The step-by-step guide offers guidelines to help farmers improve their herd's mobility.
It highlights the importance of implementing a robust and ongoing treatment plan to improve cow comfort and reduce lameness in the short-term, which will lead to increased production and herd welfare in the longer-term.
The guide includes advice on reviewing a whole herd by an independent RoMS (Register of Mobility Scorers) accredited mobility scorer, seeking veterinary advice or contacting a mobility mentor (someone who has been trained to deliver the ADHB Healthy Feet Programme) if lesions are identified, treating within 48 hours of identification with a combination of trim, block, topical antimicrobial spray and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), as appropriate, and the importance of ongoing treatment, prevention and monitoring every fortnight.
The guide also includes tips for the successful use of NSAIDs, which include the importance of using a NSAID with a zero milk withhold.
There are four lameness management videos which were produced in collaboration with James Wilson BSc (Hons) PhD, a foot health consultant from Herd Health Consultancy and include contributions from Alex Burrows, professional foot trimmer and Chair of the National Association of Cattle Foot Trimmers (NACFT), Dave Bacon, a dairy farmer from Gleadthorpe Farm in Nottinghamshire, Shannon Trinder, assistant herdsperson at Gleadthorpe Farm and Harry Walby BVetMed MRCVS, veterinary surgeon and ruminant technical advisor at Ceva Animal Health.
They cover the benefits of regular mobility scoring, prioritising mobility and lameness prevention in heifers and maintaining lameness management success with practical and effective lameness treatment and prevention programmes.
www.wavegoodbyetopain.co.uk/pdf/step-by-step-guide.pdf.www.wavegoodbyetopain.co.uk/training-videos.html.
Ceva Animal Health has launched ReprodAction, a new series of webinars to help address the problems commonly faced in bovine reproduction management.
James Husband, RCVS Specialist in Cattle Health and Reproduction, kicked off the series at the beginning of November with a live webinar for XLVet members: Assessing Fertility Records.
His presentation, which is now accessible to all large animal vets at http//onsync.digitalsamba.comn/go/ceva/ReprodAction, explores the common pitfalls and provides practical pointers for good fertility management. He discusses the limiting factors of oestrus detection, use of the calving interval as an assessor of individual fertility performance, implications of the varied definitions of conception rates, use of milk recording organisation data and the usefulness of the 21 day in calf rate.
Each webinar in the series is presented by a leading expert and has a facility for live chat and question and answer sessions.
For further information and details of when the next ReprodAction webinar will be taking place, contact Ceva Animal Health on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.
For the randomised controlled trial, 528 dairy heifers were monitored for 34 months to investigate the effects of routine treatment with a NSAID at calving and during treatment for lameness, on the future probability of lameness and culling.
The cows were exposed to normal farm conditions and were split into four groups:
During the study, the probability of lameness was assessed by a lameness outcome score collected every 14 days.
Data on culling was also extracted from farm records.
438 animals were included in the final analysis which revealed that treating a cohort of cows following the group three protocol led to an absolute reduction in lameness of approximately 10% and severe lameness of 3%, compared with animals treated in accordance with conventional best practice (group one).
James Wilson BSc(Hons) PhD, foot health consultant and lead researcher on the trial, said: “It appears that through giving heifers a NSAID at critical time points, we have imparted a substantial, long-lasting benefit to them.
"When freshly calved heifers enter the herd for the first time, we understand that they are (typically) naïve to lameness and have good hoof health.
"By utilising NSAIDs strategically, we believe that we have preserved the functionality of the foot, thereby reducing the risk of lameness.
"This is a highly efficacious, cost-effective means of managing lameness on farm.”
Herd Health Consultancy says that in dairy cows, it is advisable to consider using a zero milk-withhold NSAID which is fully licensed to treat lameness in cattle to avoid any need to discard milk, however no NSAID is currently licensed in the UK to treat the pain associated with calving, so careful advice should be given to farmers based on the farm type and production methods.
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-21329
Reference
Intervet/Schering-Plough has announced that the license for Leptavoid-H has been improved allowing concurrent use with Bovilis BVD.
Intervet/Schering Plough says that given both vaccines are typically administered in the busy pre-turnout period, this will ease on-farm workload and should help to ensure that all primary courses or boosters take place sufficiently in advance of the period of risk.
