for obvious reasons, so it has been extremely heartening to see our new vets rise to that challenge and continue their professional journeys with our support.
“We’re excited to hear from the next intake of new vets and look forward to supporting them in their transition to clinical practice and recognise the additional challenges they faced joining the profession in the midst of a global pandemic.”
For more information, visit graduates.linnaeusgroup.co.uk or www.instagram.com/linnaeusgdp.
Mandisa qualified from the Royal (Dick) Vet School in Edinburgh in 2008 and has since spent much of her career working in emergency and critical care.
She served as the first black president of the RCVS in 2020/21 and has also worked for Harper Adams University as a lecturer in veterinary sciences.
Mandisa will replace Laura Playforth, who is joining IVC Evidensia as group QI director, on the Vets Now board.
She said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Vets Now family at such an interesting and challenging time for the veterinary professions.
“I look forward to working together through innovative approaches to ensure our teams continue to deliver the highest standards of clinical care and client services.”
Ceva says CLAS vials are proven to be easy to use, practical and eco-friendly and are preferred by 99% of farmers on farm1. They have 33% less impact on the environment from cradle to grave than glass2 and are robust and shock resistant3 for fewer breakages and losses. They are made from a lightweight material to make the vials easier to be transported and handled4 and have an ergonomic ‘grip groove’ for easier handing5.
Peter Keyte, ruminant business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "Ceva’s CLAS vials are hugely popular with both vets and farmers due to their practicality, ease of use and environmental credentials.
“We are therefore delighted that Ketofen has joined the extensive range of livestock injectables available in CLAS.”
For further information contact your local Ceva territory manager, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.
The webinar, titled: ‘When the coughing won’t stop…. what to do when standard BRD treatment protocols aren’t getting to the bottom of it’, aims help vets manage complex outbreaks that happen despite best practice management and treatment protocols.
The full programme includes:
The event is being held live so you can submit questions to the speakers, but the session will be recorded, so it can be watched again later.
Attendees will receive a certificate for one hour of CPD and the link to the recorded webinar.
To register, email the event team by 27 November 2020 at brdwebinar-group@ceva.com. In the email, please give your name and the email address to which you would like the registration link sent.
The offer is timed to coincide with the expected increase in canine pruritis as the warmer weather leads to increased levels of common allergens such as pollen, dust mites and flea bites.
Each practice that buys five packs of Apoquel will get one free, subject to a minimum qualifying purchase.
Apoquel is a fast-acting oral therapy for the treatment of canine pruritus associated with allergic dermatitis.
Zoetis says its novel mechanism of action on the Janus Kinase (JAK) enzyme is specifically designed to target the pruritogenic and pro-inflammatory pathways involved in the itch cycle. This, says the company, allows effective reduction of allergic itch regardless of its cause as well as improvement of skin lesions associated with allergic skin diseases and atopic dermatitis.
For more information about the Apoquel Spring offer, contact your Zoetis account manager.
The changes follow a jointly-funded research project by the RCVS and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association to evaluate how effective the PDP is in supporting graduates during the transition from veterinary school to veterinary practice.
The research was carried out by the Work Psychology Group and included online surveys, telephone interviews and a focus group with recent graduates and representatives from practices that are currently employing recent graduates.
The aim was to understand both positive and negative experiences of the PDP amongst veterinary graduates and their employers considering existing obstacles to learning and development, any gaps in support provision and common areas of confusion, anxiety and concern.
Christine Warman, RCVS Director of Education, said: "We are really grateful to everyone that took the time to give us their views and are pleased that this report gives us such a solid foundation on which to base necessary changes. What came across very strongly from the feedback we received was that the overall purpose and aims of the PDP were welcomed by graduates, employers and other stakeholders as something that is useful and good for the profession.
"Most agreed that having a formal support mechanism for graduates is essential for navigating the transition between the structured environment of veterinary school to the ‘coalface’ of veterinary practice.
"However, it was clear that there are issues with the PDP in its current format, including comments around it being a 'tick-box' or 'check-list' exercise in which the number of tasks completed was seen as more important than a focus on qualitative aspects such as confidence and progression as well as a lack of focus on development of non-clinical skills.
