The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has launched a new 'Use Medicines Responsibly' campaign.
The main thrust of the campaign is an initiative by NOAH to encourage pharmaceutical companies to add: 'Use Medicines Responsibly' as a strapline to their own advertising campaigns, with a link to the NOAH information resource for prescribers and users of animal medicines: www.noah.co.uk/responsible.
Speaking at the NOAH annual members' conference in Northampton, NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley said: "NOAH believes responsible promotion of animal medicines to be an important link in the chain towards responsible use. Companies' promotional material can educate prescribers and users of animal medicines to the benefit of their animals' health and welfare.
"We believe this new advice resource, with the reminder on advertisements, will help."
Boehringer Ingelheim is offering a free stainless steel bolus applicators, worth £42.60/€ 59.39 (plus VAT), with the first 1,000 Bovikalc multipacks sold after 1st March in the UK and Eire.
According to the company, milk fever is recognised as the most common mineral deficiency affecting transition cows; one that has a significant impact on the overall health of affected animals, even those showing no outward symptoms. This offer aims to help combat this costly but preventable disease.
The offer is open to farmers, vets and suppliers of Bovikalc and one free applicator will be provided for each Bovikalc multipack - 6 x 4 boluses.
Farmers are required to apply for the free applicators through their veterinary surgeon or Bovikalc supplier.
For further information, including the terms and conditions of the offer, visit www.bovikalc.co.uk. Alternatively, contact your regional cattle specialist or call Boehringer on 01344 746959.
“Livestock and Climate Change - A Veterinary Perspective” is an online learning course designed to give vets the confidence to make changes in their own work and the tools to support farming clients in meeting their goals.
It includes modules such as ‘Introduction to Sustainability for Veterinary Professionals’, ‘Emissions from Livestock Production’, ‘Housed Livestock Systems - Welfare, Nutrition and Emissions’, ‘Impact of Disease State on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock’ and ‘Advantages and Trade-offs of Grazing Systems in Mitigating Climate Change’.
The 6-module course is expected to take up to 3 months to complete (equivalent to 15 hours of CPD) by remote learning, and participants will get a LANTRA-accredited certificate on completion.
Lewis Griffiths, Chair of VetSalus, said “The veterinary profession has always had a critical role to play in technology transfer and the development of new farming systems.
"This course will equip vets to assist their farm clients in the incredibly important work of adapting to more sustainable production.
"I believe this is one of the most important courses to be developed for farm based veterinarians in recent years.”
Rune Friis Kristensen, Managing Director of Dyrlæger & Ko, Executive Officer at VetSalus and module champion said of the course “Livestock vets play an important role in the discussion around/about sustainability.
"Whether it is discussion with farmers, colleagues, academia or future vets it is pivotal that livestock vets know what they talk about when addressing emission issues.
"We know from surveys that the key decision maker when it comes to animal health and robustness is the vet, and more robust animals are always more sustainable.
"This course will provide learners with the knowledge that without a doubt is expected of vets in 2024.”
The course is aimed at veterinary professionals and those working in vet-led businesses, and whilst there are no specific entry requirements, all students are expected to have undertaken an undergraduate degree, technical qualification as a paraprofessional, or a relevant diploma.
The course costs £495 +VAT per student (registered overseas businesses may be eligible for a VAT exclusive price).
https://learn.vetsalus.com
Ceva Animal Health has renamed the veterinary behaviour product DAP as Adaptil, to highlight its key benefit of helping dogs 'adapt' to new situations.
Along with the name change, Ceva is launching a new Adaptil Collar. According to the company, the collar has undergone a number of improvements: it is now easier to fit, due to a new, practical buckle; it has a larger surface area for better diffusion of the pheromone and the Adaptil name is on the collar in print as well as braille.
In addition to the new name, both Adaptil and Feliway are having a packaging makeover to make them more consumer friendly. Packaging will now feature pictograms of situations in which the products should be used, encouraging dog and cat owners to use the product ranges appropriately.
Ceva will be offering pet owners a free limited edition Adaptil Frisbee for every Adaptil Collar bought from their local participating veterinary practice. The company is also running an online competition from 17 June until 17 July on the company's secrettohappypets.com website. Pet owners will have the opportunity to win a weekend for two with their pet in a Best Western pet-friendly hotel by submitting a story on why their pet deserves a weekend away.
