Research carried out by the Kennel Club to coincide with the start of Open for Dogs Week has found that 40% of British people think dogs are a happy alternative to having children.
One reason for this is perhaps because 25% of respondents said that a dog would fit more easily with their lifestyle than a child. Or maybe it's partly because 25% said that whilst their children always come first, they prefer to do things with their dog.
In addition, 80% said their dog is attentive and loving when out and about, compared to only 50% who said the same is true of their other half.
However, despite the central place that dogs hold in their owners' hearts, the Kennel Club says many people experience difficulty taking their dogs out and about, particularly to restaurants. In the survey, 40% said that they have problems finding a place where their dog is welcome while they eat, and almost 50% said that they'd like to see a wider variety of restaurants open their doors to dogs.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "This research proves what a well loved member of the family a dog is. Given how much we love spending time with our dogs, it is surprising that there are still so many businesses that refuse to allow dogs in their premises, but there is a real appetite for this to change.
"The Kennel Club's Open for Dogs website lists more than 26,000 places throughout the UK and Europe that allow dogs inside, which makes it easier for dog owners to plan days out and holidays without having to leave their dogs behind.
"During Open for Dogs Week we are asking businesses, whether it is a restaurant, hotel, pub, shop or office, to trial a dog friendly policy. There are more than eight million dogs in the UK, so those that get involved will be appealing to a massive customer base, which can only be a good thing in tough economic times." The Kennel Club's Open for Dogs Week runs from 20-26 August 2012 and businesses and public places are encouraged to adopt a dog friendly policy for well behaved dogs.
To nominate your favourite dog friendly venue or town for the Kennel Club's Open for Dogs Awards, visit www.openfordogs.org.uk. The deadline for nominations is 31st August.
Vetoquinol, makers of Sedalin (acepromazine), has published a free clipping guide for horse owners.
The company says the launch of the guide has been timed to coincide with the horse clipping season, when owners may be considering sedating horses to make things safer for themselves and their horses.
The guide refers owners to their veterinary surgeon for professional advice if sedation is appropriate.
The company has also produced promotional practice posters: ' Less Stress more Success'
For your poster and accompanying guides, contact your Vetoquinol Territory Manager or Teleservices directly on 01280 825424. You may also wish to put a link to a downloadable version of the guide on your practice website: http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/clippingguide.pdf
BCF Technology has launched a competition for its customers to win a Kindle by reviewing the company's imaging products.
To enter the competition, visit www.bcftechnology.com and navigate to the relevant product. At the foot of each product page you'll see a link marked 'Review it now'. Use this to tell others how your ultrasound or X-ray equipment has changed things in your practice. How it aids patient treatment, improves workflows, makes processes simpler, or anything else you would like to pass on to help others in the search for the right imaging product for them.
Gavin Mitchell, BCF Vet Imaging Director said: "We want to make it easier for vets to find the imaging product thats most suitable for their practice. By leaving a product review, you can help others looking for X-ray and ultrasound.
We value customer feedback at BCF, and use it to continually improve our products and service. Come to the BCF website and let us and others know what you think of your equipment. We expect this to really help vets looking for new imaging equipment."
BCF says it will select one reviewer at random to win a Kindle every month.
Norbrook has announced the launch of Total Pet Health Month 2012, a pet education campaign aimed at improving the health and welfare of dog and cats.
The campaign, which began on 13th August, offers advice and guidance to pet owners about a range of pet health problems. Norbrook says the main aim is to encourage owners to speak with their vet if they have any concerns about their pet.
The main vehicle for the campaign is the Norbrook's Pet Healthcare website on http://www.norbrook.com/pets-health/.
The first topic featured in Total Pet Health Month 2012 is parasite control and treatment. Norbrook commissioned petbuzz to carry out research on parasite concerns for pet owners.
Michelle Jones, Norbrook Small Animal Brand Manager said: "Almost 80% of pet owners reported seeing an increase in fleas and ticks in the summer so it is timely to launch Total Pet Health Month with a focus on parasite control. 70% of respondents were concerned about the risk of skin problems and discomfort in their pets due to fleas and ticks. We hope that our campaign will address these concerns and help pet owners manage what can be a very unpleasant and irritating problem."
The research highlighted that 63% of pet owners sought advice from a vet in relation to flea and tick treatment and 66% purchased treatments from a veterinary practice.
Michelle said: "It is very encouraging that two thirds of pet owners purchase treatments from a vet. Total Pet Health Month is a great opportunity for pet owners to find out more about concerns they have for their pets. We would actively encourage them to engage with animal health experts and veterinarians because they will get invaluable advice during the purchase which they may not otherwise get."
During Total Pet Health Month 2012, Norbrook will also look at conditions including gum disease and hip dysplasia.