"As a result the Work Psychology Group came up with a series of recommendations which were approved by our PDP Working Group in December 2017 and then our Education Committee in February 2018. Some of these recommendations, as set out below, can be actioned in the short-term and we hope that these will rectify some of the concerns that were raised.
"In the longer-term the future of the PDP and the further recommendations of this research are also being considered as part of our Graduate Outcomes Project which is taking a more holistic view on the skills and competences of future veterinary professionals."
The short-term recommendations accepted by the RCVS Education Committee are:
Developing guidance to support graduates and employers through the process of reflection on their progress.
Considering how to build opportunities to capture and record reflective learning into the PDP.
Making it a requirement of the PDP that every graduate who is participating in the PDP has a named workplace mentor assigned to them, as well as a Postgraduate Dean.
Asking assigned mentors to sign-off their graduate’s progress on the PDP on a regular basis (eg every other month) and write a short commentary on the graduate’s progress on a six-monthly or annual basis.
Sharing resources between the BSAVA and RCVS looking at where further resources can be developed.
Gaining feedback from other professions as well as the veterinary schools regarding platforms that have been used for similar purposes and have been successful. This process would consider the key requirements of a PDP platform and ensure that the right questions are asked to gain feedback.
Sheldon Middleton, Chair of BSAVA’s PDP Committee, said: "We’re really pleased with the start we’ve made to help graduates and their employers take positive steps to tackle the challenges of transitioning between university and practice, and we have a plan to improve further, working with RCVS to really make a difference.
"We are also pleased to have this opportunity to reflect on such comprehensive feedback after our first year, this empirical evidence from those involved is invaluable, we have learnt lessons and highlighted areas for further development, so now we’re looking ahead to make sure we implement our improvement plan."
"The BSAVA Resource Bank received positive feedback (1.5.4) however, the majority of stakeholders and graduates were unaware of this resource and we will work to address this."
The full report from the Work Psychology Group can be downloaded from the RCVS website at: www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/professional-development-phase-pdp/pdp-research/
The new sections will sit alongside the Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) pages within the Practical and Clinical Skills section of the bank.
Dental subject areas include diagnosis, radiography and surgery. The new exotic subject areas include an overview, birds, small mammals and reptiles. Surgery subject areas include anaesthesia, peri-operative planning, abdominal surgery, ECC/trauma and post-surgical care.
New grad Ellie Morris MRCVS said: "There are some really good videos on emergency surgeries such as the A-Z of GDV, so when we’ve had quieter days I’ve had chance to look at some of these particularly excellent resources and I feel much more prepared for that situation.
"After watching the Anaesthesia of the Caesarean Section webinar, I discussed what I’d learned with my colleagues and how it compared to their approach. I’ve not done a caesarean yet, but I feel a lot more prepared for when the time does come."
BSAVA President Phil Lhermette said: "This fantastic resource is free to all our members with some sections open to non-members - especially employers, and is growing all the time providing great support for the whole profession at every stage of their career.
"The content is reviewed by committee who are currently helping to expand the Mentor & Employer pages, for practices supporting new graduates, which will be added to the site next."
For more information visit: www.bsava.com/pdp
The recategorisation means that pharmacists and Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs) will be able to prescribe Zolvix.
The VMD says that making the anthelmintic more widely available will increase its usage as part of strategic worm control programmes on farms, which could in turn result in long term health benefits for sheep, for example by reducing the development and spread of anthelmintic resistance, thereby prolonging the effective use of anthelmintics.
The VMD adds that SQPs will now have additional training to ensure they are sufficiently familiar with Zolvix and how to prescribe it effectively and responsibly so that it is used appropriately. A new compulsory training module will be implemented by The Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) to augment the skills of all AMTRA-registered SQPs permitted to prescribe farm animal products. New SQPs will be required to undertake a revised and extended module before gaining their farm animal registration with AMTRA.
Pharmacists and SQPs will be able to prescribe Zolvix from 1st July 2017.
UPDATE 16th March:
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz has issued a statement expressing concern over the recategorisation of Zolvix:
"We know that resistance to anthelmintics is increasing in grazing animals and needs to be addressed if the livestock industry is to avoid a potentially disastrous situation of being unable to tackle parasites. The reclassification of Zolvix from POM-V to POM-VPS is in direct opposition to the trend in Europe, where we are seeing increased control over dispensing of anthelmintics in species where resistance is a serious threat to animal welfare and profitable production; we're extremely concerned that we might start seeing resistance develop in group 4 as a result.