Each vaccine is to be given by separate routes and sites, to animals of 8 months or older. The concurrent use in cattle may result in fewer animal interventions, less stress and better welfare.
The studies, undertaken by Intervet/Schering Plough's R&D division in the UK, focussed on both the safety and efficacy aspects of the concurrent administration of Leptavoid-H with Bovilis BVD. The company says no systemic adverse events occurred, there was no effect on the outcome of pregnancy or milk yields and the efficacy in cattle was not compromised.
Leptavoid-H is licensed to reduce the shedding of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo in urine. Leptavoid-H is the only Leptospirosis vaccine licensed to improve herd fertility when Leptospira hardjo is the cause of herd infertility, and the only vaccine proven to protect stock against both strains in the UK.
BCF has announced upgrades to the Easi-Scan bovine ultrasound scanner which include improved image quality and additions to the BCF Universal Googles (BUGs) range.
The BUGs range now includes a new LCD model and a monocular version. According to the company, the LCD version provides a softer, more familiar image and considerably lower price, while the monocular version is ideal for the small percentage of people that struggle to see a single image in a binocular style goggle.
John Dawson from Willows Veterinary Group, Cheshire said: "The LCD BUG has a softer image which I prefer. They give more differentiation of echogenic grading allowing more detail to be seen. When I first used them I thought they were going to be more expensive, but to get a better image at a lower price I was astonished."
Gavin Mitchell from BCF said: "These new product developments for Easi-Scan and BUGs are a great illustration of how we are committed to responding to our customers' feedback, opinions and recommendations. At BCF, we design, develop and manufacture our own equipment. It is so important to continually work closely with our customers, to continue to create world-leading ultrasound equipment."
For more information visit www.bcftechnology.com
The Westpoint Group has announced the divestiture of its small animal and equine veterinary practices in order to focus on production animal health and welfare.
From now, the production animal business - which includes veterinary practices providing services to pig, poultry, dairy, beef, sheep, game bird producers and small holders - will be known under the umbrella brand of Origin.
The company says that excellence and innovation in client service will continue to be the focus throughout the organisation.
Matt Dobbs, Managing Director of Origin said: "Origin is committed to supporting livestock farmers to enhance production by improving health and welfare. We have a unique group of vets, researchers, lab techs and paraprofessionals passionate about the success of UK agriculture, with other businesses committed to supporting the industry, joining us through the autumn.
"By focusing on supporting farmers, we will become a unique source of animal insight in livestock agriculture."
For more information, visit: http://www.westpointveterinarygroup.com
Ceredigion veterinary surgeon Robert Alun Merfyn Evans has been suspended from the Register for six months by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after he admitted to misconduct relating to tuberculin testing for cattle he owned and failing to register the births and deaths of cattle.
Mr Evans appeared before the Committee on the 11th February, when he admitted the two heads of charge of misconduct against him.
The first head of charge related to the fact that, between 24 June and 29 June 2013, he deliberately failed to bring to attention of Wyn Lewis MRCVS, an Official Veterinarian (OV) and fellow director of Mr Evans’ practice in Cardigan, the cattle on his farm requiring intradermal comparative tuberculin tests; that he tested certain of the cattle himself despite not being the OV for those tests and having a conflict of interest; and that he provided inaccurate and incomplete information to his practice for the completion of a report on the testing to be sent to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). This misconduct was then repeated the following year between 19 June and 1 August 2014.
The second head of charge against Mr Evans related to breaches of the Cattle Identification (Wales) Regulations 2007 between 4 July 2005 and 20 June 2014, namely the fact that he failed to register the birth of five calves and the death of nine cows. These were accepted as being specimen charges reflecting a much larger total number of breaches over the whole nine year period.
Mr Evans’ misconduct first came to light when a late return was sent to the AHVLA in August 2014 regarding the TB testing of 51 live animals on his farm in June 2014. When the report was scrutinised the AHVLA noticed that 26 animals shown on the return as dead were still registered, while 20 animals that were tested were not registered. When the AHVLA investigated, Mr Evans immediately admitted that he had misled Mr Lewis on two occasions and carried out his own testing despite not being the OV.
The Committee heard that he did this because he did not want it to be found out that he had unregistered cattle on his farm. Regarding the unregistered cattle, the Committee heard that this stemmed from a mistake made by Mr Evans in 2005 or 2006 whereby he mislaid a batch of around nine bovine passport application forms sent to him to register the birth of calves on his farm, a legal requirement for the purposes of animal health, disease control and safeguarding the food chain.
