The dog, called Pepe, needed urgent treatment to repair the cornea before it ruptured, so the team at Davies decided to use a new xenograft derived from a pig cornea, rather than waiting to see if an allograft became available.
The xenograft, which was developed in China, is aseptically prepared, sterilised and freeze-dried so it can be stored for months or years if necessary before use.
According to Davies, the graft had been used in China and the USA, where the early results had been promising. Now, following Pepe's successful treatment, Davies is now using the procedure in more cases over here in the UK.
The full case study, with photos, is here: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/veterinary-clinical/small-animal/sa-ophthalmology/m/photo-video-media/138076.aspx
For more information, visit: https://vetspecialists.co.uk/services/ophthalmology/
The company says it thinks the film is an industry first because it depicts veterinary professionals in a way that they have never seen themselves before: cinematically showing the highs and lows of a typical day in veterinary practice.
Vets4Pets also says it wants the film to generate greater recognition for everyone working within the industry, not just its own staff, by showcasing the passion, dedication and commitment that unites them.
Keith Leonard MRCVS, Practice Owner at Vets4Pets Leeds Birstall where some of the video was filmed, said: “While there are no words that can do justice to the sheer passion and determination demonstrated by the entire veterinary community, taking part in this campaign and seeing the result is really emotional.
“After an unimaginably turbulent few years, this campaign makes me feel incredibly proud of my whole team.
"It genuinely shows what it’s like to work in veterinary practice and I can’t thank each and every one of my team enough for their outstanding dedication to the care of our clients – both the pets we care for and their owners.
"We all live and breathe what we do, and I hope they feel a sense of pride when they see this campaign.”
Gordon Dunn, People Director at Vets4Pets, said: “The veterinary sector has experienced immense pressure following years of unprecedented challenges and as an industry we need to do our utmost to ensure that veterinary professionals are supported in their development and careers. But alongside this, we need to understand that recognition goes a long way too.
Results for the 2010 RCVS Council elections have been released today and, following a slight increase in turnout for the second year running, four existing Council Members and one former Member have been returned for another four years. However, new to Council this year and securing the most votes was Preston-based veterinary practitioner David Catlow.
4,232 veterinary surgeons out of a possible 22,541 cast their votes this year, an increase of 0.6% from 18.2% in 2009. The results of the voting are as follows:
CATLOW, David Frederick. 2,383. Elected. TAPSFIELD-WRIGHT. Clare Joan. 2,352. Elected.SHIELD, Christine Fiona. 2,133. Elected.MOLYNEUX, Jacqueline Rosina. 2,111. Elected.SMITH, Neil Christopher. 2,089. Elected.PARTRIDGE, Robert Duncan. 1,971. Elected.NELL, Adi. 1,781. ANDERSON, Roy Paxton. 1,455. GODDARD, Philip Campbell. 1,385. LONSDALE, Thomas, 380.
Terms of office for the six successful candidates will (re)commence at RCVS Day on 2 July 2010.
Following a successful partnership last year, the RCVS again teamed up with this website to allow voters more opportunity to quiz the candidates directly and find out more about their views.
Once again, this seemed to prove popular with the electorate although it presented candidates with a large increase in their workload during the voting period. Page views in the election section rose 23% to 28,347 this year; 48 discussion threads were started (slightly down from 53) and total responses rose dramatically by 47% to 988.
A new incentive for members to vote this year was a pledge to donate 20p per voter to the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal. A donation of just over £845 will therefore be made shortly.
RCVS Registrar Jane Hern said: "An increase in turnout, if only a small one, is to be welcomed and I hope we can continue to increase members' interest in the composition and activities of RCVS Council. I'd like to thank all ten candidates who stood for election this year; my congratulations to those elected and my commiserations to those who weren't successful this time."
Note: there was no VN Council election this year as only two nominations were received for the two available places. These will be filled by Suzanne May RVN and Hilary Orpet RVN.