Julia Wood, product manager at Ceva Animal Health said: "We have listened to feedback given on our pheromone range from both pet owners and veterinary professionals. The launch of Adaptil and the marketing support that we are putting behind both Adaptil and Feliway will boost awareness of the pheromones and their benefits amongst pet owners and further enhance their standing as the UK's leading veterinary behaviour products."
For more information, please contact your Ceva account manager or call 01494 781510.
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.
Petplan, the pet insurance provider has been selected as a Which? Best Buy. The independent consumer guide selected Petplan's 'Covered For Life' policy that covers animals for accidents and illnesses, including reoccurring conditions, such as diabetes and glaucoma, year after year, as long as the policy is renewed annually.
Alison Andrew, Petplan's Marketing Manager said: "The Which? report is crucial to being acknowledged as a worthy pet insurance provider. We feel being selected as a Which? Best Buy reflects how we treat our customers by offering excellent customer service, paying claims quickly, discounts on pet products and regular information about pet care through our magazine PetPeople."
Petplan provides insurance cover for dogs, cats, rabbits and horses and is the largest provider of animal health insurance in the world.
A groundbreaking 3d printing service offered by Replica 3DM, a spin off of Salisbury NHS District Hospital, has helped referral veterinary orthopaedist Andy Moores in carrying out surgery on dog that won the 2013 Crufts Friends For Life Award.
Haatchi is an Anatolian shepherd dog whose back left leg and tail were amputated after he was tied to a railway line and hit by a train. As a rescue dog, he was adopted by the family of a young boy called Owen Howkins from Basingstoke. Owen has Schwartz‐Jampel syndrome, which causes his muscles to be permanently tense. The two bonded and became inseparable.
Earlier this year Haatchi developed mobility issues with his remaining hindlimb. He was referred to Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, in Hampshire, where a laterally luxating patella was diagnosed. The patella luxation was a result of a complex deformity of the femur and the tibia. Surgery was needed to enable Haatchi to use his leg better.
Replica 3DM, which normally uses its £70,000 printing equipment to make models of human bones and joints, created a 3d model of Haatchi’s hind leg from hip to paw. Normally the company charges around £200 for a human mandible. So, in order to keep costs down, it suggested a scaled down model which would still make Andy's preoperative planning a lot more straightforward and would help identify the correct surgical approach and likely abnormalities which would be encountered. Andy emailed the CT scans to Matt Sherry from Replica 3DM Ltd who converted them into a 3D model of Haatchi’s leg. Production of the model took six hours.
Andy said: "Having access to a scale 3D model of Haatchi's limb prior to surgery not only allowed us to better understand his deformity but it also allowed us to practice the femoral and tibial corrective osteotomies prior to surgery to be sure they would achieve what we intended."
Replica 3DM Ltd is based at Salisbury District Hospital and provides a service producing 3 dimensional products used in various types of surgery e.g. fractured neck of femur, cranioplasty procedures and jaw fractures. The company says that while of course not necessary in all procedures, visualisation of fractures and deformities prior to surgery can help in pre planning of surgery, reducing costs in time and equipment as well as enabling smaller incisions and less soft tissue intervention, so that patient recovery is enhanced.
For more information, visit www.replica3dm.com or ring Matt Sherry at Replica 3dm on 01722 429185.
Merial has announced the results of a survey which suggests that whilst diagnosis of gastric ulcers in horses is improving, there is still room for improvement.
The survey of 50 equine vets, which was conducted in May this year, showed that the number of practices owning a scope has more than doubled over the past six years. Half of equine practices now own a scope. Over the same period the average number of monthly scopes has risen from 1.5 to 9.25 and referrals from practices without a scope has risen by 65%.
Merial's Louise Radford MRCVS said: "The survey also showed that symptom recognition among vets prompting the need for an endoscopy has also risen. The vast majority of vets now consider changes in behaviour, loss of appetite and poor performance as potential signs. In addition, 100% of those surveyed would consider an endoscopy when presented with the signs of recurring colic.
"However whilst this is great progress, when diagnosis is compared to the incidence of ulcer, we know that more needs to be done. It is believed that up to 30% of leisure horses have some degree of gastric ulceration, and this increases in sports horses, yet just a fraction of this figure represents those scoped."
Richard Hepburn BVSc MS(Hons) CertEM(IntMed) DipACVIM(LA) MRCVS, American and RCVS Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine at B&W Equine Hospital says he is pleased that more horses are being scoped for gastric ulcers but says that further education is needed: "We've seen a huge leap in the appreciation of the incidence of gastric ulceration in non-racing animals, which long term will better our understanding of the individual clinical relevance of particular lesions, and the benefits of treatment and management change.
