CEVA Animal Health, makers of the natural pheromonatherapy product D.A.P.® - Dog Appeasing Pheromone, is supporting National Dog Adoption Month in August and has produced a ‘how to get involved' pack for veterinary practices. During the month, rescue centres throughout the country are hosting open days to raise awareness of the benefits of re-homing rescue dogs and provide people who are looking to re-home a pet with the opportunity to meet the dogs up for adoption. Featuring details on how to join forces with participating rescue centres, including information on giving talks at the events, CEVA's pack is available to download from the National Dog Adoption Month website - http://www.dogadoptionmonth.co.uk/. For more information on National Dog Adoption Month or on how to get involved, please visit http://www.dogadoptionmonth.co.uk/ or phone CEVA Animal Health on 01494 781510.
Veterinary Practices are being urged to come forward and enter their PR campaigns for this year's Veterinary Marketing Association (VMA) PR Award for 2013.
The aim of the PR Award is to recognise the value that media and public relations can add to the marketing mix, says award sponsor, Jane Manning of Splash Communications.
Jane said: "PR comes in many forms, including social media, but you don't always need big budgets to deliver the most effective campaigns. Regional press, newsletters and radio or local TV broadcasts are all ways that vets can promote their business or specific initiatives. We know that many practices are highly active across many of these mediums, helping to promote the practice or specific initiatives to a local audience."
She added: "The award is given to the company, organisation or veterinary practice that has delivered the most innovative and effective PR campaign during the previous year, as judged by a panel of industry professionals. This can be a single 'one-off' event or article, or a sustained campaign over a given period".
The winner and two highly commended entries will be announced at the VMA Awards on Friday 14th March 2014, at The London Lancaster Hotel.
Deadline for entries is Friday 31st January 2014. Further information on the awards and ticket application forms are available at the VMA's website: www.vma.org.uk or by calling 0844 561 6157.
Winners of the 2008 Petplan Veterinary Awards, which recognise and applaud staff and practices for their outstanding excellence and service, will feature on Natasha Kaplinsky’s Channel Five news slot from tonight at 5:00pm, and then again at 7:00pm. Tonight's news will cover the story of the Veterinary Practice of the Year: Orwell Veterinary Group, and there'll be more coverage on Tuesday and Wednesday as follows: Tuesday 13th May 5pm & 7pm – Vet of the Year – Brian Faulkner of the Melton Veterinary Surgery Wednesday 14th May 5pm & 7pm – Vet Nurse of the Year – Louisa Baker of the Priors Leaze Veterinary Centre. Should be great publicity for the profession, and it is difficult to achieve this sort of thing, so hats off to Petplan.
Vetoquinol is introducing new flip-off plastic caps on its injectable range to make the products more user-friendly.
Marbocyl 10% is the first product to benefit. The new caps mean it is no longer necessary to have the aluminium caps which were used to protect the rubber bung and were not always easy to remove. Other products in the injectable range will be adapted throughout 2008.
“Vetoquinol is continuously looking at ways to improve its products,” explains Vetoquinol’s Alvin Cerely. “The phasing out of aluminium caps and the introduction of flip-off lids is a definite improvement in the use of our injectable antibiotics.”
Merial has published Give Them Just What they Need, a guide to the key considerations concerning the vaccination of cats.
The company says it produced the guide after conducting research in which 76% of small animal veterinary surgeons said they are not fully aware of the most recent feline vaccination guidelines, and 98% said they'd find a guide useful.
The survey1, which was conducted amongst 114 UK small animal vets, also showed that whilst 82% of vets are aware of the existence of feline vaccination guidelines from organisations such as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), 58% don’t know the content well, and a further 18% were not aware of the guidelines at all.
In a concurrent survey of 1000 cat owners2, 60% said they would have more confidence in their vet knowing that they were vaccinating according to the latest guidelines. The cat owner survey also found that 80% rely on their vet for information about vaccination, and 60% would like more information about vaccination.
Claire Edmunds, product manager at Merial, said: "Understanding that vets are busy people and using all of the insight that we have gathered from vets and owners to shape the content of the guide, we have condensed previously published vaccination recommendations from organisations such as WSAVA and ABCD into really useful, practical advice. The new guide and complementary support materials will hopefully prove to be really valuable resources for vets, giving them the information they need when reviewing their vaccination protocols, in a quick, easy-access format.