The company says the system uses a combination of image recognition technology, algorithms and cloud-based artificial intelligence to deliver accurate testing results at the time of visit, within 9 minutes in fact, giving veterinary surgeons the ability to diagnose and treat patients quickly, without the need for a second appointment.
Vetscan Imagyst will detect the eggs, cysts, and oocysts of whipworm, hookworm, roundworm, Giardia, and coccidia
Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, VP Global Diagnostics Medical Affairs at Zoetis, said: "Parasites are a threat throughout the year, making routine monitoring critical to pet health.
“With Vetscan Imagyst, the ability to have accurate, fast results at the point-of-care empowers veterinarians to diagnose and treat in the same visit, increasing compliance and eliminating follow-up appointments and call backs, thus enhancing the overall pet owner experience.”
Vetscan Imagyst will launch in the UK next week. For more information, contact your Zoetis representative or visit at www.vetscanimagyst.com.
The re-categorisation means veterinary practices can sell the topical parasiticides to ‘walk-in clients’ without the need of a prescription.
Andrew Fullerton, veterinary surgeon and product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: “The new NFA-VPS category for Vectra 3D spot-on solution for dogs and Vectra Felis 423mg/42.3mg spot-on solution for cats provides veterinary practices with greater flexibility to sell easy-to-use, fast and effective parasite prevention and treatment without a prescription."
For more information, contact your Ceva Animal Health account manager or email cevauk@ceva.com.
Amir Kashiv faced a charge of being unfit to practise veterinary surgery after twice being found guilty of letting dogs roam freely on public highways or land not owned or controlled by him in Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, once on 20 April 2016 and once on 16 November 2016, and by having repeatedly breached court orders in relation to the same.
Dr Kashiv admitted the convictions, but denied that individually or in any combination they rendered him unit to practise veterinary surgery. This was therefore left to the judgement of the Committee.
In considering whether the convictions rendered Dr Kashiv unfit for practice, the Committee first considered the facts of the convictions.
Dr Kashiv had long taken in house dogs with physical and behavioural problems, at some stages having as many as 30 on his property. In 2014 neighbours became concerned by dogs escaping and noise nuisances, and on 14 November 2014 Dr Kashiv was served by the Police with a Warning Notice, requiring him to install adequate fencing within 28 days.
Four days later he was then served with an Abatement Notice for a Noise Nuisance about the dogs, and on 10 January 2015 he was then served with a Community Protection Notice requiring him to stop his dogs roaming and ensure adequate fencing.
After multiple subsequent escapes Dr Kashiv pleaded guilty of being in breach of the Community Protection Order at the Magistrates’ Court on 20 April 2016, receiving penalties amounting to £5,000 and costs of £6,000, as well as a two year Criminal Behaviour Order requiring him to reduce the number of dogs to no more than five with 28 days, and requiring his dogs to be supervised at all times while they were outside the house.
Two months later one of the dogs was seen outside the property, resulting in another conviction for breach of the Criminal Behaviour Order on 16 November 2016, and Dr Kashiv was fined £250 as well as £250 in costs.
The Committee then considered whether this resulted in Dr Kashiv being unfit to practise veterinary surgery. It considered it a serious matter that a veterinary surgeon should allow himself to be made subject to a Warning Notice, and that, being subject to such a Notice, he should then be found in repeated breach of the Notice and invite prosecution. While the Committee accepts that it is difficult to fence his entire grounds, ten acres in total, the Committee took it as a mark against Dr Kashiv that he failed to address the concerns of the authorities by reducing the number of dogs he housed until he was compelled to do so.
Jane Downes, who was chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee regards this as a case close to borderline. These offences, involving the mismanagement by a veterinary surgeon of his animals and repeated offences demonstrate that Dr Kashiv had a less than adequate insight in 2014 and 2015 into the seriousness of the situation or into the understandable concerns of his neighbours and of the authorities. They are capable of bringing the profession into disrepute so as to undermine public confidence in it.
