This, says the company, suggests that infection could be more common among seemingly healthy dogs than vets or owners realise, which may mean there is a greater risk of perioperative bleeding caused by the coagulopathies associated with A. vasorum2 than previously thought.
Elanco says another recent study indicates that there may be a bigger environmental risk for dogs than previously thought, too.
In the study, by Robbins et al, L3 larvae of A. vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis arising from the gastropod intermediate host were found to be immediately infective to dogs and remain so for up to eight weeks, meaning that dogs may only need to lick the molluscs’ slime to be at risk of infection.3
Elanco says this new data means A.vasorum should be added to many differential diagnosis lists, and that pre-operative testing could also be wise.
Jenny Helm, BVMS Cert SAM Dip-ECVIM CA FHEA MRCVS, European Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine, said: “Owners need to be aware that healthy dogs could be silently carrying and spreading the disease and that asymptomatic carriers could develop clinical signs at any time.
"They need to be aware that dogs don’t necessarily have to eat slugs and snails to become infected, as recent evidence suggest that other routes of transmission are possible.” To improve data on the prevalence of lungworm, Elanco has developed a version of its lungworm map specifically for veterinary surgeons, where you are invited to upload your cases (including asymptomatic positive cases: www.lungwormmap-vet.co.uk.
For those practices which want to run lungworm awareness campaigns in their area, Elanco has a how-to guide, posters and artwork available to download at www.myelanco.co.uk.
References
Consequently, the company says the sheep sector is going to have to take a more proactive approach to parasite control if it is to achieve the best possible environmental standards.
The research by SRUC and the Moredun Research Institute showed parasite infections in lambs can lead to a 33% increase in methane output1 and that parasitism is one of the top three livestock diseases which increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions2 and is cost-effective to manage.
Eurion Thomas, European operations manager at Techion, says that despite current emissions from sheep being over-exaggerated, the sector will need to act if the NFU’s aspiration for net zero emissions from agriculture by 2040, is to be achieved.
Eurion said: "While targets to further reduce GHG emissions may appear to be burdensome, there are some simple steps farmers can take that’ll help minimise emissions while also improving business profitability. This includes incorporating regular faecal egg counts (FEC) into routine flock management to increase the accuracy of worm control.
"Worms reduce performance, in particular feed conversion ratio (FCR) meaning animals take longer to finish at lower weights. In addition, the research shows animals with worms release more methane per day due to the upset they cause to the digestive system.
"Better parasite control can therefore reduce number of days to finishing, improving production efficiency and lowering methane emissions per unit of meat produced. The number of days to slaughter and FCR are also correlated to profit margins, providing an opportunity to improve the bottom line."
Eurion says one of the reasons endemic diseases such as worm burdens are so detrimental to production efficiency and emissions is because often the disease has significantly impacted animal performance before it has been identified. Regular faecal egg counts (FEC) and an accurate treatment programme are therefore crucial.
Eurion said: "FECPAKG2 is the latest in image-based, internet-connected, FEC technology and means testing can be carried out virtually anywhere by anyone, including on-farm by the farmer.
"Because digital images of parasite eggs are produced, analysed and stored online, FECPAKG2 provides rapid results while offering greater quality control and auditability. This is encouraging more frequent testing and better decision making at farm level."
A collaborative research project between Sainsbury’s and Techion3 showed accurate treatment of the right animals, with the right wormer, at the right time, improved daily liveweight gains (DLWG) while reducing wormer use in sheep by up to 50%.
Eurion said: "Addressing the environmental impact of red meat production is arguably one of the biggest challenges the sector faces and introducing FEC is one simple way farmers can proactively work towards this, while improving business profitability."
A You Gov poll commissioned by Intervet/Schering Plough in the run up to National Vaccination Month (1st-30th June) shows the degree to which the recession is now biting into veterinary spending, and the impact it's having on vaccination levels.
The You Gov survey found that 19% of pet owners nationwide admit they have cut back on veterinary expenses such as vaccinations, health checks and treatments. Just under half are failing to vaccinate their animals with 53% of those polled not vaccinating their pets due to cost.
Other key findings of the You Gov survey include:
The You Gov survey also highlighted a lack of awareness among younger pet owners about pet health. Of the 18-24 year olds polled who had not taken their pet to be vaccinated, 44% said it was because they were unaware of any disease risk to their animals, compared to just 13% of those aged 55 and over. 22% of 18-24 year olds surveyed were not aware of zoonoses such as fleas and worms and diseases such as ringworm and Toxocara.
Matt Brash, BVetMed MRCVS, who runs a small animal veterinary clinic in North Yorkshire and is star of the TV show 'Zoo Vet at Large' said: "These figures are concerning and we could be sitting on a ticking time bomb. The simple fact is that many pet owners don't realise that their pets are at risk of disease. Less than half of all dogs and cats are vaccinated, which is well below the amount needed to protect the pet population through herd immunity."
Paula Boyden, a vet and Business Development and Corporate Marketing Project Manager at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, who has steered the campaign for the company said: "There are clearly some strong messages coming out to vets here, not least where and how the credit crunch is hitting pet owners. The underlying message that National Vaccination Month offers a way of supporting pet owners during these difficult economic times is obviously important. While the data shows that pet owners will still make considerable sacrifices to care for their pets, it also highlights that vaccination is falling by the wayside. Clearly, practices will need to work harder than ever against the background of the credit crunch to bring home the message to pet owners that their pets are at risk of serious and often fatal disease and that cutting vaccination is a false economy. The You Gov poll also highlights the urgent need to educate the younger section of pet owners about the disease threat faced by their animals."