"This should improve both performance and horse welfare, as well as increasing client satisfaction. Despite the huge increase in the diagnosis and treatment of equine gastric ulcers it is still believed that many horses go undiagnosed."
Rubén Del Pozo Sacristán (pictured right), technical manager for pigs at MSD Animal Health UK, will be delivering the seminars.
He said: “At MSD Animal Health UK, we’re committed to helping further the knowledge and expertise of vets, so we have put together a series of seminars which will focus on common and demanding production challenges and diseases facing pig producers.”
The monthly seminars will be suitable for all vets, but especially those who are new to pig medicine.
Each seminar will be worth two to three hours of CPD time, with certificates available for all participants.
Rube added: “Of the 12 seminars we have planned, we’re hoping to hold four of these in a face-to-face capacity, with dinner included for those who attend, to allow for networking and further discussion.
The programme is as follows:
For more information on the academy, or to register your interest, speak to your MSD Animal Health account manager.
A new session has been added to Ceva Animal Health UK's Cardio Academy CPD website entitled "Thoracic X-rays: Abnormal Features".
In the 30 minute multimedia presentation, the cardiology specialist Nicole Van Israël discusses X-ray abnormalities within the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of cardiac patients. This includes a discussion on how to measure heart size and how to identify and interpret lung patterns.
Participants can then receive a CPD certificate by completing the quiz for this session. The Cardio Academy CPD website is free of charge and can be accessed on www.cardioacademy.cevalearn.com.
In addition, the first four sessions can still be accessed which cover the Pathophysiology of Mitral Valve Disease by Adrian Boswood, Clinical Examination of the Cardiac Dog by Gérard Le Bobinnec and Thoracic X-rays - How to Proceed and Thoracic X-rays - Normal Features by Nicole Van Israël.
For further information, please contact your local Ceva account manager.
A PR headache for Fortnum and Mason yesterday, as PETA employee Abi Izzard changed her name by deed poll to StopFortnumandMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com to try and shame the London store into stopping selling foie gras.
To produce foie gras, birds are force-fed several times per day in a controversial practice known as gavage, which causes their livers to swell to many times their normal size. PETA claims the practice causes the birds' livers to become diseased, that many animals bleed to death after their throats are punctured by force-feeding tubes, that surviving birds live in terror as they await the next assault, and become sick and lethargic.
However, Dr. Daniel Guemene, Director of Research & Senior Scientist at the National Agronomic Institute in France, says his research proves otherwise. In one study for example, stress levels in force-fed birds were guaged through the measurement of corticosterone blood levels. The study concluded that there was no significant increase in stress levels, except after the first instance of force-feeding, which researchers said was most likely due to holding the ducks, rather than the force-feeding. In addition, he claims to have demonstrated that ducks show no avoidance behaviour to the force-feeder or force-feeding, as would be expected if they feared these things.
The actor Roger Moore is a supporter of this girl's campaign. He said: "Many people know me as James Bond or 007, but I never went so far as officially changing my name from Roger Moore. I hope the young lady now known as StopFortnumAndMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com royally shames this store".
Biogal’s CEO, Mr Amos Gershony said: "We placed a large effort behind creating these videos, so that our customers could visualize how simple it is to receive a PCR result in 1 hour."
The videos are:
The increase, which was approved by the Privy Council on Thursday 2 March, will mean that the standard annual renewal fee for UK-practising veterinary surgeons (which must be paid on or before 1 April 2023) will increase by £15 to £379.
The full list of RCVS fees can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/how-we-work/fees
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS CEO, said: “We are proud that all throughout the pandemic period, when we know that many were struggling, we managed to keep our fees at the same level in the 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23 fee years.
“The increase that we proposed to the Privy Council is very modest, particularly in comparison to the overall levels of inflation that the British economy has experienced over the past year, which has had an impact on our costs.
“While we appreciate that any rise in fee levels will not be welcomed by everyone, we can assure all members of the professions that we are continuing to use our income prudently and with oversight from our Audit & Risk and Finance & Resources Committees.”
As the increase has been confirmed by the Privy Council, annual renewal fee notifications will be sent to all veterinary surgeons in early March.
Tip 1 – Make sure that pet owners understand the functions of a microchip properlyMichelle says: "Some customers I’ve spoken to wrongly believe that microchips function as GPS trackers. To help manage pet owners’ expectations I always stress the importance of a microchip in lost pet recovery scenarios, where they serve as a permanent form of identification."