"By being better informed about the latest recommendations, we want vets to feel more confident in discussing all aspects of vaccination with their clients. With the majority of cat owners saying that they rely on their vet for vaccination information and nearly half stating that their vet clearly explaining the benefits of vaccination would increase their compliance in vaccinating their cat, this obviously will be beneficial to both the practice and pet cats."
Merial has also produced supporting materials for use alongside the guide, including a take-home leaflet for owners and digital assets for social media and newsletter use, designed to help vets start discussions about vaccination.
Give Them Just What they Need is available from your regional Merial Territory Manager or for download at https://goo.gl/7Uas3y
References
Vets Now, the UK's only national dedicated out-of-hours veterinary emergency care provider, is set to open its 33rd clinic in July.
The clinic will be located in Portsmouth and will operate from the premises of the Harbour Vet Hospital, 251 London Road, Northend, Portsmouth, PO2 9HA.
Prior to the clinic opening Vets Now will be holding an open evening on the 22 July 2008. The evening is an opportunity for practices in the area or veterinary professionals thinking about working within the clinic to come down and find out more about Vets Now.
Richard Dixon, Managing Director of Vets Now said, "The open evening is an excellent opportunity for the practices in the area who have already subscribed to the service to come down to the host clinic, the Harbour Vet Hospital, and see the facilities that Vets Now will be using. Likewise for those who are interested in using Vets Now as their 0ut-0f-hours provider it is an ideal opportunity for them to come and meet the team, see the facility and find out a little bit more about the service we'll be providing.
He continued, "With regard to staffing the clinic, the open evening is also an opportunity for veterinary professionals who are interested in working with Vets Now either on a permanent or occasional basis to call in and meet our recruitment team and discuss the opportunities which are available."
The open evening on the Tuesday 22 July will be held in the Harbour Vet Hospital, 251 London Road, Northend, Portsmouth, PO2 9HA and will be running from 7.30pm - 9.00pm with drinks and nibbles provided. Vets Now has asked that anyone planning to attend the open evening email marketing@vets-now.com
Dechra Veterinary Products is celebrating sales of 100 million sachets of Equipalazone® Powder with a campaign in which customers will get a special deal, and the chance to enter a draw for a VIP, 3-day trip to Badminton 2008.
In the online survey of 392 dog owners, which was conducted Companion Consultancy, 64.5% of owners said their dog has suffered from gastrointestinal upset.
51.8% said they used home cooked chicken and rice to manage their dog's digestive upset.
28.6% sought veterinary advice.
18.8% used a pre and probiotic, despite half of the respondents thinking they would be useful.
Veterinary nurse and sales manager at Vita, Tara Evans, said: “We know that digestive upset is very common in dogs, and almost two thirds of the survey respondents identified that scavenging was the primary cause of upset.
"We want to help support pet owners in knowing how they can best look after their pet in these situations, and provide them with both educational resources and an effective product.
“Education is key in helping owners make the best choices for their dogs.
"Changing their diet in a time of digestive upset isn’t always the best option, so it’s important that we provide owners with up-to-date information."
www.vitaanimalhealth.com
The new resource contains webinars, vet-written articles and podcasts covering topics including the microbiome, the gut’s role in immunity and toxin ingestion.
The resources support NVS's range of dietary products: Prorestore +, Movipet, Duostart, Glandvet, Activated Charcoal, Duotox and Digestive Paste.
Malcolm Dickinson, Head of Product Management at NVS, said: “The new products are all designed with vets and their patients in mind.
"They’re useful everyday products to help combat some of the most commonly seen conditions in practice.
“We hope the hub will act as a central base of knowledge that veterinary teams can refer back to time and time again.
"The webinar and podcasts in particular are well worth a listen and a watch as they are full of useful information delivered by vets.”
https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/our-brands/select-from-nvs/digestive-health-hub
Since 1 April 2026, the RCVS has required all practices to implement a practice-specific suicide prevention plan.
The requirement includes assessing potential risks within the practice setting and putting in place measures to address and mitigate each identified risk.
The new resources include a suicide prevention guide for all practice staff, a suicide prevention plan checklist, and a practical step by step suicide prevention toolkit for veterinary workplaces.
Further resources, including a recorded webinar, will also be published in due course.
A "Suicide awareness fundamentals" course is also available via the RCVS Academy.
The course supplements the resources by looking at the contributing factors behind suicide in the profession, how to talk about it, reduce stigma, and support those in crisis.