TV wildlife and science presenter Kate Humble, who with Matt and Clare Brash is spearheading the National Vaccination Month Campaign, said: "The really sad aspect is that people who are reducing veterinary care due to the recession may be making a false economy by putting their pets at risk of serious disease, which may lead to treatment at far greater cost than the price of the annual jab."
The You Gov survey suggests that where people have had to pay for unexpected vet bills they are paying for them on credit cards. One had to put the family pet down and many revealed that they had made personal sacrifices in order to keep looking after their animals including stopping smoking, cutting out luxuries, clothes and socialising.
The You Gov survey highlights how, despite lavishing affection and presents on their pets, people are not taking adequate steps to protect them from preventable killer diseases. The survey reveals that 65% of pet owners consider their animal to be an extremely important member of the family with over half (54%) buying them Christmas presents. However, only 56% of pets were vaccinated with just under a quarter (22%) of owners unaware of any disease risk.
Currently, an estimated 3 million dogs, 6 million cats, 1.8 million rabbits and 500,000 horses are unvaccinated.
In answer to this disease threat and to help owners during the recession, around 2,000 veterinary clinics across the UK have so far signed up to part in the National Vaccination Month campaign, offering pets a full vaccination course against a range of fatal diseases for the cost of a booster.
To participate in National Vaccination Month (www.vaccinationmonth.co.uk) - the biggest national consumer campaign of its kind, please contact your Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health account manager or call Intervet/ Schering-Plough's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685, option 4.
Andy (pictured right) will be joined at the The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic by fellow surgical specialist Chris Jordan, and Managing Director Richard Hoile.
The clinic is situated just off the M3, thirty minutes from the M25.
It is equipped with a CT scanner, mobile digital radiography and two surgical theatres with a full complement of orthopaedic kit including for total hip replacement in cats and all sizes of dogs.
To ensure best patient outcomes the surgical suite has its own HEPA-filtered ventilation system, isolated from the rest of the clinic, which Andy says exceeds guidelines for human orthopaedic theatres and will reduce the risk of infection.
Andy said: “The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic fills a gap in the market to provide high-class specialist orthopaedic care at a reasonable price.
"We have two very experienced specialist surgeons and a clinic designed from the ground-up to reduce the risk of complications after surgery.
"We will be able to provide the very best orthopaedic care and the best possible outcomes after surgery.
"And without the high overheads many referral centres often face, we will be able to achieve this at a very competitive price.
"I can’t wait to start seeing cases in May.”
Non-urgent cases can be booked from April 2023 using the online referral form: https://mooresortho.com/contact/
In the lead up to opening in May, Andy is available for remote consultations, client visits, to consult/operate on select cases in your own clinic or to discuss cases via email andy@mooresortho.com
mooresortho.com
'Otitis Externa: Understanding Ear Disease’ will be presented by RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, Stephen Shaw BVetMed CertSAD DVD PhD PgCAP FHEA MRCVS (pictured).
Virbac says the webinar will explain how Cortotic can help you reduce antimicrobial use when treating otitis externa in dogs, whilst offering the same efficacy as a fixed-combination product.
https://bit.ly/CortoticWebinar
Dechra Brand Manager Craig Sankey said: "It can be a very worrying time for owners if their pet is being investigated for, or diagnosed with, hypothyroidism and the new website aims to help them understand more about the condition, how it manifests itself and what they can expect on the management journey.
"Effective management of the condition can significantly improve a dog’s quality of life and prevents the development of other, potentially life-threatening conditions, for which treatment can be intensive and costly."
The website also has a Frequently Asked Questions section and an interactive log book for owners to fill in which can also be emailed to their veterinary surgeon to assist in tracking the dogs’ progress and ensure that treatment is at its optimal level.
For more information, visit www.hypothyroiddog.com
The aim of the survey, which closes on 16th June, is to recognise and help raise awareness of the multiple challenges faced by veterinary surgeons undertaking roles for Government as a distinct subset of the veterinary profession.
The Association of Government Veterinarians says that following the survey, it'll be producing a report which identifies issues which affect government vets' wellbeing, identifies existing tools to promote wellbeing within Government and considers developing new ones if necessary. It will also consider best practice and any gaps in the wellbeing services currently available that vets in Government roles would benefit from.
To take part in the survey, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/vetswellbeing
You can read more about the survey here: https://vets.blog.gov.uk/2018/04/06/how-are-you-feeling-association-of-government-vets-wellbeing-survey-launched/
Photo: Christine Middlemiss introduces the survey.
The Practice Standards Group, which comprises representatives from all of the key veterinary and veterinary nursing organisations, has updated the standards of the Practice Standards Scheme and a draft of the new Manual is now available for comment.
The Scheme is a voluntary accreditation programme that aims to promote and maintain high standards of facilities and care within UK veterinary practices. When it was launched in 2005, a commitment was made that the standards would not change for five years, unless new legislation (such as the Veterinary Medicines Regulations) required it. Following a detailed review of the standards, to ensure they continue to be relevant to current veterinary practice, proposals have been made by the Group for new standards to be implemented during 2010.
Jill Nute, Chairman of the Practice Standards Group said: "It is unlikely that any already-accredited practices will be required to invest in additional facilities or equipment to meet the new standards.
"Instead, greater emphasis has been placed on clinical outcomes and training. For example, performance review has been introduced for all clinical staff, including the Professional Development Phase for new graduates. We are keen to hear feedback on the proposed new standards."
