The British Veterinary Asssociation and British Small Animal Veterinary Association have strongly welcomed moves to tighten up the rules on dog breeding in Wales with the publication of the proposed Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2011.

The draft proposals follow a report by an expert Task and Finish Group, including veterinary representatives, which made recommendations for new legislation to tackle the significant problem of puppy farming.

The BVA and BSAVA were both represented on the Task and Finish Group and have welcomed the proposals, which include:

• tightening the thresholds where a dog breeding licence is required; 
• a staff-to-dog ratio of one person to care for a maximum of 20 adult animals;
• compulsory microchipping of dogs on licensed breeding premises;
• the need for behaviour and socialisation of animals to be taken account of in the licensing requirements to meet the obligations in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. 

The draft legislation is now out for consultation until 13 January 2011.

Harvey Locke, BVA President, said: "The Welsh Assembly Government should be congratulated for driving forward legislative changes to tackle the abhorrent practice of puppy farming.

"The Task and Finish Group brought together everyone with an interest in dog health and welfare so the Minister should be confident that these proposals will gain widespread support.

"Puppy farming is not only a problem in Wales and it is clear that the rest of the UK is now lagging behind. We will be encouraging England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to follow suit and ensure dog health and welfare is promoted across the country."

Grant Petrie, President of BSAVA, added: "Vets are often faced with the terrible consequences of puppy farms and bad breeders, which can lead to suffering for both the animals and their owners.

"We are delighted that this action is being taken by the Welsh Assembly Government.

"The compulsory microchipping of dogs and puppies on licensed premises is a particularly welcome move but the veterinary profession will continue to campaign for this to be extended to all dogs."

According to Intervet, a study undertaken in Germany last summer has proven the efficacy of Butox SWISH at killing the midges responsible for carrying the bluetongue virus, when applied monthly to cattle. The study showed that even brief contact between a midge and hair from a treated animal killed midges rapidly for up to four weeks post-treatment.

The standard dose, applied in the usual way (on the neck and topline of the animal) delivers full-body coverage of Butox SWISH’s deltamethrin, helped partly by its unique micronised formulation. The product is also highly lipophilic which means it binds onto the natural oil secretions of the coat helping to improve coverage.

The trial used six heifers (each weighing around 400kg) treated with 30ml Butox SWISH (the standard fly dose and method of application). Two un-treated heifers were also studied for comparison.

During the five week period, contact between midges and treated hair caused immediate paralysis, and the midges then died at varying intervals depending on contact time and the number of days post-treatment with Butox SWISH. The trial verified the application of Butox SWISH monthly at the standard dose for cattle.

Trial director, Professor Mehlhorn suggested that producers should be prepared to reduce vector contact by removing their breeding habitats and combining this with the use of a knock-down treatment like Butox SWISH, which is the only product of its type which has proven efficacy against midges. Used in conjunction with vaccination, these measures may not stop the disease entering the herd, but will help reduce the spread of disease.

VetSurgeon.org has launched a new register of veterinary locums as a resource for practices that need to find a locum quickly and at no cost.

Veterinary locums can add themselves to the register free of charge, and include full details of the service they offer.

Practices that need a locum can then search the register by area. After they've used the locum, they are encouraged to comment beneath the locum's entry on the register.

At the time of writing, about a dozen locums have added their details to the register, so it's still early days. Hopefully, however, this will grow into a really valuable resource for both practices and locums.

To add your name to the register, click here and follow the instructions linked to from the right hand side.

Virbac Animal Health has developed a 'Yield Wheel' to show vets the additional income that farmers can achieve through taking a tailored and more flexible approach to the management of their dairy herd through the dry period. 

The company says this approach is made easier using its Cephaguard DC dry cow therapy.

While a 60 day drying off period is required for some cows, others may not need to be withdrawn from milk production for the full period, including those with a high body condition score in late lactation, high yielders and older healthy cows with an increased tendency for weight gain. For cows in these categories, a shorter drying off period can mean additional days of milk production and extra income for the farmer with no negative impact on future lactations or the cow's overall health.