Rapinder Newton, Mind Matters Initiative Lead, said: "These resources are comprehensive and will help veterinary practices not only create plans, but also implement and communicate them with staff, and regularly review them to ensure they're fit for purpose as well as adapt them if needed."
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/veterinary-professionals/mind-matters/resources-and-cpd/suicide-prevention-in-the-veterinary-workplace
Defra has published a final epidemiology report into the Avian Influenza outbreak confirmed in Oxfordshire on 4 June.
The report concludes that at the time of writing (2 July) infection was confined to a single premise, and there is no evidence of infection on any contact or geographically close premises, or evidence of spread of infection to any other premises to date
While it has not been possible to conclusively identify the source of the infection, the two most likely sources of the outbreak are thought to be:
Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Alick Simmons, said ''This incident has demonstrated again the potential for avian influenza to be introduced into domestic poultry in the UK. The risk of further incidents, while low, remains. I urge poultry keepers to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity and to report suspicion of disease promptly including where records indicate increased mortality or reduced performance.''
VetSurgeon.org has been setting new records for the amount of activity recorded on the site.
Membership of the community has grown from 1,832 in April, to 3,524 today. On December 2nd, there were 810 visits to the website, the largest number of visits in a single day. And in the month-to-date, 4,764 visitors have made 11,257 visits, during which they made 83,105 pageviews, an average of 7.4 per visit.
A year ago today, the site recorded 55 visits in a day. Forum posts were by no means an every day event. In fact, it was looking a bit like I'd just blown a very large amount of money on a website which would allow me to sit and talk to, er, myself. Things couldn't be more different now, and I'm over the moon to see how popular the site is becoming. It's especially rewarding to see a friendly, professional, collaborative and very active community becoming established in the forums, as that's at the heart of what I set out to try and achieve.
The aim of the tool is to enhance the confidence of veterinary professionals in deciding when to prescribe and when to withhold antibiotics.
The tool is the next step in the PROTECT ME initiative, the core of which is the BSAVA/SAMSoc Guide to Responsible Use of Antibiotics: PROTECT ME guide in the BSAVA Library and the accompanying ‘Antibiotic use in our practice’ poster.
The current demo version of the tool provides advice on gastrointestinal infections.
Work is underway to cover all areas of the PROTECT ME guide.
Cameron Shuttlewood, Production Editor at BSAVA said: “Responsible use of veterinary medicines is key in supporting One Health and in retaining the right to prescribe antibiotics that are important in human medicine.
“We are pleased that the small animal veterinary community is embracing the importance of antibiotic stewardship, and we want this tool to make it quick and easy to follow existing evidence-based guidance.”
The full PROTECT ME guide, including printable posters and non-prescription forms, is available from www.bsavalibrary.com/PROTECTME.
BSAVA members can request free printed copies of the poster for their practice.
Non-members can purchase copies from www.bsava.com/shop for £5.
bsava.fillout.com/protectme
Electoral Reform Services (ERS), the independent body that carries out the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Council election, has offered reassurance that the election was fair, in spite of a number of voters being sent duplicate ballot papers.
According to the College, ERS designs and prints the ballot papers, and receives back votes via the post, internet and text message, but it does not distribute the ballot papers: this was carried out by a separate mailing house contracted directly by the RCVS. Although the exact number of voters who received duplicate papers is not known, it may have been up to 289, as that was the shortfall of voting papers at the mailing house.
ERS carried out a review of voting patterns, including issues such as multiple votes coming from a single IP address, and concluded that it was not possible to say there had been instances of dual voting. Even in the small number of cases where there was a suggestion of dual voting, if those particular votes had been discounted it would not have affected the outcome of the election.
In a letter to the College, Adrian Wilkins, ERS Senior Consultant said: "Our view is... that although a number of members were sent two ballot papers, there is no firm evidence of fraud, and that the result is an accurate reflection of the views of the members of the Royal College. Our recommendation is consequently that the result should be declared as per our election report of 30th April 2012."
As a consequence, the RCVS returning officer, Gordon Hockey, Acting Registrar, declared the election results on 30 April.