"But, in the end, The Committee has concluded that Dr Kashiv is not unfit by reason of these convictions to practise as a veterinary surgeon.
"It is apparent from the material before the Committee that Dr Kashiv is a dedicated veterinary surgeon whose life’s work has been devoted to the welfare of small animals and who has gone to extraordinary lengths, at his own expense, to do all that he possibly could to alleviate the suffering of, and rehabilitate, unloved and abandoned and unwell dogs.
"In all the circumstances and in the light of all the evidence the Committee finds that the convictions, whether taken individually or in any combination, do not render Dr Kashiv unfit to practice veterinary surgery."
The Care About Cushing’s website is designed to give horse owners the information they need to spot the signs of Cushing's, thereby prompting diagnosis by their veterinary surgeon.
The online resource includes monitoring tools, personalised alerts, owner guides and webinars. It also offers downloadable self-assessment checklists on Cushing’s disease and laminitis to take owners through the signs to look out for.
Owners whose horses have been diagnosed with Cushing’s are encouraged to sign up as a Care About Cushing’s member to keep up-to-date with the latest information about the disease and create a personal profile for their horse in order to monitor progress. One of the membership benefits is an 'ask the expert' section where members can ask questions about Cushing’s disease and laminitis.
The Care About Cushing’s resource supports Boehringer’s ‘Talk About Laminitis’ initiative to raise awareness of the signs of laminitis and its link with Cushing’s disease.
Talk About Laminitis now runs throughout the year and as part of the campaign the laboratory fees for the blood test which detects Cushing’s (the basal ACTH test) are free.
Liz Barrett, equine business head at Boehringer, said: "Our Talk About Laminitis disease awareness initiative has been hugely successful in highlighting the link between laminitis and Cushing’s disease and helping to diagnose Cushing’s. So much so that Cushing’s is now in the top five equine diseases recorded in the UK1."
For further information on Talk About Laminitis or Care About Cushing’s, visit www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk, www.careaboutcushings.co.uk or contact your local Boehringer territory manager.
Reference
The company says this means that using Solacyl as an alternative to antibiotics could reduce overall antibiotic use by 4.4 tonnes a year.
The research was carried out by dairy veterinary consultant Owen Atkinson BVSc DHCP MRCVS, an RCVS recognised specialist in cattle health and production, at three English calf rearing units between November 2017 and May 2018. It involved four groups of beef calves from different dairy farms.
The 258 calves were given Solacyl (sodium salicylate) in-feed on the five days immediately upon arrival at the units (a high-risk period for animals to contract bovine respiratory disease).
According to Dechra, the use of Solacyl resulted in a reduction in antibiotic use of between 16% and 73% (based on doses), depending on the farm. Across all groups, the reduction was 43%.
Dechra says that neither the health of the calves nor the profitability of the rearing operations were compromised.
Owen Atkinson said: "I was involved in analysing the data and the data showed that there was no significant difference in growth rates or in mortality or in days to reach a target weight in the calves that had Solacyl, compared to previous batches of calves that had followed a prophylactic antibiotic protocol.
"I think this is an ideal protocol for those farmers who are competent, who are able to spot early pneumonia symptoms and are prepared to perhaps treat a slightly higher proportion of calves than they would otherwise have treated. They can now do that with higher confidence that their results should be as good as if they had used prophylactic antibiotics."
Dechra Farm Animal Veterinary Adviser Alana McGlade BVmedsci (hons) BVM BVS MRCVS added: "Sodium salicylate has the same fever-controlling, pain-managing and inflammation-reducing benefits in livestock as aspirin can have in humans.
"It can be administered conveniently to groups of animals, which means it can be given prior to known stress points in animals’ lives. This can be continued through and after those events, providing a welfare benefit and reducing the risk of a loss of appetite and its resulting effects.
