Supplies of the vaccine, which is indicated for the active immunisation for horses against equine arteritis, ran low at the end of last year when Zoetis' existing stock was due to expire without any new stock in place.
For further information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 choosing option 1.
Evidence given to the Women and Equalities parliamentary committee by BUPA last year suggested that 900,000 women may have left the UK workforce in recent years as a result of menopausal symptoms.
With the veterinary profession increasingly female in composition it is hoped that the hub will support more women to stay in the profession and therefore retain their vital skills in the workforce.
Statistics from the Voice of the Veterinary Profession Spring 2023 survey showed that only 14% of vets are aware of a menopause policy at their workplace, while 46% say there is no policy and 39% are unsure.
The survey also revealed that only 59% of vets would feel confident supporting a colleague experiencing menopause.
The new menopause hub provides veterinary specific menopause content to support everyone working in practice including colleagues, managers and partners of people experiencing menopause.
BVA recently signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge – committing to take positive action to make sure everyone experiencing menopause is supported - and is now urging other veterinary employers to do the same.
British Veterinary Association Junior Vice President Anna Judson, said: “We know that menopause is of growing importance to our profession, with female vets now making up more than half the workforce, and we know that issues with managing menopause symptoms prompt a significant number of women to move away from clinical work.
“As part of our Good Veterinary Workplaces campaign we’re committed to supporting all veterinary staff affected by menopause, allowing them to remain in post, and to providing relevant resources to improve employer engagement in this area.
"We urge all veterinary workplaces to sign the pledge and consider what more they could be doing to support their staff in managing menopause symptoms in the workplace.”
BVA members experiencing menopause are also eligible for 3 months free access to the Stella app, which includes a personalised plan to manage your specific symptoms, real-life coach support, menopause resources, progress tracking, and a supportive community.
Content on the Stella app is created in collaboration with a range of clinicians and healthcare professionals and goes through a rigorous fact-checking and review process.
https://www.bva.co.uk/menopause-hub
The company behind the research shall remain nameless because whilst it has a great PR agency which produces some interesting press releases, the tight so-and-sos have never spent so much as a single bean supporting the VetSurgeon.org community with any advertising. And whilst we always publish stories that are of genuine importance and even the odd piece of PR propaganda-puff, we have to draw the line somewhere.
Where was I? Oh yes. 57 of the 100 veterinary surgeons (64 practice owners, 7 senior partners and 29 employed vets) surveyed by the unnamed company said they think their practice could do more to prevent the spread of infection.
79 said they are concerned that they are not consistently following correct hygiene protocols.
54 said they need more staff training and 53 said they want to be able to give staff more time between appointments to allow longer for more thorough disinfection of equipment and surfaces.
The company says its research suggests vets may need to do more to educate pet owners on the threats of poor hygiene and the spread of infection. Only 14 of the 100 veterinary surgeons surveyed believe that pet owners know enough about this, and pets not being vaccinated against disease was the second most common frustration vets felt about owners’ standards of pet care.
An unnamed spokesperson from the unnamed company said: "A busy vets practice is naturally focused on the care and health of its animal patients, however, hygiene standards are a vital aspect of this. With a full schedule of appointments, it can be difficult to effectively ensure all infection control procedures are covered. As a result, it’s easy for vets to overlook the important role laundry has to play as part of this process."
Incidentally, if you'd like to buy laundry equipment from a company that does support VetSurgeon.org, we recommend Eickemeyer.
The first two episodes, which discuss feline cardiomyopathy, are available now at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2189360 and all the leading podcast platforms (including Apple, Spotify, Amazon and Google).
Future topics will include pre-clinical feline cardiomyopathy and a practical approach to puppy murmurs.
There'll also be a number of special guests, including Prof Virginia Luis Fuentes from the Royal Veterinary College, who will discuss the treatment of feline heart disease beyond standard therapy, and Dr Brian Scansen from Colorado State University, who will talk you through the diagnosis and management of pulmonic stenosis.
To keep up with the latest from Kieran and Jose, you can follow them on Twitter or Instagram @heartbeat_pod.
They'd also love you to post to questions for their guests, or any comments you have about the podcasts, on their social media channels.
Pedigree has announced that it has raised over £160,000 to help the thousands of dogs abandoned every year in the UK, through its charitable initiative, The Pedigree Adoption Drive 2011.