Tip 2 – Stress the importance of pet owners updating their contact details with their microchip providerMichelle says: "Pet owners often think that updating contact details with their vet will automatically sync these changes with the microchip database. It’s vital to inform owners that they must separately update their contact information with their microchip database. I’d recommend regularly reminding pet owners to check and update their microchip registration."
Tip 3 – Reassure pet owners that microchips are safe for their catsMichelle says: "I’ve had some owners express worries about allergic reactions or rejection of the microchip by their cat's body. So it’s worth taking the opportunity to dispel this myth during routine wellness exams by explaining microchips are made from inert, biocompatible materials designed to be nonallergenic and nontoxic.
Tip 4 – Make sure to discuss the longevity of microchips with pet ownersMichelle says: Microchips are designed to last the lifetime of the pet without needing a power source and that their functionality can easily be verified during any veterinary visit. If you find an owner expresses concerns about this, you could offer to check the microchip as part of regular health checks to demonstrate its reliability.
Tip 5 – Emphasise how every cat needs a microchip – regardless of age or activity levelMichelle says: "All vets will know even indoor or elderly cats can escape or wander off and older cats can become disoriented more easily. It is worth reminding owners that microchipping is a safeguard, ensuring their pet can be identified and returned home if lost. The new law means that pet owners can also face a large £500 fine if their cat isn’t microchipped."
Tip 6 – Explain how not all microchips are the same and the importance of getting the right oneMichelle says: I often explain that microchips vary in terms of the technology they employ, such as the new 'Thermochip' by HomeAgain that also measures a cat’s subcutaneous temperature. It’s worth talking pet owners through the different microchips available and the database options so they can make an informed choice.
http://homeagain.co.uk/Cats
Christian Mauricio Gómez Álvarez, founder of VetCam Specialists, said: "This partnership represents a significant step forward in continuing professional development as our participants will receive first-class content and well-prepared,interactive case studies where they can additionally work directly.”
In addition, Veheri offers free access to a global community, where veterinary surgeons can share and discuss diagnostic images and imaging studies.
The company also offers a teleradiology reporting service.
The first joint training courses will be available from November 2024.
vetcameducation.com
www.veheri.com
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has launched a unique and natural muscle building supplement for horses, Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls, containing 18 key amino acids.
The company says maintaining muscular condition in performance and sports horses can be challenging, especially when work load is increased or during periods of convalescence, as feeding high levels of concentrates can often lead to horses becoming 'fizzy' and bulking up on fats and oils.
Scientifically designed to support lean muscle growth, not bulk, Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls is great for optimising performance in horses in intensive training and competition, as well as bringing on young, breeding and injured animals, and for older horses which lose condition easily.
The product is endorsed by top British show jumper, Ellen Whitaker and veterinary surgeon and dressage rider, Christel Robbins BVSc MRCVS.
Craig Beck from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica said: "Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls is already one of the most popular equine supplements sold in Germany and is used by top riders in all disciplines to help ensure their horses reach their full athletic potential. We are certain that with the support of riders such as Ellen Whitaker, Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls will prove just as popular in the UK."
Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls is available in a 1.5kg tub (RRP £65) and can be fed separately or mixed with feed. Horses weighing less than 500kg should be fed one scoop (25g) per day, while larger horses should receive two scoops (50g). Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica recommends that Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls is fed for at least a month as results are normally visible within 3-4 weeks.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica is committed to supporting veterinary practices and Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls will be distributed exclusively by veterinary wholesalers. An extensive advertising campaign in professional equine publications will help raise awareness of Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls and, for a limited period, horse owners and equine professionals can download a voucher from http://www.equitop-myoplast.co.uk/ offering a £15 rebate against their first purchase. Veterinary practices can redeem these vouchers by returning them to Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica via a freepost address.
For further information on Equitop Myoplast Power Pearls, please contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica representative, visit www.equitop-myoplast.co.uk or call 01344 746959.
Elanco Companion Animal Health, maker of Comfortis chewable tablets for dogs, has launched a range of support materials to help educate pet owners on flea infestation and the healthcare issues associated with fleas and encourage enquiries about flea control solutions.
