The company says that Prid Delta with grip tail retains the unique properties of Prid Delta, but now comes with a new and easy-to-use grip tail which makes it easier to extract from the cow.
In addition, research and development has enabled Ceva to produce a smaller applicator with a bevelled tip, making it more suitable for use in heifers. Lastly, Ceva says the applicator is more robust, leading to a reliable application and a better user experience.
Carol Atkinson from Ceva said: "Prid Delta with grip tail combines the well-liked features that already existed in Prid, higher progesterone release and the comfort that comes from the triangular shape, with a new and improved tail for easy removal of the product."
According to the company, Prid Delta with grip tail contains 12% more progesterone than a T-shaped device and its larger surface area (29% greater) results in higher progesterone levels in the cow.
Prid Delta with grip tail will be available in wholesalers from 1st August 2017.
In addition, there will be a webinar: Reproductive Management Strategies for High-Producing Dairy Herds, presented by Dr Paul M. Fricke, Ph.D. Professor of Dairy Science and Extension Specialist in Dairy Cattle Reproduction Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin on 27th July at 1:00pm. The webinar, which is being hosted by www.thewebinarvet.com, will cover resynchronisation strategies and synchronisation strategies in heifers.
Ceva is also launching a new app to help veterinary surgeons and farmers improve farm performance and sustainability through better fertility management.
The app will be made available to Prid users only. Further information is available from your Ceva territory manager. If you are a Prid user and would like access to the new app you can also email Ceva: reprodaction-group@ceva.com.
The award, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) working in partnership with the Department of Health and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), is part of the cross-council 'Tackling antimicrobial resistance: behaviour within and beyond the healthcare setting’ call, part of the antimicrobial resistance cross-council initiative supported by the seven research councils in partnership with other UK funders including the Medical Research Council (MRC).
The research team will be led by social scientists at the University of Exeter and includes two veterinary surgeons from the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences, together with colleagues at the Innogen Institute of the University of Edinburgh, the British Veterinary Association and leading farm animal veterinary surgeons across the UK.
The researchers say that better, smarter, more rapid and more accessible diagnoses - driving shifts in behaviour associated with diagnostic decision making - represent a critical step to delivering more effective uses of antibiotics in animal health. But improvements in diagnostic development and their relationship to prescription and treatment requires social, governance and technical innovations.
Professor Henry Buller, project lead from the University of Exeter’s School of Geography, said: "This is an exciting opportunity to provide a current assessment of diagnostic and treatment decision practices in the livestock sectors of the UK. Novel and innovative diagnostic tools are currently in development, and our research will generate better understanding of their development as well as the marketing and regulation of these new technologies."
Dr Kristen Reyher, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science, who is the lead on the project at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences, added: "Our research team – the AMR Force – has a track record of working closely with farmers, veterinarians, retailers and government bodies to encourage responsible use of antibiotics. We are excited to have this amazing opportunity to collaboratively generate, evaluate and analyse behaviours and strategies around animal disease diagnosis and to show how innovation in the development of diagnostic tools along with diagnostic regulation and governance can lead to more sensible use of antibiotics across farming systems.
"Working with our partners, we will identify pathways and possibilities for improved diagnostic practice and will trial new diagnostic tools on a series of farms. We are very excited to take our ideas beyond the UK as well, and will conduct pilot and capacity-building research in Tanzania and also partner with a project working in Bangladesh that is co-funded by ESRC and the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science."
Professor Buller added: "Employment of new diagnostics doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Our team will evaluate the implications these innovations will have for the organisation, cost-effectiveness and efficiency of veterinary practice, as well as for veterinary training. We will identify the changes in behaviour, practice and knowledge necessary to accompany the more widespread adoption of practices that are deemed effective and will assess the regulatory and governance support necessary to encourage use of beneficial practices."
The interdisciplinary team will work alongside diagnostic tool developers and regulators, veterinary practices and professional bodies, farmers and treatment decision makers, veterinary laboratories, the food industry and government regulatory authorities to develop durable and innovative strategies for facilitating and advancing smarter approaches to the use of antibiotics in agriculture.
The work will cover the major livestock species, and will involve seeking opinions from veterinary surgeons across the country, through collaboration with the BVA.