"BVA believes that prescribing of anthelmintics requires a level of control best provided by a veterinary surgeon who has the animals under his/her care, and is based on a sound clinical diagnosis, in order to protect animal welfare and safeguard the efficacy of these products for the future."
Further information on BVA's policy on anthelmintics can be found on BVA’s website: www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/medicines/anthelmintics.
CVS has announced its acquisition of the West End Veterinary Partnership, an Edinburgh-based veterinary practice, bringing the number of practice groups owned by the company to 100, operating out of 267 sites across the UK.
West End Vets employs around 12 staff. Its main site is in Bread Street and it has two branches elsewhere in the city. Owners David Rimer and Maurice Hunter are joining CVS as joint Clinical Directors.
Simon Innes, CVS Chief Executive, said: "We are rapidly broadening the range of practices within CVS, both in terms of the type of practice and in terms of geographic spread. West End Vets is a successful and popular practice in Edinburgh and we are delighted that it has now joined our family."
Founded in 1999 and run principally by vets, CVS employs more than 3,000 staff at its practices and surgeries across the UK and in its related veterinary businesses, including an online pharmacy, three pet crematoriums and five veterinary laboratories.
As part of the redevelopment, kennel capacity will increase from 107 to 197, there'll be a new emergency and critical care hub, sixteen new consult rooms and a new imaging suite with MRI and CT scanners, two ultrasounds and two X-ray machines.
There will also be a 66-seat seminar room.
Work is expected to be completed early next year, and the practice will be recruiting for around 75 new team members to service the expanded centre.
Simon Tappin, clinical director at DWR, said: “This long-awaited expansion will transform our practice, offering even more space and capacity for referrals, brand-new equipment and a seamless experience for our clients.
“It will also bolster our reputation as a training practice, with the expansion of our intern and residency programmes adding to our already-impressive provision in this area."
The practice is also implementing case management changes, with a single point of contact for every client and individual case managers in every discipline.
The traditional reception area is being replaced with a concierge greeting service for clients, with staff on hand to book them in on iPads.
Client care team manager Deborah Bell said: “This is a USP for us and we think it’s an industry first. The idea came from how medical secretaries work in human health.
“When a referring vet calls us, our client care team takes the basic details and passes them on to the case manager for that discipline. They will contact the client, make appointments and meet the client in person on arrival.
“We have 12 case managers for our disciplines at the moment, with the potential to expand. As well as providing a personalised service for our clients, it provides great career progression opportunities for our client care team.”
www.dickwhitereferrals.com
Virbac Animal Health is offering practices an educational shampoo and skin care pack for pet owners.
The pack is free to practices that buy any 12 shampoos from the Virbac range. In return the practice will receive a range of educational and point of sale materials, including a counter display unit and 'give away' hand sanitisers. Each practice also receives 2 free shampoos and a bottle of either Humilac or Dermacool FOC.
According to the company, the idea behind the initiative is to help pet owners understand the importance of bathing their pets, and of correct product selection.
Product manager Chris Geddes MRCVS said: "We also hope that it will assist vets and VNs to easily identify the correct product for every type of skin.
"The colour-coordinated packaging and literature contains easy-to-follow advice for pet owners and vet staff. And with all the extra items, we believe the promotion is great value for money."
Chris also believes the pack will help pet owners to understand the importance of regular and correct bathing: "Many owners just accept that their pet smells, without realising that this shouldn't be the case. This is the 'doggy' smell that many owners accept as normal."
"Also, many owners who do bathe their pets use soaps or shampoos from their own bathroom, not knowing that these are totally unsuitable for animals. Hopefully this promotion will help pet owners understand why it is important to use specifically formulated products for their pet."
The promotion runs until the end of July. Those interested in the pack please contact your Virbac territory manager or call the company on 01359 243243.
The brainchild of Sonya Miles CertAVP(ZM), CertAqV, MRCVS, Just Exotic (www.justexotics.co.uk) offers a range of training webinars, fact sheets, care sheets and ‘how to’ videos developed for veterinary surgeons, nurses and students. The webinars cost between £15 and £55 (depending on the length), and include presentations by Sonya herself, Eliabetta Mancinelli, Agata Witkowska, Louise Ash, Sarah Pellett and others.