One recommendation is that the 'tiers' should be dropped. The categories will retain their descriptive names, for example, Small Animal General Practice or Equine Veterinary Hospital. Feedback suggests that clients, and the profession, found the tiers to be misleading.
The layout of the Manual has been revamped, to include guidance that was previously available online. Guidance for each relevant standard can now be seen at a glance. There is also an icon to indicate if documentary evidence will be required by the inspector. In addition, the new format clarifies the derivation of each standard, so that legislative requirements are distinguished from those required under the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct and those indicated by better practice.
Membership of the Scheme continues to grow, with 126 applications to join the Scheme in the first six months of this year, representing 264 premises, compared with 61 applications in the whole of last year. There are currently 2,351 practice premises under the ambit of the Scheme - approximately 50%.
The draft new Manual is online at www.rcvs.org.uk/consultations.
Hard copies are available from Eleanor Ferguson, Practice Standards Scheme Manager: e.ferguson@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0720.
The deadline for comments is 31 August 2009. Responses will be considered by the Practice Standards Group at its September meeting and thereafter by Council in November.
Norbrook Laboratories has launched a long-acting cattle bolus which it says will reduce the risk of Milk Fever.
According to the company, Calcitrace D3 is the first and only long-acting bolus to offer slow and fast releasing calcium to provide sustained calcium levels for 48 to 72 hours. In addition, Calcitrace D3 provides Magnesium, Phosphate and Vitamin D3 making it the most comprehensive bolus available.
Calcitrace D3 is smooth gelatin coated bolus with a rounded tip designed for easier administration. Norbrook says it is smaller than other boluses making it less likely to cause trauma on the orpharynx during administration.
Dr Barry McInerney, Norbrook's GB Veterinary Advisor said: "Milk Fever is a common metabolic disorder in dairy cattle which generally affects older, high producing cows and is caused by a rapid decrease in calcium concentrations in the blood just before calving. It is estimated that 3-10% of cows are affected by Milk Fever with a cost of more than £200 per incident so it is crucial that farmers and vets reduce the risk as effectively as possible.
"Norbrook's new Calcitrace D3 bolus which should be administered just before calving, provides higher calcium blood levels during the critical 12 - 48 hour post calving period and provides sustained increased levels for well beyond 48 hours. With the addition of Magnesium, Phosphate and Vitamin D3, Calcitrace D3 provides additional protection against Milk Fever."
Andrew Hillan MVB MRCVS, Director of Veterinary Sciences at Norbrook, led the development of Calcitrace D3. He said: "The launch of Calcitrace D3 is another illustration of the very high quality of technical expertise that exists within our research and development department and underlines Norbrook's commitment to developing high quality and innovative products. It comes from a strong and exciting pipeline of new products which we will bring to the market over the next couple of years."
The new code is one of a series of welfare codes currently being reviewed and updated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) following recent consultations.
BVA President John Fishwick said: "We warmly welcome these updates and we are particularly pleased to see the vital role the veterinary profession plays in maintaining poultry welfare recognised throughout the new code.
"We are also delighted to see the benefits of veterinary surveillance systems highlighted, with owners and keepers encouraged to use local and national disease surveillance sources to better understand poultry disease patterns and their local health and welfare landscape. This was a key element in our joint consultation response and reflects BVA’s recently published Position on veterinary scanning surveillance (animal health and disease monitoring).
"We are also pleased to see signposting within the Code of Practice to the Humane Slaughter Association’s Code of Practice for the Disposal of Chicks in Hatcheries, which outlines in detail information about humane methods of killing and good practice.
"The British poultry industry has some of the highest welfare standards in the world and the veterinary profession is fully committed to working with Defra on further enhancing animal welfare codes to reflect best industry practice."
Photo: Flock of Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) Roaming Freely in Front of Chicken Sheds on a Farm in the Rural Village of Chenson, Devon. Shutterstock / Peter Turner Photography
John Innes, CVS Referrals Director based at Chester Gates Veterinary Specialists (BVSc PhD CertVR DSAS (orth) FRCVS), said: "The main challenges around managing and treating osteoarthritis for vets is that it is a chronic, insidious problem.
"It’s also often lower down the priority list and owners don’t recognise the signs; they often ascribe it to ageing. Actually, osteoarthritis is such a common problem that it should be way up our priority list because something like 10-15% of adult dogs have OA."
The roundtable discussion also focused on the need for greater understanding of the condition among pet owners.
Duncan Lascelles, Professor of Small Animal Surgery and Pain Management at NC State Veterinary Medicine (BSc, BVSc, PhD, MRCVS, CertVA, DSAS(ST), DECVS, DACVS) said: "The vet profession needs to take a much more active role in the education of owners, and osteoarthritis is a perfect example of this. Many owners consider osteoarthritis to be age related and an inevitable part of the ageing process – unfortunately both of those concepts are erroneous.
"Osteoarthritis can be a young dog disease, it is present in many young dogs because it is caused by developmental diseases, but we only recognise the obvious signs later on when the disability is severe. Also, we should not consider OA-related pain as an inevitable part of the ageing process, it is something that we can prevent by early intervention, early treatment and modification of lifestyle."
Meanwhile, a survey of 236 UK practising vets carried out by Elanco last June, revealed that 76% of veterinary surgeons believe owners fundamentally misunderstand OA and consider it just a symptom of old age, which results in a barrier to effective treatment of the disease.
The survey also found that although the illness is commonplace (49% of veterinary surgeons see OA cases every day), vets are often unable to give their preferred treatment for OA for a range of reasons, from owner misconception of the disease through to perceived side effects and compliance.