David Barrett, Professor of Bovine Medicine, Production and Reproduction at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to assess the adaptability and responsiveness of the different animal production sectors - poultry, pigs and cattle - along with a variety of veterinary structures to the trialled innovations in diagnosis and diagnostics, and will determine the likely benefits of these innovations for prescription practice, for animal health and for sustainable livestock production."
Photo: University of Bristol
In the study, the Pirbright - Wageningen research team combined their expertise in both FMDV and mathematical modelling to evaluate the methods and effects of preclinical diagnosis during surveillance (as would be in place during an outbreak), in order to reduce the risk of transmission between herds of cattle on neighbouring farms.
Transmission experiments in cattle were used to collect samples taken from individual animals such as blood, saliva and nasal swabs, and at herd level such as air samples, on a daily basis during the course of infection. The sensitivity of each of these types of samples for the detection of infected cattle during different phases of infection was then quantified.
Dr. Simon Gubbins, Head of Transmission Biology at Pirbright said: "Our results were incorporated into a mathematical model for FMDV transmission in a cattle herd in order to evaluate the impact of early detection and removal of an infected herd on the reduction in the amount of infectious output which could enable transmission of the virus to cattle on a neighbouring farm.
"By using weekly surveillance, clinical inspection alone was found to be ineffective at blocking transmission. This was in contrast to the impact of weekly sampling using saliva swabs of at least ten animals per farm or daily air sampling (for housed cattle), both of which were shown to reduce the risk of transmission substantially."
Dr. José Gonzáles from Wageningen Bioveterinary Research added: "These findings provide a new approach to disease control which could be added to our emergency preparedness programmes. A potential benefit of applying this strategy is a reduction in the number of animals culled unnecessarily, which is likely to happen when traditional strategies such as pre-emptive culling are implemented."
Following these initial results, the Pirbright - Wageningen research team plan to take their approach from the controlled conditions of the laboratory and test it in field trials. If successful, they hope it will help to reduce the social and economic impact of one of the world’s most devastating livestock diseases.
The new indication adds to the product’s existing claims for the treatment of respiratory disease in both cattle and swine.
The approval was based on data from a multi-centric field trial which enrolled more than 360 sheep on farms in the EU to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single subcutaneous dose of gamithromycin to treat footrot. Study sites in the UK were included. Merial says the study demonstrated a statistically superior reduction in lameness and a numerically higher reduction in foot lesions versus tilmicosin. On day 21, 97.8% of Zactran treated sheep were no longer lame, compared to 93.3% of the tilmicosin group.
Sioned Timothy, Technical Manager UK and Ireland said: "This is an exciting development in the treatment of footrot throughout the UK and Europe.
"Footrot is an extremely painful disease and is recognised to have a significant impact on welfare and productivity. It can cause rapid weight loss and reduce reproduction rates, significantly impacting sheep farm profitability. Zactran is a highly effective, fast-acting, single shot injectable treatment, and provides a valuable tool for vets and farmers to use when implementing footrot control strategies.
Findlay MacBean, Head of Large Animal Business UK & Ireland, said: "Our goal at Merial is to improve the health and productivity of production animals through innovative solutions. We hope that the addition of this new indication for Zactran does just that, and gives us the opportunity to bring a cost-effective and practical solution for footrot in sheep to the marketplace.
"It also demonstrates our continued commitment to the sheep market and our ongoing investment in this sector. At Merial we always promote best practice, and believe that the addition of this product extension to our portfolio will help farmers achieve better health status in their flocks and ultimately improve farm profitability."
Zactran is available in the EU as a 150 mg/ml solution presented in 50ml, 150ml and 250ml bottles.
For further product information, see the SPC here.
The company says Euthoxin 500mg/ml is a stronger dose than any other pentobarbital injection products currently available on the UK and Irish markets which means less volume per dose and a better return for veterinary surgeons.
Gareth Carr, commercial manager for Chanelle Vet UK, said: "Our aim is to support UK vets by offering high-quality products at competitive prices.
"We have developed Euthoxin with the veterinarian in mind to offer them a cost-effective, low-volume, reliable euthanasia for a wide spectrum of species."
Euthoxin 500 mg/ml launches officially on 3rd July and will be available from wholesale partners in vials of 100ml.
For further information, download the SPC here, visit www.chanellegroup.co.uk or contact your key account manager for information about a launch offer.