The Range of Comfortis materials features point of sale equipment including free-standing zig-zag display units, window hanging displays, stacking cubes, freestanding easels and leaflet holders as well as client leaflets, waiting room display kits, posters and 20% discount letterheads and postcards for mail-outs. An animation (shown below) is also now available in various formats for veterinary practices to use on their waiting room monitors or websites. The animation, which aims to educate dog owners on flea infestations and complications, covers common risk factors for flea infestations, flea facts including the lifecycle of the flea and encourages pet owners to ask for further information on oral flea control options.
Matthew Rowe, senior product manager at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "With many pet owners seeking their flea control solutions from other sources, such as the increasingly competitive pet superstores, veterinary businesses need to provide unique preventative healthcare services to their clients to help bond them to the practice and ensure that they return again and again. The new Comfortis support materials will help raise client awareness of the benefits of veterinary prescribed flea treatments and thereby help differentiate veterinary practice flea control solutions from those available in country stores, pet shops, supermarkets and pharmacies."
For further information on Comfortis, or the range of support materials, contact your Elanco Companion Animal Health key account manager or email elancocah.uk@lilly.com.
The new RCVS brand has been highly commended in the 'Brand Development' Category of the Membership Communication (MemCom) Awards.
The new look, which was launched last year, aimed to clarify the role and function of the College, with the strapline 'Setting veterinary standards' and a professional new livery of blue and gold.
The award was made at a presentation at the Institute of Directors on 17 May, and the judges' citation said: "[The rebrand] sought to overcome a remote and stuffy image whilst at the same time seeking to underline that it is the only Royal College that is primarily a regulatory body acting in the public interest," adding that "to put this into second place took a remarkable entry".
The top award in the category was taken by the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, with its book 'Watching Waterbirds', endorsed by the TV celebrity Kate Humble.
Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Head of Communications said: "Design can be subjective but the important thing is what it communicates. We are delighted to have received this commendation in recognition of the work we have done to ensure the role of the College is clearer for both the public and the profession."
Novartis Animal Health has announced the launch of a new campaign called Prepare, Predict, Prevent and designed to raise awareness of blowfly strike management in sheep.
The campaign will include new industry research, an expert-led report, and information tailored to farmers, veterinary surgeons and SQPs. The campaign is aimed at improving awareness of blowfly strike management, with a particular focus on prevention.
In the UK, blowfly strike (myiasis) occurs on over 80 per cent of sheep farms2. If untreated, strike can severely affect the welfare of infested sheep, and may result in death. For farmers, poor management of blowfly strike brings economic costs in terms of the loss of animal, production losses and in terms of treatment and control of the disease, which is easily spread.
Furthermore, previous research from the University of Bristol4, which simulated the pattern of parasite growth in different climate-dependent environments, showed that an increase in average temperature of 3 degrees Celsius would be enough to quadruple the incidence of strike in ewes and double the rate in lambs. This is a growing concern, with climate change models for the UK suggesting that over the next 50 years summer temperatures are set to increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius and winter temperatures by 2.5 degrees Celsius5.
Research conducted at the 2013 Animal Health Distributors Association (AHDA) Annual Conference indicated that, in the past five years, many believe the blowfly strike season is lasting longer and beginning earlier in the year, with the majority of early reported cases occurring unexpectedly in March. The findings have prompted a wider survey from Novartis Animal Health, which is urging SQPs, farmers and key opinion leaders nationwide to contribute answers at: www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk/fleecebind-questionnaire.
Katherine Openshaw, Ectoparasiticides Category Manager at Novartis Animal Health, said: "This has always been a serious issue for the sheep industry and elevated temperature is likely to bring about increased levels of blowfly strike and a longer season.
"We recognise the need to evolve attitudes towards parasite control and to provide farmers and prescribers with the knowledge and tools needed to facilitate a better management of blowfly strike. The 'Prepare, Predict, Prevent' campaign is all about simple, yet effective, measures to prevent the occurrence of blowfly strike, which can be enough to ensure farmers are protected from the potentially devastating impacts of flock infestation, offering season peace of mind.
"We have developed a range of materials to aid prescribers in promoting preventative solutions to farmers; these include farmer leaflets, posters and counter displays. We will also be offering training support so prescribers are best equipped to help farmers make informed decisions about preventative blowfly solutions."
References
Key Note Ltd, has published Pet Insurance 2015, a report into the state of the UK pet insurance market which forecasts that premiums will rise by 46.7% by 2019.