The issue of better education of owners was also discussed at the roundtable, in particular the role of CMIs (Clinical Metrology Instruments); owner-facing questionnaires designed to help veterinary surgeons evaluate the extent and seriousness of OA-related pain in dogs.
Duncan said: "The great thing about CMIs is that they have been constructed using language that owners understand, therefore are an easy way to ask owners the right questions in the way that they will understand.
"CMIs allow us to have what can be very difficult conversations with owners. Difficult because we have to think of all the different ways that osteoarthritis might be affecting pets. Because the CMIs include pre-constructed questions, it means that conversations with owners are much easier and, importantly, they’re consistent. Consistency is key to ensure you’re asking the same set of questions each time, every time, so you can follow the evolution of clinical signs over time and assess the beneficial impact of our therapeutics."
John added: "We often quiz the owner informally in a consultation, but CMIs gives us the tools needed to formalise this questioning of clients and allow us to put that in context of our knowledge of other patients."
Both John and Duncan said the need for more patient analysis highlighted the need for better use of existing tools, such as the LOAD (‘Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs’) questionnaire, a 13-item clinical metrology instrument (CMI) designed to help veterinary surgeons determine the severity of OA in all dogs, monitor disease progression and assess the patient’s response to treatment.
For more information contact your Elanco representative or call +44 (0)1256 353131.
The research also found that awareness of feline hypertension amongst cat owners is very low, with 80% of those questioned unaware that cats could have high blood pressure and nearly 20% believing that it was only an issue in humans.
Amongst those cat owners who are aware of feline hypertension, only 25% said they would consider asking their vet for a blood pressure check for their pet.
However, once made aware of the risks of high blood pressure, including blindness, seizures and kidney disease, 83% of owners said they would ask their vet for a blood pressure test for their cat.
Dr Natalie Borrill MRCVS, veterinary technical manager for cardionephrology at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Feline hypertension is a common condition in older cats; it is estimated that one in five cats from nine years of age are at risk of suffering from the condition3, but there is a low level of awareness amongst cat owners about this condition.
"By increasing awareness of the disease amongst owners, they will be more inclined to visit the vet with their older cat for regular blood pressure checks. It can also be very helpful for an owner to be present when blood pressure is measured because this can help reduce stress and anxiety in their cat. For more information cat owners can visit amadeus.vet."
The research results were released as part of Feline Hypertension Month, which is running until the end of May to raise awareness of hypertension and improve the detection and management of high blood pressure in cats. As part of the campaign, veterinary practices are being urged to measure their feline patients' blood pressure in cats over the age of seven.
Ceva says it will continue its Mercury Challenge throughout 2019 to increase veterinary professionals' confidence in measuring blood pressure and identifying feline hypertension. Participating practices are given the opportunity to win diagnostic tools to help them identify feline hypertension.
For information, contact cevauk@ceva.com or visit mercurychallenge.ceva.com.
In the study1, which was funded by Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), an online questionnaire was completed by 744 snake owners worldwide but predominantly from the UK (68.8%).
The questionnaire investigated housing and husbandry practices and snake health and welfare as measured by clinical signs and behavioural indicators.
Associations between clinical signs, behavioural indicators and housing and husbandry aspects were tested for the three most common snake families: Pythonoids, Boids and Colubrids.
The study found 54.7% of snakes were kept in enclosures shorter in length or height than their body, preventing them from stretching out fully.
10.2% of snakes in the UK were kept in enclosures that do not comply with current recommended guidelines (minimum enclosure length <0.66 of snake length).
Whilst most snake owners (93.1%) reported measuring the temperature in their snakes’ enclosures, 24% of these checked less than the recommended once daily.
When looking at the most commonly owned snake species (royal pythons, corn snakes and common boa constrictors), 47.2% were kept in sub-optimal temperatures for their species.
Furthermore, 48.1% of owners reported not measuring the humidity in their snakes’ enclosure.
Owners reported that many snakes experienced at least one of the listed clinical signs, with the most common issues being skin shedding (28.2%), parasites (11.2%), rostral cuts and scrapes (7.4%) and respiratory problems (5.6%).
Snakes that were kept in enclosures <1 snake length had significantly more clinical signs compared to those snakes kept in enclosures >1 snake length.
Similarly, most snakes were reported to experience at least one of the listed negative behaviours, most commonly interacting with transparent boundaries (52.8%), wincing or withdrawal of head when gently touched (52.4%), putting the head under the substrate (52.1%), unusually high level of activity (51.1%) and attempting to escape (45.9%).
All these negative behaviours have previously been described as associated with captive stress.
Snakes that were reported as having more clinical signs tended to show more reported negative behaviours.
Dr Nicola Rooney, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife and Conservation at Bristol Veterinary School and corresponding author for the paper, said: “Our study has highlighted various concerns for snake welfare.
"The first of these relates to enclosure size, with snakes commonly being kept in vivaria preventing straight-line postures and movement.
"Snakes that were unable to stretch out fully had more clinical signs than those that were able to stretch out fully.
“Whilst we did not find a significant association between temperature or humidity and measures of health and welfare in this study, it is a concern that many snakes were housed in conditions considered sub-optimal for their species.
"We know that appropriate temperature and humidity is vital for maintaining the health of snakes and it would therefore be prudent to investigate these associations further, using methods other than owner reporting.”
Dr Huw Golledge, Animal Welfare Editor-in-Chief, said: “Until now, there has been little empirical data on the housing and husbandry practices of privately kept snakes, and how these impact on their welfare.