The review coincided with a move last month from RUMA, the agricultural and food industry alliance which promotes responsible use of medicines in farm animals, to align with the EMA position.
The announcement means that under PVS guidelines, fluoroquinolones, 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins and colistin will retain Class 3 status. This means they are only used when no other options are available and when supported by laboratory sensitivity testing – or exceptionally when all other options have failed.
Class 1 antibiotics form the standard prescribing list within responsible use guidelines and Class 2 are used only when sensitivity tests or clinical experience proves standard antibiotics are not effective. In all treatment decisions the health and welfare of the pigs must always take priority.
Betalactams with betalactamase inhibitors (clavulanic acid) were previously in the highest priority Class 3 but in light of the list defined by the EMA, which has been adopted by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate as well as RUMA, the PVS has reassessed the risk and moved them to Class 2 to align them with plain betalactams. This means they are still subject to voluntary restrictions, but their use would not necessarily be only as a last resort.
PVS president Mark White said that despite the ongoing review process and the potential to reclassify certain products, the Society’s underlying principles remain unchanged: "The total amount of all antibiotics used on pig farms to treat and prevent disease should be minimised, and the types of antibiotics used in pigs should be considered in light of the implications for antibiotic resistance challenges in both pigs and man.
"This policy is proving successful with AHDB Pork’s electronic pig medicine book (e-MB) recently showing that use of colistin appears to have fallen by over 70% in 2016 following its move to a Class 3 antibiotic in late 2015.
"We must also continue to be alert to the possibility of cross resistance, even in older antibiotics that have little or no use in humans. Risk must be acknowledged where it exists and overall reductions are still imperative."
RUMA has welcomed the review and alignment from the PVS. Secretary General John FitzGerald said: "Farmers and vets need boundaries within which to operate and clear objectives to meet, and we would urge all supply chains, from farmer to retailer, to align with the sector position on best practice use of antibiotics, as defined by each sector’s professional veterinary organisation."
Eprinex Multi contains eprinomectin and is effective against the adult stages of the major gutworm species affecting sheep and goats, and the lungworm Dictyocaulus filaria.
Merial highlights two studies which show how treatment can overcome the productivity impact of a parasite burden. In the first, dairy ewes showed a significant increase in milk yield following treatment with Eprinex Multi compared to untreated animals.1
The second study, which looked at interactions between nutrition and gastrointestinal parasites in French dairy goats concluded that subclinical parasite infections induced a persistent decrease in milk yield, ranging from 2.5 to 10%.2
Sioned Timothy, Technical Manager, UK & ROI, Merial Animal Health said: "Merial recognises the need for sustainable, effective disease prevention strategies both to optimise the health and welfare of livestock, and to protect their productivity.
"The small dairy ruminant sector in the UK is small but growing: the registration of Eprinex Multi allows us to communicate and work with this industry to promote best practice in parasite control.
"Eprinex Multi brings a new active ingredient to the sheep and goat wormer market and provides vets and farmers with an additional tool to use alongside good management practices, as part of an integrated parasite control strategy.
"It has the advantage of zero milk withhold, which allows dairy animals to be treated at the optimal time without the concern of lost milk.
"Merial values this very important sector of the livestock industry and is excited to offer this new development to the marketplace. Eprinex Pour On has proven itself in the cattle sector over the last two decades, and the registration of Eprinex Multi with indications for use in goats and sheep alongside cattle offers new opportunities for managing animal health, welfare and production.
References
The existing MSD Animal Health Connect Bursary and Ruminant Research Bursary have been combined into the new MSD Animal Health Research Bursary which is designed to support the future of the veterinary profession through research.
The student arm of the new Research Bursary will award £1,000 to the five best research project applications received from veterinary students across all UK veterinary schools, with an opportunity for an additional £1,000 top prize and £500 runner-up prize.
The veterinary surgeon arm of the Research Bursary will offer three awards, consisting of two ruminant awards and one companion animal award, of up to £4,000 each. The veterinary practitioner proposals will be judged by University academics to ensure independent assessment.
