Veterinary practices are being urged to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, following research carried out by Elanco Companion Animal Health, distributor of Cavalesse, which revealed that vets only tend to be consulted after horse owners have tried to manage the condition themselves (73%), or if the clinical signs have become severe (67%), potentially leading to major welfare implications.

According to the research, this is despite the fact that over half (55%) of owners of a horse with sweet itch showed concern that their horse will suffer, and nearly half being stressed about the way the condition will affect it (47%).  While many horse owners are fairly knowledgeable about the causes of sweet itch and its clinical signs, over a quarter of respondents (26%) did not start managing the condition before the midge season in the spring, which may make managing the condition more frustrating.  Nearly a third (31%) stated that they had to curtail their activities with their horse due to welfare, aesthetic and behavioural issues, such as head shaking, rubbing, unpredictability and aggression.

Ed Whittle, technical consultant at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "86% of those questioned considered sweet itch to be a very serious welfare issue if left untreated, with the worst aspects of the condition being the suffering and distress caused by the constant irritation which affects the quality of life of the horse. Over half (55%) felt that sweet itch had adversely affected the behaviour of their horse, making them difficult to handle or ride. Veterinary practices should be proactively talking to their clients about summer skin conditions such as sweet itch to help alleviate the suffering and distress caused by this frustrating disease."

Elanco says it will be joining forces with the British Horse Society (BHS), The Blue Cross, The Horse Trust, Redwings Horse Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare (WHW) to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, during Sweet Itch Awareness Month (SIAM) in March. The campaign will highlight the preventative measures that should be carried out to help alleviate sweet itch and the importance of management of the condition before the start of the midge season in the spring.

Lee Hackett, head of welfare at the BHS, said: "The results of this survey show just how important raising awareness of sweet itch is. All of us, whether we are welfare organisations or vets, need to play our part in educating owners about sweet itch in the hope that they will seek expert advice at an earlier stage and reduce the number of horses that suffer as a result of this condition."

Kerry Taylor, education officer at The Blue Cross, said: "The Blue Cross is pleased to be supporting the sweet itch campaign to raise awareness of the physical and mental impact this condition has on horses. During our May 2011 National Equine Health Survey, skin problems came out the top syndrome affecting horses, and we continue to see many horses coming into our care suffering from sweet itch. Prevention and early treatment is key to managing the potentially debilitating condition."

For further information on sweet itch, Sweet Itch Awareness Month or Cavalesse, please visit http://www.fidavet.com/, or contact Elanco Companion Animal Health, Lilly House, Priestley Road, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL, 01256 353131.

Reference

Sweet itch - effect on horse and owner.  Mo Gannon & Associates.  Web survey in November 2011.  351 responses - owners who have owned horses with sweet itch in the last two years.

The National Office of Animal Health has issued a statement criticising the All Party Parliamentary Group on Antibiotics report: "Non-human uses of antibiotics: time to restrict their use?”, saying it fails to recognise the steps that have already been taken by vets and farmers to prevent disease and minimise antibiotic use on farms where possible.  

NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: "NOAH fully supports the need for responsible prescribing, by both the veterinary and medical professions.

"On the veterinary side, NOAH has been very actively involved with responsible use initiatives, such as the RUMA Alliance, which publishes guidelines supporting responsible use and has produced an action plan on livestock antibiotic resistance to implement Government strategy.“

NOAH highlights two particular aspects of the report. Firstly that it is critical of the treatment of groups of animals through medicated feed and water. 

Dawn said: "There are many animal-friendly reasons why medicines can be prescribed in this way by a veterinary surgeon.

"For groups of animals, fish or birds there is less stress than injection or individual oral dosing. Where treatment is needed, the vet supplies a prescription for treatment through medicated feed or through the water, depending on the product being used. The whole process is highly regulated through European and national legislation."

The report also suggests certain classes of antibiotics should be reserved for humans. NOAH says it believes that veterinary surgeons need to retain the full range of currently licensed antibiotics in order to be able to treat the range of conditions that affect animals, and if they are restricted, animal welfare will undoubtedly suffer.

NOAH adds that removal of some classes from the veterinary sector would place undue selective pressure on the remaining classes which could increase resistance to those classes – having the opposite effect to what the committee probably intends.