"As the first study of this size, this research provides valuable baseline data against which future surveys or welfare interventions can be compared.
“As this survey relies on owner-reported information, it is very likely that many of the frequencies of clinical and behavioural signs are underestimated.
"This demonstrates the need for evidence-based recommendations, and the importance of such recommendations being made accessible to owners to improve snake welfare.”
Reference
Photo: Brown and Black Snake in Close Up Photography © deedee Pexels
BSAVA Summit will take place from 16-17 December 2019 at the Royal College of Physicians in London and will involve a series of high-profile keynote speakers and interactive workshops.
The Association says the event will deliver CPD differently to other veterinary meetings, with most sessions run as facilitated workshops to enable delegates to lead and shape discussions.
Confirmed facilitators include RCVS CEO Lizzie Lockett, BEVA President Renate Weller, Director of Clinical Research and Excellence in Practice at VetPartners Rachel Dean and Small Animal Medicine Specialist and Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Cardiology Dr Kit Sturgess. Each day delegates can choose three out of a total of five workshops. Online forums will be used in the run up to BSAVA Summit to develop ideas and thinking for the workshops before the event.
Day one will focus on ‘The Profession Today’ and topics will include workforce issues, telemedicine, specialism, the future of advanced practitioners and regulation of the profession.
Day two will explore the future of ‘The Profession Tomorrow’ with topics including communication, over-diagnosis, over-treatment and innovation.
On the Monday evening delegates, speakers and facilitators will be able to network at a drinks reception in the library at the Royal College of Physicians.
BSAVA President Sue Paterson said: "We have launched BSAVA Summit to address the rising demand for a space to debate important topics, challenge mindsets and question accepted benchmarks. Following feedback from our members and the profession, Summit will revolutionise veterinary conference norms with a free-flow approach to champion active debate, discussion and reflection.
"There is a growing need to tackle some of the ethical and professional problems that face vets today such as over diagnosis, the role of specialists in practice, and research in practice. Importantly, the format of the discussion forums means that whilst the debate is led by a facilitator, the delegates will drive the agenda to arrive at stimulating and satisfying outcomes. It has been designed to fit with the new outcomes-based approach proposed by the RCVS where veterinary professionals are encouraged to plan their CPD, do their CPD and reflect on what they have learnt.
"The delegates are the key to the event, and Summit should attract people who want to be involved, want to input, want to make a difference and want to help drive the profession forward. I already have people eagerly emailing me wanting news of when the registration goes live.
"Summit aims to help delegates take a hard look at the way they work. Our aim is for each delegate to set themselves personal goals and we will be following up in 3 months to see if they have achieved them."
The BSAVA says that although the Summit is primarily targeted at experienced small animal practitioners, all vets, including equine and large animal practitioners, are welcome to attend.
The full programme will be available and registration will open online on 17th June. BSAVA members will have an opportunity to book advance tickets, with general sale opening two weeks later.
For further information visit www.bsavasummit.com.
A new study carried out by academics at the University of Bristol's Animal Welfare and Behaviour research group has revealed that chickens empathise. So, if you've wondered why the chicken crossed the road, it was probably to help a friend.
More specifically, the research - funded by the BBSRC Animal Welfare Initiative and published online in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. - demonstrated that domestic hens show a clear physiological and behavioural response when their chicks are mildly distressed.
Researchers say the study is the first to demonstrate that birds possess one of the important attributes that underpins empathy, and the first study to use both behavioural and physiological methods to measure these traits in birds.
During one of the controlled procedures, when the chicks were exposed to a puff of air, the hens' heart rate increased and eye temperature decreased. The hens also changed their behaviour, and reacted with increased alertness, decreased preening and increased vocalisations directed to their chicks.
Some of these responses have previously been used as indicators of an emotional response in animals. In domestic chickens, time spent standing alert is associated with higher levels of fear. Previous research carried out by the same group has shown that hens also selectively avoid surroundings associated with high levels of standing and low levels of preening.
Jo Edgar, PhD student in the School of Veterinary Sciences, said: "The extent to which animals are affected by the distress of others is of high relevance to the welfare of farm and laboratory animals.
"Our research has addressed the fundamental question of whether birds have the capacity to show empathic responses.
"We found that adult female birds possess at least one of the essential underpinning attributes of 'empathy'; the ability to be affected by, and share, the emotional state of another."
The researchers say they used chickens as a model species because, under commercial conditions, chickens will regularly encounter other chickens showing signs of pain or distress due to routine husbandry practices or because of the high levels of conditions such as bone fractures or leg disorders.
Reference:'Avian maternal response to chick distress', J L Edgar, J C Lowe, E S Paul, C J Nicol, published online ahead of print Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 9 March 2011.
Picture:Gemma Richards, University of Bristol
Vet Futures, the joint initiative by the RCVS and BVA to stimulate debate about the future of the profession, has opened a new discussion hospice care, and whether it it will become mainstream in veterinary medicine.
This month's Vet Futures guest blogger, Kath Dyson, a former veterinary surgeon who qualified from Glasgow in 1989, writes that veterinary palliative care, while a relatively recent phenomenon, has been growing in stature, particularly in the United States, with symposia and conferences on the subject as well as webinars and chapters in text books.
She notes the increasing number of UK vets offering hospice care, highlighting the differences between palliative services offered in human and veterinary medicine as well as debates within the profession over the advantages and disadvantages of palliative care versus euthanasia.