Sonya said: “We’ve developed our content to be convenient and affordable. Some of it may also be helpful for clients.
"More content will be added on a regular basis, and please, if there is something you specifically want covered, drop us a line to info@justexotics.co.uk and will we do our best to make sure it becomes available.”
The College says the online library, which is free to access, aims to encourage people to develop their leadership skills, regardless of what stage of their career they are at.
The Library has a range of materials that learners can work through at their own pace, including presentations, interviews, videos, blogs, articles and webinars on key leadership topics such as Delegation Skills, Difficult Conversations and Inclusive Leadership.
The RCVS Leadership Team will be adding more content to the library, and the profession will have opportunities to suggest topics that they would like to learn more about.
Gurpreet Gill, RCVS Leadership and Inclusion Manager, said: “In terms of veterinary CPD, importance often tends to be placed more on clinical and technical capabilities, but leadership skills are a critical aspect of every veterinary practice and organisation.
“It is also assumed that leadership is a condition of status or position, but this is not necessarily the case.
"Leadership is an everyday practice that is applicable to everyone, regardless of their role.
"The Leadership Library provides learning opportunities for anyone looking to develop and reflect on their leadership skills, which will also count towards the annual CPD requirement.”
The Leadership Library can be accessed now from https://www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/rcvs-leadership-initiative/rcvs-leadership-library/
Animalcare says hydrocortisone aceponate is a potent, topical anti-inflammatory, proven to quickly relieve itchy and inflamed skin in dogs.
The new product is applied as a spray, designed to make it easy to target affected areas of skin.
Hydrocortisone Cutaneous Spray Solution is presented in a 76 ml size with a two-year shelf life, six months once opened.
Animalcare Product Manager Eleanor Workman Wright said: “Skin problems are extremely common in dogs.
"They can often cause great discomfort to dogs and concern to their owners.
"We believe that Hydrocortisone Cutaneous Spray Solution will be a useful addition to the range of treatment options currently available to vets as they consider the most appropriate care plan for their patients.”
Thus far, the hospital has relied on conventional radiographs or referred for MRI for the bulk of its distal limb imaging.
The new Hallmarq standing CT scanner provides information that surpasses the capabilities of radiography, while also reducing radiation exposure to the patients and staff.
The scanning process is also considerably quicker, enabling prompt diagnosis and treatment planning.
Tom McParland, Valley Equine Hospital’s surgeon said: "We are confident that this diagnostic modality will significantly enhance our ability to identify not just thoroughbred fetlock pathology earlier but improve our diagnostic abilities of the distal limb for all our equine patients, racing and leisure alike.”
Valley Equine Hospital says it chose the Hallmarq standing CT scanner due to its ability to scan using just standing sedation which ensures a safer and more efficient experience for the horses compared to general anaesthesia.
www.valleyequinehospital.co.ukinfo.hallmarq.net/focus-on-the-foot
Kerrie was inspired in this by the results of her MBA dissertation, which looked at both enablers and barriers to leadership experienced by veterinary women and found that when it comes to partnership, women were much more likely to wait to be asked, rather than actively discussing the likelihood with the current practice partners.
Kerrie said: "The 29th of February was historically a time when it was acceptable for women to propose marriage. That's obviously a really outdated concept but we think it presents a great opportunity to encourage women in the profession to change their mindset and actively ask their boss if a partnership is a possibility either now or in the near future.
"It's the sort of proposal that will have a big impact on their future and we'd love to see more women take the driving seat and steer their own destiny. The message is: you don't have to wait to be asked - use the 29th as your excuse to pop the question!"
Kerrie's research also identified that enablers for female practice ownership included identifying as a leader at an early stage in a veterinary career, having parents who were business owners and being perceived to have more assertive or dominant personality traits.
However, Kerrie said: "While those are the factors that have helped women become leaders in the past, it doesn't mean our leaders of tomorrow have to meet those criteria and during my focus groups I found many women in the profession had a tremendous desire to lead, grow and inspire. We're looking within XLVets at ways we can remove barriers for women and increase access to leadership at every level, including supporting new start-up practices.