Just a reminder of research projects by our members that are ongoing. Full details can be found in the wiki on the group homepage:
Diabetes Treatment Survey for vets, nurses and owners
Primary Investigator Contact Info:
Stijn Niessen
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences,
Royal Veterinary College,
University of London, UK
sniessen@rvc.ac.uk
Genetic Basis of Endocrine Disease in Dogs
Further details can be obtained from:
Brian Catchpole BVetMed PhD MRCVS
Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Immunology
Dept. of Pathology & Infectious Diseases
Royal Veterinary College
Hawkshead Lane,
N. Mymms
Herts AL9 7TA
Tel: +44 (0)1707 666388
Fax: +44 (0)1707 666483
Email: bcatchpole@rvc.ac.uk
Congenital PSS in Birman Cats - DNA Project
Angie Hibbert BVSc CertSAM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS
Feline Centre
University of Bristol
Langford
Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) Treatment Study
Aran Mas DVM MRCVS
P-J.M.Noble BSc BVM&S PhD MRCVS,
A.J.German BVSc PhD CertSAM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS
If you have a suitable case and would like to discuss enrolment on the trial, please do not hesitate to contact us (telephone 0151 795 6100, vetinmed@liv.ac.uk)
Efficacy of masitinib in dogs with steroid-resistant inflammatory bowel disease
cic@rvc.ac.uk
Fabio Procoli
Efficacy of Protexin Pro-Kolin Enterogenic in conjunction with ronidazole in the treatment of T.foetus in cats with diarrhoea
Tel. 0131 650 7650
Email. slalor@staffmail.ed.ac.uk
Veterinary surgeons who intend to conduct research in the field of gastroenterology in dogs or cats can apply for a grant of up to €20,000 awarded by the European Emesis Council (EEC).
The New Clinical Investigator Grant is open to qualified veterinarians who have obtained their degree within the last seven years and are working in Europe. The award will be made to support an original research into naturally occurring gastrointestinal disease - for a period of up to two years.
The European Emesis Council is a science-driven, non-charitable, not-for-profit group dedicated to promoting best practice in the management of canine and feline emesis and in the wider field of gastroenterology. It consists of specialists from France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the UK, who are acknowledged experts in veterinary gastroenterology.
The EEC has decided to award the research grant as part of its on-going commitment to building and developing better practice in the management of canine emesis and associated causes. The group is supported by Pfizer Animal Health.
Applications will be evaluated by the EEC and must be conducted in strict accordance with the highest standards for animal care, including the standards of applicant's national animal research legislation and other relevant European laws, regulations and guidelines.
The New Clinical Investigator Grant recipient will be presented at the ECVIM Congress in September 2010. Closing date for entries is 1 July 2010.
Further details and an application form are available online: www.emesiscouncil.com/eec-grant.
The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) has issued new guidelines concerning rabies in cats.
The organisation, which is made up of 17 independent veterinary experts, meets 3 times a year to discuss major infectious feline diseases. The rabies guidelines are the latest in the series, which are available for download at: http://www.abcd-vets.org/guidelines/index.asp
Research published online in the Veterinary Record has revealed that one in four dogs competing in Crufts is overweight, despite the perception that entrants are supposed to represent ideal specimens of their breed1.
The researchers based their findings on 1120 online images of dogs from 28 breeds —- half of which are prone to obesity — that had appeared at Crufts, the largest dog show of its kind in the world.
Only adult dogs that had been placed between first and fifth in their class between 2001 and 2013 were included in the study.
The images were coded and anonymised, and 960 were deemed suitable for assessment. A second person then graded the body condition of each dog in one sitting, using a previously validated method. One in four (252; 26%) was found to be overweight.
Pugs, basset hounds, and Labrador retrievers were the breeds most likely to be assessed as being overweight. Dogs were overweight in 80% of the pug images, 68% of the Basset Hound and 63% of the Labrador images.
The researchers said that the three breeds with the highest prevalence of being overweight among the online images are prone to excess weight. Nevertheless, since pugs were originally bred to be a companion dog, while hounds and Labradors were bred for hunting and fieldwork respectively, being overweight would not be advantageous.
Standard poodles, border terriers, Rhodesian ridgebacks, Hungarian vizlas and Dobermanns were the least likely breeds to be overweight.
The prevalence of being overweight among the show dogs was less than that reported generally for pet dogs in the UK. Nevertheless, the researchers say the fact that a quarter were above ideal weight is still a cause for concern: “These dogs showcase the ideal characteristics of the pedigree breed, and there is a danger that widespread media exposure might adversely influence owner perception of optimal body shape.”