"Solacyl can be administered without the supervision of a vet and that makes it a cost-effective and practical solution for farmers that can lead to a notable reduction in routine antibiotic use whilst protecting the welfare of a herd."
Dechra has now published a white paper which you can download here: "Enhancing welfare and combating antimicrobial resistance while maintaining productivity on calf units".
The results of the research will be presented at the BCVA Congress in October 2018.
The company says the new product has been 10 years in development and uses 'Soft Mist' technology - developed originally for human use by its pharma business - to deliver medication deep into the horse's lungs.
The active ingredient in the Aservo EquiHaler is ciclesonide, a corticosteroid that is activated directly in the lung, reducing the lower airway inflammation associated with severe equine asthma and reducing the risks commonly associated with systemic corticosteroids.
The Aservo EquiHaler does not use a propellant, so it does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Boehringer also highlights that it is made from up to 50% recycled materials. In April, the product was awarded a Red Dot Design Award.
Dr Marc Laemmer, Head of Equine in UK & Ireland said: "It's another industry first and is a strong indicator of the commitment that Boehringer Ingelheim has to the health and welfare of horses, and to the investment that we make into continuing to advance therapies through collaboration and innovation.
"We understand that a product launch in this challenging time for the veterinary profession may seem surprising, but we have had such strong demand from equine vets for the product that we have committed to making Aservo EquiHaler available. Out team of territory managers and vet advisers will conduct remote meetings with customers to make sure that they have the information and support they require."
Amanda Melvin, Senior Product Manager, said: "We’re very excited about this approval as it will allow us to build on the success of our Bravecto chewable tablets for dogs and provide veterinarians and cat owners with another tool in the fight against ticks and fleas. Being able to offer a full 12 week protection means convenience for cat owners and improved compliance rates for veterinarians, so everyone benefits."
Bravecto is applied topically using the new "Twist’n’Use" pipette design which means the cap doesn’t need to be removed.
Full product details are described in the summary of product characteristics (SPC).
For more information, contact your MSD Animal Health representative.
The Wellington-based hospital is hoping to announce its first resident at the start of next year, who will work under the guidance of Fran Taylor-Brown and Tom Cardy.
This is the first residency programme to be conducted at Cave and has been launched by Fran who, along with Tom, is an EBVS and RCVS specialist in veterinary neurology.
Fran said: "The ECVN accreditation is an important milestone for us as we look to develop and expand our expertise in neurology.
"We are currently undertaking a major recruitment drive and having the capability to offer specialist training in this discipline is another feather in the cap.
"We’re hopeful this approval will open the door to allow clinicians in other disciplines to receive specialist-level training with us in the future."
Cave has also introduced an internship programme to support the growth of the team and has taken on Samantha Gilbert a graduate of James Cook University in Australia.
Dechra Veterinary Products has launched Anesketin, an anaesthetic licensed for cats, dogs and horses.
Anesketin contains ketamine 100mg/ml solution for injection and is indicated for induction of anaesthesia. In cats, it can also be used as a sole agent for restraint and minor surgical procedures where muscle relaxation is not required.
Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: "Anesketin is a versatile product which can be used as a sole agent in cats or in combination with appropriate sedatives and analgesics in cats, dogs and horses for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia.
Anesketin is available in 10 ml vials. The withdrawal period for meat, offal and milk is one day and the product does not require any special storage conditions.
For further information, visit www.dechra.co.uk
Amflee Combo, a POM, is being launched by a newcomer to the UK market, a Slovenian company called Krka (pronounced kirka). The company says it plans to introduce a vast range of small and production animal products onto the UK market in the next few years.
Killian Gaffney, Head of sales and marketing at Krka, says the company intends to support UK veterinary surgeons by offering high quality products and by building business relationships that will help protect veterinary incomes, at the same time as offering good value to their customers.