Total Pet Health Month will run across the Total Pet Publishing network (a Europe-wide network of pet sites). Norbrook says it will engage with more than 3m pet owners, guiding them to the Norbrook pet healthcare portal and to seek solutions and treatments from their veterinary practice.
The petbuzz market research was conducted in May 2012 with 1,147 pet owners: 86% dog owners, 41% cat owners, 10% rabbit owners.
David Grant MRCVS, Director of the RSPCA's Harmsworth Animal Hospital and one of the stars of the BBC's hugely successful Animal Hospital series, is to retire this month.
To mark his outstanding service, David will be presented with the prestigious Queen Victoria Gold Medal - the Society's highest meritorious award for staff and volunteers - at the RSPCA Honours awards event on 8 September. It is reserved for the most exceptional servants to the RSPCA and its cause.
The popular figure, who began his veterinary career in the late sixties working in farm practice, has looked back on his time with the RSPCA as part of the charity's latest podcast.
David said: "25 years seems like 25 weeks. It is quite scary when you look at it that way. Joining the RSPCA was the best professional decision I ever personally made in my career. I look back and I don't regret one single day."
David recounts many of the stories from his career in the podcast, such as the time he came face to face with one of the world's most venomous snakes, which was found in a box on Regent's Canal. He also looks back on the unexpected fame that followed his starring role on Animal Hospital.
He said: "It has just been tremendous fun. It hasn't felt like work.
"It has worked out that in the last 25 years I haven't had a single boring day. I've had some really exciting days. I've had the most amazing things happen, such as Animal Hospital. The only bad thing about the past 25 years is that they have gone in a flash."
The podcast is available to listen to at www.rspca.org.uk/podcast. It is also available to download from iTunes.
Photo courtesy RSPCA
Pfizer Animal Health, maker of the equine wormers Equest & Equest Pramox, has launched Stable Mate, a new app to help horse owners manage their daily equine healthcare regime and get maximum enjoyment from their horse.
Pfizer says the new app has been described by testers as 'undoubtedly the best equestrian electronic management system you could wish for'. It includes an organiser in which to keep horses' records and details of their management requirements. It also includes Track My Ride, a GPS mapping and exercise planning service, and a news feed direct from Horse & Hound.
Stable Mate allows users to keep records for up to six horses on their iPhone. They just need to enter the information needed to keep track of each horse's health routine, including worm control, vaccinations, dentistry, farriery and feeding regime. The app then creates a calendar of events, appointments and reminders designed to make it easy for owners to keep their horse's essential healthcare needs on course.
Records can be passed to a yard manager or friends when the owner goes on holiday, making a temporary transfer of care straightforward. Stable Mate also offers general equine health advice, from the essentials of pasture management to understanding vaccination protocols.
Track My Ride is a GPS navigation system that allows owners to map the route, duration and speed of each ride. Pfizer says it's a great device for planning and monitoring exercise programmes, that owners can use it to explore new hacking routes safely and that they'll never have to worry about finding their way back to their horse box again when hunting or doing a long distance ride. Details of each ride are stored in a history log and can be shared with friends through social media.
Paul Blanc, Pfizer's equine brand manager said: "We have tried to develop an app that is all about the horse and their owner, making it as easy as possible for owners to keep their equine health care on track as well as add to the fun and pleasure with their horse. Stable Mate has well and truly surpassed our expectations. We hope that owners and riders find Stable Mate useful and enjoyable."
Stable Mate is currently available only for iPhone with Android and Blackberry coming soon.
Stable Mate is available free from the iPhone App Store http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stable-mate/id532341393?ls=1&mt=8. To find out more visit www.wormingyourhorse.info.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has released data which shows that one third of laminitic middle aged horses (between the ages of 10 and 15 years) test positive for PPID (Cushing's)1.
Over 3,100 horses were tested for Cushings as part of the company's 'Talk about Laminitis' campaign during the spring.
Liz Barrett, equine sales and marketing manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica said: "Although the common perception is that PPID is a disease of only older horses and ponies, the ageing process is progressive and this data from over 330 participating veterinary practices1 indicates that horses and ponies in the 10 to 15 age bracket are also frequently affected."
The company is urging veterinary surgeons to test laminitic or foot-sore horses for PPID this autumn, as this is when there is a greater difference between horses with PPID and those free of the disease2, 3. In support of this, Boehringer will be re-launching its disease awareness initiative 'Talk About Laminitis', with free ACTH blood tests* during September, October and November. To participate in the scheme, veterinary surgeons can download free ACTH blood test vouchers from http://www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk/.
Dr Catherine McGowan BVSc DipVetClinStud MACVSc PhD DEIM DipECEIM FHEA MRCVS from the University of Liverpool, said: "It is very important to test horses for PPID the first time they present with laminitis because what we want to avoid is recurrence of that laminitis. If it does reoccur, the damage will be worse and the chances of that horse having a successful long-term recovery will be diminished."
