Marie Kubiak, an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, will be hosting Exotic Animal Emergencies, a one-day CPD course, in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, on Friday 8th September (10:00am - 4:00pm). 

The course will cover reptiles, pet mammals and captive birds. 

Marie says the course will teach you how to approach exotic emergencies confidently, from clinical examination and forming differential diagnoses to medical and surgical approaches for common emergency presentations.

Marie will discuss both clinical management and the stabilisation and care of the critical patient, including fluid therapy, analgesia, contra-indicated medications and hospital cage requirements.

Welfare-focused euthanasia approaches will also be covered for different species.

Tickets cost £300 and the course is open to veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and students on a recognised veterinary or nursing course.

Lunch, tea, coffee and biscuits included.

https://evolutionexoticsreferrals.co.uk/cpd-booking-form/ 

Luisa De Risio MRCVS, Mars Veterinary Health’s Director of Associate Research and Hannah Sargent MRCVS, Associate Research Manager, are conducting a survey to discover what UK-based vets think are the most important areas for research.  

Luisa (pictured left) said: “We want to further understand the research topics and questions that UK vets believe are most critical to improving veterinary care and advancing the veterinary profession.

“We are particularly interested in the topics, issues and questions that vets think scientific evidence would help when practicing veterinary medicine, whether specific to their role or the entire profession.

"It’s vitally important to highlight potential research gaps, so we can ensure clinical studies have the greatest possible impact to help improve outcomes for our patients.”

The survey will be conducted in two parts. 

The first survey will close in early March, with the second survey circulated in April for three months. 

The results will be published in an online, open access peer-reviewed journal.

Survey: https://bit.ly/4ko3utN 

The Animal Health Trust's (AHT) Dr Sue Dyson has been awarded a place in the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame, in recognition of her contribution to hoof care in horses.

Sue, who is Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the AHT, has lectured internationally and is known for both her clinical work with horses and an extensive research record, having published more than 200 refereed papers on lameness and diagnostic imaging in scientific journals. She has also co-authored several veterinary textbooks as well as training and competing as a high-level rider in international events.

Established in 1997, the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame honours veterinary surgeons who have contributed to the knowledge and recognition of proper hoof care for horses. Vets are nominated either as practicing equine vets who work closely with farriers in the field, or as college and industry vets involved in teaching, research or other important aspects of equine veterinary and hoof care.

Anyone can nominate an equine vet for the award, which is sponsored by the American Farriers Journal, but selection is completed by previous inductees into the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame. Awards are presented each year during the International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sue said: "I was completely surprised, but absolutely thrilled, to learn that I had been selected to join the distinguished list of people who have previously been appointed to the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame.

"I think it is very humbling to recognise that, despite the knowledge that my team and I have amassed in the last 30 years, there is so much more to learn. From every new finding come many more questions. I hope that the enthusiastic dedication of my team will continue to result in learning and discovering more, and inspire others to do likewise, to the ultimate benefit of the welfare of our great friend, the horse."

Sue has has worked at the AHT for 30 years and is currently researching the association between hindlimb lameness and saddle slip. She has observed some association between the two for several years, however saddle slip has traditionally been attributed to an ill-fitting saddle, asymmetry of the horse's back shape or a crooked rider.

In 2011 Sue carried out a prospective research project with Intern Line Greve: 'Saddle slip may be an indicator of the presence of hindlimb lameness'. It was presented at the 51^st Annual Congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association, Birmingham 2012, and identified that in some cases, saddle slip was directly linked to the presence of hindlimb lameness.

Research results showed that of 128 horses assessed for lameness grade and degree of saddle slip when ridden by two riders, the saddle consistently slipped to one side in 54% of the horses with hindlimb lameness, in comparison to just 4% of the horses with forelimb lameness. Diagnostic analgesia to abolish the hindlimb lameness eliminated the saddle slip in 97% of the horses observed in the study.

Sue and Line are currently undertaking further research to measure movement of the back, and forces under the saddle, with the aim of explaining biomechanically what is happening during the occurrence of saddle slip.

RCVS Knowledge has announced the launch of inFOCUS, a free resource to keep veterinary practitioners, academics and students up to date with the latest research and critically appraised topics.

Produced by Knowledge’s Library and Information Service, inFOCUS watches all relevant veterinary journals and provides concise summaries of the most important, interesting or practice-critical primary and secondary material.