As a result of poor IT skills and being profoundly deaf, Mr Evans felt unable to seek support online or by telephone, was too embarrassed to tell others and, furthermore, felt that it was impossible to correct his mistake without being in breach of the law. So, for a period of nine or 10 years, he failed to register the birth of calves on his farm. His failure to register the deaths of cattle, was also caused by administrative failings. His breaches of the cattle registration regulations were subject to criminal proceedings and on 14 October 2015 he plead guilty at Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Magistrates Court to 14 offences for which he was given a conditional discharge for 18 months and ordered to pay costs of £1,000.
The Committee considered that a suspension from the Register would be in line with the seriousness of the charges against Mr Evans. Professor Alistair Barr, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee agrees that the lengthy period over which these offences took place, his betrayal of his colleague, and the undermining of the reputation of the profession and of the system of disease control, taken together with his dishonesty, make it impossible to impose a lesser sanction than suspension.
"The Committee finds that the respondent, who is a man of good character, has fully accepted his guilt, and has real insight into the seriousness of his conduct. He cooperated fully with the investigations and with the County Council who prosecuted him in the Magistrates [Court], and with the College. He made an open and frank admission about his misconduct from the outset.
"The course of conduct on which he embarked and which has led to these charges was the result of a simple mistake at a time of considerable stress to him. He was not guilty of deliberate misconduct at the outset but… what started as an innocent mistake took on a life of its own and led him to deliberate and dishonest misconduct because he did not know how to get himself out of the predicament he was in."
Professor Barr also said that there was no financial gain in Mr Evans’ actions and that animal welfare had not been compromised as the cattle were well cared for and in good health and that Mr Evans’ actions in carrying out the tuberculin tests on the unregistered cattle himself demonstrated that he was concerned about identifying any disease in his herd.
He added: “In all the circumstances the Committee has decided a proportionate sanction is that the respondent’s registration should be suspended for a period of six months.”
The Committee’s full findings and decision are available on the RCVS website (www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary).
Novartis Animal Health has announced that Crovect 1.25% Pour-On solution for sheep, a broad spectrum ectoparasiticide, is now licenced for the treatment of ticks, with a persistent efficacy of ten weeks and the majority killed within three hours.
Crovect also works in the treatment and control of headflies, the treatment of biting lice, and the prevention and treatment of blowfly strike in sheep.
Crovect has a meat withhold period of eight days. Novartis says this makes Crovect the long-lasting tick treatment with the shortest meat withhold period available, which is of use to farmers taking lambs to market at this time of year.
Helen Langham, Brand Manager at Novartis Animal Health said: "Farmers now have another option available for effective and long lasting tick treatment for their flocks, and one that can be flexibly used in lambs to be marketed. This should greatly reduce the worry of tick infestation along with the associated welfare and economic problems, and we are pleased to bring this solution to the market".
DairyCo has announced the launch of a new programme designed to tackle the challenge of lameness on dairy farms.
The Healthy Feet Programme has been developed to provide a structured approach to assist vets and foot trimmers to work more closely with their farmer clients, to reduce the incidence of lameness on a permanent basis.
DairyCo product manager, Kate Cross said: "We've developed the programme to build on the DairyCo Mobility Score by introducing a programme that dairy farmers can undertake working with their vet who is a trained 'mobility mentor', to identify problems, risk factors and suitable intervention strategies on the farm. An action plan is then agreed to prioritise management practices that have a permanent impact on incidence of lameness."
The programme draws on the findings from the Bristol Healthy Feet Project, the New Zealand Healthy Hooves programme, First Steps and Claw Signals. As well as the valuable experience gained from the DairyCo mastitis plan. It has been designed to combine the best features of all these programmes and aims to build on the successful DairyCo Mobility Score.
Vets are invited to enrol for a two day CPD course, which will enable them to introduce the Healthy Feet Programme to their farmer clients and provide on-going support, assisted by a range of resources provided by DairyCo.
The first course is scheduled for June 2011
For further details please contact Kate Cross on 02476 478686 or email healthyfeet@dairyco.ahdb.org.uk
Public Health England (PHE) is urging veterinary surgeons, nurses, other healthcare professionals and the public to become Antibiotic Guardians by visiting antibioticguardian.com and pledging to make better use of antibiotics, to help make sure they work now and in the future.