For further information on 'Talk About Laminitis', PPID or Prascend, visit www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk, contact your Boehringer territory manager or call 01344 746959.
References
The RCVS has introduced a new online recording system for graduates starting their Professional Development Phase (PDP).
The new PDP database sits as a module within the Professional Development Record (PDR), launched by the RCVS in April to help veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses plan, evaluate and record their CPD.
Freda Andrews, RCVS Head of Education said: "Bringing the PDP into the new Professional Development Record shows clearly how this stage of a vet's development is part of the continuum of professional development that starts at university and continues for as long as they practise. We are also developing a system for students to record their practical and clinical experience whilst at university and, once this is complete next year, the PDR will become a complete record of professional lifelong learning."
Like the rest of the PDR, the new PDP module offers extra space for notes, and allows documents such as case reports and presentations to be uploaded and stored. Responding to feedback from users of the old PDP system, the new interface is designed to be more user friendly than the previous PDP database, and contains interactive help, guidance on PDP and an easier means of recording case numbers against the clinical skills lists. All new graduates from 2012 are able to sign up to use the new PDP site and, once their account is activated, they will also be able to use the CPD area to record any additional CPD they might undertake.
Graduates from previous years who are still undertaking their PDP using the old database may continue on the old system for the time being, although at some stage within the next year or so, the old site will need to be archived. Anyone who would prefer to use the new system instead should contact the PDP administrator at the RCVS to discussed transferring (pdp@rcvs.org.uk 020 7202 0736). As the skills lists have changed slightly, however, an automatic transfer of data from the old to the new isn't possible.
The PDP links the 'Day One' competences that veterinary surgeons have achieved when they graduate to the 'Year One' competences which they are expected to have achieved after about a year in practice. Each vet's progress through the PDP is supervised by a Postgraduate Dean, and its completion also requires sign-off from the veterinary surgeon's employer or mentor.
For more information, or to sign up to the PDP, visit www.rcvs.org.uk/pdp.
Hill's has launched VetEssentials NeuteredCat, a low fat diet for the 90% of UK cats that are estimated to have been neutered.
According to the company, neutered cats are over three times more likely to become overweight and/or suffer from urinary problems.
Hill's says that the low fat formulation of NeuteredCat keeps energy density low, and that its unique Weight Management Formula optimises fat metabolism, whilst preserving lean muscle through supplementation with L-carnitine and L-lysine. The company also claims that NeuteredCat helps to maintain urinary health with levels of minerals carefully controlled to generate a target urine pH of 6.2-6.4.
There are a range of educational and marketing resources to support the new product, available from the company's territory managers.
VetEssentials NeuteredCat will replace any orders made for Science Plan Neutered cat over the coming months.
Animalcare has announced the UK and Ireland launch of Vitofyllin, a central nervous system stimulant for older dogs suffering from dullness, poor demeanour and unwillingness to exercise.
The launch of Vitofyllin is the result of a collaboration between Animalcare and three European partners.
The company says the project has enhanced its in-house expertise because the active ingredient for the product was unavailable in the market and had to be contract synthesised, a first for a new product development at Animalcare. The regulatory procedure was also the first time a bioequivalence bio-waiver had been successfully applied for and obtained in Europe. This made the development quicker, more cost effective, less risky and importantly avoided the need for animal testing.
Animalcare says that as in previous years, it has set itself a target of launching four new veterinary medicines during the year. This launch is the first of those planned for the new financial year.
Stephen Wildridge, CEO of Animalcare Group, said: "We are very pleased to be able to add our new generic medicine Vitofyllin to our range of licensed veterinary medicines. The launch represents the culmination of the biggest development project undertaken by Animalcare and is the product of successful collaboration with members of our European partnership network."
Sureflap, the microchip pet door company has teamed up with animal behaviourist Jon Bowen MRCVS to provide a free CPD-qualifying presentation about improving cats' quality of life with simple modifications to their environment.
In the 45-minute webinar Jon explains how the domestic environment impacts on the cat's territory and the stress this creates. He also offers practical advice on how owners can make the space feel safer for the pet.
To view the webinar go to www.sureflap.co.uk/vet/cpd/territory-stress. Complete the quiz at the end, and you'll be sent a CPD certificate.
Virbac Animal Health is offering a client e-shot and text alert service for practices taking part in its Canine Prostate Awareness Month initiative this year.
Canine Prostate Awareness Month takes place during November 2012 following its debut last year when more than 400 practices signed up to support it.
Timed to coincide with 'Movember' when thousands of men grow moustaches to raise funds for male prostate and testicular cancer, Canine Prostate Awareness Month aims to highlight the prevalence of the disease in dogs and to encourage practices and owners to test for it. In addition to the new e-shot and text alert service, Virbac already provides post card reminders; free dog leads; educational and display materials and a press release for use by practices with their local media.