She said: "In animal hospice it is the pet's owner who takes on all the financial, practical and emotional costs involved, whereas human patients have a lot more support available. Euthanasia is always an option in veterinary medicine, and indeed euthanasia of an animal can legally be carried out by anyone, so long as it is done humanely."
On the euthanasia debate she adds: "Some regard euthanasia as more of a last resort, with hospice assisted natural death being seen as more preferable and only a minority of patients requiring euthanasia. Others feel that euthanasia is more often likely to be the preferable outcome of a period of hospice care in the animal patient, even though they do not rule out a natural death."
Overall she argues that additional expertise from veterinary surgeons in end of life care will help the profession be "even better able to provide truly lifelong care to all their animal patients".
To accompany Kath Dyson's article, this month's poll asks if hospice care will become a standard part of practice.
Last month's poll asked if vets are given adequate information, guidance and support on ethnic and cultural diversity in relation to a blog written by a British Asian vet about prejudice he encountered from a client. The vast majority (90%) of the 118 people who responded to the poll thought that the profession was lacking in support when it came to diversity. Diversity in the profession and how to increase it has been a key topic identified by the project and it will be one of the issues addressed in the final Vet Futures Report published later this year.
To take part in this month's poll and to read and comment on Kathy Dyson's blog visit www.vetfutures.org.uk/discuss
The BVA has expressed its concern that almost two-thirds of food companies have no information on their commitment to stunning animals before slaughter – with only 4% having a "universal commitment".
The findings were published in the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare report (BBFAW, published 27 January) and also show that slaughter without pre-stunning is the only welfare measure showing a decline in the percentage of food companies that have a specific policy on the practice, down from 34% in 2014 to 32% in 2015.
BVA has run a long-standing and high profile campaign to end non-stun slaughter in the UK, with a public petition in 2015 gaining 120,000 signatures. BVA, together with all leading farm animal welfare organisations, believes that all animals should be stunned before slaughter to render them insensible to pain. Scientific evidence supports the use of pre-stunning to safeguard animal welfare. In 2015, two-thirds of BVA members listed the issue as one of their top priorities for government.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "Vets and the public are united in their concern about animal welfare at slaughter. There are several positive findings on the growing commitment of food companies towards farm animal welfare in the BBFAW report, which we welcome, but the report highlights a disappointing lack of commitment towards animal welfare at the time of slaughter. The European Commission’s study of 13,500 meat consumers across Europe found that 72% wanted information about the stunning of animals at slaughter. Food companies need to sit up and take consumers’ concerns about humane slaughter seriously. People want to be assured that farmed animals receive both a good life and a humane death."
The report, which was developed in consultation with BVA members, devolved branches, BVA specialist divisions and other stakeholders, outlines the essential role that the UK veterinary workforce plays in not only caring for animals, but in enabling trade, ensuring food hygiene and safety, and undertaking cutting-edge research.
Non-British EU veterinary surgeons are critical to the UK veterinary workforce. Around 50% of veterinary surgeons registering to practise in the UK each year come from overseas, with the vast majority of these coming from the rest of the EU. Yet one-fifth of vets are already reporting that it has become harder to recruit since the EU Referendum.
To secure the best possible outcomes for animal health and welfare, public health, and the veterinary profession, Brexit and the veterinary profession sets out 52 recommendations for the short, medium and long term, including calling on the next Government to:
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Vets provide the foundation for the UK’s work on animal health and welfare. Veterinary teams up and down the country support the UK’s 11 million pet-owning households; not a penny of the UK’s £13 billion agri-food industry could be realised without vets; and we are an integral part of the international scientific community, annually bringing in over £50 million for research and development projects.
"The veterinary profession is in a unique position from which to offer the next Government evidence-based policy recommendations to ensure animal health and welfare, public health and other standards are at the very least maintained as we exit the EU.
"We believe Brexit also presents us with opportunities, for example, to develop a strong, competitive food industry with full consumer confidence at home and abroad as well as to position the UK as a world leader in high animal welfare - and a strong veterinary workforce is vital in achieving this."
Brexit and the veterinary profession was developed and written by the BVA Brexit Working Group, under the chairmanship of Alick Simmons, former UK deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, and was agreed by BVA Council in April.
The report builds on BVA’s Brexit Principles, agreed by Council in September 2016, and covers seven areas of public policy: veterinary workforce, animal health, animal welfare, food hygiene and safety, veterinary medicines, research and development, and trade.
Two further sections of the report consider issues relating to devolution and to Northern Ireland’s unique position as the only part of the UK to share a land border with an EU member state.
With a snap General Election due in five weeks’ time, BVA has produced a 20-point manifesto of key recommendations covering both Brexit and wider policy issues, which has been sent to the main political parties’ manifesto-writing teams and to BVA’s Honorary Associates.
Brexit and the veterinary profession and the manifesto for the 2017 General Election are available at: www.bva.co.uk/brexit.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has launched Semintra, a new liquid treatment for cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
The active ingredient in Semintra is telmisartan, the first angiotensin receptor blocker to be licensed in veterinary medicine.
Like benazepril, Semintra is indicated for the reduction of proteinuria associated with CKD in cats. Boehringer says it has a highly targeted mode of action that provides rapid and reliable reduction of proteinuria in cats with chronic kidney disease. The company adds that it is well tolerated and almost exclusively excreted in the faeces, so elimination is not dependent on renal function.2
Above all, Boehringer is highlighting the how easy the treatment is to use, pointing to a study that has shown it is well accepted by more than 90% of cats.1,3
Martha Cannon, RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine at the Oxford Cat Clinic, has already used Semintra in cats with CKD. She said: "For us at the Oxford Cat Clinic, ease of use is an enormously important part of any product that we use for cats. From our personal experience, we found that Semintra is very well accepted by cats, with owners finding it very easy to give and to build into their cat's daily treatment plan."