Killian said: "Amflee Combo has some unique features that we believe will set it apart from the competition. We know the combination of the two active ingredients in Amflee Combo is very effective for the treatment of fleas, ticks and biting lice and as part of a treatment strategy for flea allergy dermatitis in dogs and cats. S-methoprene is also effective against flea eggs and larvae in the environment.
"However, these ingredients can be susceptible to degradation when subjected to light and moisture, which is why each Amflee Combo pipette comes in its own special foil wrapper. The pipettes have also been designed for convenience of use, since we know that only 22% of owners apply spot-ons correctly1."
A range of product and client literature to support the use of Amflee Combo is available by calling 01753 722 150.
Amflee Combo is available in a variety of packs for cats and different sized dogs, containing either three or six pipettes. The recommended treatment is one pipette every four weeks.
Further information about Amflee Combo or Krka is available at www.krka.co.uk
1 El veterinario ante el cambio climatico Argos 107, 2010.
Your tip could be clinical in nature (perhaps specific to a particular discipline, like cardiology or exotics), or to do with practice management, or dealing with clients, or HR, or, well, anything really.
To enter the competition, login to VetSurgeon.org and submit your tip in the forum, here.
Just before you press the button to post your tip, you might like to tick the box marked: "EMAIL ME REPLIES TO THIS POST" which appears immediately above the post button. That way, you'll get an email when someone else posts a tip.
Above each post in the forum, there is now a 'Thank You' link, which allows members to express their thanks for sharing something. The five tips that generate the largest number of 'thank yous' by the end of November will win the Amazon vouchers.
VetSurgeon.org is all about facilitating the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience. So any tip entered into the competition will also be disseminated, together with the contributor's name, on other social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and if you include a photo, on Instagram.
VetSurgeon.org Arlo Guthrie said: "The competition is really designed to show off the new 'thank you' feature on VetSurgeon, which allows members to show their appreciation when someone shares something useful with their peers. In due course, we'll be running similar competitions for the most thanked photos and videos uploaded to our galleries. Watch this space."
Zenifel contains synthetic feline facial pheromones which imitate the facial F3 pheromone which has been found to be significantly important when it comes to cats creating areas they feel safe and relaxed in1.
According to the company, Zenifel contains a 48ml vial of the same synthetic F3 feline facial pheromone as the market leader, but, thanks to its own diffusion system and a higher concentration of F3, lasts up to 6 weeks; i.e. 50% longer. This, says Virbac, means that Zenifel is both more economical and more environmentally friendly.
Alongside the launch of the new product, Virbac is offering a practice support pack which includes things you need to create a calm area for feline visitors and promote the benefits of pheromones to pet owners. The company is also running a promotion in which practices could be eligible for a year’s free supply of Zenifel.
For more information, contact your local Virbac Territory Manager.
The removal of names from the RCVS Register of Veterinary Surgeons for non-payment of retention fees is now complete, with 386 veterinary surgeons having been removed, compared with 616 last year.
The RCVS says that the administration involved with removing a name for non-payment is time-consuming and costly. Hence, to be restored to the Register, the veterinary surgeon must pay the appropriate annual retention fee, and the restoration fee, currently £294, which multiplies each time if fees are not paid in successive years.
The College writes to members' Register addresses to remind them when fees are due and, where an email address is maintained by the member as part of their formal record, also sends an email. It is, however, the responsibility of members to inform the RCVS Registration Department of any changes to their contact details and to ensure that payment is made. It is illegal for veterinary surgeons to practise or undertake any veterinary-related activities if their name does not appear on the RCVS Register as a home-practising member.
To help ensure that members removed for non-payment are aware that they have been removed from the Register, the full list of those removed for non-payment and not restored by 10 June can be downloaded from RCVSonline. The current status of individual veterinary surgeons can be checked online (www.rcvs.org.uk/checkregister).
A veterinary surgeon whose name has been removed from the Register and who wishes to restore him or herself should view the information on restoration to the Register.