Michelle Townley, Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health said: "Our existing Research Bursaries are well known amongst students and practitioners, having run for over 25 years for the student bursary and 6 years for the ruminant bursary. To increase our support for the veterinary profession through research we have decided to combine our Research Bursaries and add some new categories to help appeal to as wide an audience as possible. This way we can offer a broader level of support for both existing companion animal and ruminant practitioners and our veterinary surgeons of the future. We aim to engage as many people as possible so the MSD Animal Health Research Bursary will be supported by a new website page and social media package to encourage as much interest from students and practitioners as possible."
Student bursary applications are now invited, with a deadline for entries of Friday 26th May 2017. Veterinary practitioners will be invited to apply in September 2017.
For further details go to the MSD Animal Health Research Bursary website at www.msd-animal-health.co.uk/researchbursary.aspx.
Dechra says necrotic enteritis can be treated with a variety of therapeutic antibiotics but that the first choice antibiotics¹ for treatment are narrow spectrum antibiotics, like phenoxymethylpenicillin.
Phenocillin is an 800 mg/g powder for use in drinking water. It is lactose free, and Dechra says its high solubility makes it ideal for concentrated stock solutions and convenient for modern poultry farming. There is a zero withdrawal time so egg production is unaffected.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: “Necrotic enteritis is the most common bacterial disease in modern broiler flocks that can be financially devastating for farmers.
"The high concentration means easy dosage and handling with less waste and the lactose free formula reduces the risk of biofilm development resulting in a high quality and effective product, supporting the responsible use of antimicrobials.
"Phenocillin is a highly effective treatment and we anticipate it will become the preferred solution for veterinary professionals and end users to treat this disease that can very suddenly devastate broiler flocks."
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/2nAboGU
Severn Edge was formed six years ago with the merger of two long-standing neighbouring practices, and now employs 135 people, including 43 veterinary surgeons.
Mrs Karyn MacKenzie, Director of CVS’ Practice Division, said: "Severn Edge is an impressive practice with an outstanding leadership team and an ambitious and exciting vision for the future which we share. We are delighted to welcome the team to CVS and look forward to working with them to help them build an even more successful future."
Dr John Brentnall BVSc MRCVS, a Director of Severn Edge, will continue in the role of CVS Regional Director. He said: "It was clear from our early discussions that CVS understood what we are trying to achieve. We have embarked on a significant investment programme, including upgrading our surgery at Madeley outside Telford, and the redevelopment of the site of an additional clinic which we have recently acquired in Craven Arms.
"In order for us to continually upgrade our clinics, provide the widest range of career opportunities for our staff and steer our practice through an increasingly competitive world, we believe that the best interests of us all lie in joining forces with CVS. It is known for its interest in equine and farm practice, as well as companion animal practice, and has a policy of significant investment in both infrastructure and staff. We believe it offers the best fit with Severn Edge."
In 2014 ioLight co-founders, Oxford physicists Andrew Monk and Richard Williams, filed a patent application for a pocket-sized digital microscope with a performance that compares with expensive laboratory microscopes. They asked Cambridge Industrial Design to realise the product, briefing them that the device would need to deliver images with one micron resolution (required to view human or animal cells) onto a smartphone or tablet, be pocket-sized, easy to use, and economical to build in medium to high volumes.
One of the biggest challenges was in making the unit pocket-sized, which meant it had to be foldable, something which could have led to a loss in the rigidity needed to achieve high resolution images. This challenge was overcome with the use of a single hinge which the company says makes the ioLight both portable and robust.
Alex Jones, Managing director of Cambridge Industrial Design said: "We recognised immediately this was a great idea but the design brief was certainly a challenge. Fortunately, challenges can sometimes bring out the best in designers. The final design is a real success both aesthetically and ergonomically, and this award is a fantastic acknowledgement for the design process and the final product that we have created together with ioLight."
ioLight is also celebrating another success: closing its second round of equity funding after raising £320k from 335 investors on the Crowdcube platform (128% of the initial target).
The company says the new funding will allow it to promote the microscope to a wide range of target markets including veterinary surgeons, education, laboratory and field research, museums and public engagement as well as to international markets.
Andrew Monk, ioLight’s co-founder said: "The product is so simple to use that it is the ideal communication tool for explaining science to the public, students and customers. The microscope lets everyone see the same image so the discussion is about the picture not the tools. It’s a perfect fit for government public engagement campaigns, which are well funded at the moment. We are absolutely delighted that this funding provides us with the opportunity for both product development and to reach out and make microscopy available to so many more people."