The website first asks users to choose whether they would like to make a pledge as a member of the public or as a healthcare professional or leader.
Those who pledge as a Healthcare Professional > Veterinary Practitioner can select one of the following pledges:
Those who pledge as a member of the public can elect to do so as an adult, a family member, a pet owner or a farmer.
The available pledges change according to category and those who respond will be asked if PHE can follow-up to confirm they did keep their pledge.
The campaign forms part of activities that support European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD). Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope, Lead for EAAD 2014 at Public Health England, said: "Everybody can help to tackle antibiotic resistance and we really urge people to help us do this. There is a lot to be done but we can start by making inroads into inappropriate prescribing.
"There are 2 elements to this. One is that we need patients to not always expect to receive an antibiotic for those self-limiting illnesses which are typically caused by viruses. This generally includes those where the symptoms include coughs, runny noses, muscle aches and fever. And the other is for GPs not to feel pressurised into prescribing antibiotics when they aren't really necessary.
"Community pharmacists and their teams also have a key role and should be seen as the first port of call for many winter illnesses caused by viruses. They can also help to manage patients' expectations by explaining the normal duration of these symptoms, what warning signs to look out for and providing effective over the counter treatments that will help relieve the symptoms.
Nicholas Brown, President at the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), said: "Recently published research in BSAC's Journal, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, confirms that despite government recommendations to reduce prescribing for viral illnesses there are still many GPs who do this. Of course GPs don't want their patients to feel unwell but there are many medicines which are available over-the-counter which can really help to reduce symptoms and make people feel better.
"We want to encourage everyone to self-treat as much as possible when it is safe and appropriate to do so. By using antibiotics only when they are needed we can all help to make sure that we keep our antibiotics working for everyone in the future.
"Antibiotic resistance is one the biggest threats to public health and PHE is delivering 4 key aspects of the 5-year UK strategy to help combat antibiotic resistance. These are improving infection prevention and control practices to reduce the number of infections in patients; optimising prescribing practice, improving professional education, training and public engagement and enabling better access to and use of surveillance data."
Children learn lots of important lessons about life, sickness and death from animals and veterinary practitioners. There seems to be an important role here for the profession to educate adult animal owners why antibiotics need to be used carefully both in pets and in humans.
The company says the workshop will provide vets with an opportunity to extend their knowledge of Q Fever, a zoonotic disease that not only affects reproductive performance and productivity in cattle but also presents a health threat to farmers, farming families and related professions such as vets, veterinary technicians and abattoir workers.
The workshop will be presented by Raphaël Guatteo (pictured right), Professor in Bovine Medicine and Health Management at the Veterinary College of Nantes (Oniris) in France.
Raphaël will share his wealth of knowledge on Q Fever including his extensive research into the disease.
He'll answer any questions that delegates may have about Q Fever and will discuss case studies, diagnostic challenges and the importance of quick diagnosis, treatment options and prevention through vaccination.
The Q Fever workshop will take place between 4.00pm and 5.30pm on Thursday 20 October in the Shorthorn Room at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham.
The workshop is free of charge, but spaces are limited.
The British Veterinary Association has welcomed the European Commission's Action Plan on Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), launched yesterday on the eve of European Antibiotic Awareness Day.
The Action Plan sets out 12 actions:
However, the association has expressed concern that the Commission has given only qualified support for new antimicrobials for veterinary use. Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said: "There is much to be applauded in this action plan. In particular the BVA supports the calls for more and better coordinated research, more responsible use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine, and the development of diagnostic tools to quickly and accurately identify the right drug for the right bug.
"The use of antimicrobials in the treatment and control of animal diseases is essential and the BVA supports the strong messages in this plan. Any option for managing AMR must be firmly rooted in sound scientific assessment of the risk.
"While the report recognises the difficulties that have led to the hampering of research into new antimicrobials for veterinary use, we are concerned that there is only qualified support from the Commission for the development of these new medicines for animal use.
"Research into new antimicrobials should be supported in both human and veterinary medicine. We need to ensure the creation of a more predictable regulatory environment to encourage new products for animals to be brought to the market.
"Finally, while the BVA supports the need for a new regulatory framework any new regulations must not impede the ability of veterinary surgeons to prescribe and dispense medicines according to their clinical judgement."