Subscribers to inFOCUS are sent a bi-monthly email containing the summaries – including the bottom line for implementation in practice – and the option to read the original articles.

The new service aims to remove the time constraints associated with identifying the most vital research.

A Clinical Review Team, made up of experts and specialists from across the veterinary community, assesses journals to find the best items based on relevance, quality and potential impact, and then reviews and summarises the literature for each edition of inFOCUS.

RCVS President Stephen May said: "inFOCUS is a crucial and long-awaited provision available to everyone involved in veterinary care.

"By removing the barriers to accessing and reflecting upon latest research and commentary, this innovative way of bringing you must-know updates further enforces the move towards evidence-based veterinary medicine, of which RCVS Knowledge is a champion. 

"Whether you’re someone who regularly checks veterinary publications or you rarely get the chance to analyse the available material, make sure inFOCUS is on your reading list."

As well as the six-times-per-year email, inFOCUS will be viewable online, where editions from previous months will be housed and individual summaries categorised by animal type. Though initially focused on small animals, literature from across the broad spectrum of veterinary practice will be highlighted.

You can subscribe here to have the latest inFOCUS updates sent directly to your inbox.

Also, if you're interested in helping to ensure that the most important research reaches the veterinary community, you can apply to join the Clinical Review Team here.

Supreme Petfoods has launched a new range of Science Selective Care supplements for rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas.

The range includes Digestive Care, a supplement formulated with natural prebiotics and fibre to support gut motility and promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, and Urinary Care, which contains dandelion, cranberry, and vitamin C to help reduce the risk of urinary issues, such as bladder sludge.

Skin and Coat Care with antioxidant-rich spinach and linseed, is designed to support skin and coat health, while Vitamin C Care combines vitamin C, cranberry and blackcurrant to support immune function and vitality.

Claire Hamblion, Marketing Director at Supreme Petfoods said: "Over half of rabbit owners take their rabbits to the vet at least once a year.

"They are becoming much more engaged with their pet’s health care needs and want to provide high standards of care.

"Our new range meets the growing demand for products that offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition.”

www.supremepetfoods.com

XLEquine and the Animal Health Trust (AHT) have launched Plan, Prevent, Protect, billed as the UK's first equine biosecurity booklet for horse owners and yard managers to work through with their veterinary surgeon, to minimise disease risk on yards and maintain the health and welfare of the horses in their care.

Mark Tabachnik MRCVS, of XLEquine member practice Wright & Morten Veterinary Surgeons said: "For many yard and horse owners, biosecurity is just not on their radar. It only becomes important after they have had an outbreak! Strangles in particular can have devastating effects which impact not only on horse welfare, but the disruption and paralysis of animal movement has significant consequences with relationships on the yard, not to mention the financial costs in some cases.

"We wanted to develop a practical guide that pre-empts these issues by helping owners to set in place simple and in many cases common sense, plans and procedures to prevent a disease outbreak, along with practical steps should the worst happen, and an outbreak occurs.

"Our veterinary farm colleagues and the medical profession are well ahead in terms of biosecurity measures. It's about changing people's mind-sets. For example the NHS "Catch it Bin it Kill it" campaign has been highly successful in adapting our thoughts and actions towards disease spread, and consequently many of us are more aware of the importance of good biosecurity in one way or another."

Dr Richard Newton, Head of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance at the AHT was also involved in the development of the booklet. He said: "I hope that this will encourage all equine practices to raise their game, it is so important for the whole equine community."

The booklet is available to all equine clients of XLEquine member practices, or it is available to view at http://www.xlequine.co.uk/content/plan-prevent-protect

Lauren Pears, an Australian entrepreneur, is about to launch the country's first 'cat café' in London, where aficionados of felines will be able to enjoy a cappuccino in the company of ... a cat.

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is aimed at city dwellers who are unable to have their own pet, novelty seekers, parents and tourists.

At this stage, Ms Pears intends to have around 10 cats in the café, with up to 50 people having coffee with them at any one time.

Interest in the new café has been phenomenal: over £100,000 has been raised for the project so far, via the crowd-funding website Indiegogo, and over 3000 pre-sales tickets sent to those people who have invested.