A 3 km Protection Zone and a 10 km Surveillance Zone have been put in place around the infected premises to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
The infected flock contains nine birds. Defra says a number had died and the remaining live birds at the premises are being humanely culled. A full investigation is under way to determine the source of the infection.
Full details of the control measures in place can be found here.
Metaxol contains 20 mg trimethoprim and 100 mg sulfamethoxazole per ml and can be added directly to drinking water or used in a concentrated stock.
The new product, which is part of the company's SoluStab range, replaces Methoxasol. Dechra says it is likely to be welcomed by farmers wanting to target entire flocks because of its shorter withdrawal time for broilers.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: "Sulfamethoxazole is a potent sulfonamide and, when combined with trimethoprim, it has a synergistic and bactericidal effect.
"Both active ingredients are rapidly absorbed and distributed widely in tissues making it a highly effective treatment.
"The shorter withdrawal time for broilers will make it an attractive treatment for farmers wanting to target entire flocks."
Metaxol is not suitable for laying hens.
In fattening pigs, Metaxol is suitable for the treatment and metaphylaxis of post-weaning diarrhoea caused by beta-haemolytic K88-positive, K99-positive or 987P Escherichia coli strains susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
It can also be used for secondary bacterial infections caused by Pasteurella multocida, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Streptococcus spp. and Haemophilus parasuis susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
In broilers, it can be used for treatment and metaphylaxis of Colibacillosis caused by Escherichia coli susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or Coryza caused by Avibacterium paraga.
The recommended dosage is 0.25 ml of product per kg body weight per day for four to seven days for pigs and 0.38 ml of product per kg body weight per day for three days for chickens.
For support in calculating dosages, visit http://calculator.solustab.eu/.
The company says industry estimates are that 12 million accessible breeding ewes (91%) are not vaccinated against enzootic abortion in the UK, and that this should concern all practitioners with sheep clients.
Any flock with an abortion rate of over 2% could, it says, be suffering from the disease, and at a cost of £85 per aborted ewe, those are losses producers can ill-afford to ignore.
Stephenie Clarke from Ceva said: "Abortion remains one of the most significant reasons for loss in sheep flocks and an abortion storm can lead to crippling results on farm.
"Enzootic abortion caused by C. abortus remains the main cause of ovine abortion in the UK1 and once in a flock, takes time to control as exposed ewes can become latently infected."
Assure Ewe is a subsidised blood testing scheme open to all flocks with 50 or more breeding ewes. In contrast to other schemes, evidence of an abortion does not need to have taken place.
Blood samples should be collected from six ewes, with full farm and vet details also supplied. Upon results, Ceva says it will share information with the participating veterinary surgeon to discuss with the farmer.
Stephenie added: "Assure Ewe is a very user-friendly, simple scheme that will help facilitate conversations between vets and farmers while, at the same time, providing useful testing information to vets. Ceva encourages evidence based veterinary decisions, and this is just one example of such an initiative."
If C. abortus is identified in a flock, a veterinary-devised plan combining vaccination with Cevac Chlamydia, biosecurity and only purchasing stock from accredited flocks will assist disease control and eventual eradication.
For further information about the scheme, contact your Ceva territory manager.
Reference
Tolracol is a 50mg/ml suspension of toltrazuril which can be used in all three species to prevent coccidiosis infections in youngstock on farms with a history of the disease.
Krka’s head of sales and marketing, Killian Gaffney said: "Coccidiosis can have a devastating impact on young animals, resulting in ill-thrift, weight loss and potentially death, making its prevention a vital component of herd or flock management.
"Importantly, this is a tri-licence single dose product which requires vet prescription. The involvement of the vet in prescribing coccidiostats is important as their use should be part of a whole management approach to prevention."
Krka says Tolracol should be used ahead of the peak infection period on farms with a pre-existing coccidiosis problem, with it recommended for use in neonatal pigs at three to five days old and as soon as required in calves and lambs.
Mr Gaffney added: "This product has been proven in trials and offers a cost-effective option for farmers, it is also easily administered which farmers will find attractive. Krka is launching a new farmer campaign to support Tolracol.
"With lambing and spring calving now taking place across the country vets are likely to be asked in the coming weeks and months about coccidiosis prevention. Tolracol provides another valuable tool in the armoury when it comes to preventing this nasty condition and should be considered as a first-choice product."
