The initiative was set up in 2014 by Mark Hirschel and Jo Amit, the co-founders of pet product company HOWND. It gained momentum last year when Ricky Gervais lent his support.
Jo said: "We have always brought our dogs Roxy and Laila to work with us, but when we moved into new offices back in 2014 we discovered that they weren’t allowed in the premises.
"This inspired us to create an event that publicised why dogs can make a positive difference in safe work environments, in attempt to encourage companies across the UK to adopt dog friendly policies.
"We’re overwhelmed with how successful Bring Your Dog To Work Day has become. It’s been amazing to see how many people have posted their dogs at work across all social media in 2014 and 2015. Most importantly, it was fantastic to raise money for a cause that has always been close to our hearts - the wonderful work of All Dogs Matter. We’re hopeful that this year will prove even more popular, building on the momentum of 2015."
The organisers point to an American study published in 2012 which concluded that dogs at work may make a positive difference by reducing stress levels in staff and increasing their levels of job satisfaction.
For more information, visit: https://bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk
The group, which opened in 2021, is also securing sites in Newcastle and Halesowen for a further two practices which are due to open in 2026.
Harrison Family Vets says at least £350,000 will be invested in each of the new practices which will be staffed by a team of six initially.
Operations director, Kristie Faulkner said: “In less than four years we’ve opened seven extremely successful practices and quickly established a reputation for being a great place to work.
"We’ve built a team where everyone’s individual strengths and personality traits contribute to what we do, in a family-orientated environment.
“We take pride in creating very modern and well-equipped surgeries that are designed around the pets we treat, and we push the boundaries of what’s possible when it comes to pet care.
"In addition, all our team members are also trained, or currently in training for, the Fear Free Accreditation, to significantly reduce fear, stress and anxiety for both pets and their owners, which means every pet’s visit to Harrison Family Vets is as positive as possible.
“Crucially, we also offer pet owners far more affordable pet care than the large corporate chains and our total wellness plan is one of the best value offerings on the market.
"When this is combined with our exceptional team and pioneering practices, it’s not unusual for us to have hundreds of pet owners registering with us in new locations before we even open.
“We’re now looking forward to embarking on our next phase of growth and making our unique offering available to even more veterinary professionals and pet owners throughout the country.
"We would urge anyone interested in joining us in Stoke, Sheffield or Darlington, as well as Newcastle or Halesowen, which will launch in the next phase of openings, to contact us now.”
https://www.harrisonfamilyvets.co.uk/
The RCVS Charitable Trust has teamed up with the Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) for the launch of the Great Big Small Charity Car Draw 2011.
The draw enables small charities, such as the RCVS Charitable Trust, to sell tickets to supporters which offer a chance of winning a brand new Fiat 500 1.2 Pop. Each ticket costs only £2, and the Trust will receive £1.90 for every ticket it sells.
Tickets can be bought securely online at http://trust.rcvs.org.uk/support-us/get-involved/win-a-fiat-500/ or directly from the Trust office on 020 7202 0721 or by emailing fundraising@rcvstrust.org.uk. Books of tickets are also available to sell to colleagues, friends and family. The deadline for buying tickets is September 16th 2011 with the draw taking place on 25th October 2011.
Here are a few examples of what reviewers have been saying about the Fiat 500:
"The Fiat 500 is both stylish and fun. The modest running costs complement the engaging handling. So, this nimble little city car can be enthusiastically thrown into corners and it should emerge grinning like a Cheshire Cat." Motoring.co.uk
"I love my Fiat 500 1.2 Pop from the moment I drove off in it. Great fun to drive on the motorway and in town for parking into slots others cannot!" What Car?
"It's absolutely fantastic. It drives like a dream. Everybody admires it." Fiat Forum
For further information on the car draw, please contact Fiona O'Regan on 020 7202 0743 or Rebecca Fellows on 020 7202 0721. Alternatively email fundraising@rcvstrust.org.uk.
A 17-year-old collie cross called Barney picked arguably the best place in the world for an old dog to fall into a canal last Saturday, when it was rescued by one of the teams taking part in the kayaking stage of the Vet Charity Challenge, an event where there were at least 150 vets on hand to help.
Barney had wandered off through an unlocked gate and fallen into the canal where he was spotted by a team from Kruuse UK. They managed to haul the struggling animal onto their kayak and take him down the canal towards a waiting group of vets and nurses. From there he was taken to Drove Vets in Swindon to make a full recovery.
Andrew Groom from Kruuse said, "It was sheer luck that we happened to be paddling past at that point. The poor chap was struggling on the steep banks of the canal and kept slipping back in. He was getting very tired and at risk of drowning, and judging by his gums and heart rate, going into shock."