The Kennel Club has recently introduced changes in policy for judging criteria, to emphasise characteristics that promote good health in dogs. However, the researchers say that breed standards of optimal condition should be reinforced for competition, to ensure consistency: “Further effort is now required to educate owners, breeders and show judges so that they can all better recognise overweight condition, thus helping to prevent the development of obesity.”
Reference
Best in show but not best in shape: a photographic assessment of show dog body condition doi 10.1136/vr.103093
Petproject is updating its ProReward 100% Liver treats and have added three new varieties to the range, a low fat 100% Chicken, hypoallergenic 100% Venison and 100% Icelandic Cod which is high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
Petproject says that after speaking with vets and dog owners it found that many customers had switched on to ProReward because it had helped their dog through a stressful situation such as a trip to the vet or meeting strangers.
ProReward treats are fresh cuts of unprocessed meat and fish that are gently dried to enhance the flavour and lock in the nutrients. Petproject says the intense flavours are similar to those you experience when eating a dried strawberry.
According to the company, the new design uses less packaging and the new varieties will provide veterinary practices with more choice for customers wanting to avoid feeding processed derivatives to their dogs. ProReward is also available in large tubs for use in the consulting room.
Petproject will be embarking on a number of activities to raise brand awareness to get dog owners looking for ProReward products. A free sample pack is available for practices wanting to try ProReward, to request yours or for more information please email info@petproject.co.uk or call 020 8444 1800.
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh has awarded its 2007 Marbocyl Achievement Award to Geoff Culshaw, BVMS, CertVC, MRCVS, Head of the School’s small animal cardiology unit, and Diane MacDonald, VN, Head Nurse in the Hospital for Small Animals.
Virbac has launched Cooldent, described as a highly palatable, fast-acting tablet to freshen dogs' breath.
Claire Lewis, Product Manager, explained: "Bad breath in dogs is unpleasant and is most frequently caused by a build-up of plaque and calculus on their teeth.
"Cooldent's natural ingredients have an anti-plaque action and help both to maintain a balanced intestinal flora and to reduce gas production. They also help to freshen dogs’ mouths by contributing to the reduction of volatile compounds, produced by bacteria which can cause halitosis."
She added: "We are delighted to add Cooldent to our comprehensive dental range, alongside our VeggieDent, natural, all-vegetable, highly palatable teeth-cleaning chews for dogs and Vet Aquadent, an easy-to-use drinking water additive which helps to fight dental plaque and tartar formation in dogs and cats."
Following a five-year review of the Practice Standards Scheme, new standards will take effect from 1 April 2010, and be formally launched at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress in Birmingham (8-11 April).
The Scheme, to which around 50% of practice premises are now signed up, exists to raise standards for the benefit of the public, as well as employees. The review was undertaken by the Practice Standards Group, which includes representatives from all of the key veterinary and veterinary nursing organisations. Its objective was to ensure that standards remain relevant and achievable, while representing better practice. The Group took on board improvements in practice over the last five years, and feedback from inspectors and practices.
Practice Standards Group Chairman, Jill Nute said: "It was important that the Group took account of what the public might reasonably expect of a well-equipped, professional practice. We have made some adjustments to the original standards, placing greater emphasis on clinical outcomes and training."
She added: "To ensure the Scheme goes beyond a 'box-ticking exercise', the emphasis for inspectors has moved towards assessing how standards are applied. For example, not just noting whether a protocol exists for the servicing of anaesthetic equipment, but asking staff involved how this is carried out and what checks are made on a daily basis to ensure the equipment is satisfactory."
The numbered 'tiers' have gone, as these were shown to be confusing. The descriptive categories (Core, GP, Hospital), together with differentiations (equine, small animal, farm animal, emergency services clinic), remain. In addition, to encourage more farm animal practices into the Scheme at GP level, 'where applicable' has been added to certain GP standards, so that those without small animal or equine facilities can comply.
There are some new standards - such as the requirement for annual appraisal systems for all clinical staff. In other cases, as expectations of better practice increase, standards that were previously for Hospitals must now be met by General Practices, and some of those for GPs now apply across the board.
Another change has been in the Manual (see www.rcvs.org.uk/newPSSmanual), which now incorporates guidance alongside the standards rather than in a separate document. 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.
Practices already on the Scheme will be given plenty of time to comply.
Visit stand 911 at BSAVA Congress for more information, or attend Hall 6 at 3.30pm on Saturday 10 April for a presentation on the changes.