Alternatively, please ring the RCVS Registration Department on 020 7202 0707. Restorations made since 10 June are not shown on this list.
Willows, the Solihull-based multidisciplinary referral centre, has announced that it has acquired The Veterinary Cardiorespiratory Centre, the renowned referral service run by Mike Martin MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology (pictured right).
Mike, together with Chris Linney and their team will shortly be moving half-an-hour up the road to join the team at Willows.
The company says that the move will offer a number of benefits to referring practitioners. Chief amongst these is the speed with which an accurate diagnosis can be made and treatment given, both as a result of having RCVS Specialists in neurology, imaging, medicine, soft tissue surgery (and now cardiology) under one roof and because of the state-of-the-art equipment at their disposal, including CT, MRI and digital fluoroscopy.
Lynne Hill, CEO, Willows Group said: ”I’m thrilled that Mike, Chris and their team are joining us at Willows. I have always held Mike in the highest regard and this is a tremendous opportunity for the practice to provide a truly collaborative ‘one-stop-shop’ for both clients and referring veterinary practices”.
Mike said: “I’m really looking forward to working at Willows Referral Service and being part of a multidisciplinary team. It's a logical move to provide Willows with the missing discipline of cardiology and I'm delighted Lynne Hill has allowed us to fulfil that role. There has been an increasing number of referrals between the two centres due to the complexity of cases - now that will be all under one roof and we can manage these much more effectively and offer the best service to our clients and their patients.”
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net
PawSquad, which was founded in 2015 by Diwaker Singh and Radu Georgescu, offers veterinary consultations by video and live text chat in the United Kingdom. IVC says it continue to operate as an autonomous entity within the IVC group.
PawSquad CEO, Dr Mark Boddy MRCVS (pictured right) said: “Our network of experienced veterinarians has already helped many thousands of pets in the UK, providing medical advice, emergency triage and preventive health plans. Being part of IVC will allow us to help even more pets and to continue to work positively and collaboratively with the veterinary profession, as well as expand geographically.”
Stuart Caton, Chief Commercial Officer at IVC Evidensia said: "Telemedicine will support the efforts of the group to make high quality veterinary care more accessible to pet owners, lowering the barriers to engagement with the veterinary profession. It’s an excellent acquisition that will further complement the group as pet services grow and evolve in the future. We are delighted the entire PawSquad team will continue with the business supporting their corporate and private clients as before.”
IVC says the accessibility of the PawSquad service encourages pet owners to seek professional advice earlier and more frequently, with around half of all queries being referred for necessary in-clinic follow-up and otherwise providing much valued reassurance and peace of mind.
The company also says telemedicine is particularly appreciated by cat owners or those with nervous dogs, where the stress of a clinic visit can sometimes result in those pets missing out on veterinary care.
PawSquad Chairman and Founder, Diwaker Singh said: “We are pet lovers and launched PawSquad with the objective of making sure that pet owners have instant 24/7 access to quality pet care, accessible from their homes. Towards this end, PawSquad is a great success. The service has grown significantly, confirming there is a clear need for this service. IVC Evidensia’s extensive network will help the business strengthen and grow to even greater heights.”
Current World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recommendations are to include a representative strain from each of the two sublineages of equine influenza virus (EIV) - Florida Clade 1 and Florida Clade 2, to deliver optimum protection.
MSD's study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Equilis Prequenza, containing whole virus Newmarket/2/93 (European strain) and South Africa/4/03 (Clade1) EIV strains, and an HA canarypox vectored vaccine containing Florida Clade 1 and Clade 2 strains.