Karien White from Drove Vets said: "Barney was a bit hypothermic when he was brought into us with a lot of bumps and bruises. We managed to warm him up and get him cleaned and after a little while his tail started wagging and he seemed very happy and friendly."
News of Barney was posted onto a Pewsey Facebook page which helped his worried owners trace him to the vets.
The Vet Charity Challenge took place on Saturday 27th September at St Francis School, Pewsey, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. The day consisted of 50 of teams of four orienteering, cycling and kayaking as well as undertaking mental and physical tasks. The charity raised over £70,000 in its first two years, with this year expected to boost the funds even more.
Gavin Mitchell, from founding sponsors, BCF Technology, said: "We never dreamt that while trying to raise money for our partner charities, that we would end up saving the life of a pet in such a direct fashion. Had Team Kruuse not been passing at that point, the dog would almost certainly have drowned. It highlights the real commitment and passion that the vet profession feels towards helping animals. Through our event we hope to reach out to help even more animals. People can donate directly to Vet Charity Challenge by contacting us via www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk."
Pfizer Animal Genetics is expanding its presence in the UK with the appointment of a dedicated team.
The company says it will use state-of-the-art genetic technology to improve the health, welfare and productivity of animals, and that the move comes at an exciting time for genetic research, as complete sequencing of the bovine genome has resulted in explosive growth of the possibilities.
As well as being able to provide tests addressing parentage (SireTRACE) and traceability (SureTRAK), Pfizer Animal Genetics can also help farmers identify the genetic potential that each animal has to produce tender, well marbled meat and to perform at optimal feed conversion efficiency (GeneSTAR) - vital management information that can improve profitability and enable effective decision making in long term breeding plans.
The company promises there is more to come, with exponential growth in the identification of genetic markers, which will allow the imminent introduction of new tests set to provide much more detailed predictive information about individual animals - all available virtually from birth onwards.
Richard Chew (above right) is Customer Service Manager and the first port of call for anyone with questions about pricing & submission forms, samples and reports. Richard grew up in rural Lancashire and went on to study at the University of Bristol. Since graduation his career has taken him through a variety of scientific and customer facing roles. He has worked for Pfizer Animal Health for six years in the clinical development of vaccines and pharmaceuticals for livestock and is looking forward to the new challenges of the genetics business. Richard is based in Pfizer's Surrey office and can be reached on 08345 3037398 or PfizerAnimalGenetics-EU@pfizer.com.
Mike Marron and Peter Quigley are Dairy Sales Manager and Beef and Sheep Sales Manager respectively and will be the contact points for breed associations, organisations and individuals who want to discuss how genetic assessment and identification can help assure the quality of a breed or herd. Mike has an honours degree in biological and biochemical science and a decade of experience in the animal health industry, with special interests in fertility and calf management. Peter also comes from the animal health industry and is looking forward to continuing the company's work with the Aberdeen Angus Society as well as developing programmes for other beef breed societies.
Mike or Peter will be in attendance at various agricultural shows across the UK including Agrilive, the South West Dairy Show, Surecalf, Agriscot, Thainstone Christmas Classic, the Welsh Winter Fair, The Great Yorkshire Show and the Northern Ireland Winter Fair, where they will be explaining how genetic testing can make a contribution towards improving the brand value of a breed and shortening the time frame to allow better management decisions to be made.
Dr Gary Evans is Technical Services Manager and will be providing detailed advice on how to improve pedigree herd books, the interpretation of results of genetic testing and detection of certain genetic diseases. Gary is a geneticist with fourteen years experience in the application of genomics to livestock and joins Pfizer Animal Genetics from PIC/Genus.
Vet History is part of a five year project to improve access to and awareness of the wealth of material held by the College, which began with the appointment of a qualified archivist in October 2015 and the creation of the online database which includes descriptions of material catalogued to international archive standards. The catalogue will be fully searchable with biographical profiles for major persons featured in the collections.
The papers of the prolific veterinary author and army veterinarian Major General Sir Frederick Smith (1857-1929) are amongst the first collections to be fully catalogued and described online. The material covers the length of Smith’s career from case notes recording treatment of army horses in India in the 1880s to correspondence from the last 20 years of his life, in which he wrote a four volume history of veterinary literature. Smith was involved in the Army Veterinary Service during the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First World War, and his honest and candid accounts of the loss of horses by the Army illustrate fascinating aspects of veterinary, social and military history.
Chris Gush, Executive Director, RCVS Knowledge said: "The launch of the Archives catalogue covers a critical and fascinating time in the nation’s history, both for the advances in veterinary science and its role in marinating a functioning British military presence in the 19th century. Through this unparalleled collection, RCVS Knowledge can be an invaluable source of information for academic research and the general public."