"We hope on the 29th February there will also be practice partners out there who might wonder why ‘she's never asked' and use this as an opportunity to talk about forming a lasting partnership. It's 2020 and there's no need for anyone to be shy about starting this important conversation."
Elanco Animal Health has launched #PetMagicMoments, a social media campaign designed to drive engagement between veterinary practices and their clients and encourage customer footfall to veterinary practices.
As part of the #PetMagicMoments campaign, the company is inviting veterinary professionals and pet owners to share some of the magic moments they've had with their pet on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There's a weekly prize of a personalised photo cushion for the image that gets the most likes, shares or retweets, and a main prize draw for £500 worth of Forest Holidays’ vouchers.
In addition, Elanco is asking veterinary practice staff to share heart-warming stories that happen in practice, using the hashtag #VetMagicMoments. The practice that shares the most popular post or tweet will win a monthly prize of a £250 restaurant voucher.
Elanco has produced a launch pack to support the campaign and promote it to colleagues and clients. The pack includes:
Matthew Rowe, Milbemax marketing manager at Elanco Animal Health, said: "Facebook users account for 90% of all UK social media users1 with nearly one in four dogs and cats having their own social media feed or page2. Our #PetMagicMoments campaign will build a community of pet owners, vets and vet nurses who share the love they have for their pets, while driving engagement between veterinary practices and their clients on social media and encouraging customer footfall direct to the veterinary practice which will lead to increased revenues for veterinary practices."
Elanco says it will also be sharing worming advice, pet related information, news, statistics and competitions and quizzes, which will all be available for veterinary practices to share via their own social media.
To sign up for the #PetMagicMoments campaign visit www.petmagicmoments.com and download the campaign guide.
For further information, contact your local Elanco Animal Health territory manager.
This third biennial offering from GB’s Cattle Health and Welfare Group also contains a summary of progress on endemic disease control with advances in eradicating Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) in each country highlighted.
The Chief Veterinary Officers of UK, Scotland and Wales have welcomed the publication of the report saying that as the possible impacts of the referendum on leaving the EU are considered, the importance of a GB focus on disease control is as important as ever.
In their joint forward, Nigel Gibbens, Sheila Voas and Christianne Glossop said: "The healthier our animals, the more attractive our products. The better our animal welfare, the greater the confidence of consumers in our production systems.
"With the UK Government placing AMR at the top of its risk register alongside terrorism and pandemic ’flu, it is heartening to see that CHAWG, in common with other livestock sectors, has grasped the nettle in looking first at how the cattle sector can better capture data on use of antimicrobials."
They go on to say that addressing AMR helps address other imperatives as an emphasis on sound animal husbandry and healthy animals kept to high welfare standards will help minimise routine reliance on antimicrobials: "Success in controlling endemic disease is one area of considerable importance, and here we can highlight CHAWG’s pivotal role in the development and promotion of national disease control programmes. These include the launch of the BVDFree scheme in England earlier this year, ongoing progress with BVD eradication in Scotland, the development of a Wales BVD scheme, and the Action Johne’s initiative."
In the report’s conclusion, RSPCA’s head of farm animals Marc Cooper points out that it is clear many positive initiatives are being pursued within the industry. He said: "Notable amongst these are those associated with dairy cow genetics, eliminating BVD, the national dairy cow welfare strategy and the development of a data hub for the collation of information relating to antimicrobial use.
"Indeed, some of these are starting to realise improvements in key areas, for example, dairy cow longevity is beginning to increase, and cow fertility figures and somatic cell counts appear to be moving in the right direction.
"However, there are still ongoing concerns relating to some important health and welfare issues. For example, despite the evidence suggesting the annual prevalence levels of cattle lameness are beginning to fall, there still appears to be no centralised database for recording it."
Chairman of CHAWG Tim Brigstocke says the contributed comments are encouraging and provide positive direction for future CHAWG activities. He also reassures that while this report sees a number of advances in highly topical areas, ‘core’ activities are not being ignored. He said: "Effective farm health planning remains the bedrock of good practice. And while we tend to focus on areas which need improvement, it’s worth mentioning that a delegation from the Food & Veterinary Office (FVO) of the European Commission recently visited and were impressed by the coordinated approach taken in this country."
The report can be downloaded from www.chawg.org.uk.
Bayer Animal Health has obtained two new licensed indications for its antiparasiticide, Advocate.