Semintra is available from veterinary wholesalers as a 4mg/ml oral solution. There is one 30 ml bottle size which will last the average 4kg cat 30 days.
A few CKD facts provided by Boehringer:
For further information on Semintra visit www.semintra.co.uk, contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager or telephone +44 (0)1344 746959.
Kate, who has worked in practice for 30 years, said: "Pilates does more than just give you a strong core. By tapping into your mental wellbeing even for a short period, it allows that disconnection from the pressures of the day, and encourages the mind to press that reset button. We draw attention to our breathing, our physical well-being, and our mental health.
"By introducing practice pilates once or twice a week, you will find your staff will feel relaxed, mentally calm and engaged. You will also begin to find that they will suffer less and less with those aches and pains brought on by sitting for long periods, and so will suffer less with, and even eradicate lower back pain."
"By helping you practice pilates together as a team, I aim to nurture friendships, allay any clustering of personalities and provide a stable platform for all to be equal."
Practice Pilates has a network of instructors which are allocated to certain regions around the country, and Kate says the aim is to roll out the service, and cluster visits in each area, to keep costs low.
Sessions typically last 45 minutes to one hour, so they can fit into a lunch break.
The company offers a monthly subscription which provides slightly lower per class rates, or a Pay As You Go option. The service is being launched with reduced rate taster sessions.
For information, telephone Kate on 07780 603534 or email: practicepilates@outlook.com.
The company says Cevaprost can help improve breeding success in reproduction protocols in cattle and has the following indications:
Ceva says these indications are equivalent to those of the leading racemic and single isomer cloprostenols available in the UK.
Cevaprost is available in a 20ml colourless glass vial and in a multi-pack of 10 x 20ml vials. It can be administered in single or repeated 2ml doses (equivalent to 0.5mg of cloprostenol) by intramuscular injection. It has a withdrawal period of one day for meat and no withdrawal period for milk.
Peter Keyte, ruminant business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: “We are delighted to add Cevaprost to our extensive range of reprodAction products to provide vet and farmers with comprehensive cattle reproduction solutions and improve breeding success in reproduction protocols.”
For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.
Pfizer Animal Health and Central Veterinary Services are collaborating in a new venture to create a unified National Benchmarking Database open to all veterinary practices.
In what it says is an unprecedented move, Pfizer will integrate 15 years' worth of data from its Performance Index practice benchmarking service (formerly known as the Fort Dodge Index) with that of the Central Veterinary Services' Management Analysis Indices (MAI). These two benchmarking services have been in co-existence for a number of years, each using different databases. Combining the data from the participating practices within each benchmarking service will create a database of almost 300 practices, representing in excess of 10% of all UK companion animal and mixed practices. This, says the company, will provide a more accurate and relevant benchmarking of UK companion animal practice performance.
The first combined reports from this new National Database will be available in May providing a comprehensive analysis for the first quarter of 2012. For Performance Index practices, this will be available via a new web portal.
Participating practices will continue to access their reports and services independently via their respective portals for PI and MAI, but will benefit from the larger database providing greater accuracy, granularity and relevance of exactly who a practice chooses to benchmark itself against. This, in turn, should provide all participating practices with an even better understanding of both their critical success factors and where there are clear opportunities for growth. Pfizer says that as ever, practice data confidentiality will be guaranteed for all subscribing practices.
Ned Flaxman, Director Business Innovation, at Pfizer Animal Health said: "We have recognised that what veterinary practices really need is to be far more specific about who they benchmark themselves against. There is little relevance to a rural mixed practice in the Lake District employing 3 full time vets (FTVE) benchmarking themselves against a large 5 FTVE companion animal practice in the centre of Manchester - you are comparing apples and pears! My vision for creating the National Database was really to increase the business benefits of practice benchmarking and enable practices to compare apples with apples. With the new system, the large urban practice in Manchester should be able to compare its performance against other urban practices in the North of England employing 5FTVE!
"To ensure practices have accurate and relevant data from which to make informed decisions to grow and thrive in these turbulent conditions, the creation of a single national benchmarking database is the only sensible solution. Although we are effectively levelling the playing field by enabling other veterinary suppliers to offer benchmarking, we believe it is the right thing to do for veterinary practices and the market as a whole. For Pfizer Animal Health, the needs of our veterinary clients are the driving force for our business decisions, veterinary support services and product development."
Martin Barrow, Managing Director of Central Veterinary Services said: "We fully agree that a single benchmarking database is the right solution for the market. The creation of this National Database, open to all practices irrespective of their supplier, will provide the participants with unique tools to give them powerful insights for their practices' future continued success.
"MAI and the Performance Index have competed with each other for years and provided a very useful added value service for their respective subscribers but when we were approached to integrate the two databases, we immediately saw the bigger picture and recognised the significant benefits this could bring to a wider audience of UK veterinary practices.
"The national database uses open standards for data collection and data is accepted from all practices irrespective of which practice management system they use. We believe it is the right thing to do for veterinary practices and brings significant benefits to the whole veterinary profession."
Practices are urged to subscribe to the PI or MAI services either independently or through one of their practice development partners. Although run from a common database each service will continue to be provided with its own unique features.