Participating practices that diagnose a dog with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia during Canine Prostate Awareness Month are being asked to contact Virbac with details, as the company plans to collate a series of case studies from the initiative this year. The five best cases studies submitted before the end of the year will win Love2Shop vouchers to the value of £50.
Chris Geddes MRCVS, Virbac Product Manager, said: "There's a lot of interest already in this year's Canine Prostate Awareness Month so we're working hard to ensure it's even bigger and better than last year.
The serious message is that more than 80% of entire male dogs over the age of five suffer from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia¹. Canine Prostate Awareness Month gives practices a reason to highlight the risk and encourage owners to test for it. Timing Canine Prostate Awareness Month to coincide with Movember is a good way to interest dog owners at a time when some might be considering the state of their own prostate."
For further information on Canine Prostate Awareness Month, email cpam@virbac.co.uk; contact your Virbac Territory Manager or contact the company direct on 01359 243243.
Reference
1. O'Shea J.D. Studies on the canine prostate gland: Factors influencing its size and weight. J. Comp. Pathol. 1962 72: 321-331.
The RCVS has announced the appointment of Gordon Hockey as its Head of Legal Services/Registrar.
Gordon, who was previously Head of Professional Conduct and Assistant Registrar, has latterly been Acting Registrar, following the departure of Jane Hern in November 2011 and the arrival of Nick Stace as Chief Executive on 3 September.
A qualified barrister and pharmacist, Gordon has been at the RCVS for the last 14 years.
His is a new role created when the old post of Registrar and Secretary was effectively split into two: Chief Executive and Secretary, and Head of Legal Services/Registrar.
Nick Stace said: "I am delighted that Gordon's is my first appointment as Chief Executive, and I am grateful that he held the fort so well for the last nine months. I look forward to working with him to ensure that the RCVS is in the best shape possible to meet the needs of the public and the veterinary team."
Jacqui Molyneux, RCVS President said: "We have a very strong team to take the RCVS forward. Nick has joined us with leadership experience, consumer expertise and new ideas and impetus; Gordon consolidates this with his legal expertise and experience of the veterinary profession and the RCVS. I look forward to working with them both."
The appointment is subject to formal ratification at the November meeting of Council.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Charitable Trust has awarded five new bursaries in its latest grants round.
Two student bursaries were for UK veterinary undergraduates to attend the British Science Festival in Aberdeen from 4-9 September 2012. The bursary winners were Liv Nathan (pictured on right), a third-year veterinary student at the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, and Alahel Mahdmina, a second-year veterinary student at the Royal Veterinary College.
Liv said: "I am very enthusiastic about providing real-life context to science and giving people a space to consider issues arising around science."
The students were required to use their observations and experiences to help the Trust develop future outreach activities to inform and inspire public audiences about veterinary clinical practice and research. Their bursary packages covered all their attendance expenses over the four-day event. One of their achievements was to film an interview with Dr Maggie Aderin-Pockock MBE, a space scientist (pictured on left). Both students will be reporting back in full to the RCVS Charitable Trust with their ideas at the end of October.
Two further bursaries were given to attend a joint symposium on antimicrobial resistance (AMR): 'Antimicrobial Resistance in Human and Veterinary Medicine - One Health, One Problem' to be held at the Royal College of Physicians, London, on Tuesday 2 October 2012.
One winner was Cahir King, a practitioner from Downe Veterinary Clinic in County Down, Northern Ireland. He said: "It will be a privilege to attend a symposium at which so many experts in their field will be speaking. Any vet who has worked on farms will be more than familiar with bugs that are resistant to antibiotic treatment."
The other winner was James Swann, a Junior Clinical Training Scholar (Small Animal) at the Royal Veterinary College. James said: "I am particularly interested in the application of clinical audit in practice to assess problems like AMR, and design effective strategies to deal with them. I believe it should be possible to provide simple audit kits for practices to download and implement, removing much of the inertia that prevents such ideas from being initiated."
The bursary winners will be offered free delegate passes, including lunch, worth £90, and travel expenses.
The final bursary is to attend the Veterinary Biomedical and Pharma Sciences (VBMPS) Congress on 15-16 October, in Birmingham.
The winning entry was from Alexander Stoll, a final-year student at the Royal Veterinary College, who acted as the Royal Veterinary College and UK student ambassador to the European Commission for the 'One Health' message. The Trust was impressed with Alexander's enthusiasm and active engagement in subjects related to One Health. He is a member of the Royal Society for Public Health and a member of the Society of Biology.
Alexander said: "I hope to be inspired to enter a cross-disciplinary career path and also to communicate the potential of a One Health approach, inspired by this congress."
Alexander won a package that includes entry to the conference and admission to all scientific sessions, worth £175, as well as transport costs and overnight food and accommodation.