Two groups of seven Fjord ponies were vaccinated twice, 4 weeks apart (V1 on day 0 and V2 on day 28). One group was vaccinated with Equilis Prequenza (MSD AH) and one group with ProteqFlu (Boehringer Ingleheim). The protective antibody response was measured and ponies were challenged, along with six unvaccinated control ponies, by experimental infection with Wexford/14 (a heterologous clade 2 strain), 1 20 days (4.5 months) after V2, and clinical signs and virus shedding monitored. EI serology was measured by single radial haemolysis (SRH) and hemagglutination inhibition (HI). Clinical signs and virus shedding (measured by qRT-PCR and egg titration) were compared between groups and with controls.
Vicki Farr, BVetMed MRCVS, equine veterinary advisor at MSD Animal Health said: "Following challenge at 120 days after V2 with Wexford/14, this study demonstrates that both vaccines provide a highly significant degree of protection against clinical signs of EI and viral shedding compared to unvaccinated controls. Although the study was not designed to compare the efficacy of the two vaccines, because of practical limitations on the number of animals and hence low power, there was no evidence of any significant differences between these two groups. There was, however, a trend towards slightly lower clinical score on days 4-8 and reduced virus excretion on days 2-5 in the Equilis Prequenza group compared to the HA canarypox vectored vaccine.”
MSD says Equilis Prequenza offers a broad based approach to immunogenicity by addressing and adapting key areas of an equine influenza vaccine - Matrix-C adjuvant, whole virus antigen and strain; efficacy has been proven through challenge trials and longer term protection confirmed by serology.
Vicki added: "Equilis Prequenza addresses key factors involved in promoting effective immunogenicity. It combines the demonstrated efficacy against challenge, with a current circulating strain with an established safety profile. Equilis Prequenza stimulates active immunity against EI providing the reassurance your clients demand. MSD Animal Health is committed to working with equine practices to improve vaccination rates in at-risk horses."
For more information about the trial results contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.
Whilst declawing is illegal in many countries of the world, it remains surprisingly common in others, including North America, where it is performed electively to stop cats from damaging furniture, or as a means of avoiding scratches.
The operation to declaw does not just remove the claw, but also the end bone of the toe. Previous research has focused on short-term issues following surgery, such as lameness, chewing of toes and infection, but the long-term health effects of this procedure have not to date been investigated.
For the study, the author group, based in North America, investigated a total of 137 non-declawed cats and 137 declawed cats, of which 33 were declawed on all four feet. All 274 cats were physically examined for signs of pain and barbering (excessive licking or chewing of fur) and their medical history was reviewed for unwanted behaviours.
They found that inappropriate toileting, biting, aggression and over-grooming occurred significantly more often in the declawed cats than the non-declawed cats (roughly 7, 4, 3 and 3 times more often, respectively, based on the calculated odds ratio).
A declawed cat was also almost 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with back pain than a non-declawed cat (potentially due to shortening of the declawed limb and altered gait, and/or chronic pain at the site of the surgery causing compensatory weight shift to the pelvic limbs).
International Cat Care has issued a position statement saying that even if surgical techniques were improved to negate some of the adverse effects of declawing, it would remain of the opinion that the procedure is unethical other than if required to manage a medical condition, and should be legislated against wherever possible.
Enrobactin contains enrofloxacin but is uniquely available in 10ml bottles for convenient dispensing in practice.
Enrobactin can be used to treat digestive, respiratory tract and skin and wound infections and features a distinctive caramel aroma.
Madeline Haynes, Product Manager, said: "Offering practices solutions which are efficacious but also easy to use is a key focus at Virbac, particularly given the importance in practice of using antibiotics responsibly and accurately across all species. Enrobactin is a good example of this and we are pleased to launch it."
This only affects batch number C967336A, expires before 07/2020. Any other batches of Tylan 200 Injection are not affected and may continue to be distributed.
Elanco is contacting wholesale dealers and veterinary surgeons to examine inventory immediately and quarantine products subject to this recall.
For further information regarding the recall, please contact Ms Victoria Haslingden 01256 779519 or email elanco_orders@lilly.com
Being an intranasal vaccine, Bovalto Respi IN triggers mucosal immunity in the nasal passages and throat area. It can be delivered from 10 days of age without the need for a booster and provides immunity for 12 weeks, from 10 days after vaccination.