Pedigree says its fundraising comes at a crucial time, as rescue centres' facilities across the country are severely suffering under the strain of the highest level of dog abandonment in over a decade.
The Pedigree Adoption Drive, which launched in mid-October, aims to raise awareness of the ever-increasing issues of dog abandonment and funds for the hundreds of rescue centres across the country that work tirelessly to find these dogs new loving homes.
Now in its fourth year, the campaign called upon dog lovers everywhere to show their support, by taking part in the world's first virtual dog walk around the web. In addition, consumers got involved in a host of other activities - donating via text message and online, to help the Drive reach this year's grant total.
The funds raised this year will be distributed through grants to 90 rescue homes across the country - including three special grants of £15,000 given to Bath Cats and Dogs Home, £20,000 given to North Clwyd Animal Rescue and £25,000 given Birmingham Dogs Home. Every grant will be put towards projects aimed at making tomorrow better than today for dogs - including the refurbishment of dilapidated kennel blocks, desperately needed veterinary facilities and the supply of essential surgical equipment.
TV presenter and vet Steve Leonard, who is the ambassador of this year's campaign, said: "The money raised from this year's Pedigree Adoption Drive is a great example of how we can achieve so much together to help take steps towards tackling the issue of dog abandonment. The grants awarded to rescue centres this year will make a big difference in helping to find many rescue dogs, the loving homes they deserve."
Katie Wragg, Pedigree Adoption Drive Brand Manager said: "In the last four year's we've raised over £1million for rescue centres supporting the country's abandoned dogs and despite the tough economic climate, the amazing public reaction has enabled us to really make a difference to the lives of abandoned dogs across the UK and help give them a bright future."
For more information on the campaign log on to: http://www.pedigreeadoptiondrive.com/
The group, which was founded over 70 years ago, now employs over 300 people, more than 85% of whom are female. Many occupy senior and leadership positions: 6 out of 13 of the partners are female.
Wendy Furness, a Partner at Scarsdale Vets said: "Scarsdale Vets represents a microcosm of how women’s roles could be in a world of gender equality in business.
"Here we have people in every role that you can imagine, from client-facing roles such as client care advisors, vets and nurses, to people that make the business function happen, such as marketing and finance managers.
"We want women to be inspired to be who they want to be. There are many roles that some people still first think of as male dominated, such as surgeons and farm or equine vets.
"However, we at Scarsdale Vets are challenging assumptions like these and looking for opportunities to make all roles visible to women.”
Wendy added: "Having women in leadership and senior roles is essential if women at the start of their careers are to succeed. We can be there to inspire the next generation to strive for these positions, if that is what they want, and see that it is made possible. We can also stand up and be counted if and when bias based on gender is observed."
To mark International Women’s Day, Scarsdale Vets is filling its social media channels with positive images of women, working in the diverse roles within the practice, challenging stereotypes about the veterinary roles available to women, influencing others positively, and celebrating the successes of the women in their team.
https://www.facebook.com/ScarsdaleVets/posts/2097073290308906
Photo: Rose Jackson MRCVS, a farm animal vet at Scarsdale Markeaton. Courtesy Scarsdale Vets.
Policyholders will get unlimited access to Joii Pet Care’s video consultations with UK veterinary surgeons, which usually cost £24 per call.
Pet owners with Asda Money pet insurance will also be able to access Joii Pet Care’s symptom checker, which is designed to help pet owners pinpoint issues from their home.
Paul Hallett, co-founder of Vet-AI, said: “We’re delighted to announce this major partnership, which completely opens up access to professional vet care for thousands of pet parents who will benefit hugely from accessing regular, preventative veterinary care from the comfort of their homes.
“Many pet owners are now facing high vet bills and difficulties accessing in-practice veterinary care.
"Both Markerstudy Broking and Asda Money share our commitment to put animal welfare first, and collectively we’ll ensure more owners have easily accessible choice to receive the very best care for their pets.”
Hill's Pet Nutrition has enhanced its portfolio of prescription diets for the management of FLUTD with the launch of Feline c/d Multicare Reduced Calorie and a 'taste upgrade' for Feline c/d Multicare.