Vetark has launched Aqua-Sed, a fish anaesthetic which has obtained the first permit for use as a fish euthanasia product.
Vetark says the new product enables the humane euthanasia of seriously ill or severely injured fish, as well as being a sedative to facilitate fish handling.
The new product incorporates a dosing pump to ensure accurate dosing, a critical aspect of fish anaesthetics.
The 250ml bottle and pump will be on sale at £13.13+VAT and is available under the Small Animal Exemption Scheme from Vetark.
Further information on fish anaesthesia visit the Vetark website on www.vetark.co.uk
Petplan Equine has announced the finalists for the fifth annual Petplan Equine Vet of the Year Award.
The winner of the award award, which is sponsored by Petplan Equine in association with Horse & Rider magazine, will be announced at the annual Animal Health Trust Equestrian Awards, being held at London's Lancaster Hotel on Thursday 1st November, 2012.
The finalists are:
Jess Hill BVM&S MRCVS Woodlands Veterinary Clinic, Cheltenham, Glos, EnglandJess, who qualified in 2003 at the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies, is described as simply "brilliant" for her outstanding calm, capable and kind approach to her work and the way in which she makes herself readily available to her clients. One nomination typifies all those received in praise of Jess' work: "She is incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated and nothing is too much trouble. She is great with horses - always quiet, kind and gentle. She works quickly and confidently, doesn't suggest unnecessary expensive procedures and is always cheerful and a pleasure to be with."
Keith Chandler BVMS Cert EP MRCVS, Kessock Equine Vets, Inverness, ScotlandKeith Chandler, a senior partner at Kessock Equine Vets received several nominations which credited not only him personally for his dedication, knowledge, pragmatic and caring approach but also his practice for its outstanding customer service. Upon receiving news of his nomination, Keith was swift to praise his team and explained: "This nomination reflects the exceptional team I have around me - together we strive to offer continuity, consistency and a minimum level of care to all our clients irrespective of which vet is in attendance."
Lee Paul, BSC BVM&S Cert EP MRCVS, Bushy Equine, Gwaelod-y-Garth, WalesNominations for Lee Paul, a specialist in internal and stud medicine who qualified at Edinburgh University's Royal Dick Veterinary School in 2002, unanimously praised his willingness to 'never give up' and to go beyond the call of duty. He is said to be highly dedicated and is praised for his willingness to always be available such as on the occasion when a horse he had been treating for a swelling in her throat presented complications during a weekend when he was not on duty. Despite this Lee, who had been contacted by the duty vet for background information, attended the call himself within an hour complete with the stethoscope he'd collected from the surgery en route and with his family in his car!
This year's judges were David Stickles, Head of Fund Raising at the Animal Health Trust, Alison Bridge, Editor of Horse & Rider magazine, Ben Mayes, President of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and Gil Riley, 2009 Petplan Equine Vet of the Year.
Petplan says that the record number of high calibre nominations made it hard for the judges to choose three finalists. Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing for Petplan Equine said: "Anyone motivated to nominate their vet for this award must hold them in extremely high regard so once again we were very impressed by both the quality and quantity of nominations we received. It is heartwarming and inspiring to read the submissions that describe the outstanding contributions made by all the nominees in keeping owners happy and horses healthy. It has not been easy to select just three to go through to the final."
The winner will be posted on www.petplanequine.co.uk on Friday 2 of November.
The BSAVA has announced Richard Dawkins as its headline speaker at BSAVA Congress 2013 next April.
Richard follows in the footsteps of Lord Robert Winston and Susan Greenfield as the special speaker for the BSAVA lecture.
The talk, sponsored by Anistel, takes place on the Thursday afternoon of in Hall 1 and is open to all Congress delegates.
Dawkins is a prolific writer who first came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, his strident manifesto for secularism. However it is The God Delusion that now finds him so frequently called upon for comment. Along with Stephen Hawkins, he is one of the few scientists that members of the public can easily identify, in part due to his willingness to engage in academic and media debates.
Dawkins was born in Nairobi in 1941 where his father worked for British colonial service. He returned to Britain after the war to grow up on the family's estate farm. He studied zoology at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was tutored by Nobel Prize-winning ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen, graduating in 1962. He received his M.A. and D.Phil. degrees by 1966, and remained a research assistant for another year, when his research concerned models of animal decision-making.
He has since been an assistant professor of zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a lecturer and reader in zoology at University of Oxford. In 1995 he was appointed Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, a position that had been endowed by Charles Simonyi with the express intention that the holder "be expected to make important contributions to the public understanding of some scientific field", and that its first holder should be Richard Dawkins.
Image courtesy Zoe Margolis
Petplan has announced that it has raised £1million for the Blue Cross in the past decade.
The funds have gone towards running a dozen rehoming centres for dogs, cats, horses and rabbits, as well as four major animal hospitals across the country.