The Yield Wheel shows how production and income can be maximised on a sliding scale from a standard 60 day drying off period down to 36 days, the shortest drying off period.  It also shows the benefits which can be gained in terms of reduced discarded milk days in the case of cows with an unclear calving date.

Cephaguard DC dry cow therapy is the most recent entrant to the dry cow therapy market. With its 35+1 day withdrawal period in milk, Virbac says it offers farmers increased flexibility for the management of dry periods.

Brigitte Goasduf, Ruminants Product Manager at Virbac said: "For dairy farmers, it's all about milk. They're looking to optimise production and reduce waste while also ensuring that they treat infections effectively at drying off and prevent new infections which may reduce yield during the next lactation.

We've produced the Yield Wheel to highlight the tangible benefits of taking a customised and more flexible approach to drying off using Cephaguard DC. The data is provided in a practical and straightforward way and demonstrates the potential yield benefits that can be achieved from an overall herd management and income perspective. We hope it will prove a useful tool."

The RCVS has published the findings of its fourth Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium and videos of talks from the day.

Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Yorkshire, has installed a £12,000 Envair CytoFAST Elite cytotoxic safety cabinet to shield its oncology team from exposure to cytotoxic drugs.

The operation of the equipment is being overseen by Dr Rodney Ayl, a specialist in both medical and radiation oncology. He said: "The need for protection of personnel during preparation of cytotoxic drugs presents the most significant obstacle to the safe provision of chemotherapy, as most practices are not equipped with an appropriate biosafety cabinet. This is especially true when there is a high case-load of chemotherapy patients."

Dr Ayl says the dangers of repeatedly handling and administering cancer drugs can be severe. He added: “The likelihood of drug exposure must be taken into account when considering the safety of personnel who handle cytotoxic drugs.

"The cumulative toxicity to personnel that arises from repeated contact with these drugs can cause health problems in the nursing staff that are beyond those expected in the patient.

"The main routes of personnel exposure to cytotoxic drugs are by aerosolisation or by absorption through skin.

"Both types of exposure can occur when preparing drugs for administration. The act of withdrawing cytotoxic drug from the vial into a syringe is generally the step that presents personnel with the greatest potential for exposure to a high concentration of drug. 

"Ideally, personnel are optimally protected from drug exposure, and patients are protected from contamination of the product, by the use of a laminar flow biosafety cabinet (BCS) during drug preparation, regardless of whether a closed delivery system is used.

"The Envair CytoFAST BSC has been designed to guarantee the product, personnel and environmental protection.

"It belongs to the latest generation of laminar airflow systems and is built to the highest quality to guarantee the strictest safety standards - and the safety of our people is paramount at Paragon."

The British Small Animal Association has responded to Defra's statement on compulsory microchipping.

The Association says it is an advocate of compulsory microchipping as the most effective way to permanently identify a dog - as long as owners maintain an up-to-date registration on the various databases. As such it broadly welcomes the recent Defra statement.

However, BSAVA points out that the statement has come before a full and considered consultation in terms of its implementation, and says it raises a number of questions for vets in practice:

• The Dogs Trust scheme is offering to supply practices with the microchips. Yet with an estimated 3 million or more dogs in the UK currently without microchips, will the profession be expected to bear the brunt of the cost of training and paying staff to carry out the procedure, as well as the significant administration that follows?
• The current information from Defra suggests that the service will be free to pet owners. Even if this is the case at the Dogs Trust, Battersea and Blue Cross centres, it is unlikely that they will receive all unchipped dogs, so will those owners entering a private practice have a similar expectation?
• BSAVA is also concerned about an emphasis on microchipping that doesn't also consider the management of the relevant databases. Implanting a microchip in itself is without value unless it is linked to accurate information that is kept up to date.

Despite the headlines around the statement, this is yet to be laid down in law and will require changes under the Animal Welfare Act and potentially the Dangerous Dogs Act, so there is still a conversation to be had about its implementation.