For further information on Performance Index practices should contact their Pfizer Account Manager, email Pfizer at Vetsupportplusuk@pfizer.com.
For further information on MAI, practices should contact Central Veterinary Services at mai@centralvet.com, or telephone 01359 245310
Until now, the treatment has only been available in 20 and 40 pack sizes. The new two-tube pack option offers clients a pre-packaged treatment course for one ear.
Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: “The introduction of a pre-packaged Osurnia treatment course provides a convenient solution to veterinarians treating otitis. Osurnia comes in pre-measured, single-dose tubes of the gel with a soft flexible applicator tip that ensures the dog receives the right dose, every time, all while minimising discomfort for the patient.
"The patented gel formulation provides reassurance that the solution is less likely to be dislodged from the patient’s ear, prolonging the contact of the active medicines directly at the infection site1.
"A treatment plan using Osurnia means that vets can help ensure compliance of treatment. The application of the second dose provides an additional opportunity to assess the patient to ensure it is responding as planned."
Osurnia two-tube packs are available from wholesalers. For more information, visit: www.dechra.com.
Xperior Farm Health, one of the bidders for the government contracts to provide TB testing, has announced that it mounted a legal challenge to the procurement process, but has now withdrawn that challenge in the face of the 'aggressive' timeframe in which Defra demanded that it submit its case.
Xperior says it was made aware last month that all five Delivery Partner contracts would be awarded to members of the same veterinary group (XL Vets), which it felt would both compromise competition and make Defra overly reliant on one service provider.
In addition, Xperior said it believed the successful bids were unfeasibly low, which presents a potentially devastating threat to the viability of many rural vet practices and a seriously reduced quality of TB testing service to farmers.
Xperior says it initially notified a formal query to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA - the executive agency of Defra responsible for awarding the contracts) during the pre-announcement consultation period, and believes other bidders may have done likewise. The query was dismissed, as a result of which the company issued legal proceedings.
Xperior's Veterinary Director, Phil Elkins said: "We are concerned that proposed payment rates for TB testing are considerably lower than those proposed by other bidders, and at a level which questions the viability of practices continuing to provide TB testing services to their clients.
"The consequence would be either unfairly low payment rates for official veterinarians (OVs) who conduct TB testing, or an influx of inexperienced vets, potentially from other countries, into low paid positions. The loss of TB testing income would also challenge the viability of some rural veterinary businesses and the relationships held with their clients.
"Either way, this is contrary to a key tenet in the pre-tender documentation that Delivery Partners are expected to maintain a flow of TB testing work and revenue to contribute to the capability of the veterinary profession in rural areas to support food security and the rural economy."
Meanwhile, an APHA spokesperson said they were limited in how much they could say before the formal announcement of the award, except that: “APHA is confident in the robustness of the procurement process and that the selected bidders are the best candidates to deliver this vital service in the most effective way.”
VetSurgeon.org understands that now the legal challenge has been dropped, an official announcement of the winner will likely be made within days. However, it also seems likely that the payment rates for OVs will remain confidential even after the announcement of the award, so it may be some time before the prospects for OVs become clear.
This, say the authors, should in turn help them to communicate potential performance problems more effectively with their clients.
Conducted by Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, the study compared the real-time application of the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram with analysis of video recordings of the horses by a trained assessor and determined whether vets, after preliminary training, could apply the ethogram in real time in a consistent way and in agreement with an experienced assessor.
Twenty horse and rider combinations were used for the study. The horses were in regular work and were capable of working ‘on the bit’. They were assessed by a chartered physiotherapist and then a Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) qualified saddle fitter checked the fit, placement, balance and suitability of each horse’s saddle. Eleven horses were found to have ill-fitting saddles and 14 had back muscle tension or pain but these did not influence the behaviour scores.
The horses were also assessed by an independent lameness expert. Sixteen showed low-grade lameness or abnormalities of canter, which were likely to be pain induced but did not prevent the horses from being used for the study.
All 20 horses were given a 15-minute ridden warm-up before executing an 8-minute purpose-designed preliminary level dressage test. During each dressage test a team of 10 equine vets, who were selected from 40 volunteers and given preliminary training, applied the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram. They assessed each horse for the presence of a total of 24 behaviours that occur more commonly in lame horses compared with non-lame horses. It has previously been shown that the presence of ≥8 behavioural markers is likely to indicate the presence of musculoskeletal pain.
All behaviours were scored with a binary method as present or absent. The ethogram was also applied to each horse by an experienced trained assessor (Dr Dyson) and the tests were filmed so that the experienced assessor could make a comparison between her real-time behaviour assessments and video analysis.
There was good agreement between the expert’s scores and the volunteer vets’ scores and excellent consistency in overall agreement among the volunteers. The scores also reflected the volunteers’ capacity to use the ethogram to identify lameness status, with higher scores awarded to the lame horses compared with the non-lame horses.
There was no significant difference in real-time scores and video-based scores for the experienced assessor, verifying the reliability of the system.
Sue said: "The study confirms that with basic training veterinary observers can use the ridden horse ethogram with consistency as an effective tool to help identify musculoskeletal pain which could reflect lameness or back or sacroiliac pain.
"The volunteers were unanimously positive about the potential value of the ethogram in helping them to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain in horses performing poorly or at pre-purchase examinations."
Sue and her team are now working with the evidence-based online educational resource Equitopia, in conjunction with Padma Videos, to produce a training video to enable vets, owners, riders, trainers and paraprofessionals to learn how to apply the Ridden-Horse-Ethogram.
For more information, email info@equitopiacenter.com.