Petplan offers four weeks free insurance to adopters of dogs, cats and rabbits from Blue Cross as well as many other animal charities across the UK. All animal charities who work with Petplan receive 10% of the premium for any full policies they generate. The company says that in 2011, it raised over £2million for animal charities this way.
Petplan says that in addition to creating additional funds for the charity, providing four weeks free pet insurance also gives charities peace of mind that if the pet should require veterinary treatment the adopter has the funds available to ensure the animal receives the care it needs. This also means that the animal is less likely to be returned to the charity because the adopter can't afford the veterinary fees or that the charity will be asked to help cover the cost of treatment.
Chief Executive of the Blue Cross, Kim Hamilton, said: "As a charity that does not receive any government or lottery funding, we rely solely on donations from the public and valuable funding from our corporate partners. Petplan understands that our primary focus is animal welfare and the income generated from working with them has enabled us to give even more pets a healthy life in a happy home."
Simon Masding, Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships said: "At Petplan we work with over 1,700 animal charities and therefore understand the financial struggles that charities face on a daily basis. Along with offering charities commission Petplan also run the Charity Cheque initiative. When a four weeks free pet insurance voucher is activated it automatically enters the charity into a monthly prize draw to win £500."
For more information on how your animal charity can work with Petplan please visit www.petplan.co.uk/charity or call Charityline on 0800 072 8877.
The Kennel Club has announced that crossbreed dogs are to have their own event at Crufts for the first time next year.
For the first time in its twelve year history, the grand final of Scruffts, the crossbreed dog competition run by the Kennel Club, will culminate at Crufts at the NEC in Birmingham. The winners of the four Scruffts categories - Child's Best Friend, Golden Oldie, Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch and Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog - will battle it out for the ultimate title of Scruffts Family Crossbreed of the Year.
Scruffts, sponsored by James Wellbeloved, has held heats across the UK over the course of the year and the winners of each category in every heat have been invited to Discover Dogs in London to compete in the class finals on Saturday 10th November. Winners of the four classes at Discover Dogs will now go on to Crufts 2013, where they will compete for the overall Scruffts title.
Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club, said: "Scruffts is a fantastic competition and we're very much looking forward to seeing the four class winners come to Crufts for the final next year. We have had some fantastic Scruffts champions in the past and I am sure we can expect to see a really special dog take the title once again."
There is still time to qualify for the Scruffts class finals, with heats taking place at CSJ Canine Max 2012 in Cirencester Park on Saturday 13th October and the East of England Autumn Show in Peterborough on Sunday 14th October.
Norbrook Laboratories has launched Norfenicol Solution for Injection (florfenicol), a broad spectrum antibiotic licensed for the treatment of pneumonia in cattle and pigs.
Dr Barry McInerney, Norbrook's GB Veterinary Advisor said: "With many farmers preparing for winter housing, the launch of Norfenicol is timely as pneumonia represents the most common disease of housed cattle in the UK costing the agricultural industry an estimated £80m per year. Norfenicol is an easy to inject, cost effective treatment of pneumonia which kills bacteria quickly, and is available in a durable plastic bottle. Studies have shown florfenicol, the active ingredient in Norfenicol, to have a high bacteriological and clinical efficacy (100% and 96% respectively) against susceptible bacteria in the treatment of calf respiratory tract diseases."
Norfenicol is indicated for the treatment of bacterial respiratory disease in cattle associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somniand for the treatment of acute outbreaks of respiratory disease caused by strains of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, and Pasteurella multocida in swine.
Dr McInerney added: "NSAIDs have also been shown to be a beneficial ancillary therapy in treating bacterial pneumonia, to alleviate pain as well as to reduce inflammation and pyrexia. Norbrook has a range of NSAID products which are available as an adjunctive treatment for pneumonia in cattle, including Loxicom 20 mg/ml solution for injection for cattle, pigs and horses."
For further product information, visit www.norbrook.com
Invicta Animal Health has launched SynVet-50, a licensed synthetic Sodium Hyaluronate (HA), for intra-articular treatment of lameness caused by joint dysfunction associated with non-infectious synovitis in horses.
The product is Invicta's first licensed medicine.
According to the company, the functional mechanisms of HA are directly dependent on the molecular weight and concentration of HA. 1 Therefore, SynVet-50 has been formulated with a molecular weight of 1.5m Daltons which is the highest of any synthetic HA available in the UK.
Invicta says that at 20mg per ml, SynVet-50 is also the most concentrated HA available.
Storage is at ambient temperature.
SynVet-50 is a 2.5ml solution containing 50mg HA, conveniently presented in a 5ml glass syringe.
Rob Watkins, Managing Director of Invicta said: "We are excited to be launching our first licensed medicine in the UK. The management team of Invicta have over 10 years experience in this market which has allowed us to provide a product strongly focussed on the clinicians needs, not just in terms of technical ability, but also in convenience of presentation".