The report notes that the percentage of adults in Great Britain owning at least one dog has increased by 2.1 percentage points over the past 5 years, and the percentage owning at least one cat is 2.5 percentage points higher than it was 5 years ago. Yet despite growth in the pet population, the increase in the volume of pet insurance policies (23.6% between 2010 and 2014) has been far exceeded by the increase in the value of premiums written (40.7%).
Key Note says claims inflation has been a major factor in rising premiums; despite gross written premiums for cats, dogs and other pets increasing by 13.3% between 2013 and 2014 alone, the cost of claims for the same animals rose by 14.7% over the same period, over and above the premium increases seen.
According to the company, rising claims are largely down to the increasing cost of veterinary treatment — as advances in pet medicine increase apace with those in human medicine, treating pets is getting more costly. Not only this, but other factors, such as the rise in overweight or obese pets and even antibiotic-resistant bacteria, both common problems in the human health service, are also pushing up the costs of veterinary treatment.
In other general insurance markets, most notably motor insurance, which price comparison websites (PCWs) were initially set up to focus on, competition exerts a major downward pressure on premiums. However, the report says this is not always the case in the pet insurance market. This is because it can be difficult for those who have already claimed on pet insurance policies to switch insurers; the result of doing so is often that the condition the pet has previously been treated for is classed as ‘pre-existing’ in the new policy and therefore it, and related conditions, will not be covered under the new policy. This could leave pet owners liable to pay for veterinary treatment in full.
The situation has been further exacerbated by the high-profile withdrawal of a number of underwriters from the pet insurance market. The nature of the pet insurance market, though at first seeming diverse, actually involves a relatively limited pool of underwriters behind the numerous brands available. The report details how just four underwriters between them either underwrite or, at the very least, arrange and administer the pet insurance policies of 27 of the foremost brands in the pet insurance market.
Key Note forecasts that although insurance companies will see an increase in the volume of pets insured, this will not compensate for the relentless increase in the cost of claims which will be largely responsible for driving the cost of pet insurance up 46.7% by 2019.
The RCVS has announced that the Registrar, Gordon Hockey, has decided to leave the College after 16 years' service.
Gordon served first as Assistant Registrar / Head of Professional Conduct, and, since 2012, as Registrar / Director of Legal Services.
Dr Bradley Viner, RCVS President, said: "We wish to thank Gordon for all his hard work and wish him every success in the future.
"He has been a key figure at the RCVS for many years, and has brought about much positive change in the organisation, particularly with respect to reform of our disciplinary processes and the introduction of our new Charter, in February 2015."
25% of owners said they have seen their dog running away on hearing the word 'vet' and 30% have actively avoided a visit to the vet because of the animal's stress.
To try and get round the problem, 30% of owners use language to avoid alerting their animal: either spelling out the word 'V-E-T', or using a different word, like the 'dogtor'.
47% of owners disguise the trip and take their dog for a walk first, whilst 46% give their dog extra treats that day.
BCF Technology has announced the launch of the Logiq S7 Expert ultrasound system.
BCF says the new system offers the latest in ultrasound technology and represents a significant leap forward in imaging capability.
The Logiq S7 ultrasound system includes features such as B-Flow, Elastography, Flow Quantification, Contrast Imaging, B-Steer+, 3D/4D ultrasound, Volume Imaging and Multi-Modality Imaging Display.
Nigel Perry from BCF said: "The new Logiq S7 Expert provides the highest image quality currently available in the market. With a wide range of probes available for every veterinary application. If you are looking for the ultimate in ultrasound capability then the Logiq S7 is the system for you."
For more information, visit http://www.bcftechnology.co.uk/ or call +44(0)1506 460 023.
VetSurgeon Editor Arlo Guthrie said: “The original setup, which reorders a list of available positions by distance from a location, works very well when you know where you want to work.
"The new VetSurgeon Jobs Map, on the other hand, is ideal for when you’re not sure where exactly you want to work, and just want to know what’s out there.
"We’ve also added a 'World Jobs Map' so that there’s a quick and easy way to see any jobs outside the UK, such as those currently advertised in Bahrain, South Africa and Ireland."
The VetSurgeon Jobs Map is the latest in a string of new features added since a small charge was introduced for advertising jobs in May, including Find our jobs on VetSurgeon, Share & Reward and the VetSurgeon Locums Map. The same features have also been added over on VetNurse Jobs, too.
Arlo said: "Now that we charge for advertising on VetSurgeon Jobs, I’m interested in only one thing, which is offering both job seekers and recruiters the best service available anywhere."