Prescription Diet Feline c/d Multicare Reduced Calorie is a new dry product designed to manage the higher incidence of FLUTD in overweight cats (FLUTD is 49% more prevalent in overweight and obese cats2). According to Hill's, the controlled fat and calorie levels in c/d Multicare Reduced Calorie and clinically proven levels of L-carnitine help to reduce fat build up and maintain lean muscles mass. Like c/d Multicare, its formula also dissolves sterile struvite uroliths in 14 days1.
Hill's says Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Reduced Calorie is formulated with omega-3 fatty acids to reduce the distress and discomfort associated with conditions such as FIC (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis); in addition obesity has been associated with systemic inflammation3 for which omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial4,5.
Prescription Diet Feline c/d Multicare Chicken dry kibble has had its taste improved; Hill's says studies show it is now preferred over the leading competitor's brand by a wide margin6. Apparently, the improvement in flavour is partly down to the new shape of the kibble.
Lastly, Hill's is highlighting a prospective study by MacLeay et al, the preliminary results of which were reported at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum in May 2010. In the study, cats with uroliths suspected to be struvite (based on radiographic appearance) were fed Prescription Diet Feline c/d Multicare and rapid dissolution of the stones occurred in as little as two weeks.
References
Stelfonta is licensed for the treatment of non-resectable, non-metastatic (WHO staging1) subcutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs) located at or distal to the elbow or the hock, and non-resectable, non-metastatic cutaneous MCTs in dogs. Tumours must be less than or equal to 8cm3 in volume and must be accessible to intratumoural injection.
The company says that a single intratumoural treatment has been seen to destroy the tumour completely in 75% of observed cases.
The active ingredient in Stelfonta is tigilanol tiglate, a compound extracted from Fontainea picrosperma, a shrub found in the Australian rain forest. According to the company, it works largely through specific protein kinase c (PKC) activation, in which it locally stimulates the immune system, resulting in destruction of the tumour and the tumour’s blood supply, followed by rapid healing of the site with minimal scarring.
Virbac says that generally, dogs do not require sedation or local or general anaesthesia during treatment.
Dr Neil Mottram MRCVS, Technical Product Manager at Virbac said: "Stelfonta is an innovative yet simple treatment which provides a high tumour elimination rate, rapid healing and a speedy return to a good quality of life for the pet. In the cases studied, the tumour was destroyed in seven days and full wound healing observed in 96.5% of cases, with no significant adverse effects on the dog.
“The effects of Stelfonta really do need to be seen to be believed."
Reference
The RCVS statement, which can be read in full here, highlighted the fact that there is no body of evidence that homeopathy is effective and nor is it based on sound scientific principles. It should therefore be considered as complementary rather than alternative to treatments which are based on sound scientific principles, or for which there is a recognised evidence base.
In fact, the RCVS statement said nothing new. The principle that veterinary surgeons must first prescribe licensed medicines tested for safety and efficacy is enshrined in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, which say that if there is no veterinary medicine authorised in the United Kingdom for a condition in a particular species the veterinary surgeon responsible for the animal may treat with a veterinary medicine authorised for use in another animal species or for another condition in the same species, or, failing that, either a medicine authorised in the UK for human use, or a veterinary medicine authorised in another member state for use with any animal species in accordance with the Special Import Scheme, or a specially prepared (extemporaneous preparation or special) medicine, or exceptionally a medicine imported from outside the EU.
There are no homeopathic treatments listed by the VMD as 'authorised', just a handful of homeopathic preparations listed as 'registered', something which, as the BAHVS itself points out, means they have not been subjected to the same evaluation as authorised medicines or tested for efficacy.
The BAHVS is fond of using anecdote as evidence of efficacy (see the endorsements at the foot of this page: http://www.bahvs.com/), so one veterinary surgeon has been inviting colleagues to share their experiences of homeopathy causing harm on social media, in order to produce an infographic (pictured above right, click to enlarge) highlighting the very real harm caused when, for example, owners 'vaccinate' against parvo with homeopathic nosodes, only to have a dead litter on their hands.
The draft infographic can be found here.
Do you have a story to add to it? Share it here.
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.
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
IVC was formed in 2011, the result of a merger of several independent veterinary hospitals. Under the leadership of David Hillier, and with backing from Summit Partners in 2014, it grew to over 300 practices before being acquired by the Swedish EQT Partners in January 2017.
In August last year the company merged with Evidensia Group, another veterinary corporate group with practices around Europe, bringing the total to more than 850 clinics and hospitals in eight countries.