The first is that the product is now licensed for the treatment of Crenosoma vulpis using a single dose. The second is that in addition to the existing treatment of Angiostrongylus vasorum claim, Advocate is now indicated for its prevention, using monthly spot-on applications.
This comes at a time when, according to Bayer, independent market research shows that vets are diagnosing Angiostrongylus vasorum at an increasing rate. Figures for 2010 place the incidence of vets who have confirmed cases at 37%, more than double the 16% confirmed in 2008, with a further 19% of vets reporting suspected cases.
Bayer is also stepping up its 'Be Lungworm Aware' consumer campaign, with the addition of a local and national radio campaign throughout October. The public information style advert will warn owners of the dangers associated with the parasite A.vasorum, and urging them to stay vigilant for signs their dog may be infected.
Veterinary staff can also direct clients who wish to learn more about lungworm to http://www.lungworm.co.uk/.
For more information on Advocate, please contact your sales representative or telephone Bayer on 01635 563000.
Defra has announced that new rules on pet travel will be introduced from 1st January 2012. The changes will mean that the rules on rabies vaccination for entry into the UK will be in line with the rest of Europe.
Defra has carried out a risk assessment to find out how the changes will affect the level of risk of rabies entering the UK. Although the probability of rabies introduction into the UK will increase, the assessment found the risk will remain very low after the increase.
The British Veterinary Association and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association are informing their members of the new rules so that the right advice can be given to pet owners planning to travel abroad with their animals.
Dogs, cats and pet ferrets entering the UK from an EU or 'listed' third country from 1 January 2012 must:
The current requirement to carry out a blood test followed by a six-month wait before entry into the UK will no longer be required.
From 1st January pets entering from a non-listed third country must pass a blood test 30 days after vaccination followed by a three-month wait.
Until now, the UK, Ireland and three other Member States have had derogations from EU pet travel rules to allow for additional controls to protect against rabies, ticks and tapeworms.
Successful vaccination programmes in wildlife in mainland Europe have now allowed the UK to consider whether the additional controls for rabies are still necessary.
The BVA and BSAVA have continued to lobby in Europe for additional controls to be maintained for tapeworms, which could introduce Echinococcus multilocularis to the UK - a significant public health concern.
Although a final decision has not yet been made the European Commission has indicated that it will support the UK case for additional tapeworm controls.
Harvey Locke, President of the BVA, said: "It is vital that any controls on animal movements are proportionate to the risk.
"Due to the highly successful vaccination programme in wildlife in mainland Europe there has been a huge reduction in the incidence in rabies. Research carried out by Defra reveals that the risk of introducing rabies under the new rules is very low.
"However, it is essential that pet owners get good veterinary advice when planning to take their animals abroad because pets can be exposed to a number of diseases not currently endemic in the UK, for example leishmaniasis, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis.
"As part of responsible ownership we would always advise pet owners to visit their vet for a pre-travel consultation to discuss how to protect the health and welfare of their animals when travelling abroad."
Andrew Ash, President of the BSAVA, added: "The Pet Travel Scheme has been highly successful in keeping the UK free of rabies. BVA and BSAVA have been working closely with Defra to ensure that any changes to the pet travel rules do not threaten our disease-free status.
"The rabies vaccine has advanced and now has a longer duration of immunity and we welcome the continuing requirement for all pets to be vaccinated before travel."
Royal Canin has announced the launch of its Christmas promotion through which practice clients will be rewarded with activity balls for cats and leashpods for dogs.
The stocking fillers will be distributed to practices along with promotional materials such as posters and shelf wobblers, to encourage clients to buy Royal Canin Veterinary Care Nutrition (VCN) pet food.
Veterinary Marketing Manager, Lindsay Calcraft, said: "Customers who purchase any 1.5kg bag of feline VCN or any 3.5kg bag of canine VCN from their vet will receive a cat activity ball or a leashpod to thank them for their custom and support.
"For those who don't know what a leashpod is, it's a fantastic dog lead handle to help you carry all those essential items needed for walking a dog. It has an integrated bag dispenser, its own scented mini bin for storing smelly used bags and two secure pockets for treats, keys, money or your mobile phone."
For more information about the Christmas promotion, visit www.royalcanin.co.uk or contact your Veterinary Business Manager.