Boehringer says it has also been shown to be effective in the face of MDA (maternally derived antibodies).
The new bottle now has a wider neck, which apparently makes for a better fit with the accompanying Respisafe applicator and nozzle.
Brand manager Matt Yarnall said: "The Respisafe applicator ensures that vaccination is a comfortable process for both farmer and calf and the improved fit will make the job even easier.
"With an intranasal vaccine, it is important that the vaccine droplets coat the mucosa of the nasal passages, where they can begin to work. If they are too big, then the vaccine can run out of the nose, and if too small then the droplets are carried into the lungs and are wasted. The Respisafe system ensures that the optimum size of droplet is administered to the right place in an efficient and easy way.”
Bovalto Respi Intranasal protects against the two main respiratory viruses – RSV and PI3, and during its development it was tested against current strains, that are associated with causing disease in cattle1.
Stock of the new bottles will start to enter circulation with vets from mid-July, with an expectation that the existing version will still be in circulation until early in the new year.
Tulaven is licensed for the treatment and metaphylaxis of BRD associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis.
Tulaven can also be used to treat Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) associated with Moraxella bovis as well as Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC) associated with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis and Bordetella bronchiseptica.
Tulaven is also is licensed to treat the early stages of infectious pododermatitis (foot rot) in sheep associated with virulent Dichelobacter nodosus.
Ceva highlights that Tulaven is the only tulathromycin available in CLAS (Ceva Layered Anti Shatter) vials1, which have less impact on the environment2, are easier to handle3 and transport4, and are preferred by farmers5.
Cuneyt Seckin, Managing Director of Ceva Animal Health, said: “Ceva has been developing its expertise in the treatment of BRD for many years, with a wide range of treatment options and autogenous vaccines available for vets. The launch of Tulaven is the next addition to this range, enabling us to offer even more support to vets and farmers.”
For further information, contact your local Ceva territory manager, call Ceva on 01494 781510 or email cevauk@ceva.com.
References
According to Davies, Sharpsmart is the world’s safest and most environmentally responsible sharps and clinical waste management system, proven to:
Ellie West, anaesthetist at Davies and Green Group leader said: "We are really excited to have the opportunity to be the first veterinary centre to be working with Sharpsmart and are already seeing great results in carbon reduction and we look forward to sharing our results later in 2019."
Adrian Giles, Total Waste Program Manager for Sharpsmart added: "Working with Davies has enabled us to showcase our safety engineered sharps system in a new and exciting arena where sharps safety and sustainability are a priority.
"The transition to Sharpsmart was seamless and was completed across the centre in a day without any challenges. Face-to-face training was provided to staff along with touch point education material. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Davies over the coming months and years."
As part of its green drive, Davies will be hosting 'Sustainability CPD' for referring vets on May 2nd 2019 at its HQ in Higham Gobion, Hertforshire.
Ellie West said: "Run by the Sustainability Leads at DVS, this evening aims to increase your carbon literacy, explore the challenges and barriers to improving sustainability in your daily practice and find some positive solutions to implement sustainability. The challenges which we have faced at DVS will be explored, along with the co-benefits of sustainability to our business, and useful resources to help your practice to be more environmentally friendly and resilient will be highlighted."
You can book your place here https://vetspecialists.co.uk/events/davies-first-sustainability-cpd-for-referring-vets/ or contact Ellie.West@vetspecialists.co.uk if you are interested in attending or would like more information.
Davies has also produced a suite of Waste Segregation Posters which are proving popular with their referring practices. You can find out more and view the posters here https://vetspecialists.co.uk/sustainability/sustainability-initiatives-at-davies-your-questions-answered/.
For more information or to receive print ready PDFs, contact marketing@vetspecialists.co.uk