EQT has reportedly now instructed Jefferies Investment Bank to auction the business in the first week of November.
No word yet on where the auction will take place. If you go, be careful not to scratch your nose at the wrong moment ("1.7 billion from the gentleman at the back. Yes, that's YOU, Sir.").
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."
Batches 060K80412C1A-UK1-2 and 060K80412A1C-UK1-2 (expiry 12/06/2019) have been recalled due to incorrect storage requirements during shipment.
For further information, contact Jerome Martineau at: jerome.martineau@filavie.com, or telephone: +33 2 41 754616
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.”
The journal publishes original peer-reviewed papers of international or global significance that improve the veterinary care and welfare of domestic cats.
Until this year, access to JFMS for most veterinary practitioners was dependent on membership to the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) or the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), or a separate paid subscription.
Now that the journal is open access, there are no restrictions on who can access the journal and all articles past and present are free to view.
The journal's editors say that making it open access greatly improves their ability to improve the health and welfare of cats by providing high-quality peer-reviewed information.
The AAFP and ISFM say they have already seen the positive impact this has had, with low- and middle-income countries now accounting for a quarter of the 20 most common geographic locations for visitors to the JFMS website.
Head of ISFM Nathalie Dowgray said: "Transitioning JFMS to an open access journal helps ISFM fulfil our parent charity’s (International Cat Care) mission of creating a cat friendly world through ensuring the latest knowledge in feline medicine and welfare is available to the global veterinary community."
For those interested in submitting to JFMS, authors can get a 50% discount on the article processing charge until 4 July 2023; after this date, a 22% discount will be in place for authors who are a member of ISFM or the AAFP.
Click here for more information about submitting an article to JFMS: https://journals.sagepub.com/author-instructions/JFM
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jfm
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.”
The company says that of the 249 responses to its Puppy Tooth Census received so far (of which 40% were from vets, 21% vet nurses, 2% other veterinary professionals and 37% puppy owners), 25% were poodle crosses.
This, says the company, is in line with anecdotal reports that vets are seeing more dental conditions in poodle cross puppies.
VisioCare is now calling for more vets to take part in the survey at https://bit.ly/Visiocare_PuppyToothCensus.
With very few studies that address dental disease in puppies and a lack of current data, it is hoped that the survey will advance understanding and improve oral health and welfare.
Every veterinary respondent will be given access to a pack of educational materials to use in the consulting room, including digital animations and dental images that can be used to enhance client communication around the topic, together with explainer videos and puppy owner fact sheets and leaflets.
In addition, each month for the next three months, all responses will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a £50 John Lewis gift voucher.
VisioCare is also offering a free webinar: "Challenges in Puppy Dentistry and Malocclusion" presented by Ingrid Tundo, Head of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Department at the Royal (Dick) Vet School, viewable at: https://veterinarywebinars.com/register/puppy-dentistry-malocclusion.
Finally, Nicky Diver-Clarke, Marketing Manager at VisioCare Services is also offering a free marketing CPD session for practices that want to find the best way to amplify awareness of the Puppy Tooth Census within their practice.
Anyone interested in accessing the free support can contact her at nicky@visiocareservices.co.uk.
The company says that as soon as it discovered the unauthorised external access to its systems, it took them offline and started working to contain the threat.
Specialist third party consultants have been engaged to investigate the nature and extent of the incident and CVS has also informed the relevant authorities, including the Information Commissioner’s Office, because of the risk of malicious access to personal information.
The company says the majority of IT services for its practices and business functions have now been restored, but due to the increased levels of security and monitoring, some systems are not working as efficiently as before.
CVS also says that as a result of the incident, it is bringing forward plans to migrate its practice management system and related IT infrastructure to the cloud.
Analysis of the incident is ongoing and CVS says it will provide a further update in due course.
EnteroZoo is a dietary supplement composed of organic mineral and purified water in a gel suspension. Enteromed says it works by binding bacterial toxins as it passes through the animal's digestive tract, thereby helping to maintain a healthy gut and intestinal balance.
Enteromed says that compared to old classic adsorbents, such as clay or charcoal, EnteroZoo can be used long-term and is gentle on an animal's intestines.
The company points to a new in-vitro study from Brighton University School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences which has shown that EnteroZoo adsorbs E. coli, Shigella and C. difficile toxins1 – common causes of gastrointestinal infection and diarrhoea.