Meanwhile, Jill Moss of the Bella Moss Foundation added her voice to those calling for responsible use of antibiotics, highlighting recent research from the Royal Veterinary College that has established a clear link between pets with MRSA infection and human hospital-associated MRSA. What is less widely recognised, she says, is that resistant bacteria can be passed from human to animal.
The charity is now calling on health and veterinary professionals to work together to achieve a reduction in resistant infections by raising awareness and promoting the responsible use of antibiotics.
MI:RNA says that current testing practices for Johne’s disease mean that identification of the disease is difficult, with current sensitivities of around 10-40% and little to no ability to diagnose early stages of infection.
The loss of productivity due to Johne’s to the UK agricultural economy is estimated to be in excess of £10 million annually.
MI:RNA says it is the first diagnostic testing company to use microRNA assay technology.
MicroRNAs are newly discovered biomarkers that manage the immune system and immune responses and act as regulators for disease progression or resolution.
This, says the company, makes them excellent biomarkers of disease, and when combined AI, can significantly improve identification of Johne’s and other complex conditions, and predict disease outcomes.
MI:RNA says this development will allow veterinary surgeons, farmers and pet owners to test for a variety of conditions, not just Johne’s.
Target areas include heart and kidney disease, osteoarthritis and bovine tuberculosis, along with effective general wellness and preoperative screening.
Eve Hanks, founder and CEO of MI:RNA, said: “Increasing market and global pressures on bovine protein production means that animal health has never been more important.
"This is a key area of research and development for MI:RNA and biomarker science combined with our unique AI-powered modelling, means that we can significantly improve animal health and reduce greenhouse gas output.
“The breakthrough that we’ve already achieved in Johne’s testing is unparalleled, and has provided an opportunity for MI:RNA to pitch our business concept in the USA to the The Kansas City Animal Health Summit.
"Following our presentation, we have now progressed through to the final selection stage for European Innovation Council funding for our work on Johne’s disease.
“In terms of future applications, microRNAs can assist with vital drug discovery, progressing future diagnostic testing and understanding disease pathways more effectively.
"We’ve already made remarkable progress and we know that with the continued backing of our tech, AI and health experts and with the correct funding, that we can do so much more.”
Horiba Medical has announced it is the official exclusive UK distributor of the fully automated Vet abc Plus+ veterinary haematology analyser from scil animal care company GmbH, Germany.
According to the company, the compact Vet abc Plus+ provides a complete blood count (CBC), including 4-part white blood cell (WBC) differential, from only 10 µl of EDTA whole blood, in only 60 seconds.
The Vet abc Plus+ provides pre-installed settings to analyse samples from dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, mice, rats, cattle, pigs and sheep. For dogs, cats and horses, the Vet abc Plus+ provides a 4-part WBC differential blood count, including a differentiation of the leucocytes to identify lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes and eosinophils. Results are available in 60 seconds on screen or can be automatically printed out and transferred to the practice information system or clinical notes. For ease-of-use, the Vet abc Plus+ also incorporates a self-contained reagent and waste system which provides a clean operation whilst being easy to replenish.
Borne from an existing manufacturing partnership, scil and HORIBA Medical already have over 6000 veterinary haematology analysers placed globally. Horiba says the new UK distribution agreement enables UK veterinary professionals to not only procure the Vet abc Plus+ analyser, but also receive expert service and support directly from the manufacturer HORIBA Medical and its team of UK specialists.
For more information, visit: www.horiba.com/uk/medical
BCF Technology has launched the portable 9020HF Orange x-ray generator from Eco Ray.
BCF says the 9020HF is ideal for equine and large animal applications because it is is just marginally heavier than the 8016HF generator, but more powerful, allowing it to achieve excellent images of regions such as the stifle and spine.
The new BCF Clinical Development Manager and in-house vet Kimberly Palgrave said: "This new generator really fills the gap in the range and is an ideal balance between weight and power. It is also bright orange so impossible to miss when tidying the kit away in the yard."
BCF is also the sole official distributor in the UK and Ireland for Eco Ray generators.
To see the full range of X-ray generators and other X-ray and ultrasound equipment available from BCF visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/ or call +44 (0)1506 460023.
The company initiated the recall after identifying a potential for the sterility/stability of the product to be compromised due to a crimping problem of the aluminium cap.