For this reason BSAVA has announced that it is launching a consultation with its members to establish their concerns and opinions in order to work with all the organisations involved in the best interest of animal welfare and the profession. If anyone in practice wants to feed into this consultation, they should visit http://www.bsava.com or contact BSAVA's Scientific Policy Officer Sally Everitt via email - s.everitt@bsava.com.

BSAVA President Mark Johnston said: "While implantation can be straightforward for those with appropriate experience it will be important to ensure that all those who carry out implantation are properly trained. However microchipping is not just a matter of implanting the microchip, there is a significant amount of administrative work in ensuring that animals are properly registered and that details are kept up-to-date. All of these stages need to be properly funded if the scheme is to be successful and sustainable. BSAVA will be consulting its members to gather their views and concerns and hope to be involved in a productive conversation with all interested parties."

BSAVA says there is a good news animal welfare story within this statement concerning the seizure of animals during investigation under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The new measures will allow the authorities to decide whether a suspected prohibited dog can stay with their owners until the outcome of court proceedings. Until now all such animals had to be kennelled until the proceedings had concluded, which often means that dogs who posed no risk suffered unnecessarily.  BSAVA welcomes this new measure in the interest of animal welfare.

The best anaesthetic protocol for routine neutering in heathy animals is the subject of a new type of open discussion on VetSurgeon.org, where you could win an Amazon voucher for taking part. 

The idea is for as many practitioners as possible to come and share their experience, tips or advice in a discussion thread where members can vote for the posts that they think are the most interesting or helpful. The most up-voted reply is highlighted at the start of the discussion thread and will receive an Amazon voucher worth £50 at the end of the week.

The new discussion format highlights some of the great strengths of VetSurgeon.org over other discussion platforms such as Facebook, chiefly that the format on VetSurgeon lends itself to longer, more reflective posts befitting scientific discussion, and also that useful pearls of clinical wisdom don't get lost in a sea of similar replies and remain easy for everyone to refer back to. Not to mention the fact that time spent taking part in clinical discussions on VetSurgeon.org can be logged towards your annual CPD requirement, using the 'Claim CPD' button at the top of the page.

The new discussion format is closely moderated to ensure a collaborative, constructive debate. Do come and take part, or just read the thread and vote for the post you find most helpful or interesting (you'll be helping a colleague on their way to an Amazon voucher!). The vote link is in the bottom right hand corner of each post. 

https://www.vetsurgeon.org/001/veterinary-clinical/small-animal/anaesthesia/f/discussions/29467/open-discussion-what-is-the-best-anaesthetic-and-analgesia-protocol-with-reasons-for-routine-neutering-in-healthy-animals.

And if you find it useful, don't forget to press the red 'Claim CPD' button at the top, which also acts as a useful bookmark.

Cresilon Inc., the US maker of the haemostatic gel, Vetigel, has signed a distribution agreement for the UK with Covetrus-owned Veterinary Instrumentation. 

In addition to the UK, Vetigel will be marketed and distributed to veterinary surgeons throughout Europe and elsewhere via Veterinary Instrumentation's global distribution network.

Matt Lewis, Vice President of Sales at Cresilon said: "Our partnership with Veterinary Instrumentation will help us provide more veterinary surgeons with a revolutionary hemostatic gel that significantly improves the standard of care for pets and animals.

"Vetigel has been used by thousands of veterinarians thus far and helps veterinary clinics and animal hospitals save time, reduce operating costs, and improve patient outcomes."

https://vetigel.com
https://veterinary-instrumentation.co.uk 

The RCVS has announced the members that will comprise its new Audit and Risk Committee, which was set up following recommendations in the RCVS Overspend Review Group's report (otherwise known as the McKelvey Report).

The Audit and Risk Committee will support RCVS Council in meeting its oversight responsibilities, including:

• Monitoring the Council's risk management arrangements
• Approving the internal audit programme
• Advising Council on the comprehensiveness and reliability of assurances and internal controls, including internal and external audit arrangements, and on the implications of assurances provided in respect of risk and control.