EnteroZoo is suitable for all animals including pregnant and nursing females. It is tasteless and odourless and the company says animals generally accept it without any problems. It can be administered in various ways: directly into the mouth, mixed into feed, put on a treat, mixed in an appropriate amount of water or administered with a plastic syringe into the oral cavity.
For more information, contact: enterozoo@enteromed.co.uk, or visit: www.enterozoo.co.uk
Vétoquinol has announced the return of Navilox powder (isoxsuprine hydrochloride), the only medication specifically licensed in the UK for use in cases of navicular disease in horses.
Navicular disease is a chronic degenerative condition of the navicular bone and associated structures. It is a syndrome with a complex pathogenesis which combines various underlying causes. Vétoquinol says it is a common cause of lameness in the middle aged riding horse.
Robert Simpson, Navilox Product Manager said: "Navilox has been sorely missed by equine vets in the UK which is why I am thrilled to be able to announce that it is available again."
To order Navilox powder, call Vétoquinol on 01280 825424 or contact your wholesaler directly.
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.
Two analyses of the pet insurance market have been published this week, which together suggest that veterinary practices may be starting to price themselves out of the market.
Both reports are titled Pet Insurance 2014. In the first, published by Key Note Ltd, authors highlight a 35.4% increase in gross claims incurred on cat and dog insurance policies between 2009 and 2013, which is more than 5 times the increase in the volume of claims over the same period. It is the degree to which the value of claims has outstripped the volume which the report describes as 'undeniably the greatest factor affecting the UK market for pet insurance.
At the same time, there has been a relatively modest growth in the percentage of adults that own a cat or dog (around 1.5 percentage points). Consequently, premiums increased by 38.9% between 2009 and 2013 as insurers responded to the growing cost of claims.
Meanwhile, the other Pet Insurance 2014 report, this time from YouGov, has shown that the main factors limiting the uptake of pet insurance are poor value for money and the high cost of premiums. In 2012, 31% of owners without insurance said it was not good value for money, and that was the main reason for not taking out cover. By 2014, that figure had risen to 39% of the uninsured and 26% said they just cannot afford premiums.
According to the YouGov report, the words that uninsured pet owners most associate with pet insurance are 'expensive' (68%) and 'waste of money' (30%). Even 57% of those with insurance deem it expensive.
YouGov also highlighted that the number of uninsured pet owners who say they can afford to pay for veterinary treatment out of their own pockets (without setting money aside each month) has increased 4 percentage points from 15% in 2012 to 19% in 2014. YouGov hypothesises that this may be down to the improving economic situation in the UK, but it could equally be explained as just the way hard-pushed people self-justify their decision to discontinue insurance.
James McCoy, Research Director, YouGov Reports said: "Although social grade is important to being able to afford to take out pet insurance, our research suggests that those at different ends of the financial spectrum share the opinion that cover is not necessarily always a sound financial option.
"More affluent pet owners find insurance poor value because they can afford to pay for treatment up front; for less affluent pet owners, while pet insurance is perceived as offering good value for money, the cost of premiums is prohibitive, leading some to save money instead."
Clare graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1991 and, following an internship at the University of Pennsylvania and general practice in Cambridgeshire, she completed a BSAVA/Petsavers Residency and was Staff Clinician in Neurology at the Royal Veterinary College.
Aged 26, she became the youngest ever Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Neurology and three year later became a RCVS Specialist.
For 16 years, she operated a neurology and neurosurgery referral service at the Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital in Wimbledon and was awarded a PhD from Utrecht University in 2007.
Clare joined Fitzpatrick Referrals and the University of Surrey in 2013, was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2016 and awarded a Professorship of Veterinary Neurology in 2018.
Clare was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2016 in recognition of her meritorious contribution to the profession, including 25 years’ research into ‘Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia’ in dogs.
Clare said: “I will be building and strengthening the neurology service at Wear to make it not just the leading centre in the North East, but in Europe.
“I love collaborating with others to find answers to the clinical problems we face and so, as well as potential partnership with my colleagues in the other disciplines at Wear, I hope to initiate or contribute to other multi-centre studies through the Linnaeus group.
“I am passionate about teaching and learning through collaboration, and I hope to bring multi-disciplinary rounds to the practice including neuro-radiology-neuropathology and neurology- behaviour.”