The recall is for the 100 ml bottles of the following batch only:
Batch No.0C3829 Expiry Date 03/12/2022
Vetoquinol UK Ltd is contacting veterinary surgeons and veterinary wholesalers to examine inventory immediately and quarantine products subject to this recall.
For further information, contact the Customer Services Department on +44 1280 814500 Option 1 or email: UK_office@vetoquinol.com.
MSD Animal Health has reintroduced Zanil, the flukicide drench for cattle and sheep.
Based on the active ingredient oxyclozanide, MSD says Zanil is highly effective against the adult fluke responsible for chronic disease and - significantly for dairy farmers - is licensed for use in young, pregnant and lactating animals, with a 72-hour milk withhold period where milk is produced for human consumption.
MSD Animal Health veterinary advisor Matt Haslam said: "The latest independent data1 confirms that fluke is on the increase in UK cattle and sheep. The fluke problem is longstanding, but is being exacerbated by recent wet summer and autumn periods that have created ideal conditions for this parasite to proliferate and infect grazing livestock.
"Chronic liver fluke causes serious economic losses for livestock farmers. In dairy herds, for example, there will be a negative impact on fertility and milk production where cows are affected.
"It is important that farmers have access to the best treatment options given the size of the threat and the scale of potential losses. Zanil is used widely and effectively in Ireland in the control of fluke problems, and there is no known resistance to the active ingredient oxyclozanide. With its re-introduction into the country, we believe Zanil is unique as a flukicide-only treatment that is licensed for use in lactation and in the dry period for the treatment of adult fluke in dairy cows."
Zanil is an oral drench with POM-VPS authorisation, available from both animal health suppliers and veterinary practices. Dosage rate is 3ml per 10kg bodyweight in cattle, up to a maximum of 105ml, and 4.5ml per 10kg bodyweight in sheep, up to a maximum of 20ml.
See DEFRA emerging threats reports in sheep and cattle, Q1 2013: www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/files/pub-survrep-sr0113.pdf
The four-day course, which is organised by Embryonics, will take place in Cheshire and runs from Monday 24 February to Thursday 27 February.
The course will cover the five-step Dutch method of foot trimming, which Ceva says is the most successful tried and tested method of trimming for reducing the incidence of lameness in the herd.
Course tutors include John Dawson MRCVS BVMS CertCHP Dip Cattle footcare and a Ceva representative will also present information on how the management of pain and inflammation fits into a comprehensive lameness treatment programme. The practical course is a recognised route to becoming a NACFT (National Association of Cattle Foot Trimmers) licensed foot trimmer.
Peter Keyte, ruminant business unit manager at Ceva, comments: "We would like to encourage livestock vets, farmers and professional foot trimmers to work more closely together, as a team, to help prevent lameness in cattle. We are therefore delighted to be supporting the industry by sponsoring this course, which will help raise welfare standards across the industry."
For further information on the Professional Foot Trimming course, please visit www.embryonicsltd.co.uk.
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.
Hysolv Animal Health UK has announced that it is offering a free diagnostic test which allows vets to identify the E. coli sub-types that produce the Shiga toxin associated with oedema disease in pigs.
The test, known as STEC-Check and worth £150-£200, is being sponsored by IDT Biologika GmbH. In the UK and Republic of Ireland, faeces and/or intestinal samples will be sent to the Animal Health and Plant Agency (APHA), Weybridge and SAC Consulting Veterinary Services at Penicuik to confirm results within a few days.
Hysolv says the test will provide a quick and accurate diagnosis, enabling appropriate action, including vaccination, to be taken on the farm.
Richard Brealey from Hysolv said: "Oedema disease is not always obvious and may be masked or controlled by the use of antibiotics, the use of zinc oxide or low-protein feeds which can also negatively affect productivity. This test will help confirm the presence of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli on the farm, a cause of serious losses in individual herds. We are therefore advising farmers to contact their vets to discuss using STEC-check on their farms."
According to the company, a nationwide study in Germany showed that 59% of farms where oedema was suspected were affected by Shiga toxin.
Richard added: "The Ecoporc Shiga vaccine has been recently licensed for use in the UK. There is pressure on vets and farmers to reduce the use of antimicrobials and vaccination, together with other measures, and this will help them to do this."