For more information, see the SPC or contact Krka UK Limited on +44 (0) 2071 646 156.
According to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the company has identified that there is a small possibility that some syringes from the batches listed below have not been correctly sterilised. These batches are therefore being recalled from the market with immediate effect to the veterinary practice level.
This issue impacts on the following batches that have been placed on the UK market:
Zoetis is contacting wholesale dealers and veterinary surgeons to arrange return of affected batches.
If you have any queries in relation to the recall, or wish to report a suspected adverse reaction, contact Zoetis Technical Services on 0845 300 8034, option 1.
The courses, which are are aimed at practitioners dealing with species other than companion animals, include:
Emergency Care of Alpacas (13 July, Sheffield)This course covers the management of dystocia and other problems in the peri-parturient female and neonate, resuscitation, common congenital problems, the failure of passive immune transfer and septicaemia. First aid for orthopaedic emergencies and wound care is covered as is working up the colic patient and the neurological patient.
Diseases of Game Birds (20 June, Swindon; 5 September, Sheffield)Aimed at ensuring that the veterinarian is able to deal with the demands of gamekeepers and game rearers, this course offers an overview of the industry and legislation, together with biosecurity and its application to wild birds. It includes review of common disease processes and control of antibiotic usage with some applied alternatives to traditional methods.
First Aid for the Large Animal Vet (5 July, Swindon; 2 August, Sheffield)This course is aimed at assisting large animal vets who may find themselves required to offer first aid to a colleague who has sustained injuries during a farm visit. It provides advice on assessing emergency situations, recognising and treating fractures, carrying out artificial ventilations and chest compressions, controlling severe bleeding and dealing with burns and scalds.
The Approach to the Sick Hen (18 July, Swindon; 13 September, Sheffield)Avian anatomy and the husbandry of the backyard flock are covered in this course, together with worming and vaccination advice, the approach to the sick hen and appropriate medication options.
Veterinary Care of Sheep (11 July, Swindon; 6 July, Sheffield) Covering the basics of best practice and flock health planning, this course provides practical advice on maximising lamb numbers, sheep lameness, controlling internal and external parasites and flock vaccination programmes.
Veterinary Care of Goats (10 July, Swindon) This course covers the behavioural, nutritional and environmental needs of goats across all sectors, including pet, meat, pedigree and commercial dairy goats. It also covers infectious diseases affecting goats in the UK, including diagnosis, treatment and control, in addition to disbudding, foot care and common surgical procedures.
David Babington MRCVS, Managing Director of Improve, said: "We introduced a number of one-day short courses in niche or emerging areas of veterinary medicine last year and have built on the range for 2017 to cover new species including chickens and goats. Most of the courses are offered in venues in both the north and south of the UK. We look forward to welcoming vets to these new courses this year."
Further information is available at http://www.improveinternational.com/uk/#top
5638 events were reported spontaneously, mainly by the marketing authorisation holder (61%), with the remainder largely reported by veterinary surgeons.
Of these, 5512 were reports of adverse reactions in animals: 829 concerning suspected lack of efficacy, 4638 concerning safety. The majority of reports concerned dogs (2927), cats (1426) and cattle (386).
In dogs, medicines for the control of epilepsy were most often suspected of not having performed as expected (80 reports) whilst vaccines were most commonly reported as having failed to work (71). However, the VMD points out that in many cases, vaccination failure was attributable to other causes (such as incomplete vaccination schedule).
In cats, flea spot-on products were most likely to be reported as not having worked (21). However, there are many reasons why owners may continue to see live fleas on their animal which are unrelated to product efficacy (such as reinfestation from the environment).
Notably, the majority of efficacy reports in horses (12/19) related to euthanasia products, which the report says should serve as a reminder that alternative means of euthanasia should always be available in case the chosen method does not proceed as planned.
Of the safety reports, 59.6% involved dogs, 31% cats, 4.9% horses and 3.9% rabbits. The majority concerned vaccines (1360 reports, most commonly general signs or symptoms, such as lethargy or pyrexia), parasiticides (472 reports, most commonly lethargy, emesis, inflammation/pruritus, depending on method of administration) and inflammation control (412 cases, most commonly emesis, renal insufficiency and diarrhoea, depending on the drug type).