The RCVS Vet History project is ongoing, and further collections will be catalogued periodically over the next four years. Visitors are encouraged to check the catalogue regularly, and follow RCVS Knowledge’s Twitter feed for news and updates.
To see behind the scenes of the Project, and find out more about highlighted items, follow the Historical Collections blog here.
The RCVS Vet History Project is supported by The ALBORADA Trust.
The nine-page booklet is being distributed electronically to all BEVA members, together with a guide on spotting some of the warning signs horses may display, written by equine veterinary surgeon and behaviourist Gemma Pearson.
A report commissioned by the BEVA in 2013 indicated that an equine vet could expect to sustain between seven and eight work-related injuries that impeded them from practicing, during a 30-year working life.
Data available from the Health and Safety Executive suggests that this is a very high number of injuries compared to other civilian occupations, including those working in the construction industry, prison service and the fire brigade.
The new guide has been produced ‘by horse vets for horse vets’ with BEVA members contributing their views, experiences and suggestions to early drafts.
It provides information for those handling and involved with equine veterinary care; to make workers consider the steps that they can take to make their activities as safe as reasonably possible by assessing a situation and implementing measures to limit the risk that vets and others are exposed to.
The guide also aims to challenge prevailing attitudes and culture. It outlines how to make ‘on the spot’ or ‘mental’ risk assessments and when to stop if a procedure becomes unsafe.
The guide is accompanied by an illustrated leaflet Signs of Increased Arousal Combined with a Negative Effective State. Written by Gemma Pearson, BVMS Cert AVP (EM) MRCVS who specialises in equine behaviour and learning theory, it explains signs of increased arousal including facial expressions, stance, movement and response.
David Mountford, CEO of BEVA said: "The new guidelines have been carefully developed to ensure that they are as pertinent, pragmatic and helpful as possible for vets in practice. Hopefully they will help to make the equine veterinary workplace a little safer."
The new guides can be downloaded at: https://www.beva.org.uk/workplacesafety
All laying flocks that adhere to the British Lion Code of Practice must be vaccinated against Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium during the rearing period.
Environmental sampling is carried out to monitor the flocks for Salmonella infection from 22-26 weeks of age and continuing every 15 weeks throughout the laying period.
Version 8 of the British Lion Code of Practice states that approved Salmonella testing laboratories must undertake testing to differentiate between field and vaccine strains of Salmonella.
The Cevac Salmovac vaccine strain can occasionally be detected during routine sampling.
When this happens, the accredited laboratory can carry out the differentiation testing whilst also sending the samples to the official confirmatory laboratory for final identification.
Ceva says ASAP significantly improves and speeds up the differentiation between vaccine and field strains, providing early reassurance to the producer that the official confirmation will identify the vaccine strain.
The ASAP Salmonella differentiation test has 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for differentiating the Cevac Salmovac vaccine strain from any Salmonella field strain.
Pippa Abbey, poultry national veterinary services manager at Ceva Animal Health said: “Several tests are available to differentiate Cevac Salmovac from Salmonella field strains, however using ASAP as a second medium significantly improves and speeds up the differentiation process, ensuring that laboratories can quickly and efficiently detect the presence of the Cevac Salmovac strain.
“The ASAP media is also a useful tool for monitoring Cevac Salmovac drinking water vaccination and helps with vaccination auditing.”
Ceva also says that using ASAP media as a tool for monitoring the application of its vaccine can provide reassurance that it has been given successfully.
On the day of vaccination, following priming of the drinker lines, a water sample can be taken from the end of the line and sent to the laboratory for testing.
Cevac Salmovac will grow in dark blue/purple colonies indicating vaccine availability throughout the poultry house and a good vaccination process.
Dechra Veterinary Products has reduced the price of two key products in its Veterinary Essentials range to help practices respond to the challenging economic climate.
Atipam 5 ml is now the same price per ml as Atipam 10ml. Used for the reversal of the sedative effects of medetomidine and dexmedetomidine in cats and dogs, practices can now choose the size that suits them best. Additionally, during January, for every 15ml purchased an extra 5ml will be provided to practices free of charge.
Thyroxyl, used for the treatment of hypothyroidism in dogs, has also been reduced in price by 15 per cent. Practices that include Thryoxyl as part of the newly introduced Essential Purchase Plan can also make further savings.
To find out more about the Veterinary Essentials range, including further costs savings with an Essentials Purchase Plan and free margin development advice, call Liz Rawlings on 01743 441632.
PBD Biotech says the Actiphage test offers the potential to revolutionise control of bovine TB by allowing detection of the disease within hours from a blood or milk sample.