In the UK farmers will be able to carry out a DIY calculation of their return on investment online, using their smartphones or by visiting the Shiga toxin website www.shigatoxin.com
Ceva introduced eco-friendly CLAS (Ceva Layered Anti Shatter) vials in 2007 and continues to invest in the technology for livestock injectables, such as NSAIDs and antibiotics.
However, the three-minute survey - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CLASvials - will help it better understand current attitudes towards packaging and how it can continue to make changes that will drive improvements across the industry.
Five participating vets’ names will be picked at random to win a £20 Amazon voucher in a prize draw.
Peter Keyte, ruminant business unit manager at Ceva Animal Health said: “Following discussions with both UK vets and farmers, we believe that there is some confusion around the disposal of pharmaceutical waste both on farm and from the vet clinic.
"The survey will give us an insight into what is happening to pharmaceutical waste on farms and help us to drive improvements across the industry.”
The new 10ml (10-dose) and 100ml (100-dose) packs of Ingelvac PRRS EU are available now, and will complement the existing 50ml (50-dose) packs.
Callum Blair MRCVS, Swine Brand Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "Nobody likes to end up with part used bottles of any vaccine that then have to be discarded. The addition of Ingelvac PRRS EU 10-dose and 100-dose packs will provide choice for different sized units and help reduce wasted doses."
For more information, visit www.prrs.com.
Produced in association with Farmers Guardian, information in the guide includes the role of Multimin in increasing farm margins by reducing mastitis, improving fertility, assisting growth and increasing immunity.
The Multimin Focus Guide also includes case studies that demonstrate how livestock performance can be elevated with trace minerals, which is relevant to both the dairy and beef industries.
Sabrina Jordan, Product Manager at Virbac said: "Multimin is a unique injection that is designed to ‘top up’ trace mineral supplies at critical times of the production cycle.
"Strategic use of Multimin supports the transition cow and is increasingly used to increase fertility in maiden heifers, particularly at second lactation.
"Multimin is particularly useful for youngstock where it helps to boost immunity and growth; and supports during times of stress such as transportation and grouping.
"Most significantly, in areas where vets have identified deficiencies in grazing pasture, Multimin can ensure that animals are 'topped up' with the appropriate trace minerals to optimise performance.
"The aim of this online resource is to support vets in demonstrating the importance of trace minerals to improving herd efficiency and health."
www.farmersguardian.com/bringing-herd-health-virbac-multimin-focus
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says this is evidence that its strategy to tackle bovine TB, which costs taxpayers £100m a year, is delivering results.
Defra says that gaining OTF status for the low risk area, covering the north and east of England, would boost trade opportunities and mean some herds require less regular TB testing, reducing costs for farmers.
This would be the first time anywhere in England has enjoyed this status and the government says it is a key step in its 25-year plan for the whole of the UK to be TB-free by 2038.
Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom said: "Gaining global recognition that more than half of England is TB-free will be a significant milestone in our long-term plan to eradicate this devastating disease, and will open up new trading opportunities for farmers.
"We have much still to do in the worst affected parts of the country, but this shows that our strategy - combining practical biosecurity measures, a robust cattle movement and testing regime, and badger control in areas where the disease is rife - is right and is working."
Results published today confirm all ten licensed badger control operations achieved successful outcomes. A consultation opens today on next steps for badger control in areas that have completed the first four years of intensive culling.
Other measures announced today include:
Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: "This year we have seen that badger control can be delivered successfully on a wider scale. Further expansion in the coming years, alongside our robust cattle movement and testing regime, will allow us to achieve and maintain long term reductions in the level of TB across the South West and Midlands where the disease is currently widespread."
The government says it is taking robust action to make the country TB-free by 2038, with a strategy including stronger cattle testing and movement controls, good biosecurity, badger control in areas where TB is rife and vaccination when possible.
Vaccinating healthy badgers is part of the government’s long-term plan and could play an important role in preventing bovine TB spreading to new areas of the country. Defra plans to resume the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme, which offers support for private badger vaccination projects in edge area counties, in 2018 when we expect vaccine supplies to be available once more following the current global shortage.
The government is also supporting farmers to take practical action to reduce the risk of infection onto their farm. This includes support for a new CHeCS TB cattle herd accreditation scheme, on-farm biosecurity demonstrations for farmers, and training for veterinary surgeons delivered by APHA jointly with the private sector. Farmers can also access practical guidance on the TB Hub, which brings advice from farming experts, vets and government together in one place.