For further information see www.invictavet.com or phone 01403 791313
The BVA has announced that from 2013, its annual Congress will take place at the London Vet Show.
The association says that the move is being done to bring together political debate and clinical CPD on a large scale and to ensure that the BVA can reach an even wider audience with its representative and educational services.
The BVA and the Vet Show teamed up last year at London Vet Show 2011 to announce the launch of the BVA Careers Fair, which will be hosted at this year's London Vet Show on 15-16 November, and the start of a partnership that would ensure discounted Vet Show rates for BVA members.
2013 will also see two new clinical streams added to the London Vet Show programme creating a comprehensive CPD event for vets in small and mixed practice. Cattle and equine streams for mixed practitioners will be delivered by the BVA to run alongside the popular companion animal stream provided by the Royal Veterinary College.
The partnership will also see substantial discounts being offered to BVA members.
BVA President Carl Padgett said: "BVA's number one value is that our members are at the heart of everything we do. We know that members require good value, high quality and relevant CPD and we believe that our new partnership with the London Vet Show offers the best opportunity for us to provide members with exactly what they want.
"It's a significant move for BVA but one that makes complete sense. From 2013 we will be bringing together the contentious issue streams that are the bedrock of BVA Congress, with a high quality clinical CPD programme covering large and small animals, and one of the biggest and best veterinary exhibitions.
"We know we haven't attracted the delegate numbers we would like to have done in recent years and by partnering with the London Vet Show we have the opportunity to reach a much greater audience. It's a very exciting step forward for BVA."
Rob Chapman, Event Director for the London Vet Show, said: "We are all delighted to be developing our relationship with the BVA. To be able to host such an established and prestigious event as the BVA Congress at the London Vet Show is an honour for the Vet Show.
"Combining the long-standing history of the BVA with the rapidly developing reputation of the Vet Show gives us a great symbiotic relationship. The new clinical content that we will be working on together will help the event and that relationship even further offering great value for both Vet Show delegates and BVA members."
Peter Harlech Jones has been elected President of the British Veterinary Association for 2012/2013. The ceremony took place during the Annual General Meeting of the BVA at the close of its Annual Congress, held in the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool.
Mr Jones, an international consultant on veterinary medicines, was born and raised in North Wales where he attended the Sir Huw Owen School in Caernarfon. He qualified from the University of Liverpool Veterinary School in 1971. After several years in practice in Wales and London - plus a spell in Ontario, Canada - Peter joined the pharmaceutical industry and spent 20 years in the animal health business both in the UK and overseas working in the fields of research and development and also regulatory affairs.
In 1995 he was appointed the first head of the Veterinary Division at the newly created European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) in London, playing a leading role in the creation of the new European regulatory system and working at the centre of European institutions. His last post before semi-retirement in 2008 was as head of the global animal health industry association, the International Federation of Animal Health (IFAH).
Within the BVA Peter has served on the Veterinary Policy Group and as chair of the Medicines Group and is a former secretary and chairman of the Association of Veterinarians in Industry (AVI). He participates in the work of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) and acts as a consultant to GALVmed whose aim is to make livestock vaccines, diagnostics and medicines accessible to those in developing countries for whom livestock is a lifeline.
Mr Jones said: "My background is in pharma research and international regulatory affairs and I am confident that my experience will be useful as we anticipate the new EU Animal Health Law and medicines legislation. But I am driven to do much more for the veterinary profession than just in those fields.
"The word 'value' really began to resonate for me when I started thinking of my theme for the year ahead as President of BVA.
"In whatever role we play vets are adding value in so many areas of our professional lives to society at large in a huge and significant contribution to the public good. I firmly believe that we, as an association and as a profession, must use every opportunity to reinforce the message about the value we give in all aspects of our work, and to believe in ourselves.
"I want to see a greater appreciation for what we do and what we contribute, and BVA will lead from the front.
"Looking ahead it will be a busy year for all of us. But I am confident that we have the teams in place - through our committees and council, our regional representatives, our divisions and beyond - to do our wonderful profession proud.
"I am certainly very proud to be standing here today and I am committed to working hard for all our members as their President."
The BVA Officer Team for 2012/13 is Peter Harlech Jones (President), Carl Padgett (Past President), and Robin Hargreaves (President Elect)
Pfizer Animal Health has launched Poulvac, the first modified live vaccine against E.coli in chickens.
The company claims that the vaccine, which can be used from one day of age, is set to bring major benefits in safeguarding the health of broilers, pullets for egg laying and breeding stock.
According to Pfizer, E.coli is one of the most significant bacterial pathogens found in chicks during the first week, leading to problems throughout the life of a flock including inferior performance, lack of uniformity and increased mortality. It is a costly, widespread problem for the UK poultry industry.