Meanwhile the British Small Animal Veterinary Association has highlighted some of the potential problems with the concept. BSAVA President Professor Michael Day said: "While some cats appear content living in groups and interacting with human strangers, other cats can be very stressed in these circumstances. It isn't always easy to identify whether a cat is suffering from stress - this is often missed or misinterpreted. For example, inactivity can be seen as contentment, but they are actually internalising their anxiety. The input of a veterinary behaviourist and appropriate staff training will be essential."

Genitrix is encouraging practices to capitalise on the growing market opportunity for dental treatments by offering a free pack of its Dentagen Dental Wax and a special offer of six products for the price of five for the rest of its Dentagen dental range during March 2010. 

The company is also urging practices to declare March 'Dental Care Month' and to use it as a platform to step up the education they offer to pet owners on this important welfare issue.

According to Genitrix, the Dentagen range uses a plant extract called RF2 which operates as an 'anti-biofilm' treatment, modifying the membrane of oral bacteria to prevent them from producing plaque even at low concentrations. Dentagen Wax is applied to dogs or cats at the end of dental procedures in practice, while the animal is still sedated. It forms a protective coating over the teeth, which lasts for several days.

Each pack of wax contains five syringes enabling practices to offer free wax applications to pets during Dental Care Month. Pet owners can then maintain the protective coating by giving their pet either Dentagen plaque prevention chews every other day or the Dentagen Aqua drinking water additive.

For dogs, the chews are supplied in two sizes with the larger size designed for dogs over 8 kg and a smaller size for dogs less than 8 kg. Dentagen Aqua is a drinking water additive containing RF2. The company says the palatable liquid, which is added to a pet's drinking water, has proved particularly effective in treating cats which don't respond well to tooth-brushing or dental chews.

Rob Watkins, Genitrix' marketing director said: "It's well known that dental disease affects 80% of pets over three years' old and, if left untreated, can go on to cause serious health problems.  

"Data from veterinary practices also confirms that many of them are not achieving the revenue they could from offering dental treatments to their clients. We want them to get their teeth into this important revenue opportunity so we're calling on practices to make March 'Dental Care Month' and are offering them a special deal on Dentagen products to get them started.

"The efficacy of the Dentagen range in inhibiting plaque formation has been proven in clinical trials and it has proved popular with pet owners, increasing their compliance with preventative health regimes."

To order your free pack of Dentagen Wax and to take advantage of the special offer on the rest of the range, contact Genitrix on 01403 786345 or by email at mail@genitrix.co.uk

Dechra Veterinary Products has announced the appointment of Bob Parmenter as managing director of its UK business. 

Commenting on his appointment, Bob said: "I'm pleased to have joined Dechra at a very exciting stage of the company's development. I've been following the growth of Dechra over recent years and with its acquisition of VetXX in January, I believe that the business is now strongly placed to further establish itself as a leading player in the animal health industry."

Having spent nearly 40 years in the industry, Bob Parmenter has previously worked for Schering-Plough, Mallinckrodt Veterinary, Pitman-Moore, Coopers Animal Health and ICI Pharmaceuticals. "My career path has enabled me to experience all aspects of the animal health market. I'm confident my industry-wide knowledge will provide Dechra with additional experience as we continue to build our reputation and strengthen our UK market position."

Former MD Giles Coley, who joined Dechra in 1999 and has managed the UK business since 2003, has been promoted to European Pharmaceutical and Export Sales Director.  As a member of Dechra Veterinary Product's European Board he will be responsible for co-ordinating pharmaceutical sales across Europe and developing the company's export sales.

The Veterinary Benevolent Fund has launched an electronic version of the Pocket Book of Tips for Practising Vets which will be  given away free to all final year veterinary students in the UK.

At the launch party at the Royal Veterinary College's Hawkshead campus, the two authors spoke to final year students about making a success of their first year in practice and passed on tips gleaned from the collective experiences of veterinary surgeons from all over the UK.  The audience then joined the authors at a party afterwards and took the opportunity to ask them more questions about what it will really be like when they start their first job in the profession. 

Alan Jeans, one of the authors, said: "We are grateful to the VDS for funding the event and to Elanco for funding the publication of the book. Over the many years I and my colleagues have mentored new graduates, we have seen which attitudes and approaches seem to result in the most success in the early years of a veterinary career.   We would like to pass this experience on to those joining the profession.  Many final year students will currently be stressed about their exams and may be anxious about their first job so we wanted to reassure them that, although there will inevitably be highs and lows during their career, there is support available should they ever need it."