Its members are:

Non-Council members
Elizabeth Butler (Chairman) is a practising Chartered Accountant who has held a wide variety of non-executive appointments, bringing both professional expertise and a depth of understanding of risk and governance. Among other roles, she has chaired the audit committees of the Royal College of Nursing and Hyde Housing Association, and currently chairs the audit committees of the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, she is also chairman of Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust.

David Hughes is a chartered accountant and a former senior partner who has extensive expertise in financial reporting, accounting, auditing, risk management and governance issues. He is currently a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee for the Highways Agency and a member of the Department for Transport Audit Committee.

Judith Rutherford has five years' experience as a Non-Executive Director and as a member of the Audit Committee in a community Healthcare and Primary Care Trust within the regulated environment of the NHS. She is currently Director of an organisation that provides interim management and consultancy to the private and public sectors.

RCVS Council members
Richard Davis is a Privy Council-appointed member of RCVS Council. He farms 104 hectares in North Bedfordshire and has been a director of First Milk Ltd for seven years. He has also been a director of Westbury Dairies Ltd, where he was Chairman of the Audit Committee. Richard has served on the audit committee of Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor) for the last six years and served as the Chairman of Assured Dairy Farms for six years (the scheme sets, audits and monitors production, welfare and environmental standards for most UK processors, and over 12,000 dairy farms).

Lynne Hill MRCVS is Chief Executive of Langford Veterinary Services Ltd, University of Bristol, and was previously Head of the Clinical Services Department at the Royal Veterinary College. Prior to that, Lynne was European Marketing Manager for Hill's Pet Nutrition. She is an elected member of RCVS Council and was President in 2005-6.

The non-Council members of the Committee were appointed by a panel chaired by Sir David Barnes, Chairman of the Governance Review Group.

The new Committee, which is accountable to Council and will report at least annually, will meet for the first time in early autumn.

Jacqui Molyneux, RCVS President said: "I am pleased that the new Audit and Risk Committee is now in place. It should offer reassurance to both members and the public that the framework via which Council's activities are scrutinised is robust."

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) has reached a final conclusion that the benefit-risk for veterinary medicines containing zinc oxide, used to prevent post weaning diarrhoea in piglets, is negative and that this class of products should be withdrawn.

The proposed withdrawal is vigorously opposed by the National Pig Association, which argues that zinc oxide is effective at controlling E.coli infections and can result in lower use of antimicrobials. Furthermore, the ban was proposed by France and the Netherlands, neither of which use zinc oxide.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has submitted evidence to support a proposal for a 10 year transition period if medicines containing zinc oxide are to be withdrawn. This will allow for changes in pig farming practices to avoid increases in the occurrence of diarrhoea at weaning, to ensure animal welfare and prevent increases in the use of antibiotics.

The European Commission will now make a final decision on zinc oxide products - taking into account the CVMP’s recommendation and evidence submitted by Member States - which is expected to be announced some time after June this year.

IVC Evidensia has launched the GP Vet Futures Award Programme, designed to champion the role of its general practitioners.

In what the company says is a European first, IVC vets will be recognised for the skills they already have, as well as supported to achieve new skills within the GP framework.

The programme is also intended to increase GP's status within the profession, boost confidence, develop ability and provide a clear path for career progression.

Edward Davies BVSc MRCVS, IVC's new Aspirational GP Lead, said: "The plethora of skills a GP vet has is unparalleled when you look at other professions.

“This programme is about recognising the core and expansive knowledge sets we as GP vets possess, not just at an individual level, but an organisational and professional level.”

An initial two cohorts of up to 20-30 vets from across the business will take part over the next 12 months, and the expectation is that it will take around two years for every cohort to complete. 

The programme is structured around a portfolio-based assessment by peers, with six core and three elective categories.  

The core section includes the elements seen as fundamental to being a successful GP vet, complimented by the individual vet’s selection of three elective modules which best fit their clinical interests.

IVC says it plans for the GP Vet Futures Award to be externally accredited.