Last November, the Welsh Government announced a new policy that allowed the use of non-validated tests such as Actiphage in herds affected by a TB breakdown. It followed a similar protocol to one authorised by the UK Government last year for cattle herds in England after the test was used as part of a successful private eradication plan on a Devon dairy farm.
Mossman Farming, in Ceredigion, is located in an area of chronic breakdown. It is a spring-calving milking herd with a total stock of 529, to date 312 dairy cows have been slaughtered. Farmer Chris Mossman agreed to trial Actiphage after hearing about the Gatcombe pilot.
Chris said: "TB is a massive problem in Ceredigion, so when I heard about Actiphage’s use at Gatacombe, helping to clear that dairy herd for the first time in six years, I wanted to try and replicate those findings here. Me – and many other farmers – are losing large numbers of animals. I’m trying to do all I can to get rid of this disease from my herd."
In Spring 2019, The Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales granted permission for Robert Price-Jones MRCVS to use Actiphage to screen high-risk cattle for M. bovis.
Robert, who has been leading the trial, said: "Actiphage is able to identify the presence of relatively low numbers of M. bovis in the blood stream of infected cattle. It is not dependent upon an immune system response to the pathogen - in contrast to current validated tests - and so has greater sensitivity than such as the official Tuberculin SICCT skin test.
"The benefit of using Actiphage is that it offers the potential for eradicating the disease from the farm; as early identification of animals at risk of bovine TB enables heightened disease management and control."
Under the terms of the Welsh Government’s protocol, cattle not condemned for slaughter can be tested with Actiphage. Those that give a positive result are identified with a ‘management’ marker, monitored and milked separately.
To prevent further contamination of the environment and to minimise risk to uninfected cattle, animals found to be ‘shedders’ are removed from the farm.
Although a decision to remove cattle based on a non-validated test will be at the farmers’ own expense, the APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) has confirmed that during the trial, where a positive result is confirmed with statutory tests, the animals will be removed with compensation as normal.
So far, 100 animals from Mossman Farming have been tested with Actiphage and Robert Price-Jones is preparing a paper to publish the findings in early 2020.
PBD Biotech is now seeking more farms to trial Actiphage in order to gain the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) validation. The company is offering reduced cost testing to support trials where the findings are made available to support validation of the test.
The company is also working with the UK charity to call for the creation of international standards in the training and deployment of sniffer dogs.
Earlier this week, Medical Detection Dogs announced the findings of its research on scenting COVID-19, confirming that dogs can play a major role in public safety through their ability to detect the virus’ odour.
Researchers will now move to trial the dogs at sites such as ports of entry and public spaces, where dogs can screen individuals rather than samples and contribute to the fight against the virus by detecting COVID-19 carriers.
Sniffer dog schemes are currently being piloted in countries including Finland, Russia, Italy and France, but there is currently no centralised best practice process for such programmes.
Medical Detection Dogs and Purina are calling for:
Medical Detection Dogs founder and CEO Dr Claire Guest said: “Sniffer dogs have the potential to make an important contribution to the fight against COVID-19 and future pandemics. Researchers around the world are urgently working to meet that need, but it is vital that we collaborate, share the knowledge we have gained on the incredible abilities of our dogs and formalise best practice in training and deployment.
"Along with Purina we want to call for international collaboration between organisations around the world on the implementation of disease detection and research. Our vision is to guarantee that dogs are well-treated and consistent in their performance, and support the reliable, safe creation of similar schemes in developing countries, where dogs could play a huge role in halting the spread of this disease and future pandemics.”
Jeff Hamilton, CEO at Nestlé Purina PetCare EMENA, said: “Purina and Medical Detection Dogs share a belief in the positive role and impact of dogs in society. These dogs could provide fast, effective and non-invasive diagnosis and help to create safer spaces for us all, but we should ensure that each of them is trained safely, humanely and able to effectively perform their important role in detecting COVID-19."
The project was 'highly commended' at the RCVS Knowledge 2024 awards.
The CVS clinical improvement project found that a major barrier to conducting ultrasound scans was a lack of confidence - both in using equipment and interpreting images.
A recent Canadian industry study has also reviewed barriers, citing a lack of equipment, training and skills as root causes1.
The ultrasound project aimed to review practice equipment, improve clinician case identification, increase clinical skills and confidence, and recommend ultrasound in all appropriate cases.
The company put together resources for vets and nurses designed to help improve ultrasound scan rates, including clinical guidelines, webinars for how to approach cases, and machine guides.
CVS then held training sessions which for vets focussed on case identification and improving diagnostic skills, and for vet nurses looked at how to use ultrasound equipment and conduct scans.
An audit of each participating practices’ ultrasound scan rates was conducted at the start of the project. Results were then shared with each practice every month.
Twelve months after launch, data shows that the number of ultrasound scans has increased by 3,675.
Anecdotal evidence has also shown that colleague confidence and practice team culture has improved as a result of the project.
Dr Victoria Woods, Regional Clinical Lead at CVS responsible for the ultrasound clinical improvement project, said: “It’s fantastic to see the benefits increased ultrasonography is already bringing to our practices on this project – especially as a result of upskilling our nurses.
"I am certain that this will help contribute towards them providing some of the best clinical diagnosis and care in our profession.”
Following the success of the project in its first year, the project is now being developed to focus on echocardiograph and is being undertaken in 52 CVS primary care practices in year two.
Reference
BVA members who join the Webinar Vet before the end of this month will receive a USB headset and microphone worth £40
Webinar Vet founder Anthony Chadwick MRCVS said: "The idea is to help new members get equipped and ready to listen and ask questions during the regular Thursday evening member webinars."
"BVA members already benefit from half price gold membership to the Webinar Vet and many have already taken advantage and are enjoying the many benefits of online CPD."
Gold membership includes invitations to weekly members' live CPD events, full access to the library of over 150 hours of categorised pre-recorded webinars, and a monthly CD of one of the presentations to listen to in the car.
All BVA members who sign up before March 31st will also qualify for the free headset. For more information visit www.bva.co.uk/webinar.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has released a series of photographs taken at its last council meeting on 7th March 2013.
Anyone for a photo-caption competition?
The full album can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcvs/sets/72157633046308352/
Petplan has announced the finalists for the inaugural Petplan and Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) Animal Charity Awards.
The awards have been set up by Petplan to celebrate the outstanding work of animal charities and not-for-profit organisations across the UK.
The finalists for each of the categories are:
Animal Charity Team of the Year
Animal Charity Volunteer of the Year
Animal Charity Employee of the Year
Simon Masding, Petplan's Head of Sales and Partnerships said: "Animal wellbeing is central to all we do at Petplan. We work with over 1,500 animal charities and give over £2million to assist them every year. The Petplan and ADCH Animal Charity Awards is another way for us to support and recognise the teams and individuals at charities dedicated to improving the lives of animals. We're delighted that these new awards have got off to a fantastic start with over 3,400 nominations from adopters, supporters, charity staff and volunteers."
Winners will be announced on the 2nd May in an awards ceremony in Stratford-upon-Avon. For further information go to www.petplan.co.uk/charityawards
Norbrook Laboratories has launched Cefimam DC intramammary ointment, a new dry cow preparation containing the 4th generation cephalosporin, cefquinome.
The company has also released a Polish language version of its Best Practice Guide for On-Farm Mastitis Control, in response to demand from producers with non-English speaking farm-hands.
Norbrook vet Chris Geddes said: "I believe this is the first time that such a guide has been produced to cater for farm-hands of a different nationality working within the UK. Good mastitis management starts with good education; giving everyone on the farm the same opportunity for learning the best techniques for prevention means that we help minimise incidences of mastitis, which costs the dairy industry millions of pounds in lost revenue every year.
"This prevention includes a thorough and consistent approach to dry cow management. The early drying off period is often a risky time, when pre-existing subclinical infections can bed-in. The cow is also at increased risk of gaining new infections due to lack of udder hygiene procedures that would normally occur at milking, and weakened immunity as she approaches calving. Our new cefquinome preparation is a valuable addition to have in the treatment armoury for dry cow management. It has broad-spectrum activity and high cellular penetration to help tackle hard-to-manage cases with the aim of returning to maximum productivity by the start of the milking season."
Cefimam DC will be available at all veterinary wholesalers in packs of 24x and 120x 8g intramammary tubes. Vets can obtain both English and Polish versions of the Best Practice Guide for On-Farm Mastitis Control from Territory Managers.
For further information or copies of the Best Practice Guide for On-Farm Mastitis Control in English or Polish, contact your Territory Manager or call Norbrook GB head office on 01536 741 147.
The BVA and RCVS have announced the formation of the Vet Futures Action Group to take forward the ambitions and recommendations in the Vet Futures report ‘Taking charge of our future: A vision for the veterinary profession for 2030’ launched in November 2015.
The call for applications attracted more than 80 candidates with many more expressing an interest in helping to take the project forward.
The Action Group will be tasked with working collectively to turn the report’s 34 recommendations into clear actions with buy-in from across the veterinary profession and a timetable for activity.
The Action Group is made up of the BVA and RCVS Presidents and Junior Vice-Presidents, seven veterinary surgeons, a veterinary nurse, and a co-opted veterinary student:
The members of the Group joining the BVA and RCVS officers were selected by the Vet Futures Project Board for their mix of experience and expertise across the Vet Futures ambitions and themes (Animal health and welfare; Veterinary professionals’ wider roles in society; The health and wellbeing of veterinary professionals; Diverse and rewarding veterinary careers; Sustainable businesses and user-focused services; and Leadership), as well as in veterinary education, veterinary regulation, and veterinary nursing.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "The Group has a very important task ahead and we are confident that we have an excellent group of people with the right balance of skills, experience and expertise to take forward the Vet Futures recommendations and turn them into concrete actions.
"We have had an incredibly positive response from the profession to the launch of the report and we hope organisations and individuals will now step up to work with the Action Group and take ownership of the activity for the good of the whole profession."
RCVS President Bradley Viner said: "We were overwhelmed by the response from the professions with ten applications for every place, and many more offers of support. The Project Board was particularly impressed by the high quality of the applications and the breadth of experience demonstrated by the candidates from all parts of the profession.
"It was incredibly difficult to select the members of the Group from such a strong field but we are pleased that we have captured the variety within the profession as well as the enthusiasm to drive the project forward. We sincerely hope everyone who expressed an interest will remain engaged with the project as it progresses this year."
The BVA has expressed its disappointment at a report instructed by the Welsh Government that recommends CCTV should not be mandatory in slaughterhouses in Wales.
The Safeguarding Animal Welfare at Slaughter Task and Finish Group’s report, which outlines the findings of the Group’s investigation into the welfare of animals in slaughterhouses and the potential role of CCTV, concluded that there was not a "sufficient basis" for making CCTV in Welsh abattoirs mandatory.
The BVA and the Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) believe mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses and veterinary surgeons' unrestricted access to CCTV footage are vital in order to safeguard animal welfare, assist with enforcement and instil customer confidence.
Dr Neil Paton, BVA Welsh Branch President, said: "We are disappointed that the Task and Finish Group has not taken on board the concerns of vets working in slaughterhouses and not followed the logic of their own arguments about the benefits of CCTV highlighted in the report. While we know that CCTV is not the answer to all welfare concerns, it is recognised as an important tool by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee and encourages the highest standards of animal welfare and good stockmanship. We also need to ensure that where CCTV is installed, vets can have access to the footage. If there isn’t CCTV footage, or vets cannot access the footage, how can the number of reported incidents in abattoirs be verified?"
The report, The Need for and Possible Implementation of a Workable System of CCTV in All Slaughterhouses in Wales, details that only eight large abattoirs of the total 26 abattoirs in Wales have CCTV. Although the bulk of animals in Wales are slaughtered in these eight abattoirs, lack of CCTV in other abattoirs means 3.4% of poultry are slaughtered without CCTV safeguards, accounting for over 2 million birds, and 10.5% of sheep, pigs and cattle are slaughtered in abattoirs without CCTV – nearly 385,000 animals. The potential risk of welfare harm to these animals is increased by this lack of CCTV.
Gudrun Ravetz, President of the British Veterinary Association said: "What vets who work in slaughterhouses, and all those who care about animal welfare, are striving for is a culture of compassion in abattoirs. CCTV is an important tool in encouraging and implementing such a culture. The report’s recommendations encourage abattoirs to install and use CCTV effectively for training purposes, but, together with the VPHA, we would like to re-emphasise our calls for CCTV to be mandatory in all slaughterhouses in the UK and for legislation to ensure that footage is readily available to vets. We recognise that the cost of installing CCTV may be a burden for some very small abattoirs, but it is important that the animals we farm for food have both a good life and a humane death and CCTV has a key role to play in ensuring these requirements are met."
The report also outlined a number of other recommendations, which are welcomed by BVA, including the request for grants to be made available to assist small sites invest in the equipment and an additional focus on the improvement of welfare of animals during transport to slaughter.
Eight vet students have been recognised for their exceptional work with the Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health Connect Bursary Awards, designed to provide financial assistance for students for elective research during their college years. Three main awards were made for projects focussing on laterality in dogs, stallion semen preservation, and developing a better understanding of wobbler syndrome in horses.
Charlotte Cockburn from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Hayley Harwood from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies (Edinburgh) were the joint winners of the main Bursary Award, while the RVC's Holly Claridge was presented with the inaugural Equine Award.
Charlotte's research investigated tests for laterality in dogs to determine if domestic dogs show a significant paw preference and to identify a test that can be used for this purpose by veterinary practices. The results showed a lateralisation bias in the dog population towards the left with no significant correlations between paw preference and the sex, age or breed of dog. In addition, the initiation of gait test used in the study was the only test that gained a response from 100% of the dogs.
Hayley set out to investigate the motility of stallion spermatozoa thawed at various rates and maintained for up to 24 hours with the aim of designing a protocol for the thawing of semen that would allow cooled transported frozen-thawed semen to be used effectively. The study showed that for total motility, thawing the straws at 72°C resulted in significantly higher motility than when compared with other treatments.
Holly's research aimed to describe the 3D anatomy of the cervical articular process joints in relation to the spinal cord and whether artificial distension of these joints, mimicking effusion, would cause the pouches of the joints to compress the spinal cord in the horse. The study concluded that in the absence of any other soft tissue or bony changes effusion of these joints is unlikely to cause spinal cord compression. However, given that these joints and the spinal cord are in close approximation, in the presence of other changes, an effusion may have the potential to cause compression.
While Charlotte, Hayley and Holly were the overall winners, five other students also received a Connect Bursary from Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health to fund their research. The Bursaries were awarded to Rebecca Johnson and Sharon Brown (Glasgow), Gabrielle Laing (Liverpool), Alex Torrance (Cambridge) and Amy Gordan (Bristol). Students were required to present their work to a judging panel from Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health, representatives from the veterinary schools and industry key opinion leaders. Two further Bursaries were also awarded to students from Nottingham.
David Hallas, General Manager at Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "Being part of the Connect Bursary is intended to give veterinary students both the freedom to explore new ground as well as providing a taste of working in industry. The fact that we awarded a record number of Bursaries this year, elected joint winners and launched the new Equine Award is testament to the refreshingly high standard of work being undertaken by veterinary undergraduates."
Companion Care Vets has reported a record calendar year in 2010, with 15 new surgeries opened taking the network up to 69.
Companion Care also welcomed 17 new joint venture partners, increasing the total number of partners to 87. The company expects to double the number of surgeries over the next 3 years following the announcement that it is to open standalone practices alongside the in-store Pets at Home surgeries.
According to the company, the opening of 15 new full service surgeries represents an investment of approximately £3 million during the year. More than £340,000 of that investment went on state-of-the-art digital x-ray imaging equipment - a feature of all new surgeries.
Managing director, Jane Balmain, said: "The in-store model has been hugely successful and we will continue to accelerate our growth plans for in-store surgeries as the Pets at Home store footprint expands.
"The launch of our new standalone division provides a solution for the vets and nurses who are looking for a partnership but whose preference is for a more traditional standalone style surgery. The level of interest since our announcement has been massive and we will be looking to capitalise on this in 2011 and beyond.
"Our vision is for Companion Care Vets to become a truly national leading veterinary group and with the record year in 2010 and our plans for 2011 and beyond, we are now well on the way and confident of achieving this."
Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW), which starts on 23rd May this year, is calling on veterinary practices to sign up to its free health check scheme to help raise awareness of rabbits' behavioural needs.
Participating practices will receive free support packs to help them advertise and run their health check events, as well as goodie bags to give out to clients who bring their rabbits in.
The 2011 event will see a PR, advertising and marketing campaign with backing from Burgess Excel and RAW partners, including Panacur Rabbit, Petplan Insurance, RSPCA, PSDA, The Blue Cross, Wood Green Animal Shelters and RWAF (Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund), which are the driving forces behind the RAW 2011 initiative.
Naomi Chatterley, marketing manager at Burgess Excel, said: "Following the success of last year's event, our aim is to create an even bigger success in 2011. This May, the focus is on raising awareness of rabbits' emotional welfare needs by encouraging owners to consider their rabbit's mental and emotional health. Rabbits that are not stimulated both mentally and physically tend to develop behavioral problems such as fur plucking, depression or severe aggression. Our sole aim is to educate owners about responsible rabbit ownership and improve the wellbeing of Britain's 3rd most popular pet."
If you are interested in supporting RAW 2011 by hosting rabbit healthcare clinics at your surgery, please visit http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk/ to order your free support kit and register your event.
Sandymoor Vets and Westbrook Vets are headed by Clinic directors, Dr Becky Crossfield and Dr Rhys Peters, supported by a team of 18 vets, nurses and receptionists at each practice and a six-strong head office support team providing finance, marketing, property and HR expertise.
North Star Vets which was launched by Dr Sean Cleary, Dr Richard Thomas and chartered accountant, Jane Platt, opened its first practice about 11 months ago.
The company is aiming to grow to 10 practices over the next four years.
Sea, said: “The ethos of North Star Vets is about giving the next generation of ambitious vets an opportunity to own a share of their own practice and to run it the way they want, without the risk and substantial capital investment that would usually be required to open their own site.
“Our practices also have the added benefit of our central resources spanning clinical, financial, HR, marketing, procurement and property expertise, which are all required to create a successful business.
"In addition, clients enjoy the service levels and continuity that owner managed businesses are renowned for.”
“We knew our offering would be attractive to high quality vets who have the ambition and drive to go beyond heading up a corporate practice, and want to take their career, experience and earning potential to the next level.
“Burford Lane Vets has been very successful achieving a monthly turnover of £100,000 within its first 12 months and we’re very pleased to follow this with the opening of Westbrook Vets and Sandymoor Vets.
"Both practices are in great locations and have undergone high quality fit outs that incorporate all the latest equipment and facilities.
"When this is combined with the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of Becky and Rhys, it’s easy to see why both practices are proving popular, with almost 700 clients already registered at Westbrook Vets and more than 400 at Sandymoor Vets.
“We’re already planning to open two more sites in the North West, and are currently looking for high-calibre vets who want to be masters of their own destiny by becoming part of our unique co-ownership model.
"Anyone interested should contact us now.”
www.northstarvets.co.uk
Ceva Animal Health has launched a new TV advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of problems owners may face in a multi-cat environment.
The Cat Cabin Fever campaign will run for four weeks.
Ceva says the 20 second TV ads have been designed to strike a chord with viewers who have more than one cat in their household, where 'sometimes sharing just isn't an option'. Highlighted in particular is the Feliway Diffuser which releases natural pheromones into a room to help cats feel at ease, allowing them to cope with stressful situations and prevent unwanted behaviour. Malcolm Laurie, head of marketing at Ceva, said: "We know that there are more than 8million cats in the UK and only 2.5million cat households, therefore the majority of households must have more than one cat. "However, cats are solitary animals, which makes living with other cats difficult at times. This campaign is focused on making the lives of cat owners and their pets as harmonious as possible, including lots of top tips on how to ease any tensions in such an environment." Ceva has also produced a multi-cat leaflet designed to give owners specific advice on how to provide the correct environment for our feline friends The advertising campaign will be supported by online competitions, marketing materials for veterinary clinics and retailers, which include a checklist for a cat friendly home, and PR. For more information, visit: http://www.feliway.co.uk/.
Sean Wensley, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "The research released today reflects the seriousness of the health problems associated with English bulldogs that our members are seeing in practice. Revision of breed standards, to include evidence-based limits on physical features such as muzzle shortness, and full consideration of other approaches such as outcrossing, are now needed to ensure high risk breeds, such as the English bulldog, do not continue to suffer unnecessarily.
"Vets are reporting concerning trends in dog health and welfare linked to the rise in ownership of brachycephalic breeds, such as bulldogs, and we are unequivocal in the need for all those with roles to play – including vets, breeders, breed societies, the pet-buying public as well as others – to take action to combat the health problems that brachycephalic breeds experience due to extreme conformation. These issues include severe lifelong breathing difficulties, corneal ulcers, skin disease, a screw-shaped tail which is linked to painful spine abnormalities, and the inability to give birth naturally.
"As part of their pre-purchase research, prospective dog owners should consider the health harms perpetuated in dogs by purchasing brachycephalic breeds and choose a healthier alternative breed, or crossbreed, instead, and local veterinary practices are ideally placed to give this advice. Brachycephalic dogs should not be seen as cute or desirable, rather as dogs predisposed to a lifetime of poor health, and English bulldogs should not be hailed as a national symbol for the UK where animal welfare is strongly valued.
"Vets have a duty to always prioritise the best interests of their pet patients, which, for affected animals, can involve performing surgical procedures to correct conformational disorders. They have a concurrent duty to be part of initiatives that aim to address the health and welfare of a breed beyond the individual affected animal.
"This is why BVA promotes the importance of vets submitting data on caesarean sections and conformation-altering surgery to the Kennel Club, to improve the future of dog health and welfare."
Lynda Maris, NexGard™ Spectra Product Manager said: "The campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of the rising threat from ticks, lungworm and other parasites that can endanger the health of pets and their owners, is reaching millions of pet owners."
A radio day, during which presenter Jenni Falconer and Merial vet Mike Woodhouse (pictured) discussed parasites and called on owners to visit their practice, apparently reached nearly 3 million listeners via 16 radio stations from BBC Radio Guernsey in the south, to Waves radio in Peterhead and Aberdeen.
The campaign has also been promoted with advertising on Newslink, which broadcasts to 287 stations including: Kiss, Capital, Star, Magic, Talk Sport, Classic and Absolute.
Participating practices have been send campaign support packs and Merial has provided educational and competition social media content to share on Facebook and Twitter. According to the company, its campaign Facebook page has reached reached over 1 million unique users in the last 28 days. Over the same period, Merial says 25,000 unique users have received campaign content on Twitter.
Practices can also direct clients to the campaign website www.petparasiteaction.co.uk.
Pet Parasite Action runs throughout June and July, so there's still time to get involved. For more information, contact your Merial Territory Manager, or call the company on 0870 6000 123.