There were 124 reports of adverse events in humans. Of those involving veterinary professionals (about a quarter):
The VMD says that reports of needle stick injuries involving vaccines with a mineral oil adjuvant are of particular concern, because they often fail to show that the injured party has received prompt and correct treatment, either because they are themselves unaware of the necessity for swift intervention, or because they do not take the product package information leaflet with them when seeking medical treatment.
Similarly, the VMD says that incidents involving injectable tilmicosin seem to be often dismissed as just a scratch, and that if you use these products, you should make sure you are fully aware of the warnings contained in the product leaflets.
To read the full report, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/608968/PhV_Annual_Review_2015_v7.pdf
The researchers say that when veterinary surgeons give advice to clients with the aim of changing their behaviour - such as encouraging them to feed their pet differently - they often speak in a directive style, which is driven by a paternalistic-type relationship.
This, they say, reduces a client’s sense of emotional connection to their vet, whilst limiting their personal choice and self-direction in the decision-making process. This consultation method, combined with its conflict with these basic motivational drives, may contribute to why low uptake of veterinary recommendations are reported throughout the profession.
One solution could be the use of evidence-based communication approaches that have been tried and tested in the medical profession.
Alison Bard, PhD researcher at the School of Veterinary Sciences, said: "Veterinarians are working hard to connect with their clients and promote the health of animals in their care, but being a veterinarian is not just about communicating science and methodology. Communication must also inspire motivation, prompt action and boost confidence for an animal carer to put veterinary advice into practice.
"The problem our research identified is that the perceived role of the veterinarian - to provide advice and solutions – leads to a personal communication style that leaves little room for empathy or client input. This style comes at a high cost for client engagement with advice, as we know from wider research that relational interaction and active participation of clients is essential for inspiring a change in behaviour. For the typical veterinarian, this may be surprising, as the clinical accuracy and relevance of advice has traditionally (and intuitively) been the focus of advisory services."
The research team believes a shift in veterinary surgeons' perceptions of advisory consultations is needed to improve the uptake of advice.
Alison added: "As a profession, veterinarians can benefit from recognising that behaviour change is incredibly complex. Being provided with the ‘right’ advice is not always enough for clients to put veterinary recommendations into action, especially where disease management is complicated and clients have mixed feelings over treatment options. How information is communicated in these cases affects client outcomes, meaning the difference between a motivated and unmotivated client can - in fact - be shaped by the veterinarian."
The research team hopes that this study will help veterinary surgeons think differently about their consultations by encouraging them to consider how their communication may be influencing client motivation and behaviour. As a result, they hope veterinarians will think carefully before using labels like ‘unmotivated’ or ‘resistant to advice’, and instead explore whether their clients are perhaps just in need of emotional support, personal choice or a sense of self-confidence to truly engage with veterinary recommendations.
This call for change in the veterinary profession is already underway as a result of the VetFutures project, launched in 2015. This project called for a change in veterinary consultation style: away from a hierarchical model with the veterinary surgeon as the expert passing on instruction, to a model centred on partnership to create empowered and motivated clients.
Bristol’s research will inform this focus of the VetFutures project, and this study provides further evidence about the consequences of paternalistic communication on motivation and behaviour change in veterinary clients.
Dr Kristen Reyher, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science, said: "This paper is one element of an exciting research project that will help inform and support our evolving veterinary profession. I’m confident that change can be achieved with the help of ongoing research. Our interdisciplinary work is focused on whether Motivational Interviewing - an evidence-based communication method that fosters a mutualistic approach to conversations on behaviour change - can deliver the advances VetFutures imagine for our colleagues of the future.
"We look forward to providing further evidence to contribute to a professional shift that will enhance the experience and wellbeing of veterinarians, clients and the animals in their care."
The change has come about following a review of the assurance scheme's standards, when it was decided that all Red Tractor vets should be members of PVS, not just those carrying out Real Welfare assessments, as was previously the case.
Other changes in the review focus on the responsible use of antibiotics and a number of the animal medicine standards have been strengthened.
Red Tractor says the PVS membership requirement is in line with another new standard which will require veterinary surgeons to declare they only prescribe antibiotics for use on Red Tractor pig units in accordance with the PVS Prescribing Principles for Antimicrobials.