Dawn said: “NOAH is disappointed not to have been consulted in advance of the publication of the report. We believe that responsible use of veterinary antibiotics is the best way to help preserve these precious medicines for us all, without compromising the health and welfare of our animals.”

Vétoquinol has announced plans to raise £10,000 for The Blue Cross pet charity through sales of Propalin, its fast acting treatment for incontinence in dogs.

From 1st July to 31st December this year, for every 100ml bottle of Propalin ordered, Vétoquinol will give 18p to The Blue Cross and 7p for every 30ml bottle.

To boost the amount raised for The Blue Cross, Vétoquinol is offering vets a free bottle of Propalin for every six bottles ordered of both the 100ml and 30ml sizes.

For example, if you order 18 100ml bottles of Propalin, you will receive 6 free bottles and The Blue Cross will receive £4.32.

Vanessa Rossiter, corporate fundraising officer for The Blue Cross said: “As a charity, The Blue Cross relies on donations to support our adoption centres and animal hospitals around the country. We are very grateful to Vétoquinol for their pledge to raise funds for the hundreds of needy animals in our care.”

According to Vétoquinol, Propalin is the UK’s best selling licensed veterinary treatment for urinary incontinence in the ***. It contains phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, which acts to increase the tone in muscles that make up the urethal sphincter. It takes effect within 30 minutes of administration and, as a liquid, is highly palatable.

Medivet has announced that the Pilgrims Veterinary Clinics based in Dartford and West Kingsdown have become the 100th and 101st practices to join the Medivet Veterinary Partnership

Arnold Levy, Managing Director of Medivet said: "We are delighted to welcome the Pilgrims group. Medivet was founded in 1986, and we have been growing steadily ever since. Our model is based on acquisition or partnership with existing practices. That means we are still entirely vet owned and vet managed - and I strongly believe this traditional partnership model is the reason for our success."

He added: "We invest alongside our partner practices. We share the cost of investment for new equipment, and we share the profits. This has been a consistently successful approach for us. It's given our group the resilience to thrive whatever the competition, or the state of the economy."

Fort Dodge, which supplies Bluetongue vaccine in continental Europe, has licensed its cattle vaccine in the UK and is now launching the product onto the UK market. 

The company has already won and met tenders from several European governments, including France, Spain, Italy, Portugal Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the Czech Republic for its Zulvac 8^® Bovis vaccine and says it is the only international company to have produced vaccines for the most commonly occurring serotypes of the disease including 8, 4 and 1.

Approved by the VMD with a Provisional Marketing Authorisation, Zulvac 8 is available in 50 dose and 10 dose packs. The key claims are active immunisation against Bluetongue serotype 8 of cattle from 2.5 months old and a significant reduction of viraemia.

The vaccine is administered in 2 x 2 ml doses at three week intervals given by intra muscular injection and the product is supported by a fixed 2ml multidose applicator with Sterimatic needle protector and cleaning system to ensure accurate dosing and hygienic conditions.

John Hanley, Managing Director of Fort Dodge UK, said: "We were first to market with our Zulvac 8 product in three European countries and have received an Award for Agricultural Merit from the Spanish Government for our work in Bluetongue control. Following the licensing of Zulvac 8 Bovis in the UK we now have the opportunity to launch the product onto the UK market.

"In terms of pricing, Zulvac 8 is competitive per dose against other products in the market and it is supported by the experience gained in Europe with millions of animals already vaccinated.  We're delighted that the VMD have authorised the vaccine and believe its availability can play a key role in protecting the UK's cattle from this dreadful disease."

The product is authorised for use by cattle farmers in the protection zone only, and will require veterinary prescription.  Farmers can administer the vaccine to their cattle and the 2ml intra-muscular injection will be an advantage in aiding administration especially when used with Zulvac Bovis applicator with sterimatic needle protector and cleaning system.

The first batches will be available from veterinary wholesalers from week commencing 22^nd September 2008.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded a veterinary surgeon for submitting a certificate of Clinical Inspection for Veterinary Inspectors ("TB52") for tuberculin tests he had undertaken on cattle, despite knowing that he had not fully complied with the standard operating procedures (SOP) for these tests.

At the outset of the three-day hearing, John Wilson admitted that, when acting as an Official Veterinarian (OV) he had not carried out tuberculin tests on cattle at a Wiltshire farm on 19 May 2011 strictly in accordance with the SOP required by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), an executive agency of Defra.

The admitted shortcomings were that on 19 May, the second day of testing, Mr Wilson had failed to confirm the identity of all the animals, failed to inspect the animals digitally (ie using his hands) and had not measured the fold of skin at the injection site of all the animals. The College argued that this was contrary to the directions of the AHVLA and, in subsequently signing the TB52 certificate, he was either dishonest or should have known that the certification was incorrect. Mr Wilson admitted that he ought to have known the certification was incorrect but denied dishonesty, because he believed that he had conducted the test in a satisfactory manner and had correctly identified all the reactors in the herd.

Mr Wilson was a veterinary surgeon of over 40 years experience and unblemished record, and the Committee found his account of events to be accurate and honest. He said the farm involved was unprepared and test arrangements were chaotic, with poor handling facilities, and he would have been concerned for the safety of the animals and their handlers if he had complied fully with the SOP. He had advised the farmer to delay the test but his advice was rejected.

The Committee accepted that the testing had been carried out under exceptional and difficult circumstances. It noted that Mr Wilson had identified a reactor and taken appropriate actions, knowing that the outcome would be the quarantining of the whole herd. He had made no financial or other gain, other than the nominal fee charged for the work. Although failing to comply with the SOP fell short of what was expected of a veterinary surgeon, because of these circumstances, and as he had acted in what he considered to be the best interests of the animals and personnel, these actions did not amount to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee found that, even allowing for these difficulties and concerns, in signing the TB52 certificate a few days later, without any qualification, Mr Wilson ought to have known that it was incorrect, and his actions fell far short of the standards expected of the veterinary profession. They did not however find that he had been dishonest.

The Committee stressed the importance attached to accurate and reliable certification, in maintaining the confidence of the public and the profession, and in ensuring animal welfare.

Professor Lees, chairing and speaking on behalf of the committee said: "The Committee is aware, as confirmed by AHVLA, that this is a single, isolated event and the first offence in some 40 years of the Respondent working as a LVI [local veterinary inspector] or OV. After considering all the mitigating factors.and, given the exceptional circumstances of this specific case, the decision of the Committee is to reprimand Mr Wilson."

CVS has reported the results of a clinical improvement project it ran in 105 of its first opinion small animal practices to increase screening for hypertension in older cats.

According to the company, participating practices more than doubled the number of blood pressure checks they conducted, within 12 months. 

The CVS’ clinical improvement project initially looked at how effective its first opinion small animal practices were in screening older cats for hypertension.

In line with the veterinary industry norm, it found that less than two per cent of cats over the age of seven were receiving an annual blood pressure check.

This initial research also found that the common barriers to conducting blood pressure checks by vets and veterinary nurses in practice were due to time constraints, availability of equipment and simply remembering to discuss blood pressure checks with owners.

Each CVS site chose two people to lead the initiative at their site, to aid communication and delivery.

A document was created to help, providing background, aims, summary of resources and planning sections.

Contributory factors preventing delivery of blood pressure checks were outlined and practices were encouraged to identify additional barriers and resources needed.

A suite of resources were then produced to support the practice team - from reception to veterinary surgeons - in improving annual blood pressure check rates.

The resources included new clinical frameworks and veterinary guidelines on how to treat hypertension; in-practice educational resources to highlight the benefits of hypertension screening and information sheets and blood pressure diaries to help clients manage their pets condition.

To upskill and develop colleagues in how to identify and treat hypertension and resulting conditions, a collection of training materials was created and training sessions held.

These included a series of webinars which explained why hypertension is important to identify, how to overcome common challenges encountered when looking for hypertension in cats, how to use the ophthalmic exam to help diagnose hypertension and how to treat hypertension.

Three in-person CPD days were hosted with the support from Ceva six months into the project where feline specialists Sarah Caney and Samantha Taylor shared the latest evidence base in this field and practices were encouraged to share barriers, queries and tips, so that ideas could be taken away to make blood pressure screening a simpler process in practice.

Practices were also encouraged to organise lunch and learn CPD sessions, to share best practice and generate discussion within their team.

In addition, a website was created to host all resources in one place, including webinars, clinical frameworks, client resources, a discussion forum and data.

An audit of each participating practice’s blood pressure check data was conducted at the start of the project.

Results were then shared with each participating practice every month - including the total number of blood pressure checks performed each month and the percentage of cats over the age of seven who had an annual blood pressure check.

Twelve months after its nation-wide launch, results reveal that the number of blood pressure checks have more than doubled (110%) within participating CVS practices and an additional 5,984 blood pressure checks have been performed year on year.

A number of practices were able to implement systems that allowed them to perform over 40 blood pressures each month.

The number of cats on amlodipine (the first choice medication to treat hypertension in cats) increased by 303 patients year-on-year, hinting many more cats had been diagnosed with hypertension.

Kate Allgood, Hub Clinical Lead at CVS who was responsible for the hypertension clinical improvement project, said: “There is a huge benefit in treating hypertension.

"No one wants to see a cat suddenly become blind due to hypertension that wasn’t recognised in time.

"So many associated longer-term feline complications and conditions can be avoided if annual blood pressure checks in cats over the age of seven are routinely performed.

"Increasing blood pressure screening is not a simple task though, and this focus has allowed space and time for practices to give this topic the recognition it deserves; to identify and implement systems that make it easier to identify patients at risk, discuss with clients and perform these checks with ease.

"We have created a robust clinical structure, produced some easily accessible materials and supported our practices to make small and simple changes that add up.

"Our practices have done an outstanding job at delivering this project to date and I look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the future. We strongly believe that this work will contribute towards providing some of the best clinical care for cats in the veterinary profession.”

Intervet / Schering Plough Animal Health has launched Leventa, an easily administered once daily, liquid treatment for canine hypothyroidism. 

Leventa is a low volume liquid formulation of levothyroxine sodium which provides the thyroxine needed by dogs with hypothyroidism. The company says it is readily accepted.

Until now, thyroxine has only been available in a tablet format. Leventa comes in a single presentation 30 ml bottle with a dosing syringe suitable for all weights of dogs, allowing straightforward storage and stock control.

Leventa enables accurate dosing and easy dose titration. The ready-to-dispense pack avoids time-consuming tablet dispensing and handling of medications.

In addition to the practical compliance benefits of the liquid format, Intervet / Schering Plough says Leventa also offers excellent bio-availability¹.  In trials, 79% of dogs stabilised on the once daily starting dose of 20g/kg avoiding lengthy stabilisation². 

Vicki Winslet, Veterinary Advisor at Intervet / Schering Plough said: "One of the greatest challenges faced by vets for effective treatment is owner compliance. Leventa overcomes this issue with a simple syringe dose replacing the need for tablets of varying sizes and quantities." 

One of the most common endocrine disorders in dogs but difficult to diagnose, hypothyroidism can lead to a variety of issues including weight gain, lethargy and coat problems (including dullness, loss or thinning). It can also cause insulin resistance in diabetic dogs.

The launch of Leventa further extends Intervet / Schering Plough's endocrine portfolio which includes Caninsulin, developed for the treatment of diabetes in small animals and Vidalta, a once daily treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats which is already proving extremely popular with the profession.

For further information, please contact your Intervet/Schering-Plough account manager or telephone the company's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.

1. Le Traon G, Burgaud S, Horspool LJ. (2008) Pharmacokinetics of total thyroxine in dogs after administration of an oral solution of levothyroxine sodium. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 31:95-101.
2. Gommeren K, Benchekroun G, Brennan S.F, Burgaud S, Daminet S, Horspool L.J.I, Le Traon G, Rosenberg D, Mooney C.T (2008) A novel L-thyroxine solution is a safe and effective once daily treatment for canine hypothyroidism.  In:Proceedings BSAVA congress 2008 , 3-6 April Birmingham, UK pp487-488

A collaborative team of researchers from the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition has shown that adding moisture to a cat's diet leads to an increase in activity and may help slow down weight gain.

In a series of studies conducted in partnership with the University of Aberdeen, Waltham scientists found that cats fed a dry diet with added water were more physically active and gained less weight than those cats fed the dry diet alone. According to the Centre, this is the first time reduced energy density diets have been associated with an increase in physical activity levels in cats.

Waltham scientist and author of the study, Dr. Penelope Morris, said: "These findings advance our understanding of the factors that influence body weight in cats and provide a strong basis for further research.

"Obesity is a growing problem in the cat population, recent figures indicate that up to 50 per cent of cats are either overweight or obese. These findings could have important implications for developing tailored diets that meet cats' energy and nutritional needs."

The research is part of a wider programme of ongoing collaborative research into the effect of food and nutrition on body weight in both cats and dogs.

The research has been published in the June edition (Volume 95, Issue 3) of the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition and is available in print and online: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2010.01107.x/abstract

The BVA has released the result of a survey of its members to identify what vets think are the most pressing welfare needs affecting cats in the UK.

According to the Spring 2022 Voice of the Profession survey, one in four cats (24%) seen in practices are not having all of their welfare needs met. 

The issues identified by vets as the most pressing at their practice were:

• 43% Obesity
• 41% Behavioral problems/stress from living in a multi-cat household
• 34% Dental issues
• 26% Health issues linked to extreme conformation
• 19% Owners not accessing preventative veterinary care

A new study¹ lead by led by Dr Séverine Tasker at the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences and published in the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology (CVI), has shown that cats previously infected with the blood-borne bacteria M. haemofelis develop immunity from re-infection.

Haemoplasmas are a group of blood borne bacteria found in a wide range of mammals, including domestic and wild cats, and can cause severe anaemia. The findings of the new study have significantly advanced researchers' knowledge of immunity for these pathogens.

Information about the immune responses that occur in animals following haemoplasma infection is relatively unknown, largely due to the fact that researchers struggle to study these bacteria as they are unable to grow them in the laboratory. Antibiotics do not consistently clear infection and without correct treatment the anaemia can be fatal. Recently haemoplasma associated anaemia has been reported in a human too.

The aim of the study was to determine whether cats who had previously recovered from M. haemofelis infection were protected from re-infection. The researchers found that they were, representing a significant advancement in scientists' knowledge of immunity for haemoplasma infections.

The exact methods of protective immunity could not be clearly identified despite extensive investigations, but the study's results suggest that a vaccine, using a weakened form of the bacteria, may offer protection against haemoplasma infection.

Séverine said: "This is the first study to demonstrate protective immunity against M. haemofelis reinfection and it provides important information for a possible future haemoplasma vaccine.

"Our findings could help prevent the disease in cats and could also be of particular importance to farm animal species where haemoplasma infections can cause huge financial losses."

The study recommends future research should explore whether the bacterial animal infection could be transmitted to humans and how the immune system targets the pathogen.

Reference

1. 'Protective immunity against infection with Mycoplasma haemofelis' by Chelsea Hicks et al in Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.

Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens has announced that the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone that has been in place since 6th December will be extended until 28th February to help protect captive birds, after confirmation of another case of H5N8 in a backyard flock in Carmarthenshire yesterday.

Nigel Gibben said: "The Prevention Zone means anyone who keeps poultry such as chickens, ducks and geese, even as pets, must take action to stop them coming into contact with wild birds to protect them from avian flu.

"Birds should be moved into a suitable building, or if that isn’t possible owners must take sensible precautions to keep them away from wild birds, like putting up netting to create a temporary enclosure and keeping food and water supplies inside where they cannot be contaminated by wild birds.

"Even when birds are kept indoors a risk of infection remains so keepers must also practice good biosecurity, for example by disinfecting footwear and equipment and washing clothing after contact with birds.

"Recent H5N8 avian flu findings in wild birds and a backyard flock in Wales highlight just how essential it is to minimise contact between wild and captive birds and maintain good biosecurity to reduce the risk of infection.

"We must continue to be vigilant and do all we can to protect against this highly pathogenic strain of the disease, which is why we are extending the Prevention Zone, have introduced a ban on poultry gatherings and continue to strengthen surveillance to understand the extent of infection in wild birds."