Presented by Sam Taylor BVetMed(Hons) CertSAM DipECVIM-CA MANZCVS FRCVS, the webinar will also be available to watch on demand later, for those who miss it.
Sam is an Internal Medicine and Feline Specialist and current ISFM Academy lead.
She recently chaired and co-authored the ISFM guidelines on the management of the inappetent hospitalised cat.
The webinar, which counts for one hour’s CPD, will cover:
Sarah Musgrave, Brand Manager at Dechra, said: “Inappetence is a common reason cats present to veterinary practices and it can be caused by multiple conditions.
"Management needs to look beyond just treating the underlying disease as factors such as stress, nausea and pain can play a significant role.
"Untreated inappetence has a substantial negative effect on recovery from illness and surgery, makes medicating cats difficult and may even hasten euthanasia decisions.
"The ‘Feline pawsative about feline inappetence?’ webinar will help educate on feline weight loss, why intervention to improve nutrition is important and the practical steps to treating inappetence.”
https://thewebinarvet.com/webinars/feline-pawsative-about-feline-inappetence.
Intervet /Schering-Plough Animal Health has announced plans for a third National Vaccination Month Campaign to take place in May.
The campaign, which is aimed at owners of unvaccinated animals, is being fronted by TV presenter and wildlife expert Chris Packham. Intervet / Schering-Plough says it hopes the initiative will counter falling rates of pet vaccination that have been seen since the credit crunch.
In the lead up to National Vaccination Month, the company will be running a pet health awareness national and regional PR campaign backed up by print and TV advertising.
Pet owners will be able to download a voucher for a discounted vaccination in May from http://www.nvmonline.co.uk/. As well as dogs, cats and rabbits, horses will be included in the scheme for the second time.
During the last National Vaccination Month in June 2009, 1022 surgeries participated nationwide and an additional 40,000 animals were vaccinated as a result - 8,000 up on the first campaign run in 2008. According to Intervet / Schering-Plough, many practices saw more than 100 vouchers being redeemed.
The 2009 campaign came after more than a quarter of vets surveyed by Intervet reported concerns about falling levels of vaccination because of the credit crunch. Following the recession and public fears over the deficit, there are concerns that pet owners will cut back even further.
Angus Robinson from Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "Research shows that the main reason why people don't vaccinate their pets is a lack of awareness of disease risk. We are also concerned that given the current pressures on household budgets, more people are deciding to cut back on vaccinating their animals with the real risk that this may have a potential effect on levels of herd immunity in the longer term."
He added: "We listened to practices which took part in NVM 2009 and have invested in improving the website to offer a simpler system for surgeries to download and log vouchers for their clients. The site will also drive pet owners to participating vets more quickly. Social media has taken off in a big way since our first campaign in 2008 and we will also be using Facebook and Twitter this time to reflect that. We are hoping that this will reach younger pet owners as data from our last campaign showed that pet owners in their 20s and early 30s were the age group least likely to vaccinate their animals."
Jane Carter of the Drove Veterinary Hospital in Swindon said: "National Vaccination Month is a golden opportunity to communicate the key preventative healthcare messages to new and existing clients. There was a significant outbreak of parvovirus in our area last summer which got a lot of publicity so we are expecting people will really catch onto the campaign this time."
Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health veterinary customers planning to take part in National Vaccination Month 2011 can log onto www.nvmonline.co.uk to complete the registration process.
Fees will now be £340 for a UK-practising member, £170 for members practising outside the UK, £56 for non-practising vets under the age of 70, and free for non-practising vets over 70.
Restoration fees, charged in addition to retention fees, increase to £85 following voluntary removal, and £340 following removal for non-payment.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: "This year we asked Council to agree a fee increase to help us prepare for unknowns such as Brexit, as well as fortify our proactive work to help support the professions.
"Over the past few years we have put increased resources into projects such as: Mind Matters, our mental health initiative; Vet Futures, our joint project with the British Veterinary Association; Vivet, our innovation hub; and our recently launched Leadership Programme. Unfortunately there has also been a rise in Disciplinary Committee hearings and we are having to allocate further funds to making our building fit for purpose, and so a small increase has been necessary.
"This still places us at the lower end of fees for regulatory bodies while providing a secure financial foundation."