The collection of tips in the book was accumulated from practising vets all over the UK and is relevant to all areas of practice, small and farm animal, equine as well as some general practical suggestions. The book has raised over £7,000 for VBF - the charity that supports veterinary professionals. 

All final year students can get a free pdf of the book by emailing a request to info@vetlife.org.uk and copies of the paperback can still be ordered on-line in return for a donation of £10 at www.vetlife.org.uk/vet-tips

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College working in collaboration with the University of Cambridge have found that anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) increase appetite in dogs with epilepsy, causing many of them to become overweight. 

The researchers say that although increased appetite has been reported as a side effect of many AEDs in veterinary literature, the effect had not been quantified or studied in detail.

To assess the phenomenon in greater detail, the research team analysed food motivation through a validated Dog Obesity Risk Assessment questionnaire created by University of Cambridge¹.

The study compared 222 dogs diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy with a control population of 7,086 healthy dogs.

The survey was designed to determine if epilepsy and AEDs were associated with increased food motivation, weight gain and decreased activity, and to assess if and how caregivers managed weight gain in this population.

The data revealed that dogs with idiopathic epilepsy receiving AEDs had significantly higher food motivation in comparison to healthy dogs – they had increased interest in food, were less selective about food, were more interested in food between meals, and wanted more food than usually offered.

In response, carers of dogs on medication put greater effort into restricting how much their dogs ate, particularly of human food.

Despite this, these dogs had significantly greater fat mass.

More than half of owners of dogs with epilepsy always used treats to administer their dog’s ASD medication (53%) and did not compensate for it by reducing the dog’s main food ration (34%).

Given the epilepsy treatment often involves medication two or three times a day, this has the potential to increase calorie intake substantially, an issue compounded by epileptic dogs also being less active.

The researchers say it's important that vets and nurses advise owners to monitor their dog's weight and help them manage it. 

Dr Anna Morros-Nuevo of the University of Cambridge, and primary author of this study, said: "Idiopathic epilepsy, and in particular seizure episodes, have such an overwhelming impact on these dogs' families that side effects such as weight gain often get overlooked, both by vets and the pet's families.

"But unfortunately, obesity has lifelong negative impact on health and quality of life, since it predisposes dogs to suffer from joint problems and respiratory diseases, as well as metabolic disorders and urinary incontinence.

"Obese dogs have also been shown to have a shorter lifespan than dogs with a normal weight.

"While ASD are non-negotiable for many of these dogs, their caregivers and veterinarians should be aware of the lifelong impact of their side effects and manage them carefully.

"We hope these findings will help to increase awareness for both veterinary professionals and dog carers of the side effects of ASD and their impact for the patient."

Reference

1. Morros-Nuevo, A., Packer, R. M. A., Reagan, N. & Raffan, E. ‘Caregiver-reported increased food motivation and adiposity in dogs receiving antiseizure dogs’, Vet Record, 195(12) doi: http://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.4907 

Identi has launched a Practice Pet Protection Pack to help vet professionals answer questions about microchipping before cat microchipping becomes compulsory in England from 10th June.

The pack contains species-specific microchipping law guides, a practice registration guide, a cat chipping cheat sheet, flyers about registration and flyers about Identi’s silent microchipping scanner.

The company has also produced three short videos with more information for vet professionals about Identi, what it does, registering microchips and compulsory cat microchipping.

Tammie O’Leary, commercial lead at Identi, said: “From June 10th, it will be compulsory that owned cats in England are microchipped and registered in the same way. 

"With these changes imminent, it is important that staff are up to date with the relevant legislation and the potential consequences of pet keepers not adhering to the law. 

"identi’s new Practice Pet Protection Pack will provide busy vet professionals with comprehensive information answering a wide range of microchipping questions in a quick and simple format.”

For a copy of the Practice Pet Protection Pack, email: contact@identichip.co.uk

Grahame Gardner is offering a 25% discount across many of its scrubwear ranges till the end of February 2013, including the Urbane Scrubs collection, the unisex Easiephit range and the Scrubzone brand.

For further information, visit www.grahamegardner.co.uk or call 0116 255 6326.