The vaccine was developed from research beginning in the 1990s at the Government's veterinary laboratories at Weybridge (now AHVLA) in the UK, employing genome technology to produce an avirulent strain of E.coli that induces protective immunity to the pathogenic strains of the bacteria.
The vaccine is completely non-pathogenic, and does not persist in the bird or the environment for any significant period of time. A gene deletion in its development restricts in vivo replication and leaves behind activated macrophages ready to respond to pathogenic E.coli strains.
Dr Stuart Andrews, poultry technical manager of Pfizer in the UK and Ireland said: "Poulvac E. coli provides broad cross protection against the key serotypes of E. coli infecting chickens. It is the only modified live, nonreactive vaccine proven to meet the European regulatory requirements for efficacy and safety.
"Trials have confirmed that Poulvac E.coli does not persist in the bird and proves to be self-limiting. The vaccine can survive in the environment for only a short time, and spread to in-contact birds is also limited."
The vaccine is administered as a coarse spray with onset of immunity 14 days afterwards and duration of immunity for up to 12 weeks. It can be used from day-old up to six weeks before the onset of lay, and has a nil day withdrawal period.
In the USA where Poulvac E coli has been available for six years field experience has shown the considerable benefits. In the Midwest where average layer mortality at 50 weeks of age was 2.31 per cent, this was reduced to 1.51 per cent with three doses of the vaccine*. In Eastern USA flock mortality compared with five previous flocks was reduced from over three per cent to one per cent.
A field trial in the USA with more than 300,000 broiler breeders vaccination before lay reduced mortality from 2.8 to 1.9 per cent - with only two out of 28 flocks needing antibiotic treatment compared with 13 of the 28 unvaccinated flocks.
On a broiler field trial in Georgia over four million birds were vaccinated with Poulvac E. coli at hatch. The vaccinated birds had a better feed conversion (1.79 against 1.84 for the controls) and with condemnations at the processing plant down from 1.22 to 0.73 per cent the result was a lower production cost of 0.51¢ per lb.
In another broiler trial covering more than two million birds in Arkansas livability was improved from 95.20 to 95.77 per cent and feed conversion improved from 1.95 to 1.90, gaining 0.45¢ per lb.
* Pfizer says it is important to note that in these studies carried out in the USA more than one dose of the vaccine was often administered. A single vaccination is licensed in the Summary of Product Characteristics however, where clinical disease requires and at the discretion of a veterinary surgeon, the vaccination schedule may be re-started as there is no contra-indication on the SPC.
Elanco Companion Animal Health has announced that its Duvaxyn IE and IE-T Plus vaccines have been licensed for active immunisation against OIE recommended clade 1 and clade 2 equine influenza strains, the first vaccines to be so licensed.
The company says the updated license is a result of a recent challenge study which demonstrated the ability of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus equine influenza vaccine to induce cross protection against clade 2 strain A/equi-2/Richmond/1/07 (H3N8) two weeks after two doses of the primary course1 were given. Cross-protection was further supported by another study2 measuring serum antibody response to the Richmond '07 strain 52 weeks after the three dose primary vaccination course.
The OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) updated its equine influenza vaccine recommendations in 2010 to reflect the fact that all field strains characterised through 2008 and 2009 were of clade 1 or 2 of the Florida sub-lineage. The antigenic difference between viruses of these clades could potentially compromise the effectiveness of vaccines containing a representative of a single clade3.
Anna Jackson, national veterinary manager for Elanco Companion Animal Health UK, said: "Whilst no vaccine has been updated to match the current OIE recommendations, the results of our challenge study and subsequent licence update provide reassurance that horses vaccinated with Duvaxyn will be protected against clinical signs of disease caused by currently circulating strains of equine influenza, including those the OIE has identified as being of concern.
"Further reassurance is also given with the confirmation in our study that Duvaxyn IE-T Plus elicits a cell mediated immune response, recognised to play an important role to aid in viral clearance and further enhances protection against strains circulating in the field." 4
The live virus challenge study, conducted by the Animal Health Trust, involved two groups of EIV seronegative horses. The first group, consisting of seven vaccinates, were given two doses of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus, 28 days apart, and challenged with A/equi-2/Richmond/1/07 (H3N8) virus strain 14 days after the second vaccination. The second group of unvaccinated horses was challenged at the same time. Duvaxyn IE-T Plus caused a statistically significant reduction in both clinical signs of the disease and in viral shedding.
Duvaxyn IE-T Plus is the only inactivated whole virus carbomer adjuvanted equine influenza vaccine in the UK. According to Elanco, experts in the field of human vaccination have expressed the view that whole virus vaccines have the potential to induce a stronger and more broadly based response to circulating influenza strains than those contained in sub-unit vaccines because of the presence of the full set of virus proteins including the conserved nucleoprotein, which shows no antigenic drift, in the vaccine5.