Red Tractor technical manager Joanna King said: "Ensuring every Red Tractor registered vet is a PVS member will help keep them abreast of the most recent version of the Prescribing Principles, along with other guidelines and publications."
Assessors undertaking Red Tractor farm assessments can verify whether the retained farm vet is a current PVS member through their membership number which is required on the quarterly veterinary report forms.
Membership numbers can be checked against an online PVS membership checker.
The proposed withdrawal is vigorously opposed by the National Pig Association, which argues that zinc oxide is effective at controlling E.coli infections and can result in lower use of antimicrobials. Furthermore, the ban was proposed by France and the Netherlands, neither of which use zinc oxide.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has submitted evidence to support a proposal for a 10 year transition period if medicines containing zinc oxide are to be withdrawn. This will allow for changes in pig farming practices to avoid increases in the occurrence of diarrhoea at weaning, to ensure animal welfare and prevent increases in the use of antibiotics.
The European Commission will now make a final decision on zinc oxide products - taking into account the CVMP’s recommendation and evidence submitted by Member States - which is expected to be announced some time after June this year.
The recategorisation means that pharmacists and Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs) will be able to prescribe Zolvix.
The VMD says that making the anthelmintic more widely available will increase its usage as part of strategic worm control programmes on farms, which could in turn result in long term health benefits for sheep, for example by reducing the development and spread of anthelmintic resistance, thereby prolonging the effective use of anthelmintics.
The VMD adds that SQPs will now have additional training to ensure they are sufficiently familiar with Zolvix and how to prescribe it effectively and responsibly so that it is used appropriately. A new compulsory training module will be implemented by The Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) to augment the skills of all AMTRA-registered SQPs permitted to prescribe farm animal products. New SQPs will be required to undertake a revised and extended module before gaining their farm animal registration with AMTRA.
Pharmacists and SQPs will be able to prescribe Zolvix from 1st July 2017.
UPDATE 16th March:
BVA President Gudrun Ravetz has issued a statement expressing concern over the recategorisation of Zolvix:
"We know that resistance to anthelmintics is increasing in grazing animals and needs to be addressed if the livestock industry is to avoid a potentially disastrous situation of being unable to tackle parasites. The reclassification of Zolvix from POM-V to POM-VPS is in direct opposition to the trend in Europe, where we are seeing increased control over dispensing of anthelmintics in species where resistance is a serious threat to animal welfare and profitable production; we're extremely concerned that we might start seeing resistance develop in group 4 as a result.
"BVA believes that prescribing of anthelmintics requires a level of control best provided by a veterinary surgeon who has the animals under his/her care, and is based on a sound clinical diagnosis, in order to protect animal welfare and safeguard the efficacy of these products for the future."
Further information on BVA's policy on anthelmintics can be found on BVA’s website: www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/medicines/anthelmintics.
The research aims to establish:
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Photo: I, Flukeman
The webinar programme includes both clinical and non-clinical topics.
Clinical topics include post mortem/diagnostics and calf pneumonia, parasitology – getting the basics right, and herd health planning – vaccination on farm.
Non-clinical topics include business skills, motivational interviewing techniques – facilitating effective communication between farmers and vets, and cow signals.
Webinars take place on the last Wednesday of each month, except August and December when there are no sessions.
Each webinar lasts for one hour, including a live question and answer session with the presenter. Those who are unable to view the live webinar will be able to access the content at a later date, but will not be able to pose questions.
To access the webinars, you need to register on Merial’s Nexus portal (merialnexus.co.uk). If you sign up in advance for individual webinars, you'll get reminder emails before they start.
The Boehringer Academy (www.boehringer-academy.co.uk) contains hundreds of hours of CPD material on equine, companion and production animals. It comprises a mixture of webinars, podcasts, short videos and downloadable documents, which can be viewed at any time. The site keeps a CPD log for each user and provides downloadable certificates.
Boehringer’s Small Animal Marketing Team Leader, Jemima Mead said: "We already have just over 15,000 vets and nurses in the UK and Ireland currently registered with the Academy.
"New and existing members are eligible to receive the Boehringer Academy colouring book. They simply have to visit www.boehringer-academy.co.uk and complete their profile. In addition, everyone completing their profile will be entered into a draw to win an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil."