Direct Line Pet Insurance has revealed that there were 1,909 reports of stolen dogs in 2017, with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier holding onto the dubious accolade of being 'Britain's most stolen'.

Direct Line made Freedom of Information requests to 44 police forces in the UK, of which 38 were able to provide usable data. 

The number of dogs reported stolen in 2017 was 7% up on 2016, which in turn was 14% higher than in 2015.

In second place after Staffies (210 thefts) came crossbreeds (82 thefts), followed by French Bulldogs (61 thefts).

Geographically, the canine crime capital of the UK is, wait for it ... Yorkshire. Eeh by gum. 

There were 346 reported dog thefts in Yorkshire and the Humberside, compared to 312 in the North West and 216 in the South East. 

If you want to reduce your chances of being the victim of crime by owning the least stolen dog in the safest area, the data suggests you should buy a Springer and go and live in Wales.

Photo: English Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Nieuwland Photography / Shutterstock.

Vetoquinol UK Limited has launched Ceftiocyl: a ready-to-use formulation containing 50mg/ml ceftiofur for use in cattle and pigs. 

In cattle, Ceftiocyl can be used for the treatment of respiratory disease, acute interdigital necrobacillosis and acute post-partum metritis.  In pigs, Ceftiocyl is licensed for the treatment of respiratory disease. Ceftiocyl has the added benefit of traceability stickers which are attached to each vial making it easier and quicker to record and monitor on-farm usage.

Susan Mitchell, Large Animal Product Manager at Vetoquinol UK Ltd said, 'We are delighted to be expanding our large animal anti infective range offering.  Marbocyl 10% has been used for acute mastitis in the dairy sector for many years, the addition of Ceftiocyl to our portfolio enables us to provide a cost-effective treatment for both metritis and lameness.'

1. Willshire, J.A. & Bell, N, J. (2009) An economic review of cattle lameness. Cattle Practice 17, 136-141.

ITV News has reported how the shortage of veterinary surgeons is now causing owners in Wales to have to travel further and further afield in search of care.

The report also revealed the devastating impact on overworked veterinary staff, with some left in tears by abusive owners venting their frustration at being unable to find care for their animal. 

Anecdotally, the problems highlighted by ITV News are being seen elsewhere in the country, with more and more vets now starting to question whether or not the current requirement to provide out of hours care is sustainable in a world where there are more clients who increasingly expect flea treatment advice and other non emergency situations to be dealt with at 3:00am in the morning. 

Various solutions have been proposed in a forum discussion on VetSurgeon.org, including the removal of the requirement to provide an OOH service, for the RCVS to give vets the confidence to say no to non emergencies, a change to the CoPC to require vets to provide emergency care within 24 hours, not 24 hours a day, a requirement for new grads to undertake OOH as part of their PDP, and/or a requirement for OOH centres to have 3 vets on duty at any one time (which could improve working conditions). 

As the ITV report pointed out, the fundamental issue is one of a shortage of supply over demand, for which there is no overnight fix. However, many feel that reducing the demands of providing OOH could ease the situation considerably. 

John Lewis Pet Insurance has announced that it will not be charging its customers the £200 penalty introduced by underwriters RSA for non-urgent referrals outside its Preferred Referral Network.

The company said:"The RSA Referral Vet Network has been established to give customers access to a trusted network of vets that provide a high standard of service and value for money. However we do understand that in some cases where the primary vet recommends a referral practice and circumstances dictate that our nearest Network partner is not suitable, we will allow our customers to make a choice without being penalised.

If the treatment in question is covered under the policy, there will be no additional fee charged whether or not they choose to use a Network practice."

Vets For Choice, a group of referral practices campaigning against RSA's Preferred Referral Network, welcomed the news. 

However other brands, such as MoreThan, Tesco and Argos, have proceeded with the penalty.

Clive Elwood, one of the referral practitioners behind Vets For Choice, said: "The big question to ask now is if John Lewis can opt out of the fines why can’t Tesco and Argos?

"John Lewis clearly does not agree with springing extra charges on their customers at the point of need and this seems to be in line with their reputation for better customer service.

"MoreThan, Tesco and Argos customers should rightly ask why they are being treated differently to John Lewis customers."

In a press release, Vets For Choice highlighted RSA's July announcement that it was extending its then 29-practice strong referral network by 24, noting that only weeks later it announced its group operating profit was up 20% to £312 million.

In a robust response, an RSA spokesperson said: "The handful of vets behind Vets for Choice have point blank refused to discuss the real issue with non-emergency referrals - the huge variation in costs being charged to pet owners by some vets and paid for by insurers. Vets for Choice has refused to address this issue with us either directly or indirectly, and their desire remains to have a complete lack of transparency about their costs and charges. We are no longer prepared to duck the issue of cost and the lack of transparency in vets’ charges. This impacts on pet owners and means their cover limits do not go as far as they should.

"Our network partners recognise that for pet insurance to remain affordable, the veterinary and insurance industry needs to work more closely together on behalf of customers. Vets for Choice are happy to discuss any issue but the real one and they continue to knowingly distort the facts. The reality is that we have now had 12,700 referral claims from our Network partners, with only 79 customers choosing to pay the £200 charge to use a non-Network partner – well under one percent of all customers. The reality is there is no huge public outcry. The reality is that we have not seen any rise in complaints. The reality is that is our customers are more than happy to have our Network partners treat their pets, knowing that their cover limits are going further. 

"Vets for Choice also mentioned our 20% rise in Group Operating Profit. The key word here is Group – the fact is the majority of our profit was made from our international markets. Group operating profit bears no relation to how our UK pet insurance business performed and it is disingenuous to link the two. It is also disingenuous to imply that all brands should act in the same way as their business models differ according to the customer segment they wish to attract. As ever, the choice remains with the customer."

Protexin has announced that preliminary data from a clinical trial supports the use of Denamarin^® to protect against lomustine (CCNU)-induced hepatotoxicity in dogs.

The study is being performed at the University of California-Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, and the initial results were recently presented at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Annual Forum. Marketed in the UK by Protexin, Denamarin is the combination of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and silybin.

According to the company, most dogs treated with the chemotherapeutic agent CCNU experience liver enzyme elevation. Elevation of certain liver enzymes such as alanine transferase (ALT) is a key indicator of liver trauma; significant enzyme elevation may lead to a discontinuation, delay, or reduction in chemotherapy. The ongoing clinical trial was designed to evaluate Denamarin as a hepatoprotectant in dogs diagnosed with neoplasia that are undergoing CCNU therapy.

The trial consists of two groups of randomly assigned dogs. Dogs in Group 1 receive Denamarin beginning at the start of CCNU therapy. Group 2 dogs do not receive Denamarin unless they develop a Grade IV hepatotoxicity.

Results of a planned interim analysis completed on the first 30 dogs enrolled revealed that starting Denamarin when CCNU therapy was instituted (Group 1 dogs) appeared to provide hepatoprotection. While the mean post-therapy ALT elevation for Group 1 was 119 IU/L (p=0.1), for Group 2 dogs, the post-therapy ALT level was 815 IU/L (p=0.046). Chemotherapy was altered due to elevated liver enzymes in three Group 2 dogs but only one dog in Group 1.

Janine Barlow, Technical Manager at Protexin said: "We are extremely pleased by the initial findings of this research. The use of Denamarin with chemotherapy looks to help protect liver function allowing for successful completion of therapy and hopefully a longer, happier life for the pet. We look forward to the results of the full study."

Protexin says the SAMe and silybin in Denamarin support and maintain hepatic function by mechanisms including increasing levels of glutathione, the liver's main detoxifying agent; promoting protein synthesis; and stimulating bile flow. Denamarin is useful as part of a polymodal approach to the management of liver health.

Denamarin is available for both dogs and cats in an enteric-coated tablet.

Rob Hall MRCVS from LLM Farm Vets in Shropshire has been named 2021 Young Dairy Vet of the Year at this year’s CREAM Awards, sponsored by Krka UK.

The award recognises an exceptional farm vet who has been working in the dairy industry for three to five years and contributed significantly to the health and wellbeing of the herds under their care.

Rob joined LLM Vets after  graduating from Cambridge University Vet School in 2017. He has particular interests in lameness, calf rearing and housing design. He said: “Since joining LLM, I have thrown myself into all aspects of the practice – from the Agricultural Show season to driving LLM’s BVD eradication efforts and revamping our herd health planning scheme. My role in practice management is also growing. I currently oversee work for the Johnes CHeCS programme and help to guide our industry-leading team of VetTechs."

He added: “I find the interaction between dairy cattle and their environment fascinating and, following some specialist training I undertook with the Dairyland Initiative in Wisconsin, I’ve been helping our farmers to make major changes to their cow and calf housing, particularly by improving ventilation.”  

CREAM judge Rob Drysdale said: “Rob Hall really stood out because of the additional services he’s trying to offer, for instance, getting involved in the Stamping Out BVD campaign and utilising his specialist skills in calf housing ventilation to increase welfare standards. Rob would be a real asset to any farm or vet business.” 

Charlotte Read, Key Account Manager – Farm, at Krka, added: “Newly qualified vets represent the future of this exciting and rapidly-evolving profession so we are particularly delighted to have the opportunity to highlight their achievements. Krka is proud to support the UK’s dairy sector and we congratulate both Rob and Rupert on the huge contribution they are making to their clients and their practices.”

Ceva Animal Health, manufacturer of Douxo S3, has launched ‘Boost your confidence in skin cytology’, a skin and ear cytology online training course.

Worth two hours of free CPD, the course has eight bitesize modules of between five and 15 minutes.

Each session is designed to improve confidence in cytology, in particular knowing when it is needed and how to take and interpret skin and ear cytology samples.

The course also includes advice on the use of dermatopicals and how to choose between Douxo S3 Pyo and Douxo S3 Calm.

The modules are presented by Natalie Barnard BVetMed, a European Veterinary Specialist in Dermatology, Amy Elvidge, an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, and Daniel White, a Dermatology Veterinary Nurse.

Emelie Fogelberg BSc DVM MRCVS, veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health said: “Skin problems can be challenging, and recurrent skin irritations are particularly frustrating. 

"Cytology is essential in the work up of these cases but is often overlooked.

“Our new skin and ear cytology online course will help both vets and nurses become more confident in sample taking and interpretation to support a diagnosis and management plan from the first consultation.”

To register, visit https://veterinarywebinars.com/community/ceva/.

www.douxo.com

Virbac, maker of Stelfonta, has released the result of a quick poll of vets at the London Vet Show who said that on average, they had diagnosed 7.03 mast cell tumours (MCTs) in the last year, when earlier research had showed the figure should be more like 12 per year¹.

This, says the company, highlights the need for increased awareness of MCTs, which, accounting for up to 21% of skin cancer cases² in dogs, are the most common form of canine cutaneous neoplasia. 

The incidence of MCTs is highest in dogs aged 6 to 10 years old^3,4 with predisposition in some of the UK’s most popular breeds such as Labradors, French Bulldogs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Golden Retrievers. 

Virbac says that until the launch of Stelfonta, surgical removal of tumours was the standard of care, but surgery can pose challenges for the veterinary surgeon, such as the accessibility of the tumour in order to obtain sufficient margins and anaesthetic risks, particularly in senior and brachycephalic pets.

Apparently, however, 77% of delegates at London Vet Show said they were either likely or very likely to use Stelfonta on their next mast cell tumour case.

To help veterinary professionals and pet owners identify skin masses, Virbac has created a range of resources available at: vet-uk.virbac.com/stelfonta/education.

References

1. KG Marketsense UK& DE Market Assessment & EBC-46 Product Concept Test 2016
2. Garrett, L.D. (2014) Canine mast cell tumors: diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports, Vol 5. https://doi.org/10.2147/VMRR.S41005
3. Shoop SJ, Marlow S, Church DB, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for mast cell tumours in dogs in England. Canine Genet Epidemiol. 2015; 2:1. 
4. Smiech A, et al. Occurrence and distribution of canine cutaneous mast cell tumour characteristics among predisposed breeds. J Vet Res 2019; 63:141–148.

HallMark Meat Hygiene has announced that it has been released from its contract with Food Standards Scotland (FSS) for the delivery of meat industry official controls in Scotland, effective from 16^th September. 

The company provides official veterinarians, meat hygiene inspectors and other technical staff to the regulatory compliance sector, and its other clients include Defra, APHA, the Food Standards Agency, DAERA, AHDB, and several private organisations across the UK. 

Hallmark says discussions have been ongoing with FSS since mid-2018, since when the company has faced increasing challenges in recruiting and retaining veterinary staff, as a result of eroding salary values and the weakening pound post-Brexit. 

David Peace, Chairman of HallMark Meat Hygiene said: "The position we presented to FSS set out HallMark’s case for a substantial increase in funding to apply entirely to frontline veterinary salaries. 

"Starting salaries for veterinary staff working with HallMark in this sector had altered very little during the past twenty years. As a responsible employer and trading partner, and with inflation and a weaker pound severely testing real pay levels, HallMark felt it necessary to address those issues robustly and directly to ensure staff are properly compensated and, as a result, that services are stabilised for the benefit of the Scottish meat industry."

"We’re naturally disappointed to part company with a valued customer such as FSS. By mutual agreement last year, we submitted a business case setting out what we believe is necessary to stabilise and maintain service delivery into the future. Ultimately, FSS decided not to accept that business case, and we consequently requested to be released from our contract with them.”

HallMark says it will continue to provide veterinary and technical services to government departments across the UK. Indeed, only last year HallMark’s parent company acquired MLCLS (Meat and Livestock Commercial Services Limited), the leading independent carcase classification business, originally owned by AHDB. HallMark is also an equal partner in its joint venture company, Probita Solutions Limited, which recruits and deploys vets in support of veterinary practices involved in TB testing activities. 

The company also says it will continue to bid for major meat sector tenders in the future.

Mr Peace added: "This news should absolutely not be interpreted as a HallMark withdrawal from meat industry official controls. We will continue to offer the same diligence and dedication to welfare and hygiene standards, wherever opportunities arise, and it will be our mission to offer to government the most efficient and professional compliance services possible, optimising the cost of compliance delivery."

Only a tiny percentage of veterinary practices would meet the most basic hygiene standards required of dental practices for people, according to the initial results of a soon-to-be published study conducted by European & RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry, Bob Partridge MRCVS from VetDentist.info.

Bacteria isolated from human dental units analysed in other studies included Pseudomonas Sp, Mycobacteria and Legionella.

Bob said: "The Care Quality Commission (CQC) would have no hesitation in shutting down practices with the level of contamination we have seen. The dangers are real and significant for our teams as well as for our patients.

"Part of the problem is that dental units produce aerosols which can carry the bacteria into the depths of the lungs, bypassing normal defence mechanisms. Endotoxin levels have also been shown to be very high in untreated units, potentially resulting in problems when surgical extractions are performed.

Bob added: "The good news is that the biofilms which harbour the bacteria are treatable - but simply adding a little chlorhexidine will not do the trick."

Working with industry leaders, www.VetDentist.info has produced a Starter Kit for veterinary practices, which Bob says will clear biofilms and also provides a safe maintenance solution for ongoing use. 

Bob says the cost of keeping your dental unit’s water lines safe for staff and patients is around 25-40p per day. Practices can also sign up for a regular monitoring scheme.

For more information and to get a VetDentist Starter Kit, visit www.VetDentist.info.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has launched Prescription Diet Derm Complete food, described as the world’s first and only nutritional solution that is clinically proven to tackle both food and environmental sensitivities in dogs.

Hill's says the new diet, which has been through three clinical trials over four years, contains nutrients to help strengthen the skin's natural barrier against environmental allergens and the Histaguard complex with bioactives and phytonutrients to help manage a dog's response to environmental allergens.

Prescription Diet Derm Complete also uses egg as its single intact animal protein source, which Hill's says avoids 96% of adverse food reactions¹ and has shown the ability to dampen the inflammatory response in dogs and reduce itching.

Hill's says the new diet represents a real breakthrough, both because it simplifies treatment and because it's the first dietetic food for both adverse food reactions and  environmental sensitivities.

Michael Unsworth, Hill’s Vet Affairs Manager, UK & Republic of Ireland said: "Supporting patients with skin sensitivities can be extremely challenging. Not only is it uncomfortable for the pet themselves, but it can cause a lot of distress for owners who just want to give their dogs a happy and healthy life. There can be a lot of pressure to find a quick, effective and affordable solution.

"Our new Prescription Diet Derm Complete is truly a ground-breaking product; the result of years of trials and clinical studies that has seen visible skin healing in dogs with AFR in as little as 21 days2 and not a single dog showing signs of recurrence after using the product.

"We’re thrilled to introduce this innovative, life-changing product to the market, to the benefit of dogs, dog-owners – and of course veterinary professionals - everywhere."

Accompanying the launch, there's a free webinar taking place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 23 February (tomorrow) for veterinary surgeons in which Sarah Warren BVetMed MSc (Clin. Onc.) CertVD MRCVS will look at the complex nature of canine allergic skin disease and the importance of individualised treatment plans. To register, visit: https://www.veterinarywebinars.com/hills/canine-dermatitis-hills/

For more information about Prescription Diet Derm Complete, contact your Hill’s representative.

Reference

1. Mueller RS, Olivry T, Prélaud P. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Vet Res. 2016;12:9.

Medivet has reported a wide range of public reaction to the recent Panorama programme 'It shouldn't happen at a vets', most of which has been at one extreme or the other. 

On the one hand, says the company, many clients have gone out of their way to show their support, whilst on the other, staff have faced considerable anger from members of the public (not known to be Medivet clients).

After transmission, staff at a handful of practices received abusive comments and threatening behaviour. The day after transmission, a veterinary nurse in uniform who was not shown in the programme was called 'dog beater' in the street in Oxford, leaving her feeling very shaken. Staff from other branches have received similar treatment when out in uniform; Medivet recommended that its staff cover up their uniforms when outdoors, and has been working with the Metropolitan Police and other forces.

Two individuals named in the film - Arnold Levy, Medivet's managing partner, and a veterinary nurse who was shown admitting to having struck a dog - received emailed death threats. The nurse has since resigned.

At practices, a receptionist was sworn at, several received abusive phone calls and one of Medivet's kennel staff in Oxted, Surrey was woken in the early hours one morning by people banging on the doors and shouting abuse. Most incidents occurred within the first 48 hours following the programme.

In contrast, Medivet says several practices have been overwhelmed by the level of support shown to staff by clients. Some have brought in gifts of flowers, biscuits and chocolates, and one client visited his practice specifically to tell staff of his and his wife's support.

Staff and managers have received many supportive emails, cards, letters and verbal comments contrasting between the picture portrayed by the programme and their personal experience of Medivet and the level of care their pets receive.

Medivet says that discussions with clients about the programme have been balanced, with many appreciating that the programme was not made in a balanced or fair way. The company also says it believes that, in the vast majority of cases, the strength of the relationship of trust between clients and the teams that look after their pets has not been undermined.

The BVA is urging veterinary practices to sign up to a new, voluntary code it has created to make for a better working environment; one which is supportive and welcoming to everyone. 

The Good Veterinary Workplaces Voluntary Code sets out various criteria for what makes a good workplace, based on a new evidence-based BVA policy position.

The code is accompanied by a workbook which veterinary teams can work through together and consider how they might meet a range of criteria. They can also download, sign and display a Voluntary Code poster signalling their commitment to working towards being a good veterinary workplace.

Teams will be asked to assess what they already do well in areas including health and wellbeing, diversity and equality, workload and flexibility, and providing opportunities for personal and career development, as well as identifying areas for improvement and any HR and management processes that need to be put in place to achieve a positive workplace culture.

At the same time, the BVA has also launched its Good Veterinary Workplaces policy position, a paper which offers 64 recommendations for employers and staff on how to offer a fair and rewarding work environment where everyone feels valued. 

The BVA says it decided to develop the Good Veterinary Workplaces policy off the back of an extensive body of work looking at workforce issues in the profession, including recruitment and retention challenges, a lack of diversity across the workforce, and general high levels of stress and burn-out in veterinary teams.

The joint BVA/RCVS-led Vet Futures project identified the need to explore the work-related challenges facing vets and take action to create a sustainable and thriving workforce that can maximise its potential.

Gudrun Ravetz, Chair of the Good Workplace Working Group, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see the launch of our valuable and comprehensive policy, which sets out a vision of the good veterinary workplaces that we should all be striving to create across the profession. This vision has been shaped by valuable contributions from across the veterinary community, and it’s also been really useful to draw on good practice in the wider world of work.

“Each and every one of us deserves to work in a setting where we feel valued, supported and fairly rewarded for the contribution we make, but sadly this isn’t the reality for all veterinary professionals. By setting out the steps that all veterinary workplaces can take to offer a more welcoming and inclusive environment, with measures in place to help them address issues and continue to improve, we hope to see more workplaces where staff can thrive and enjoy a fulfilling career.”

Daniella Dos Santos, BVA Senior Vice President, said: “It’s time for us all to take action to create a culture shift in veterinary workplaces. That means taking positive steps so that diversity and inclusion is championed at all levels, all team members have access to personal and professional development opportunities, and there is recognition that prioritising staff wellbeing is good for businesses.

“In creating the Voluntary Code and workbook, we’ve purposefully made this something that isn’t driven from the top down but is instead something that everyone in the team can feel empowered to feed into and sign up to. This is a golden opportunity for our profession to take ownership of our workplaces, improve conditions, and make sure that we have positive working environments in which we can all take pride.”